Here is a complete listing from the Somerset and Dorset Folk Diary. To receive regular updates to this listing, along with other news items, please subscribe.
Regular events, such as music sessions and dance clubs are listed separately here.
Please note that all the email addresses on this page have been altered to try to limit the effect of spam programs. The @ symbol has been replaced with " AT ". Also note that the web addresses on the page may not act as hyperlinks. You will have to cut and paste them into the address bar of your web browser.
Julie July Band is a British folk-rock band performing original music inspired by the folk, rock, and blues movement of the 60s and 70s but with a contemporary 21st century twist.
With over a decade of gigging and recording experience, they make their debut performance at Taunton Brewhouse celebrating their new album Flight of Fancy, together with songs from their critically acclaimed albums Lady of the First Light and Wonderland, plus a selection of Sandy Denny favourites.
£20.00 - £24.00
7.45 pm
Contact Hannah Harrison: 01823 704041
marketing AT tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/julie-july-band/
Electro Folk pioneers The Drystones are bringing a night of big bad beats for badass barn dancing to The David Hall. All you have to do is leave your preconceptions of Folk at the door and maybe bring some sequins…
For their Vulpus tour, the ‘indecently talented’ duo of Alex Garden (fiddle) and Ford Collier (guitar, whistle) are joining forces with ‘percussion maestro’ Evan Carson (Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, iamthemorning).
Whether you’re more at home in a crusty tavern or a sweaty disco, a Drystones show is the place for you.
www.thedrystones.co.uk
Tickets: £17 Full. £16 Under 25s
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/the-drystones-2/
Julie July Band is a British folk-rock band performing original music inspired by the folk, rock, and blues movement of the 60s and 70s but with a contemporary 21st century twist.
With over a decade of gigging and recording experience, they make their debut performance at Taunton Brewhouse celebrating their new album Flight of Fancy, together with songs from their critically acclaimed albums Lady of the First Light and Wonderland, plus a selection of Sandy Denny favourites.
From £20.50
7.45 pm
Phone: 01823 283244
boxoffice AT tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/julie-july-band/
Winners of Best Album at Wales Folk Awards 2023, Dorset’s touring arts charity Artsreach is delighted to welcome VRï to Dorset this autumn.
Jordan Price Williams (cello, voice), Aneirin Jones (violin, voice) and Patrick Rimes (viola, violin, voice) are three young men from deepest chapel-going Wales, who have mined the cultural upheaval of past centuries and drawn inspiration from the incredible story of a time when Wales’ traditional music and dance was suppressed by Methodist chapels, and, earlier, its language by the Act of Union.
Three-part harmonies, stunning fiddle and the unusual addition of cello forge VRï’s totally unique sound. Since forming in 2016, the trio have been pumping out their native foot-stomping dance tunes whilst maintaining the poise and elegance of a string ensemble. Seizing the remaining strands of subsumed tradition and music, VRï blends them into a joyous celebration of Welsh identity and a contemporary rediscovery of lost traditions. Don’t miss this exceptional trio as they perform live in Dorset in partnership with Artsreach.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Patricia: 07799 612941
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/vri
On October 12th we are looking forward to the return visit of husband and wife duo Wildwood Jack who proved to be very popular guests when they performed in The Crown in September 2022.
Wildwood Jack (Adam Piggott & Jayne Freeman) are a totally unique acoustic guitar and ukulele duo from Kent. Having sold their home in 2013 to tour the world, they bring an intimate, heartwarming, and adventurous spirit to their music and to audiences wherever they play.
With over a decade of touring and a life lived on the road, their adventures and journeys are richly woven into their songwriting, songs that sparkle with originality and the craft of storytelling.
Their albums Liberty Ship (2018) and Many More Ways Than One (2020) expertly blend the genres of folk with Americana, bluegrass and world music.
Expect contemporary folk played with outstanding acoustic guitar and ukulele that will be sure to inspire and uplift you.
The Coffee Bar opens from 7.00pm beforehand and during the interval, offering fresh filter coffee or tea. We will also have a range of soft drinks and snacks for sale (NB for cash only). You are welcome to bring your own refreshments, but please note that there is a no-alcohol policy in the church building.
Music starts at 7.30pm with the first hour open to anyone who wants to sing or play. Floorsingers are invited to arrive early to sign up in the book on the evening, but as space is often limited you are welcome to email beforehand to book a slot. We try to ensure that everyone gets at least one song, but we operate a first come/first served policy.
Our guest artists perform from about 9.00pm and we finish music at 10.00pm.
laurieguitars AT gmail.com
A Folk Concert in aid of The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.
A dramatic increase in call outs for the Air Ambulance flying doctors has created a funding shortfall so local performers have rallied round to help keep the Helicopters flying.
Ston Easton Village Hall will ring to the sound of Chas Blacker's Windfalls launching us into an evening of song, chat, laughter and that feeling that goes with entertainment by the people for the people.
Well known local character, Martin Horler, has an amusing sketch to offer, while later in the evening two lads will regale us with something from the Jake Thackery stable. All this, plus a mix of traditional songs and something from the glory days of music-hall, adds up to a good evening's entertainment..
Advance booking only please.
Everyone is welcome to bring alcohol for their own consumption, however, tea and coffee will be offered during the interval.
Raffle prizes will be on offer, please bring cash for tickets.
Details: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-noqkkle
3inabar AT gmail.com or phone Colin Emmett 01275 332735
£15 age 14 +
7-30 pm sharp
Contact Colin Emmett: 01275 332735
3inabar AT gmail.com
Concert of folk song and music by No Strings Attached
This is a Tolpuddle Family Lives event, celebrating working class histories in rural England. It is funded by a Historic England Everyday Heritage grant programme.
No Strings Attached features Dorset folk musicians and singers, Vera & Martin Jardine and Elspeth & Richard Gracie.
Tickets are free, but there are limited seats so please reserve by email.
7.30pm
Contact name: Lorraine Tilbrook
Phone: 07939 827889
email to reserve seats: deliverymanager AT tolpuddleoldchapeltrust.org
Wildwood Jack (Adam Piggott & Jayne Freeman) are a totally unique acoustic guitar and ukulele duo from Kent. Having sold their home in 2013 to tour the world, they bring an intimate, heartwarming, and adventurous spirit to their music and to audiences wherever they play.
With over a decade of touring and a life lived on the road, their adventures and journeys are richly woven into their songwriting, songs that sparkle with originality and the craft of storytelling.
Their albums Liberty Ship (2018) and Many More Ways Than One (2020) expertly blend the genres of folk with Americana, bluegrass and world music.
Expect contemporary folk played with outstanding acoustic guitar and ukulele that will be sure to inspire and uplift you.
The Coffee Bar opens from 7.00pm beforehand and during the interval, offering fresh filter coffee or tea. We will also have a range of soft drinks and snacks for sale (NB for cash only). You are welcome to bring your own refreshments, but please note that there is a no-alcohol policy in the church building.
Music starts at 7.30pm with the first hour open to anyone who wants to sing or play. Floorsingers are invited to arrive early to sign up in the book on the evening, but as space is often limited you are welcome to email beforehand to book a slot. We try to ensure that everyone gets at least one song, but we operate a first come/first served policy.
Our guest artists perform from about 9.00pm and we finish music at 10.00pm. Our Folk Nights are free to enter, but please remember to come prepared with cash to make a generous donation to our guests performers.
laurieguitars AT gmail.com
Winners of Best Album at Wales Folk Awards 2023, Dorset’s touring arts charity Artsreach is delighted to welcome VRï to Dorset this autumn.
Jordan Price Williams (cello, voice), Aneirin Jones (violin, voice) and Patrick Rimes (viola, violin, voice) are three young men from deepest chapel-going Wales, who have mined the cultural upheaval of past centuries and drawn inspiration from the incredible story of a time when Wales’ traditional music and dance was suppressed by Methodist chapels, and, earlier, its language by the Act of Union.
Three-part harmonies, stunning fiddle and the unusual addition of cello forge VRï’s totally unique sound. Since forming in 2016, the trio have been pumping out their native foot-stomping dance tunes whilst maintaining the poise and elegance of a string ensemble. Seizing the remaining strands of subsumed tradition and music, VRï blends them into a joyous celebration of Welsh identity and a contemporary rediscovery of lost traditions. Don’t miss this exceptional trio as they perform live in Dorset in partnership with Artsreach.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Rowlie McBeath: 01963 220208
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/vri
Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England's finest folk musicians. Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron are each regarded as exceptional performers and masters of their instruments. Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.
Fiddler Sam Sweeney was the 2015 BBC Folk Awards Musician of the Year, directs the National Youth Folk Ensemble and is known for his work in Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, The Full English and his own Made In The Great War project. Melodeon genius Andy Cutting, a three-time BBC Folk Awards Best Musician, is a compelling solo performer and currently works with Blowzabella, Topette, June Tabor, and Roger Daltrey. Concertina wizard Rob Harbron leads the English Acoustic Collective summer school and is known for his work with The Full English (Best Group and Best Album BBC Folk Awards 2014), Emma Reid, Fay Hield, Jon Boden and others.
Leveret's music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new. With their albums New Anything and In The Round and over a long string of sell-out gigs, the trio have built a strong reputation as consummate musicians and captivating performers.
£20 adv, £22 on the door if available (cash only)
7:30pm
Contact Upwey Music: 07960 471170
admin AT upweymusic.org.uk
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-gamdkpn
2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Kitty Jay and after an amazing sold-out tour in February, the celebrations will continue into Autumn 2024 with a standing tour in October. Seth will be touring again with the band including long-time collaborators Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nicholls, Cormac Byrne, and Alex Hart playing the album and other live favourites.
Seth Lakeman was catapulted into the music mainstream when he was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for his album ‘Kitty Jay’. Inspired by the legends and stories of Dartmoor where Seth grew up, it was produced by his elder brother Sean Lakeman and cost just £300 to record in his kitchen in a Dartmoor village.
Seth’s thrilling solo performance of the eponymous title track on live television won him unanimous praise and started him on an incredible solo journey which has included record deals, 11 album releases (including 6 Top 40), BBC Radio 2 playlisted singles, a clutch of awards and touring all over the world.
£31 ADULT + BOOKING FEE
All Standing
7.00 pm
https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/seth-lakeman/
Rachael McShane is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player from the North East of England. She gained fame as an original member of the award-winning folk big band Bellowhead, touring with them extensively and making a number of television appearances. The band recorded five studio albums and, together, they won a staggering total of 8 BBC Folk Awards. Parting ways in 2016, the band returned in 2022 for a series of ecstatically-received performances that reminded audiences of their unique alchemy, energy and talent.
Away from her Bellowhead fame, Rachael is a much sought-after performer and recording artist. Her debut solo album No Man’s Fool arrived in 2009 via Navigator Records, establishing impressive credentials that eventually led her to signing with the prestigious Topic Records, the oldest independent record label in the world. She also is the leader of The Cartographers, a band that features the exceptional talents of guitarist Ian Stephenson (Kan, Baltic Crossing), and melodeon player Julian Sutton (Kathryn Tickell, Sting). Their music is a powerful blend of traditional folk and contemporary sounds, with Rachael’s stunning voice and instrumental skills leading the line. The Cartographers have garnered a loyal following thanks to their impressive live performances and critically acclaimed debut album, When All Is Still (2018).
In recent years, Rachael has lent her voice to a new adaptation of The Transports alongside The Young’uns, Faustus, Nancy Kerr, Greg Russell and Matthew Crampton. The resulting album was a stunning showcase of Rachael’s range as an artist, and is testament to her ability to breathe new life into old folk songs. With her extensive experience and formidable talent, Rachael McShane is a sought-after performer and workshop leader. Rachael McShane & The Cartographers are available now for concerts and festivals.
rachaelmcshane.co.uk
facebook.com/rachaelmcshanemusic
instagram.com/rachmcshane
twitter.com/rachaelmcshane
youtube.com/ AT rachaelmcshanemusic
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£15.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/rachael-mcshane-the-cartographers/
It’s all about folk song, and it’s all in good company! Whether you want a good sing in the bar, to hear and share new songs, to improve your voice or to create songs of your own, this is the weekend for you.
Bob & Gill Berry host this all singing weekend, with special guests TBC.
Singers of all ages (teenagers to pensioners) and abilities are welcome to join the fun, in the comfortable and relaxed surroundings of Halsway Manor. ‘Singin’ in the Bar’ (with everyone having a chance to lead chorus songs or share their favourites – if they want to) when the bar is open, opportunities to explore songs and individual singing in between, learn how to look after your voice and performance, or have a ramble around the glorious countryside – it’s up to you! You’re welcome to bring accompanying instruments if you wish. The extensive folk library will also be open throughout the weekend should you wish to delve into the collection.
