Moira Hanvey Dave Hanvey Friday April 14

My wife Moira Hanvey, who has died of cancer aged 49, was a singer of such power and beauty that it was difficult not to be moved by her gift.

Moira was firmly rooted in the folk world: immersed in the Irish music of her family, she branched out into the vibrant English folk club scene of the mid 1970s. She discovered the wealth of traditional songs and explored much of the contemporary material being written by emerging acoustic singer-songwriters.

She ran her own club in Warrington for a while, but soon became a founder member of an English country band called the Electropathic Battery Band. This proved to be the start of a lifelong collaboration with guitarist John Gregson and myself, in which she grew to love the music from the 1930s and 1940s.

Moira researched British singers such as Elsie Carlisle, who sang American blues and jazz, but in her own English dance band styles. She recorded some of these songs with John and myself, calling the trio The Grand Cru.

Although Moira never abandoned traditional music, she also started writing songs. Prompted by working with storyteller Taffy Thomas, who needed a song about a library, Moira wrote one. She also wrote a tune and arrangement for John Betjeman's The Liquorice Fields at Pontefract.

Moira was part of a team, as performer, booker and MC, who started a small music venue in Wakefield, west Yorkshire, which she christened the Acoustic Cabaret. She was professional, but always fun and gave the venue a personality and an identity.

She worked as administrator at the student office of Leeds Medical School for 15 years. Nearly two years ago, she left to join me in my small craft business, designing and making glass jewellery, and brought her artistic flair and love of life to the business greatly enhancing the partnership.