Chris Penman with John Maydon

Chris Penman has been thrilling audiences with her strong crystal clear vocals since she was kneehigh to a grasshopper. She grew up performing with her dad Jack Penman and her siblings David and Theia and now her own children. They have for many years run the Family Session at Auckland Folk Festival delighting and encouraging with their own brand of humour and talent.

Within the NZ Folk scene Chris is best known for her accomplished renditions of music in the Traditional form particularly those with a Scottish origin. She frequently attends festival sessions where you can hear those vocals soar up to the rafters. In Chris own words “I am never happier than when I have a room full of people singing along with me”. Chris has been festival guest at most of the major NZ Folk Festivals notably Auckland, Cardrona, Canterbury, Wellyfest, Whare Flat and most recently WAAM.

She has recorded her own CD ‘Portobello Years’ with Mike Moroney and ‘Homemade Jam’ with the Penman Family. She has also guested on CDs with Martin Curtis, Mike Harding, and The Chaps.

Her musical collaborations have included Dave Nicholson, Brent Blann, Kay Row, Mike Moroney, Bob McNeill and many other stalwarts of the NZ Folk Scene. Chris also sings for her supper with her husband John Maydon and their busy pub band(s) cover a wide range of genres including Country, Americana, Rock, Blues, and they are never out of work on St Patrick’s Day!

While this gal is most at home throwing her head back and giving it laldy she also ably accompanies herself, and others, on guitar, ukulele, bodhran, and lagerphone. To Chris music is as important as breathing and she effortlessly pores integrity, emotion and love into all her performances.