Arrival is from 4pm on Friday, with dinner at 6.30pm followed by the first singing session at 8pm. The course includes a Leaders’ Concert at 5pm on Sunday, followed by a buffet supper. Sunday night B&B is available for anyone wishing to stay on for a survivors’ song session.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/give-voice2024/
The band who have changed the face of folk music over their fifty five years together, Steeleye Span's new album Green Man Collection brings together recent tracks with new versions of three classics.
As ever performing a selection of songs from across the years and firm fan favourites.
Tickets: £29.50
Concessions: £28
Footlights: Discount applies
A £1.50 ticket levy is included in all stated ticket prices.
All bookings are subject to a £2 transaction Fee.
https://www.westlandsyeovil.co.uk/whats-on/music/steeleye-span/
Somerset based guitarist, David Mitchell, invites you to attend the launch of his debut solo album, 'Contours'.
The evening will feature a collection of stunning classical, traditional and contemporary folk tunes performed sensitively on classical guitar.
David Mitchell describes his guitar playing as “Folk-Classical fingerstyle”, combining these genres to create a beautiful and unique take on some well known pieces and traditional folk tunes as well as performing his own original compositions.
In addition to being a talented musician, David trained as a luthier at Newark and Sherwood College and uses a Classical Guitar that he crafted himself.
David has enjoyed performing solo guitar at a range of lovely venues including Downend Folk & Roots, Banbury Folk Club, The Amadeus, Wessex Acoustic Folk Club, Fivehead Folk & Acoustic Music Night, VegFest Bristol as well as many other public and private events.
This concert marks the release of 'Coutours' and copies of the CD will be available for purchase at the event.
Website: https://www.davidmitchellmusician.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmitchellmusician
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ AT dmitchellmusician
Doors: 7pm
Music from: 7:30pm
Light refreshments will be on sale at this concert.
While we encourage young people to come along and enjoy the music we do ask that all under 16s are accompanied by a responsible adult.
The concert will take place in the Andrew Room on the 1st floor, there is access by both stairs & lift and disabled toilet facilities on the ground floor.
https://www.crewkernemuseum.co.uk/
In advance: £10 (plus booking fee) / On the door: £13
Contact David Mitchell
folkyowlsevents AT gmail.com
https://wegottickets.com/event/631545#
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30pm
Finish time: 9.30pm
Contact Sally Condon: 0i300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
Counter’s Creek is an acoustic folk band who play original music inspired by the folk traditions of the British Isles and beyond, including foot-tapping jigs and reels, dance grooves from Eastern Europe and West Africa and a whole lot more!
Featuring Ben Cox (voice/flute/whistles/harmonium), Jonathan Taylor (flute/whistles), Tom Newell (violin/banjo) and Moss Freed (guitar), expect an evening of exciting, uplifting entertainment, with virtuoso performances delivered by engaging and witty musicians who convey their passion for contemporary British and Irish folk music in their playing as well as encouraging the audience to join them in sea shanties and heart-wrenching songs in sublime 4-part harmonies!
Between them the four musicians have performed at most of the UK’s leading Folk and Jazz festivals, played with pop acts including Muse and One Direction, appeared on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and in numerous stage shows on the West End and around the UK. Don’t miss this exciting group as they visit Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Helen Baird: 07455 165746
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/counters-creek
Multi award winning & un-missable IRISH FOLK ROCK
Roving Crows are an Irish Folk Rock band based in Herefordshire & Worcestershire. The Crows are a MUST SEE live act; a mix of fiery fiddle playing and conscious lyrics alongside driving drums and bass. The band were formed in 2009 with the current line up playing together since 2019, the group have toured tirelessly across the UK, over to Australia, France and the Netherlands.
Their passion and energy on stage is infectious, never failing to deliver a great time with their vibrant live show! Their music pushes the boundaries of the Irish Folk genre, their jumping jigs and reels will get you dancing whilst their enquiring and provocative lyrics will make you think.
Roving Crows consists of Paul O’Neill (guitar and lead vocals); Caitlin Barrett (fiddle & vocals); Laurence Aldridge (drums & vocals); Jim Smith (bass & vocals).
The band released their 4th album AWAKEN in 2022 and received extensive radio play across the UK as well as 4* reviews for their work. The album was fully funded by a National Lottery Project Grant.
The band have gone from strength to strength and their signature sound is as strong as ever. This Irish group seamlessly marry humour, provocative lyrics , traditional Irish tunes and rock to entertain and bring the listener on a ride that they won’t want to get off! They make a hell of a noise for 4 people – join the party.
BANDCAMP: https://rovingcrows.bandcamp.com/
WEBSITE: http://rovingcrows.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/rovingcrows/
INSTAGRAM: AT rovingcrowsofficial
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£15.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/roving-crows-7/
Uniquely captivating band Lady Maisery return with their first studio album in six years. The combined vocal and multi-instrumental talents of Hazel Askew, Hannah James and Rowan Rheingans (individually three of the most accomplished and adventurous artists in modern Folk) transmute to form a unified voice, carrying stories of sisterhood, human struggle, the joy of living and the vitality of music.
Frequent festival headliners, Lady Maisery have for over a decade enraptured audiences throughout the UK and Europe. Their return to the live stage has been eagerly awaited.
Tickets: £17. No concessions
www.ladymaisery.com
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/lady-maisery/
Counter’s Creek is an acoustic folk band who play original music inspired by the folk traditions of the British Isles and beyond, including foot-tapping jigs and reels, dance grooves from Eastern Europe and West Africa and a whole lot more!
Featuring Ben Cox (voice/flute/whistles/harmonium), Jonathan Taylor (flute/whistles), Tom Newell (violin/banjo) and Moss Freed (guitar), expect an evening of exciting, uplifting entertainment, with virtuoso performances delivered by engaging and witty musicians who convey their passion for contemporary British and Irish folk music in their playing as well as encouraging the audience to join them in sea shanties and heart-wrenching songs in sublime 4-part harmonies!
Between them the four musicians have performed at most of the UK’s leading Folk and Jazz festivals, played with pop acts including Muse and One Direction, appeared on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and in numerous stage shows on the West End and around the UK. Don’t miss this exciting group as they visit Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£13, £7 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Deborah: 07788 100273
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/counters-creek
Folk Dance
A celebration of 105 years of Bridport Folk Dance Club. Soft drinks available and tea/coffee in interval.
£10.00
7-30 - 10-30 pm
Contact Michael Selley: 01308 863552
mandgselley AT btinternet.com
Classic black and white silent film accompanied by an original score performed live. Sonic silents is a trio of renowned Bluegrass and Old- Time country string band musicians. Kate Lissauer, Jason Titley & Leon Hunt, masters of this genre, bring to life the extraordinary, silent, flickering world of the legendary 1928 William Wellman film starring iconic actress Louise Brooks.
The film will be introduced by Alistair Goolden (Bath Film Festival).
Doors open 7pm for 7.30 start
£15/13
www.wildwestproductions.co.uk
Welcome to the second ever Branksome Folk Festival!
This is a fundraising event to enable a bigger and even better folk festival in 2025. Please give generously as you can to the collection, and buy a raffle ticket as well if you feel like it!
1:00 - 2:30pm - Singaround with Derek Burgess and Kitty Vernon
3:00pm Afternoon Concert—(MC Bill Hesp) with Murphy's Lore, Owen Moore, Take Thakery, Jim Causley
5:30 to 6.30pm - Interval with Instrumental Session
7:00pm - Evening Concert (MC Bill Hesp) with The Cricketers’ Opening Partnership, Damian Clarke, Graham Moore, Pete Morton
Onsite bar with real ale, cider and food.
1.00-10.00 pm
Afternoon or evening concert £10
Whole day ticket £15
Pay on the door, cash please.
Reserve tickets and more information from branksome.folk AT gmail.com
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky or a guest musician, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and acoustic instruments. Sheet music and audio supplied in advance.
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £15 on the door
Or cheaper when paid in advance via the website.
www.sherbornefolkband.org
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
New Album Preview Tour!
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music...
Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as ‘melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre’.
Beginning life as a trio - with legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack - the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray. As collaborations go, it doesn't get much more mouth-watering than this.
While Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today, John Spiers has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the last two decades.
Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach. Taking self-penned material along with music rooted in the British Isles and beyond, with the flick of a bow, a finely chosen chord or slip of a beat, they produce richly atmospheric arrangements layered within a wealth of subliminal musical influences.
£26.00
7.00pm
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/gigspanner-big-band/
Dance workshop for beginners 6-7pm
Main Dance 7-9.30pm
live acoustic houseband
all welcome, no experience necessary
tea and coffee available
free parking in town centre car parks
£4 at the door
6.00 - 9.30 pm
Contact Rainer: 07957 211879
rainer.wittlin AT outlook.com
balcrew.wixsite.com/balcrewkerne
Once again we will be putting on our concert, "The Shout" to raise money for the RNLI.
We will have readings and shanties which will tell the story of the RNLI from its beginnings in 1824 to the present day when it celebrates 200 years of saving lives.
We are being hosted by Wareham RNLI fundraising committee and we will be performing in the lovely church of Lady St Mary in Wareham on Sunday 20th October at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available from WeGotTickets using the following link:
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/631316
Doors will open at 7pm and refreshments and free local parking will be available.
We hope to see you there.
£10
7.30pm
Contact David Blakeley: 07923 020946
wareham.whalers AT gmail.com
http://www.wareham-whalers.org.uk/
Counter’s Creek is an acoustic folk band who play original music inspired by the folk traditions of the British Isles and beyond, including foot-tapping jigs and reels, dance grooves from Eastern Europe and West Africa and a whole lot more!
Featuring Ben Cox (voice/flute/whistles/harmonium), Jonathan Taylor (flute/whistles), Tom Newell (violin/banjo) and Moss Freed (guitar), expect an evening of exciting, uplifting entertainment, with virtuoso performances delivered by engaging and witty musicians who convey their passion for contemporary British and Irish folk music in their playing as well as encouraging the audience to join them in sea shanties and heart-wrenching songs in sublime 4-part harmonies!
Between them the four musicians have performed at most of the UK’s leading Folk and Jazz festivals, played with pop acts including Muse and One Direction, appeared on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and in numerous stage shows on the West End and around the UK. Don’t miss this exciting group as they visit Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Sharon Clifton: 01258 860319
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/counters-creek
The Cheese & Grain are delighted to welcome to Frome the legendary 70’s folk-rock pioneers LINDISFARNE, with a classic five-piece line-up of long-time members fronted by founder-member Rod Clementson vocals, mandolin, fiddle and slide guitar. With a repertoire of unforgettable songs like Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home and a reputation for live performance second to none, Lindisfarne’s power to galvanize festival and concert audiences remains undimmed and is guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet and singing along.www.lindisfarne.com
LINDISFARNE 2024 are:
ROD CLEMENTS (1969-present) Vocal, mandolin, fiddle, guitars
DAVE HULL-DENHOLM (1994-present)Vocal, guitars
STEVE DAGGETT (1986-present) Vocal, keyboards, guitars
IAN THOMSON (1995-present) Bass, vocal
PAUL SMITH Drums
7.30PM DOORS / 8PM SHOW START
£30 + BOOKING FEE
All Seating - 10+ Show
7.30 pm
https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/lindisfarne
- Replacement gig for previous cancelled date -
Tim Laycock and Alastair Braidwood return to the Cider Museum for an afternoon of words and music from Dorset and beyond - all about the countryside, Autumn and apples! Expect stories, songs, poems and traditional folk tunes all tied into the season.
- Cider Bar with over 30 different ciders on sale
- Raffle raising money for YFW BloodBikes
- Prebooked ticket entry only; no on-door sales. The Cider Museum is a rustic venue and may get chilly; bring coats/blankets!
£14, including a glass of hot mulled cider or apple juice on arrival
Doors open 1.30pm, start at 2.00pm. (finishes about 5.00)
Contact Penny Cake: 01305 852220
https://www.millhousecider.com/event-details/to-yollow-autumn-turnd-rescheduled
Stolen from God
Acclaimed songwriter and storyteller Reg Meuross tackles the history of England’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, unearthing both incredible tales and uncomfortable truths of a history which needs to be told. Featuring the sparkling playing of kora master Suntou Susso, these stories are brought to life in a stunning folk song cycle, alongside narration on the background to each song.
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£13.50, £6.50 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Jane Still: 07823 778758
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/stolen-from-god
Kate Lissauer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and leader in the UK’s old-time, bluegrass, American roots and early country music scene, known by many as front-woman for Buffalo Gals, presents her stunning duo act - featuring one of the country’s finest, most experienced Appalachian step-dancers, Sibylle Riesen.
Entrance on door is £10 CASH. To reserve a place then contatct pipthebass AT btinternet.com
8pm
Contact Pip Evans
pipthebass AT btinternet.com
www.bereregisfolk.com
Stolen from God
Acclaimed songwriter and storyteller Reg Meuross tackles the history of England’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, unearthing both incredible tales and uncomfortable truths of a history which needs to be told. Featuring the sparkling playing of kora master Suntou Susso, these stories are brought to life in a stunning folk song cycle, alongside narration on the background to each song.
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Keith Coombs: 01929 423834
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/stolen-from-god
- Replacement gig for a previous cancelled date -
Local folk singers, musicians and actors Tim Laycock and Alastair Braidwood bring an evening of words and music from Dorset and beyond about the countryside, Autumn, apples, and - most importantly - cider! Expect stories, songs, poems and traditional folk tunes all tied into the season. Thomas Hardy and William Barnes will be in attendance, and fine harmony singing in this intimate performance.
Booking in advance is highly recommended due to the intimate nature of the performance space.
£12
7.30pm
Contact Alastair Braidwood: 07510 282652
alastair.j.braidwood AT outlook.com
Chard Folk Dance group
The evening is £4.00 per person and includes a cuppa and piece of cake.
7.30 - 9.30 pm
For further information please contact Elaine Drewer on 01460 65109
Session with added feet
8.00 pm start Dancing, music, maybe the odd song. All welcome to play, dance, sing or just listen and watch.
Free
Contact Steve Cunio: 07811 680534
info AT somerstep.org
http://somerstep.org
Ahoy there—local group The Chantry Buoys sing traditional sea shanties and other well known songs. Join them for a fun sing-along with local drinks, old seafaring melodies, and maritime frolics.
Based in Colyton, they sing traditional sea shanties, and other well known songs. They have performed at many Sea Shanty festivals, including Falmouth, Teignmouth, and recently performed on Lyme’s Marine Parade, to close Lifeboat week.
Sea shanties were work songs, set to a rhythm for working, to reduce the monotony of undertaking repetitive tasks aboard ship. But they were also Foc’sle songs, which were storytelling verses to be listened to at leisure, to remind sailors of home and these helped to keep alive traditions and record local events and people.
Bar opens 7:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Free entry - no tickets
https://www.marinetheatre.com/the-shanty-sessions-35/
The Year Clock, written by Tim in 2001, tells the life and times of William Barnes through his poetry and letters. Featuring music played live by Colin on fiddle, viola and guitar.
In aid of The Dorset Archive Trust, to raise funds for cataloguing the William Barnes Acrhive.
Adults £20/ Under 18 £10
7pm
Contact Dorset Museum and Art Gallery: 01305 262735
www.dorsetmuseum.org
Join Jane Harris and Pip Wright, guest tutor from Cornwall, for the second Songways singing weekend at Halsway. A joyous weekend learning and singing harmony songs from a wide range of traditions, including their own original compositions. Jane and Pip both play the fiddle and have a special musical bond, bringing much joy to all their music-making.
A chance to dance, play and/or listen to live music on the Friday evening – easy Cornish dances (with Jane and Pip on fiddles – if you play an instrument you are welcome to join the band).
Special Saturday evening gig by Rolling Harmony, a vibrant vocal group of choir leaders and singers from the South West, delighted to be performing again at Halsway following their sell-out gig last year. Glorious music and gorgeous vocal harmonies, rooted in English and American harmony singing traditions.
For more information and to book, please visit songways.co.uk
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/songways-singing-weekend-2024/
CHRISTIAN GARRICK – violin, darbuka
EDDIE HESSION – accordion
KELLY CANTLON – double bass
ADRIAN ZOLOTUHIN – guitar, saz, balalaika, domra
Refreshingly unconventional and snappily attired boutique orchestra the BCO redeliver gypsy and folk-flavoured music in their own fresh and surprising way. From Balkan and Russian traditional pieces to artful distillations of the Romantic masterpieces to Gaelic folk anthems their infectious music will get into your bloodstream and stay there forever.
With 14 albums already to their name the Budapest Café Orchestra was established in 2009 by British composer and violinist, Christian Garrick, and led by him have won legions of fans with their magical and infectious performances. A small but impeccably formed ensemble of just four players, the BCO combines violin, guitar, accordion, double bass, saz & balalaika to dazzling effect, creating an awesome aural alchemy normally only characteristic of far larger ensembles.
www.budapestcafeorchestra.co.uk
Tickets: £20 Full. £19 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/christian-garrick-the-budapest-cafe-orchestra/
Canterbury based singer songwriter Luke Jackson has been touring and recording for over 10 years now, steadily developing an enviable reputation for himself in the Folk, Roots, Americana & Acoustic circuits.
In addition to the UK, Luke regularly tours across Europe, USA and Canada.
Between his debut album ‘More Than Boys’, through to his latest release in 2022, (coincidentally a re-recorded 10th anniversary version of ‘More Than Boys’) 5 records, including a live album were released to high praise and 5* reviews!
September 2019 marked his first full solo tour in the USA and his last full length studio album ‘Journals’ was released in November that year to great reviews and was made ‘Album of the Year’ by Fatea Magazine, with R2 Magazine saying ‘Journals’ is an excellent album from a very special singer with a great repertoire, fully confirming his star potential beyond the folk scene’.
After going back to both Europe and the USA in early 2020 for another two successful tours, Luke kept himself busy throughout 2020 and engaged with the musical community through a series of themed live stream shows. After a bit of a creative writing surge, released a 7 track EP in early 2021 of songs written during lockdown called ‘Of The Time’ which garnered great reviews with ‘At The Barrier’ noting “At a time when the gift of music is something to cherish, ‘Of The Time’ is an inspired offering” and it was subsequently voted 2021 EP of the Year by Fatea Magazine!
2022 turned out to be one of Luke’s most successful years yet. It started with a prestigious support slot opening for Fairport Convention on their Winter Tour, a dream run of openers for Richard Thompson, two weeks songwriting and performing in Nashville, including a show at the iconic Bluebird Cafe, a run of shows supporting the legendary Marillion and to finish off the year, several openers with the wonderful Jools Holland.
Luke continues to tour relentlessly in his own right, either solo or as a trio with bassist & drummer & 2023 is already shaping up to be another exciting year of shows with a full album release planned for late summer.
www.lukepauljackson.com
www.facebook.com/lukepauljacksonmusic
www.instagram.com/lukejacksonmusic/?hl=en
www.youtube.com/lukepauljackson
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £17.00
Advance: £15.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/luke-jackson-trio-2/
8pm–9:30pm
Rolling Harmony is delighted to be returning to Halsway after their sell-out gig last year.
Rolling Harmony is a vibrant vocal group of choir leaders and singers from the South West created by Jane Harris, Director of Songways.
They delight audiences with their lively and eclectic performances – glorious music and gorgeous vocal harmonies, rooted in English and American harmony singing traditions.
Songs with captivating rhythms, compelling lyrics and interweaving vocal lines. A rich blend of voices with instrumentals for some songs including fiddle and guitar. There’s something for everyone…
For more information and to book, please visit songways.co.uk
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-rolling-harmony-2/
On our performers night The David Hall hands over its professional stage and outstanding acoustics to budding artists of all genres.
Petherton Arts Trust is trying this new evening as a way of encouraging more local performers of all genres to come and perform on a professional stage and to attract more people in the audience.
It’s a great evening full of extraordinary skill, talent and variety – and it doesn’t cost the earth – just £2 audience and £1 performers to cover the cost of heating and lighting the hall.
All types of performance welcome – The David Hall has had music, comedy, poetry, dance…. All have the opportunity to deliver for 10 – 15 minutes with full PA and lighting system.
So, if you’re a performer, then get in touch with Chris and book a spot
07715 501157
or
email xxxfolk AT chriswatts.org- without the xx’s
These evenings are becoming increasingly popular and there is a danger that we won’t be able to accommodate everyone.
Do please book ahead rather than, as previously, just turning up and expecting to get a spot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician. poet, juggler or …… well, any kind of performer basically. Just be entertaining !
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Suggested donation:
Just £1 for performers and £2 Audience.
Please pay on the door.
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/acoustic-night-2024-730pm-donations-only/2024-10-27/
A rare opportunity to see Tim van Eyken perform in the South West. Tim sings mainly traditional English Folk songs. He plays Melodion and Guitar. He was voted Young Folk Musician of the year in 1990. In 2008 he was invited to join the National Theatre as Song man in their production of War Horse. A founder member of Dr Faustus he went on to join Waterson Carthy and formed his own band with Nancy Kerr, Pete Flood, Oliver Knight and Colin Fletcher.
£12 ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL.
Doors 7 for 7.30 Start
Contact Meg Rose: 07877 206124
Meg.rose AT btinternet.com
Tim Van Eyken, fine Singer of mainly English Traditional Songs, Guitarist and Melodeon player. There are still a few tickets available to see Tim Van Eyken but advance booking is essential so please contact Meg if you would like me to reserve tickets for you.
£12
Doors open 7pm for 7.30 start.
Contact Meg Rose: 07877 206124
meg.rose AT btinternet.com
Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2024 being their 57th anniversary! During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance.
This year’s Autumn Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites
and some surprises from albums old and new.
Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2
listeners voted their ground-breaking album Liege & Lief ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’. Their story has been celebrated with television documentaries on BBC Four and Sky Arts.
The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on bouzouki,
mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and vocals.
7.30 pm
Online Ticket £38.50 (includes £3.85 online booking fee)
Box Office Ticket £35
Bookings over £20 made through the Box Office will incur a £1 booking fee
per transaction (not per ticket)
Please note: all sales are final – there are no refunds or exchanges
https://www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk/events/fairport-convention/
Folk rock legends
Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2024 being their 57th anniversary.
During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance.
This year’s Autumn Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new.
Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their ground-breaking album Liege & Lief ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’.
Their story has been celebrated with television documentaries on BBC Four and Sky Arts.
The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on bouzouki, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and vocals.
7.30 pm
£32.00
https://www.electricpalace.org.uk/events/event/fairport-convention/
Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2024 being their 57th anniversary.
During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance.
This year’s Autumn Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new.
Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their ground-breaking album Liege & Lief ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’.
Their story has been celebrated with television documentaries on BBC Four and Sky Arts.
The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on bouzouki, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and vocals.
7.30 pm
£32
https://www.electricpalace.org.uk/events/event/fairport-convention/
A special one-off expanded band tour for the critically acclaimed folk duo. Following the success of their 2022 release “Ink Of The Rosy Morning” on Topic Records Hannah & Ben spent much of 2023 touring with the legendary Fairport Convention. Now, with their new album “In The Dark We Grow” and a live show line-up featuring the inimitable Jon Thorne (Lamb, James Yorkston) on Double Bass, Hannah & Ben hit the road for the first time with a band of their own. Already so well known for their moving live performances, this unique musical collaboration promises to be balm for weariest ears.
Since emerging in 2016, Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage have been defying all conventions of style, genre and compartmentalisation. This seemingly unlikely duo have recorded two studio albums, Before the Sun (2016) and Awake (2018), produced by award-winning producer David Travers-Smith in Toronto, both praised for the crafting and skill of their musical writing and arranging. They have toured the UK, North America and mainland Europe, enrapturing audiences at shows and on festival stages alongside Americana and folk luminaries such as Sarah Jarosz, Martin Simpson, Seth Lakeman and Oh Susanna. They also appeared at the West Java World Music Festival, Indonesia in 2019.
Hannah Sanders has an alluring mystique and a voice of disarming purity that massages your senses with gentle ease. Ask her nicely and she will discuss witchcraft, tarot cards and her adventures in a family band busking through Europe in an old school bus.
Ben Savage is a bubbling ferment of energy, all fluffy hair, unkempt charm and infectious enthusiasm who will seemingly play any instrument you care to put in front of him with grace and favour. Ask him nicely and he will debate any musical tradition you care to mention and will tell you all about the dobro and his adventures with the band The Willows.
On the face of it, you can’t imagine this duo summoning enough common ground for an afternoon chat over a cup of rhubarb juice, let alone make astonishing, original music together. Ask someone to describe their music or say who they sound like … and they will be bereft of words.
‘Americana’, some yelp. Yeah, maybe there’s a bit of that, but at other times they sound quintessentially English. Oh, then they must be British folkies, comes the cry. Sort of, but not really, because they do all this other stuff rooted in American music too. Shall we just call them traditional? Not at all. They may incorporate various traditions, but they play contemporary music and have their own unique writing style too.
After all, who puts English songs together with mountain dulcimer and dobro? Or incorporates ghost stories, blues, Northumbrian music, electric guitar, Woody Guthrie, murder ballads, Billy Bragg, human seals, old time songs, the Stockholm Archipelago, hangings, Appalachia, new moons, Joan Baez, cowboys, railway journeys, street singers and Cambridge into one mesmerising explanation of their musical philosophy? Not your average acoustic duo, that’s for sure.
Playful and instinctive, they constantly do the unexpected; yet they do it with such panache and natural chemistry it makes perfect sense. They are true originals, that’s all there is to it. Distinctive. Innovative. Ground-breaking. Unique.
Links
hannahbenmusic.com
facebook.com/hannahbenmusic
twitter.com/hannahbenmusic
instagram.com/hannahbenmusic
youtube.com/channel/UCPa8Znbjkje6e0ehc01w4oA
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £18.00
Advance: £16.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/hannah-sanders-ben-savage-3/
One of England’s most revered folk performers, widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world, Martin's interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling. His remarkable solo shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving. Always prolific, and never one to rest long without a guitar in his hands and a song in his head, Martin Simpson continues to travel the length and breadth of the UK and beyond giving rapt audiences passion, sorrow, love, beauty, tragedy and majesty through his remarkable intimate solo performances. Martin has been nominated an astounding 32 times in the 18 years of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards - more than any other performer - and has won numerous awards.
A virtuoso player without question, but above all Martin Simpson conveys his diverse treasure trove of material from the heart, performing with rare subtlety, intensity and honesty. A true master of his art.
Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Advance £21.00
On the door £24.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/martin-simpson-a-master-of-his-art/
Ida Wenøe (Denmark/Songcrafter Music (DK) & Integrity Records (UK)) and Samantha Whates (UK/Rough Trade Records & Wonderfulsound) are back on the road in 2024. Following a Danish tour in February the pair are continuing where they left off touring the UK in March 2022.
Ida Wenøe
2021 Danish Music Awards winner Ida Wenøe has an obvious appreciation of Americana but her own brand of Nordic-noir is laced with English folk undertones. After three critically acclaimed albums with respected indie labels Songcrafter Music (DK) and Integrity Records (UK), Ida has enjoyed support on BBC 6Music, BBC Radio 4, Amazing Radio, BBC Wales, BBC Cambridge, BBC Suffolk, BBC Shropshire, BBC Radio Ulster & KEXP.
Wenøe released her third solo album “Undersea” in October 2023 and presents the songs from the new album live in England in a series of double headliner shows with Scottish born artist Samantha Whates, who is also a part of Ida’s new band “The Wondrous Sea”.
Samantha Whates
Scottish singer-songwriter Samantha Whates is a hugely respected figure on the folk & roots scene and has enjoyed both critical acclaim and extensive radio play on the likes of BBC 6Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Scotland & KCRW, both for her solo releases and as part of PicaPica (Rough Trade Records).
Whates has just released her new EP Early Works, a self produced and recorded prequel to the music she subsequently made!
Wenøe & Whates forged a musical bond some years ago whilst attending a Chris Difford songwriting retreat and were reunited 2 years later whilst attending Folk Alliance in Kansas City where they had both been selected as official showcasing artists.
Though touring as separate co-headliners, the pair regularly collaborated and joined each other on stage to perform new arrangements for each other’s favourite songs and this in ‘Turn’ turned into a now fully collaborative set and releasing an EP together in 2022.
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £14.00
Advance: £12.50
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/ida-samantha/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Founded in 2020 by Musical Director Mark Hewitt, Lyme Bay Moonrakers is a vocal group of 20 men and women from the Lyme Regis area. The group sing mainly unaccompanied songs of the sea, in bold, new musical arrangements. Folksongs, ballads and shanties, as well as new original songs, feature in their pop-up performances and yearly theatre shows. You can find them singing in 19th century-style costume, supporting local events in Lyme Regis such as the Fossil Festival, the RNLI, the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy, the Lyme Regis Gig Club and many more. Their first cd ‘Songs for the Wellerman’ was released in 2022.
Join us for an evening of shanties and other songs of the sea, including ‘The Pull of the Tide’- a new film by Rob Jayne, charting a local family’s story of a young lad’s rite of passage from boy to man upon the sea. The film is accompanied by new songs composed by Mark Hewitt with words by Corinne Reed.
Tickets: £12
https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/lyme-bay-moonrakers-the-pull-of-the-tide/
BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominated Rosie Hood brings her 4-piece band with their delightful interpretations of traditional songs and tunes as well as Rosie's own poetic songs
£15
7.30 pm
Contact Colin Bowen: 01963 240282
bowencolin AT hotmail.com
hvh.chessck.co.uk
Christina Alden & Alex Patterson are multi-instrumentalists and songwriters from Norwich. Their music is rich with intertwining harmony, sensitive accomplished musicianship and a creative song-writing style that is both delicate and moving. Deeply inspired by the world around them, they have a keen environmental eye to craft stories with the natural world at its heart, reflecting on the relationship between humans and the wild.
They have enjoyed touring extensively in the UK and Europe; including a twenty-three-date concert hall tour with Show of Hands (including Union Chapel and St David’s Hall Cardiff), a show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Celtic Connections, headline and main stage performances at some of the UK’s most prestigious folk festivals and performances in Norway, Belgium, France and Ireland. They have written and self-released four albums, composed music for a BBC Radio 4 documentary series and have had over a million streams on Spotify.
£14
7.30pm
Contact Box Office: 01749 834483
boxoffice AT cedarshallwells.co.uk
cedarshallwells.co.uk
A night of passionate rhythms of Flamenco music.
The intense sounds of hand clapping, foot stomping, singing and exquisite guitar playing will transport you for one night to Andalucia – the heart of Flamenco. Dancer Aneta Skut is accompanied on this occasion by the finest Flamenco musicians Cuffy Cuthbertson (guitar) and Kostka Garcia (vocals/percussion).
Tickets: £16. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/noche-flamenca/
Christina Alden & Alex Patterson are multi-instrumentalists and songwriters from Norwich. Their music is rich with intertwining harmony, sensitive accomplished musicianship and a creative song-writing style that is both delicate and moving. Deeply inspired by the world around them, they have a keen environmental eye to craft stories with the natural world at its heart, reflecting on the relationship between humans and the wild.
They have enjoyed touring extensively in the UK and Europe; including a twenty-three-date concert hall tour with Show of Hands (including Union Chapel and St David’s Hall Cardiff), a show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Celtic Connections, headline and main stage performances at some of the UK’s most prestigious folk festivals and performances in Norway, Belgium, France and Ireland. They have written and self-released four albums, composed music for a BBC Radio 4 documentary series and have had over a million streams on Spotify.
£15.50
7.30pm
Contact Box Office: 01749 834483
boxoffice AT cedarshallwells.co.uk
cedarshallwells.co.uk
plus support: Young Martyrs Trio
THIS GIG IS SEATED CABARET
New Album: King of Alchemy
Orphan Colours was born out of the ashes of folk outfits Ahab and Noah & The Whale, bringing together the band’s collective influences of Rock, Americana and folk. They began with their debut EP High Hopes with singles ‘Won’t Let You Down’ and ‘High Hopes’, produced by Rupert Christie.
After producing a stop-gap acoustic EP to keep fans happy, they went into their own studio and began recording their debut album ‘All On Red’. Singer Steven Llewellyn and guitarist Fred Abbott took on the duties of recording engineer and producer and delivered an album that was nominated for the 2019 Americana UK Awards ‘Album of the Year’.
After touring extensively in the UK and some shows in Denmark the band took a break until 2023 when Steven and Fred went back into the studio to put together the various recordings and demos for their second album King of Alchemy. The title taken from the album track of the same name which illustrates the central theme of the album – transformation of character.
“Although I don’t use those words in the song, I wanted the title to reflect the metaphor of Alchemy. The central character in the song transforms from somewhat damaged goods to being a winner. In the chorus he’s saying ‘you said you’d never give up on me’, so he’s gone through a sort of galvanising process to be a stronger person. I wanted to reflect this process as much as possible through the arc of the album.”
The first single from the album ‘Blame It On The Weather’ was released on 6th May with the full album coming on 7th June.
The album is available for pre-release now through the band’s website and single ‘Blame It On The Weather’ is free as a digital download along with a pre order of the album.
Orphan Colours are:
Steven Llewellyn – Guitarist & Lead singer
Dave Burn – Guitarist and backing vocals
Fred Abbott – Lead guitarist and keys
Lee Childs – Bass and backing vocals
www.orphancolours.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/orphancolours
FB: www.facebook.com/orphancolours
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/orphancolours
SC: www.soundcloud.com/orphan-colours
IG: https://www.instagram.com/orphan_colours/
NEW ALBUM: https://www.musicglue.com/orphan-colours/products/king-of-alchemy-cd-pre-order-plus-blame-it-on-the-weather-free-digital-download
Plus an opportunity to witness an intimate set of Young Martyrs’ favourite tunes. The band will be performing a stripped back set as a trio.
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £17.00
Advance: £15.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/orphan-colours-3/
Traditional Celtic music at its best! With fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, haunting ballads and a good dose of humour, and joined by Scotland’s youngest Clan leader on bagpipes and fiddle, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.
“Formed from a Paisley pub session in 1968, seminal trailblazers the Tannahill Weavers now also rank as national treasures.”
-Glasgow Celtic Connections 2018
www.tannahillweavers.co.uk
Tickets: £18 Full. £17 Concessions
7.30 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/the-tannahill-weavers/
A regular evening of music and song at Halsway Manor.
Halsway Manor open their doors to all on the first Sunday evening of each month for an evening of folk and acoustic music. Singers and musicians of all abilities are invited. If you are curious about folk music and just want to listen with a drink from the bar, you are also welcome.
There has been a Sunday Club meeting at Halsway Manor for many years.
This ‘Sunday Club’ for musicians and singers is informal and relaxed. We have a folk theme, but really all types of acoustic music, song and poetry are welcome. The evening generally combines some playing together with individual spots. We don’t frown on you having your words or music in front of you, and certainly encourage beginners.
Just come along, or give Roger Phipps a call on 01278 671685 if you would like to find out more.
Halsway Music and Song Club is held 8pm on the 1st Sunday of each month (with the exception of an August break for Sidmouth Folk Festival).
8pm–10pm
Free, but donations welcome.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/sunday-club-2/2024-10-06/
Reflections on love, landscape, writing, poetry, childhood, music and much more from the voice of one of the great English writers of the last century.
7.30
£12.
https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk
The Year Clock written by Tim in 2001, tells the story of William Barnes' eventful life and times through his poetry and letters.
Featuring live folk music from Colin Thompson on fiddle, viola and guitar.
The performance is sponsored by the Blackmore Vale Magazine. All proceeds to the Dorset Archive Trust to raise funds to catalogue the William Barnes Archive.
Adults £20/ Under 18 £10
3.00 - 5.00 pm
Contact The Exchange : 01258 475137
stur-exchange.co.uk
With a professional conductor and aimed at a more advanced level of playing, being able to play a bass recorder of some description is essential. All participants are expected to frequently change instruments through the course to give everyone the opportunity to play a variety of recorders. This course will focus on cannons and fugues.
Who’s it For?
Because of the challenging nature of the repertoire, all course participants should have a very good sense of rhythm and be experienced ensemble players. Ideally you should also play both F and C instruments, including tenor AND bass. Being able to play a bass recorder of some description is essential.
The Team
This partnership event is organised by Recorders for All, an entirely voluntary, not-for-profit organisation with Pam Smith as musical director and Jan Epps as secretary and administrator. For more information go to the Recorders for All website http://www.recordersforall.org.uk
For more information and to book please contact Jan Epps:
Tel - 01752 417093
Email - jan.epps57 AT gmail.com
Award-winning folk musician Allison Lupton hails from the heart of rural Ontario, Canada, where her love for music took root. From playing for community dances to soloing with orchestras, Allison has found her voice as a singer-songwriter and flautist after more than a quarter century performing in Canada and abroad. Along the way she has received accolades from international press as well as her peers at home, winning multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominations including “Traditional Singer of the Year”.
For this tour, Allison is joined by Canadian and US Grand National fiddle champion Shane Cook and CFMA Solo Instrumental Artist of the Year and Canadian Grand Master Step Dance champion Kyle Waymouth. Woven through their performances are Allison’s original songs, which often remind us of the historical connections between Canada and the UK and fit so perfectly into the canon of folk music, that they could easily be mistaken for traditional numbers. Expect a glorious mix of beautiful songs and storytelling, electrifying fiddle tunes and dazzling step dance, united by the trio’s warm and frequently humorous stage presence.
Running Time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.320 pm
Contact Tel.: 01258 480698
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/allison-lupton-trio
One of the most exciting duos to emerge from the UK in recent times, Kit Hawes & Aaron Catlow combine heartfelt musicality, unparalleled virtuosity and vocal harmony. Using the folk music of the British Isles as a catalyst, Kit and Aaron create dynamic and effervescent interpretations of centuries-old material as well as original songs and compositions, all the while celebrating the timeless aural quality of a guitar, fiddle and vocals duet.
Studio albums The Fox (2016) and Pill Pilots (2019) have been met by wide critical acclaim, receiving five star reviews and local and national airplay. The duo tour extensively in the UK and internationally across Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £14.00
Advance: £12.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/kit-hawes-aaron-catlow/
We are pleased to welcome TradTöchter to Halsway Manor. Vivien Zeller and Ursula Suchanek present a guided tour of traditional music, beautiful melodies, groovy tunes and breath-taking dances from Germany. There will be spotlights on various instrumental aspects such as working on second voices, harmonies and danceable accompaniments, playing together as an ensemble and of course some dancing. All instruments welcome.
Who is it for?
Instrumentalists of all levels of experience welcome. You need to be comfortable with your instrument to get the best from this workshop. Intermediate level recommended.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/german-weekend/
One of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups, the band formed for a one-off tour of the Scottish Highlands in 1999 and are still raising roofs far and wide well over two decades later. Encompassing a rare and virtuosic selection of the fiddle’s diverse Highland and island voices, with ensemble and solo-led sets both backed by powerhouse guitar and piano, the Blazers pack all the power, passion and sensitivity of Scotland’s traditional music, into a single show.
The four-fiddle frontline of Inverness’ Bruce MacGregor, Shetlander Jenna Reid, Nairn’s Rua Macmillan, and Orkney’s Kristan Harvey ignites atop second-to-none accompaniment from Anna Massie and Angus Lyon. Whatever the hall – whether of the Highland village or Royal Albert variety – they’ll turn it into the liveliest and warmest of hootenannies, setting the hearts of their audience alight.
THIS IS A SEATED AND STANDING EVENT.
Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Seated £21.00
Standing £21.00
On the door £25.00
10% off for members
Book online at any time, at the Lyme Regis Bookshop and Bridport Tourist Information Centre during normal opening hours, the Marine on Monday and Friday mornings 10 – 1, and over the phone on 01308 424901. The displayed price includes a £1 restoration levy.
Booking fee may apply
Award-winning folk musician Allison Lupton hails from the heart of rural Ontario, Canada, where her love for music took root. From playing for community dances to soloing with orchestras, Allison has found her voice as a singer-songwriter and flautist after more than a quarter century performing in Canada and abroad. Along the way she has received accolades from international press as well as her peers at home, winning multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominations including “Traditional Singer of the Year”.
For this tour, Allison is joined by Canadian and US Grand National fiddle champion Shane Cook and CFMA Solo Instrumental Artist of the Year and Canadian Grand Master Step Dance champion Kyle Waymouth. Woven through their performances are Allison’s original songs, which often remind us of the historical connections between Canada and the UK and fit so perfectly into the canon of folk music, that they could easily be mistaken for traditional numbers. Expect a glorious mix of beautiful songs and storytelling, electrifying fiddle tunes and dazzling step dance, united by the trio’s warm and frequently humorous stage presence.
Running Time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Tel.: 07462 570117
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/allison-lupton-trio
A ‘Chance to Dance’ Event
Plus Special Guests
21 YEARS WILD…
With a fiery helter-skelter blend of influences from East and West, 3 Daft Monkeys inject a unique wildness into their music, producing a symphonious cacophony of styles, Silvery vocal melodies soar above percussive global beats and rhythms, while passionate fiddle-driven tunes weave around animated guitar and bass, all presented with outstanding musicianship in their famously theatrical live performances.
This multi-award-winning live act continues to deliver dynamic, rampageous,
powerful performances of their completely original songs with an endless energy and enthusiasm! With 21 years of International festival experience in hand, 3 Daft Monkeys certainly know how to work a festival crowd, and are guaranteed to whip an audience into a frenzy of emotions with every performance.
www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk
Tickets: £17.50 Full. £16.50 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/3-daft-monkeys-a-chance-to-dance-event/
Legends on their last ever tour: from their earliest days as a noisy, politicised ceilidh band in the late Seventies, Oysterband have never stopped evolving or providing soundtrack to the changing times. Initially meeting at Canterbury in Kent, at a time when pubs were alive with folk clubs and music sessions, the Oyster Ceilidh Band (as they were known then), were a band on a simple mission to get dancefloors bouncing. But with a chemistry between its members and music that made a profound connection with its audiences, greater things soon beckoned as the times became more complicated.
Emerging in the early 80s from their ceilidh band days they infused both the traditional and their own songs with a passion and energy that was electrifyingly fresh for the time. Polkas, politics and a heaving dance floor somehow seemed perfectly right for Thatcher’s Britain. Signing to new roots label Cooking Vinyl, headlining English Roots Against Apartheid, playing Glastonbury and the Fleadh several times each, touring with The Pogues in Europe and Billy Bragg in North America, hosting the Big Session Festival. All gained them a large and loyal following both at home and internationally.
Releasing music with relative prolificacy, from their debut as Oyster Ceilidh Band ‘Jack’s Alive’ in 1980; through classics like ‘Step Outside’ (1986), ‘Wide Blue Yonder’ (1987), ‘Ride’ (1989) (as Oyster Band); to mid-period Oysterband wonders like ‘Deserters’ (1992), ‘Holy Bandits’ (1993), ‘Trawler’ (1994), and latter period gems like ‘Rise Above’ (2002) or ‘Diamonds On The Water’ (2014)’; Oysterband have been a constant and uplifting presence in music throughout the decades and have ratcheted-up dozens of studio releases throughout their career.
The band released what stands as their final album in 2022, the acclaimed ‘Read The Sky’, which found the band taking a political stand for their environmental beliefs. As true to their political roots as they ever were, the album was released to chime with the COP26 summit in Glasgow of that year. The album hit the Official Folk Album Chart No.1, a testament to their enduring popularity across the ages.
They’ve travelled the world but they still play with the fire of that dance band back in Kent.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
General admission £27.00
Booking fee applies
https://cabaretvoltaireevents.com/event/oysterband/
Award-winning folk musician Allison Lupton hails from the heart of rural Ontario, Canada, where her love for music took root. From playing for community dances to soloing with orchestras, Allison has found her voice as a singer-songwriter and flautist after more than a quarter century performing in Canada and abroad. Along the way she has received accolades from international press as well as her peers at home, winning multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominations including “Traditional Singer of the Year”.
For this tour, Allison is joined by Canadian and US Grand National fiddle champion Shane Cook and CFMA Solo Instrumental Artist of the Year and Canadian Grand Master Step Dance champion Kyle Waymouth. Woven through their performances are Allison’s original songs, which often remind us of the historical connections between Canada and the UK and fit so perfectly into the canon of folk music, that they could easily be mistaken for traditional numbers. Expect a glorious mix of beautiful songs and storytelling, electrifying fiddle tunes and dazzling step dance, united by the trio’s warm and frequently humorous stage presence.
Running Time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Channy: 01308 485730
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/allison-lupton-trio
Originally from the South West Chris now lives in Iceland. We are lucky to be able to invite him to perform in Crewkerne on a rare visit to the UK.
Chris is a fine singer of mainly Traditional English Folk Songs. He is a master of his trade, narrates a story well with inventive guitar accompaniments.
£12 ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Doors 7.00 for a 7.30 start.
Contact Meg Rose: 07877 206124
Meg.rose AT btinternet.com
www.chrisfoster-iceland.com
A social dance week for more experienced dancers; enjoy dancing in a happy, friendly atmosphere working together as a team to get the greatest possible satisfaction from your dancing. There will be a selection of workshops and evening dances, looking at dances from both sides of the pond.
Who is it for?
The event is designed for dancers of an intermediate and experienced level.
The Team
Rosemary Hunt leads the course; she regularly calls at festivals in UK, and has been a guest caller at events in the USA, Holland and Belgium.
This year Rosemary is supported by Brian Stanton and Liam Binley, and a workshop with Liesbeth Krijgsman will bring an international flavour. The band is Orion’s Ring, well known for their lovely sound and their supportive ‘lifting’ playing, allowing the dancers to enjoy the dances to the full.
For more information and booking, contact Rosemary Hunt: rosemaryashunt AT icloud.com
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/mostly-english-dance-week-2024/
Folk, Acoustic, Songs and Music of any genre. Second Thursday of every month except August. Sit where you want and sing, play or just listen, everyone is welcome. This is a new folk and acoustic club near Chard and we’d love to see you there.
FREE
7.00 - 10.00 pm
Contact Simon or Cathy Thomson: 07791 597339
windyfolk AT eluk.co.uk
www.eluk.co.uk/windyfolk
Contra dancing originated in New England as an evolution of the English and European country dances that the early settlers had taken with them to America. It is usually danced in two long lines with your partner opposite, or ‘contrary’, to you. In the 1980s, a more ‘zesty’ form of contra emerged, with the emphasis on high-energy dancing, smooth flowing transitions, and lots of interaction with neighbouring dancers. Contra dancing is still evolving, with new dances continually being written in this style.
Rhodri Davies and Mark Elvins return in 2024 to lead you through some of the best of these contras, new and old! Music will be provided by Mollie Koenigsberger and Ali Messer. With two evening dances, morning workshops, as well as open mic and musicians workshops, this is a “not to be missed” weekend for both new and experienced contra dancers.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/zesty-contra-2024/
Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer’s music.
The song-writing, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s Folk and song-writer movements.
Tickets: £16 Full. £15 Concessions
www.katiespencer.net
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/katie-spencer/
Barn dance
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50 under 16 free
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30
Finish time: 9.30
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
Celebrating Joni Mitchell: the 7-piece band ‘Hejira’ performs the greatest works of the genius singer-songwriter. Fronted by the outstanding vocalist/guitarist Hattie Whitehead, this band fully captures the poetry, passion and beauty of Mitchell’s masterpieces.
Having released the albums ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter’ and ‘Mingus’ (regarded as her ‘jazz period’), Joni then toured briefly with a band formed from the crème de la crème of contemporaneous jazz musicians (Metheny, Mays, Brecker, Pastorius and Alias). The tour was recorded, producing the outstanding live album, ‘Shadows And Light’; it is from this album that the band Hejira is drawing the body of its repertoire. Comprising highly experienced jazz musicians, this band is fronted by the brilliant Hattie Whitehead who not only has – in her own way – assimilated the poise, power and beauty of Joni’s vocals, but also plays guitar with Joni’s stylistic mannerisms. Expect an evening of the ‘great’ songs from Mitchell’s back catalogue, such as ‘Amelia’, ‘Woodstock’, ‘A Case Of You’, ’Song For Sharon’, ‘Edith And The Kingpin’ etc.!
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance standing £16.00
Advance seated £19.00
On the door £23.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/hejira-a-celebration-of-joni-mitchell/
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky or a guest musician, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and acoustic instruments. Sheet music and audio supplied in advance.
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £15 on the door
Or cheaper when paid in advance via the website.
www.sherbornefolkband.org
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
This concert is part of their anniversary tour to mark 15 years performing together! Exceptional musicianship and boundless energy from this young trio.
7.30
£14 advance / £16 on the door
https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk
The Knights of King Ina are holding a Morris Jig workshop aimed at those with little jig dancing experience to cover the Jigs in the style of Ilmington. The pace will suit beginners to Morris and to Ilmington, as well as Jig dancing. It’s a good way of learning the tradition as well as a dance.
Bring – Suitable clothes and footwear. Lunch and any alcohol you may like.
We provide - Tea, Coffee, Cake ( please advise any dietary requirements when booking).
Notation – electronic notes will be available following the workshop – please leave a contact email if you would like these.
Video – KOKI are happy for you to Video – we will check at the outset that participants are also happy – please respect any restrictions people want.
GDPR – only public domain addresses have been used – please update us if alterations are needed.
Cost? - £15 per person, cash on the day please (Dancers or Musicians).
Musicians – our musicians are happy to share their expertise in playing for jigs during the day, musical notation will be available in advance – please mail us for this.
How to apply? – Email bagmankoki AT gmail.com with name, side and contact details. Spaces are limited so please answer asap!
Time? – 10:30 – 1600
https://keintonmandevillevh.co.uk/
Come and discover Medieval music with Mary Mohan and Jude Rees.
Delve into the world of Medieval manuscripts, dance tunes, beautiful sacred music and more. This course takes a “no rules” approach, allowing musicians from every discipline to explore this diverse and surprising genre. Want to play a cantiga on violin, clarinet and bass concertina? No problem! Or have a collection of unusual historic instruments you want to dust off and use? Bring them along!
With a mix of whole course sessions, smaller ensemble groups and specialist workshops, Mary and Jude work together to educate and inspire, providing a fun and safe environment for you to learn and enjoy yourself.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/page-to-performance-medieval-music/
Indie-folk singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Josienne Clarke is often said to draw on traditional British folk inspirations, but is a thoroughly modern, multifaceted artist who follows her own compass.
Josienne is blessed with a voice of crystalline beauty and clarity that has been compared to Sandy Denny. She has extensive touring experience, having been a Rough Trade-signed, Radio 2 Folk Award-winning artist and has also been hand-picked as main tour support for folk legend Richard Thompson.
As well as being a guitarist and vocalist of alarmingly good quality, Josienne’s dark wit also acts as compelling counterpoint to her own twilit, low-key and intimate compositions when playing live.
7:45mp
Tickets: £16 incl. £1cms
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/josienne-clarke/
Hannah and Toby met in Summer 2018 at Floating Castle festival in Slovenia and it was clear that these two musicians shared a common approach to music making and a real artistic chemistry.
Award-winning folk musician, dancer and composer Hannah James is complemented perfectly by the virtuoso cello of Toby Kuhn. Known for her work with Lady Maisery, Maddy Prior, Sam Sweeney, Seasick Steve and Songs of Separation (with Eliza Carthy and Karina Polwart and more), Hannah is one of the key figures in the modern UK folk scene. Rooted in the English Tradition but enriched by her collaborations all over Europe, her charismatic blend of accordion, vocal and clog dancing forged an instant artistic chemistry with impressive French cellist Toby Kuhn.
Toby is a post-classical musician with a taste for improvisation and folk music of all persuasions. Always on the lookout for new ways to play his instrument, his unorthodox approach has won admiration and acclaim from Japan to Canada, bringing the full potential of the cello with him on his journey across style and invention.
Together, their music is soulful, original and conversational. The combination of accordion and cello allows for a huge palette of sounds and textures which lift James’s pure voice and deeply honest songwriting. In the next breath they switch to choppy rhythms and joyful interplay between cello and percussive dance. This duo deliver a diverse, playful and hugely original performance.
https://hannahjamesmusic.com
https://tobyscello.org
https://hannahtobymusic.org
https://www.facebook.com/hannahjamesmusic/
https://twitter.com/Clogbox
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXt3vhyYaYgAvMro4xw64SA
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£14.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/hannah-james-toby-kuhn-2/
Celebrating 20 Years of Bellowhead
In 2004, Bellowhead burst onto the British folk scene like nothing before or since. Famously conjured up by duo Spiers & Boden whilst sitting in a traffic jam, they roped in friends, and friends of friends until the big band was born. In their early years Bellowhead played to hundreds of thousands of people at festivals and on tour and were regularly lauded as “One of the country’s greatest live outfits.” They recorded 5 studio albums (selling over a quarter of a million copies), were the proud recipients of 2 x silver discs and won a staggering 8 x BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
2024 marks Bellowhead’s 20th Anniversary, it’s also 20 years since the release of their debut 5 track E.P.Onymous and 10 years since the release of their Top 20 studio album Revival which featured favourites including Gosport Nancy and Roll Alabama.
The band say “The reunion tour in 2022 meant such a lot to all of us after such a difficult time, and seemed to bring so much joy to our fans, that we thought we'd probably best do it again!
Tickets: £27.50 / £35.00 / £45.00 (plus booking fees)
Please note under 18 to be accompanied by an adult.
7:30pm
https://www.bathforum.co.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=676272
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A STANDING GIG – With chairs down both sides of the Auditorium only!
Project Smok is the neo-trad trio of Ali Levack, Ewan Baird and Pablo Lafuente, whose nonconformist and progressive Scottish traditional music has set them apart since their formation in 2017.
Known for their ability to effortlessly blend trad music with contemporary new-age pop influences, Project Smok are at their most comfortable pushing boundaries, making listeners stop and re-evaluate their musical expectations. They do away with any perceived limits of genre from the first note.
The close-knit group meld naturally between the innovative, explosive and emotive, drawing outside inspiration from indie pop acts like The 1975, LANY and Bon Iver, to more time-honoured, West Coast styles of playing.
With tunes built around the distinctive piping of BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2020 Ali Levack, paired with Ewan Baird’s skilled bodhran playing and Pablo Lafuente’s nuanced guitar, electric guitar and production, the trio manage to naturally bring together an array of musical aspects. Throw in instrumental virtuosity, blistering drive, infectious rhythm and a delicate sensitivity and you have Project Smok’s thirst-quenching sound.
It’s little wonder they have fast become a recognised and household name in the traditional music scene. They boast nominations for ‘Best Up and Coming Artist’ at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2018 and the ‘Belhaven Bursary for Innovation’ at the same awards in 2019, not to mention an unforgettable collaboration with 2019 Scottish Album of the Year nominee Edwyn Collins on their 2020 debut album, ‘Bayview’.
Written as a follow up to their 2017 EP ‘Horizons’, the record was brought to life in Edwyn Collins’ famous Clashnarrow Studio in Helmsdale on Scotland’s north east coast, using a treasure trove of special analogue and vintage equipment to showcase their truly refreshing sound. It was premiered in spectacular fashion at Celtic Connections 2020 in Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket to a sell-out crowd.
Project Smok’s debut album has cemented their place as a young band at the forefront of the traditional music scene who have great intensions and crave innovation.
They offer an unconventional, idiosyncratic, energetic synergism that defies expectation.
Their second album ‘The Outset’ was released on 19th January 2024.
SPOTIFY – https://open.spotify.com/artist/2EDPh22pDxwZwTeCL5JY7w?si=lAp6Cb2pT8GcsWVC1n24AA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/projectsmok/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/projectsmok/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAZhzP0DrxzneI96N2GY_uQ
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£16.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/project-smok-2/
All welcome to our regular Barn Dance. No Bar - bring your own drinks & nibbles! Tickets on the door - just turn up.
£7.50 adults £2.50 children
7.30 - 10.00 pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
AJ and Julia are back with their highly entertaining mix of superb songs, witty banter, and hilarious stories.
Supported by Utter Buskers from Hampshire.
£15, ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 01202 732239
kathy.dunn AT btopenworld.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
An opportunity to see world renowned multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer share the Blues roots of his musical life. Supported by his long-time collaborator Miranda Sykes on Bass guitar and Sian Monaghan on percussion, they will confidently guide you through the music of Blind Willie Johnson, The Rev Gary Davis, Davy Graham, and John Mayall.
Phil will introduce the music of the Great British Blues interpreters and pioneers with it, all whilst giving it that inimitable Phil Beer ‘twist’. Following the success of his 2020 album ‘The Blues Hour’, the Phil Beer Trio’s ‘Blues and Beyond…’ Tour promises three great musicians at the top of their game, combining effortlessly to create an evening of songs and random anecdotes from an extraordinary life in music, this time from the Bluesy side of the street.
www.philbeer.co.uk
Tickets: £22.50. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/phil-beer-trio/
Zeffe are a four piece Klezmer band, playing exciting and poignant music from the Klezmer tradition, plus other great Balkan dance tunes and songs. Expect clarinet, fiddle, accordion and double bass, plus darabouka, vocals and more!
£12 in advance, £14 on the door
8.00 pm
Contact Wellington Arts or ticketsource/wellington arts: 01823 240063
events AT w-a-a.co.uk
https://zisforzeffe.wixsite.com/zeffe
On our performers night The David Hall hands over its professional stage and outstanding acoustics to budding artists of all genres.
Petherton Arts Trust is trying this new evening as a way of encouraging more local performers of all genres to come and perform on a professional stage and to attract more people in the audience.
It’s a great evening full of extraordinary skill, talent and variety – and it doesn’t cost the earth – just £2 audience and £1 performers to cover the cost of heating and lighting the hall.
All types of performance welcome – The David Hall has had music, comedy, poetry, dance…. All have the opportunity to deliver for 10 – 15 minutes with full PA and lighting system.
So, if you’re a performer, then get in touch with Chris and book a spot
07715 501157
or
email xxxfolk AT chriswatts.org- without the xx’s
These evenings are becoming increasingly popular and there is a danger that we won’t be able to accommodate everyone.
Do please book ahead rather than, as previously, just turning up and expecting to get a spot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician. poet, juggler or …… well, any kind of performer basically. Just be entertaining !
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Suggested donation:
Just £1 for performers and £2 Audience.
Please pay on the door.
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/acoustic-night-2024-730pm-donations-only/2024-11-24/
We are delighted to welcome back Anne Niepold and Andy Cutting to teach this extended course (please note earlier start and later finish) at Halsway Manor for advanced, and advanced-intermediate level D/G melodeon players.
This will be an intensive week of skills-based learning focusing on your development as a musician, discovering new ways to interpret and play, and to make the music your own. You need to be open to trying new things, and to be prepared to work hard – it will be intensive but also an enjoyable and rewarding week, with time to relax in the evenings and enjoy informal sessions.
The group – limited to approximately 20 students – will be split in two by the tutors at the start of the course; you’ll spend roughly the same amount of time with each tutor. This will be done according to ability level; if you are coming with friends this may mean you will be working in different groups, but there’s plenty of informal time to meet, chat and play with others.
Arrival is from noon on Monday, with lunch at 1pm, and work begins after lunch! The course ends with lunch on Friday.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/melodeon-study-week-anne-niepold-and-andy-cutting/
With every year Sandy's reputation continues to grow in stature as a songwriter and interpreter of traditional material, and the six musicians in the band who share an impressive folk-rock pedigree are each at the very top of their musical game.
Fotheringay MkII members Sally Barker (The Poozies, BBCTV’s “The Voice”, IOTA) and guitarist PJ Wright (TradArrr, The Dylan Project) are joined by multi instrumentalist Marion Fleetwood (voice, fiddle, guitars – Feast of Fiddles, TRADarrr, IOTA), Gemma Shirley (keyboard and vocals – TRADarrr) and the rhythm section of bassist Mat Davies and drummer Mark Stevens from folk-rock legends Little Johnny England to form The Sandy Denny Project. Sandy Denny’s remarkable writing is approached not as a tribute band, slavishly copying the records, but as a tribute in its best sense – an interpretation of Sandy’s wonderful work.
Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Advance £21.00
On the door £25.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/sandy-denny-project/
The Lost Trades are a Folk/Americana trio, based in the West Country, with a cool Laurel Canyon vibe. With a sound that is reminiscent of the California folk scene of the late 60s/early 70s, their three-part harmonies have been described as “flawless”, “spine tingling” and “magical”.
After a global pandemic cut short their first tour after just a single sold out gig, the band retreated to their songwriting rooms to work on their debut album, “The Bird, The Book & The Barrel”. The album was released in June 2021 and was well received, spending 8 months in the Official UK Folk Albums Chart. The follow up, “Petrichor” was released in March 2023, and immediately followed suit, entering the chart at #31.
A live performance involves easy interchanging of instruments, with each of the three playing guitar, bass and percussion at different points. There’s always a fun intimacy to the show, with the three engaging in comfortable repartee with each other and the audience like a group of old friends.
www.thelosttrades.com
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£12.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/the-lost-trades-2/
We’re delighted to welcome Narthen back to Halsway for a joyous sixth weekend of polyphonic unaccompanied singing in four part harmony, with a tutor to lead each section of the choir. Narthen are Jo Freya, Fi Fraser, Sarah Matthews, and Doug Eunson.
The weekend will explore some of the beautiful Yorkshire and Derbyshire carols and other festive fair, for which Narthen are so well known. We have a fantastic array of songs for you as always and we are particularly excited about it being a more ‘festive celebration’, being that little bit nearer to Christmas. Mince pies will be welcome, but be warned, the puritans who banned Christmas once termed them “Relics of the whores of Babylon”!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/christmas-carols-with-narthen/
Paul Hutchinson and Matthew Crampton give a sideways look at traditional music. We’re proud to have Paul as a Hornblotton regular, and we know that this new collaboration will reach new heights of both music and humour.
£15
7.30 pm
Contact Colin Bowen: 01963 240282
bowencolin AT hotmail.com
hvh.chessck.co.uk
Blair is an award-winning singer songwriter and guitarist from Chesterfield. He has cemented his place and one of Britain’s most exciting talents.
Swithin are a local group which includes the wonderful Dee Jarlett and the very talented Martin Solomon.
7.30
£14
https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk
Join Jim in celebrating the Christmas season as he entertains you with lesser known West Country carols, medieval and secular carols from around the British Isles, his own settings of moving Christmas poems by his relative, the late Cornish poet Charles Causley as well a gurt dollop of festive fun with songs of over-indulgence and even a spot of panto too! If you are feeling a little dismayed with the over-commercialisation of “Christmas present” then join Jim for a journey through Christmas past that will be guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit!
Please note that this is an extra, ticketed event. Unlike our usual Fivehead Folk Nights there won't be a floorsingers' spot, but it will be a concert in which Jim will perform two 45-minute sets of his special Christmas show.
7.30pm
Tickets £10 (Cash only) in advance from laurieguitars AT gmail.com or on the door. Coffee bar.
Nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and winning ‘Best Album’ in 2015 at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards this iconic duo are not to be missed. The good Doctor Martin Carthy and his twice Mercury nominated daughter Eliza Carthy, join forces to perform an eclectic range of songs and tunes from their vast family repertoire, drawing from the traditional canon as well as selections from a more contemporary songbook.
Since their Topic Records album release, The Elephant, in 2014, this duo format has gone from strength to strength, allowing each artist to showcase their unique individual musical talents, as well as highlighting their symbiotic bond, with instinctive and sensitive arrangements and accompaniment for each other.
Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Advance £22.00
On the door £26.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/martin-carthy-eliza-carthy-2/
Westcountry folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his album Kitty Jay in 2024.
Seth was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for Kitty Jay. His thrilling solo performance of the eponymous title track on live television won him unanimous praise and started him on an incredible solo journey which has included record deals, 11 album releases (including 6 Top 40), BBC Radio 2 playlisted singles, a clutch of awards and touring all over the world.
He was delighted to be asked in late 2022 to record on Van Morrison’s new album ‘Moving On Skiffle’ which was released in 2023 and he also collaborated with Public Service Broadcasting that year. He has previously worked and toured extensively with Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) with his band the Sensational Space Shifters.
Seth released his latest and 11th studio album Make Your Mark in November 2021 and in 2023 Seth released the ten-track album ‘The Somerset Sessions’ which features original, unreleased session recordings with Seth featuring Ethan Johns and other guest musicians in Frome. In between shows this year Seth has been writing and recording new music.
www.sethlakeman.co.uk
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £26.00
On the door £30.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/seth-lakeman/
Born with a beautiful sound but no name, Lev’s Violin was valued as worthless. Although its origins remained a mystery, many tales were attached to Lev’s Violin, some true and some wonderfully untrue...
Old and worn by its travels, Lev's Violin eventually broke a few years ago, and the instrument became the subject of a book by Helena Attlee, Lev’s Violin: An Italian Adventure, which reached many thousands of listeners when it was broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. The violin has since been through an extensive restoration and, having passed through the hands of countless musicians, travelled continents and played the music of many cultures, it is now in the possession of Greg Lawson.
An acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor who has held principal and leading positions in most of the orchestras in Scotland, Greg Lawson is joined by former Moishe’s Bagel bandmate and accordionist Phil Alexander for this special tour. Follow the journey of Lev’s Violin and hear some of the music from its past, from Bach and Arvo Part to Armenian and Macedonian music and Klezmer.
Running time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s, £30 fam
7.30 pm
Contact Steve & Fran Rock: 07399 954381
frocks100 AT gmail.com
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/levs-violin
Born with a beautiful sound but no name, Lev’s Violin was valued as worthless. Although its origins remained a mystery, many tales were attached to Lev’s Violin, some true and some wonderfully untrue...
Old and worn by its travels, Lev's Violin eventually broke a few years ago, and the instrument became the subject of a book by Helena Attlee, Lev’s Violin: An Italian Adventure, which reached many thousands of listeners when it was broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. The violin has since been through an extensive restoration and, having passed through the hands of countless musicians, travelled continents and played the music of many cultures, it is now in the possession of Greg Lawson.
An acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor who has held principal and leading positions in most of the orchestras in Scotland, Greg Lawson is joined by former Moishe’s Bagel bandmate and accordionist Phil Alexander for this special tour. Follow the journey of Lev’s Violin and hear some of the music from its past, from Bach and Arvo Part to Armenian and Macedonian music and Klezmer.
Running time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£13, £7 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Mark Sexton: 01308 897649
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/levs-violin
Banding Together summer weekends provide advanced and fluent English concertina players with the opportunity to join with others of similar proficiency to play as a big concertina band. The music is varied and challenging but help with preparation is provided. The result is an electrifying big band sound!
This winter weekend is altogether a more relaxed affair. It is a Christmas House Party for concertina bandits – English system players addicted to concertina band – with repertoire focusing on seasonal music. Festive fun and games will form an integral part of the weekend.
Unlike the summer weekend, the music will not be outrageously complicated but attention to detail, our hallmark, will not be compromised. Participants will still be expected to come well prepared and “band ready”, having spent time working on the music. Dots and resource materials are all emailed in advance.
Bandits finding the summer weekend too advanced might find this a more comfortable level.
Who is it for?
English Concertina players who are fluent and confident on their instrument and read notation accurately. Preparation is essential. Music, together with audio files and practice guidance, is provided in advance. It is open to any English system concertina player who meets these criteria.
The Team
Banding Together weekends are organised by Junction 25 Concertina Band.
Music for Banding Together is sourced, arranged and led by J25 director Claire Wren.
For details and booking of this partnership event please contact:
Claire Wren: bandingtogetherwithj25 AT gmail.com
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/j25-banding-together-christmas-house-party-2024/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Born with a beautiful sound but no name, Lev’s Violin was valued as worthless. Although its origins remained a mystery, many tales were attached to Lev’s Violin, some true and some wonderfully untrue...
Old and worn by its travels, Lev's Violin eventually broke a few years ago, and the instrument became the subject of a book by Helena Attlee, Lev’s Violin: An Italian Adventure, which reached many thousands of listeners when it was broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. The violin has since been through an extensive restoration and, having passed through the hands of countless musicians, travelled continents and played the music of many cultures, it is now in the possession of Greg Lawson.
An acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor who has held principal and leading positions in most of the orchestras in Scotland, Greg Lawson is joined by former Moishe’s Bagel bandmate and accordionist Phil Alexander for this special tour. Follow the journey of Lev’s Violin and hear some of the music from its past, from Bach and Arvo Part to Armenian and Macedonian music and Klezmer.
Running time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50, £6 u18s
7.30 pm
Contact Jacquie Walton : 07968 633834
jacquie.walton AT outlook.com
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/levs-violin
Award-winning singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, James Kirby, has built a loyal international fan base over recent years, selling out venues and captivating audiences worldwide with his mellow voice and distinctive percussive guitar playing.
Blending elements of folk, pop, blues, indie rock and piano, his compositions range from fast and furious to heartfelt and melodic, with James finding new and unorthodox techniques to make music from every part of the acoustic guitar.
www.jameskirbymusic.com
Tickets: £18.50 Full. £17.50 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/james-kirby/
Born with a beautiful sound but no name, Lev’s Violin was valued as worthless. Although its origins remained a mystery, many tales were attached to Lev’s Violin, some true and some wonderfully untrue...
Old and worn by its travels, Lev's Violin eventually broke a few years ago, and the instrument became the subject of a book by Helena Attlee, Lev’s Violin: An Italian Adventure, which reached many thousands of listeners when it was broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. The violin has since been through an extensive restoration and, having passed through the hands of countless musicians, travelled continents and played the music of many cultures, it is now in the possession of Greg Lawson.
An acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor who has held principal and leading positions in most of the orchestras in Scotland, Greg Lawson is joined by former Moishe’s Bagel bandmate and accordionist Phil Alexander for this special tour. Follow the journey of Lev’s Violin and hear some of the music from its past, from Bach and Arvo Part to Armenian and Macedonian music and Klezmer.
Running time: 90mins + interval
Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity.
£12.50
7.30 pm
Contact John Head: 01935 873555
info AT artsreach.co.uk
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/levs-violin
+ support from The Schmoozenbergs
For nearly two decades this band have brought their array of foot-stomping folk tunes to audiences across the globe. A quintet with a well-stocked armoury of stringed instruments– guitar, fiddle, double bass - with the added energy of flute and drums and a bagful of joint-jumping tunes, these fine musicians create a real dynamic which is inherent in both their furious dance medleys as well as their thoughtfully arranged original pieces.
Putting the groove into a selection of traditional and original European Folk music dating from the medieval times to present day, it’s difficult – nay, impossible – for your limbs to remain stationary when you’re within earshot of them in full flight. The fact that they often play with a knowing wink shouldn’t obscure their impeccable technique, and unique musicianship that raises the roof in every corner of the world they have visited.
Having performed all across the globe the band are renowned for their rousing festival performances and unique small venue tours where floors have had to be reinforced and air conditioning installed in winter, you wont be disappointed!
The Schmoozenbergs
Conjuring up the mood of 1930s Paris, fused with flavours of Eastern Europe and a liberal sprinkling of high energy folk, The Schmoozenbergs’ uplifting music will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Influenced by a cocktail of musical traditions, from Gypsy jazz to Klezmer, Celtic, Balkan, Bristolian and beyond, they bring you a barrage of energetic and playful original compositions, bursting with
irresistibly bouncy rhythms and tantalizing melodies.
Based in Bristol, the band formed in 2012, and have been delighting audiences at venues and festivals around the UK for the past decade. Their new album ‘Mouse’ was released in March 2024.
THIS IS A 14+ EVENT. THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN, ID IS REQUIRED AT THE DOOR. ACCEPTED FORMS OF ID INCLUDE A VALID PASSPORT, A PHOTO DRIVING LICENCE AND A PROOF OF AGE CARD SUCH AS A PASS CARD FROM THE NATIONAL PROOF OF AGE STANDARDS SCHEME. THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 16 WILL BE DECLINED ENTRY AND REFUNDS WILL NOT BE OFFERED.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £19.00
On the door £23.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/sheelanagig/
Are you looking for an opportunity to take some time away from the December hullabaloo? Then look no further than our Festive Retreat – a chance to sing, make music, craft, relax, walk and generally enjoy the festive surroundings of Halsway Manor decked for Christmas.
The flexible programme might include options such as:
Sing and play traditional folk carols in harmony
Learn some great new folk tunes and creative things to do with them
A spot of seasonal crafting with tree decorations to take home
An introduction to Dartmoor step dancing and playing for dancing
Optional walks in the beautiful Quantock Hills, weather permitting
A storytelling session
Each session includes something for instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists, so we’ll keep you entertained – however, if you’re looking for some time out, that’s OK too! We hope to see you there and will light the fire in anticipation!
All are welcome – guided sessions will mainly cater for singers and instrumentalists, all instruments, all abilities, but you are also welcome to use this time as a getaway if you would prefer.
There will be a range of parts, notation parts in all clefs and keys available. We will work both by ear and with dots. We want this week to be fun for all, with guidance and support to help you develop your musicality, at whatever level you’re at.
The Team
Matt Norman is a performer, teacher, composer, arranger, workshop leader and conductor.
He predominantly works with traditional English music, steeped in the traditions of Devon and Dartmoor. He is also blues and classical musician, and a Dartmoor Step Dance Champion!
As a multi-instrumentalist, Matt plays mandolin, fiddle, mandola, banjos, piano and also sings. He performs solo and in bands including Gadarene and A New Vintage ceilidh band, and regularly deps in other line-ups. He’s also a singer and choir-leader.
Matt’s extensive teaching experience includes working in community and festival settings with all ages and abilities. He has a relaxed, fun and accessible approach to learning, tailored very much to the group. He has a broad expertise embracing mixed-instrument ensembles, choral and voice work, instrument specific tuition (mandolin, fiddle, banjo), and also step dancing.
Laurel Swift is a musician and composer, an inspiring instigator of creative new projects and performances rooted in the folk arts. She plays double bass and clog dances with Gadarene and plays fiddle with The Gloworms among other people. Laurel is currently absorbed in Travelling with Thomas, a project to write a folk musical in public, inviting people to come on the journey and see inside the artistic process!
Laurel co-created and performed ‘Under her Skin’ with Debs Newbold. Laurel loves to dance and has choreographed for theatre and film and directed national touring dance productions for Morris Offspring. She also teaches folk music, with particular focus on helping people find their own ownership of our shared traditions through creative approaches to variation, ensemble skills and simply having a good time!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/festive-retreat/
Multi award-winning contemporary folk artists Jackie Oates and John Spiers meld together their shared love of English traditional folk tunes and songs with their fine voices and expertly played acoustic instruments. Audiences can look forward to a fresh, uplifting and poignant evening.
Their festive concerts are a beautiful and heart-warming antidote to the materiality that can be a feature of the Christmas season. The duo perform captivating traditional Christmas carols and tunes from England and beyond.
Concerts at other times of the year include music from the duo’s debut album, Needle Pin, Needle Pin, released in early 2020 and featuring songs from the Oxfordshire area which they have researched and arranged. Many of the songs were originally sung by lace-making factory girls to keep time whilst crafting lace and to add enjoyment to their work; the album title makes reference to a line from one of such songs. Beautifully in synergy with the handmade nature of the source songs, the CD comes as a limited edition, hand-stamped, entirely handmade album.
Although followers of British folk music will be familiar with Jackie and John from their other high calibre bands, this collaboration began quite innocently and spontaneously when the pair first started playing together for fun during guest spots at Nettlebed Folk Club in Henley-on-Thames. Recognising the potential, they began working together on material from their native county of Oxfordshire.
JACKIE OATES
Jackie is a folk singer, song-writer and musician. A central figure in English traditional music, Jackie is regarded as one of the country’s best loved folk performers. Her 8th solo studio album, Gracious Wings, took flight in September 2022, receiving acclaim from the music press both within and beyond the folk genre. In the 14 years since her iconic coming of age album Hyperboreans Jackie has continued to build her large and varied following, write her own material, include surprising covers into her albums and breathe new life into the traditional gems she unearths. Jackie collaborates with a diverse array of artists and commissions, seeking new and surprising artistic corners to illuminate with her voice, research and musicianship.
www.jackieoates.co.uk
JOHN SPIERS
John Spiers, better known in folk circles as Squeezy, is one of the leading melodeon players of his generation. Well known for his partnership with Jon Boden as well as being a member of Bellowhead, the most successful folk band in recent history. John was also a member of Eliza Carthy’s band, featuring on her 2002 Mercury nominated album, Anglicana. He now plays with Peter Knight, fiddle player from Steeleye Span and is also a member of the Gigspanner Big Band. Mixing infectious dance tunes with incredibly sensitive and moving slow airs on a mind-boggling range of different squeezeboxes, John’s solo shows are a mixture of traditional material and his own more intricate compositions.
www.johnspiers.co.uk
YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2tXGy3JLiVthFo-eZrdiA7Ysb7wfC9Bl
Bandcamp: https://jackieoatesandjohnspiers.bandcamp.com/
Facebook (Jackie): www.facebook.com/jackieoatesmusic
Facebook (John): https://www.facebook.com/squeezyjohn
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £17.00
Advance: £15.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/jackie-oates-john-spiers/
Ahoy there—local group The Chantry Buoys sing traditional sea shanties and other well known songs. Join them for a fun sing-along with local drinks, old seafaring melodies, and maritime frolics.
Based in Colyton, they sing traditional sea shanties, and other well known songs. They have performed at many Sea Shanty festivals, including Falmouth, Teignmouth, and recently performed on Lyme’s Marine Parade, to close Lifeboat week.
Sea shanties were work songs, set to a rhythm for working, to reduce the monotony of undertaking repetitive tasks aboard ship. But they were also Foc’sle songs, which were storytelling verses to be listened to at leisure, to remind sailors of home and these helped to keep alive traditions and record local events and people.
Bar opens 7:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Free entry - no tickets
https://www.marinetheatre.com/the-shanty-sessions-34/
We’re slipping a new course under the tree for Christmas 2024!
William Lyons and Richard Thomas from The City Musick will be heading to Halsway Manor for the very first time, bringing with them all the joys of the festive season during the Renaissance. We can’t promise a Boar’s Head bedecked with bay and rosemary, but plenty of other music delights will be on offer.
Intended for players of renaissance wind, brass and strings, this course will celebrate the huge variety of sounds and styles of Christmas music heard during the Christmas season in renaissance Europe. We will look at the splendors of music written by Giovanni Gabrieli and co. in the churches and courts of Venice, and of the music written by Germanic composers including Hans Leo Hassler and Michael Praetorius for grand festive occasions in German court and city. There will also be chances to explore smaller scale repertoire from the British Isles, France, and Spain, much of which had its origins in traditional song and dance.
We’re offering you the chance to gain a greater knowledge of renaissance Christmas music while enjoying communal music-making on historic instruments. The Christmas tree will be decorated and the fire lit – a perfect December treat.
Who is it for?
This Renaissance music course is for players of the cornett, shawm, dulcian, sackbut, any members of the violin family, and viol players. You might play more than one of those instruments – that’s OK too! If you play an instrument not listed above but are keen to take part, please get in touch so that we can advise.
You should consider yourself to be working at an intermediate to advanced level, be a strong sight reader, and be prepared to look at repertoire in advance if necessary. We will send you a timetable in advance, with any sheet music that the tutors provide. You will need to be able to read music for this course.
The majority of the weekend will focus on whole-group teaching and learning, with some opportunity for smaller group work, both tutor- and self-led. You’ll be able to work on and improve your existing skills and techniques, while learning new repertoire, and perhaps working on some that you’re already more familiar with.
The Tutors
William Lyons is artistic director of the acclaimed ensemble The City Musick. As a player, he has performed with leading historical performance ensembles for over thirty years. He has featured as a specialist session musician on the soundtracks of such iconic films as the Harry Potter series and The Hobbit, as well as several Wes Anderson creations. He is also a composer for theatre and film, including for many productions as composer and musical director at The Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London from 1998 to 2015. Most recently he has worked as historical consultant and composer on major films including Emma, and Mary, Queen of Scots. In 2019 he won the Crystal Pines award for Best Original Score for his work on the Oscar winning The Favourite. In the world of academia William is a Leverhulme Research Fellow, and a professor at the Royal College of Music. Published works include a chapter on theatre musicians in early modern London and articles for the Chanter journal. William is currently writing his PhD on theatre musicians in Shakespeare’s London.
Richard Thomas studied at the University of Wales, the Royal Academy of Music and the Schola Cantorum, Switzerland. Richard was a band member at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London for many years, and plays regularly with ensembles directed by Sir John Elliot Gardiner, Sir Roger Norrington, Trevor Pinnock, Harry Christophers and Paul McCreesh, touring throughout Europe as well as to North & South America, Asia, and Australia. An interest in period instrument performance began at university and eventually led to the formation of the acclaimed sackbut and cornett ensemble QuintEssential in 1993. Richard is also a founder member of The City Musick and the 19th century saxhorn quintet, The Prince Regent’s Band. Richard teaches natural trumpet and cornetto at the Royal College of Music, the University of Birmingham, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and at the Dartington International Summer School for several years.
The City Musick was formed by William Lyons to explore the diverse repertoire of civic and court wind bands in early modern Europe and is now firmly established as the premier renaissance wind band in the UK. The City Musick made their BBC Proms debut in 2012 with a performance of Venetian music in collaboration with the vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. The Decca recording of this and that of the Striggio Mass, also involving the ensemble, have both met with great critical acclaim. The ongoing collaboration with I Fagiolini continues, with a recording of the magnificent Benevoli Missa Tu es Petrus released in 2023 and the next in the sequence of works by this sorely neglected composer being recorded in 2024. Their recording of music of the London Waits, The Topping Tooters of the Town received unanimous critical praise. The new project by the ensemble: The Count & The Duke – A Renaissance Big Band was premiered at the Stour Festival and York Early Music Festival in 2023 and is a gloriously varied programme featuring a band of twenty shawms, dulcians, recorders, sackbuts, crumhorns, racketts, cornetts, trumpets, keyboards, strings and percussion!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/city-musick-festive-renaissaince-music/
Christmas, as they say, starts with St. Agnes Fountain. Presenting carols with a curve.
Since their first get together, to record the eponymous St Agnes Fountain album in 2001, the quartet; David Hughes, Fairport Convention’s Chris Leslie and multi award winning duo Chris While and Julie Matthews, have brought
musical invention and laughter to the star-dust atmosphere of the season.
In 2020, David decided to leave the band and very sadly died last year.
There will never been another quite like him, he was simply a one off. His vision to create traditional Christmas carols with a curve led to the creation of St Agnes Fountain, he was our founding father but he was so much more
than that. His unique style of rhythm, of hearing and playing a groove, his satirical wit and sartorial style, his dead pan presence on stage, his beautiful turn of a lyrical phrase.
One thing we can say without any doubt is that David wouldn’t have wanted to rest in peace, he would want to be putting on his fedora, tapping his foot out to some insane syncopated rhythm and leading us all in a celebration of a life of love, laughter and mirth.
Chris, Chris and Julie intend to do just that, keeping the Christmas Aggie spirit alive and touring as a trio celebrating 23 years together with some new material, those old Aggie classics and a doff of the fedora to David.
www.stagnesfountain.net
Tickets: £23.50. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/st-agnes-fountain/
On our performers night The David Hall hands over its professional stage and outstanding acoustics to budding artists of all genres.
Petherton Arts Trust is trying this new evening as a way of encouraging more local performers of all genres to come and perform on a professional stage and to attract more people in the audience.
It’s a great evening full of extraordinary skill, talent and variety – and it doesn’t cost the earth – just £2 audience and £1 performers to cover the cost of heating and lighting the hall.
All types of performance welcome – The David Hall has had music, comedy, poetry, dance…. All have the opportunity to deliver for 10 – 15 minutes with full PA and lighting system.
So, if you’re a performer, then get in touch with Chris and book a spot
07715 501157
or
email xxxfolk AT chriswatts.org- without the xx’s
These evenings are becoming increasingly popular and there is a danger that we won’t be able to accommodate everyone.
Do please book ahead rather than, as previously, just turning up and expecting to get a spot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician. poet, juggler or …… well, any kind of performer basically. Just be entertaining !
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Suggested donation:
Just £1 for performers and £2 Audience.
Please pay on the door.
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/acoustic-night-2024-730pm-donations-only/2024-12-15/
Dance workshop for beginners 6-7pm
Main Dance 7-9.30pm
live acoustic houseband
all welcome, no experience necessary
tea and coffee available
free parking in town centre car parks
£4 at the door
6.00 - 9.30 pm
Contact Rainer: 07957 211879
rainer.wittlin AT outlook.com
balcrew.wixsite.com/balcrewkerne
Winter Wonderband are – Saul Rose on melodeon (Faustus, War Horse, Eliza Carthy) & Maclaine Colston on hammered dulcimer (Pressgang, Eliza Carthy) joined by Beth Porter (SpellSongs, Bookshop Band) on Cello and Jennifer Crook (Cythara, Broken Road) on harp and guitar.
With spellbinding vocal harmonies backed by this beautiful combination of instruments, they sing of wintery tales and festive times, both traditional and original.
Their debut album will be released ahead of this tour, in autumn 2024.
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£16.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/winter-wonderband-2/
Have yourself a Very Halsway Christmas! Come and start your Christmas celebrations at Halsway Manor, where we’ll be hosting our very first ‘Festive Festival’ in the run up to the big day.
Your host will be Gareth Kiddier, and joining him over the course of the weekend will be three bands who bring with them a veritable smörgåsbord of talent and a goodly heap of festive sparkle. Each group will be bringing their Christmas tour show to Halsway, one performance on every evening of your stay, as well as leading workshops with guests during the days.
Our Festive Festival bands are…
Friday evening
The Winter Wonderband are Saul Rose (Faustus, War Horse, Eliza Carthy) on melodeon & Maclaine Colston (Pressgang, Eliza Carthy) on hammered dulcimer, joined by Beth Porter (SpellSongs, Bookshop Band) on Cello and Jennifer Crook (Cythara, Broken Road) on harp and guitar. With spellbinding vocal harmonies backed by this beautiful combination of instruments, they sing of wintery tales and festive times, both traditional and original. Their debut album will be released ahead of this tour, in autumn 2024.
The Wonderband will be leading workshops on Saturday morning.
Saturday evening
Rosie Hood (vocals, tenor guitar, baritone ukulele, fiddle), Nicola Beazley (fiddle, 5-string fiddle, vocals), Rosie Butler-Hall (fiddle, 5-string fiddle, vocals) and Robyn Wallace (melodeon, percussion, vocals) are The Rosie Hood Band.
In November 2023, they released their first album, A Seed Of Gold, and they’ll be bringing us gems from this, alongside other delights, including some special festive treats.
Rosie, Nicola, Rosie and Robyn will be leading workshops on Sunday morning.
Sunday evening
Multi award-winning contemporary folk artists Jackie Oates and John Spiers meld together their shared love of English traditional folk tunes and songs with their fine voices and expertly played acoustic instruments. Their festive concerts are a beautiful and heart-warming antidote to the materiality that can be a feature of the Christmas season. The duo perform captivating traditional Christmas carols and tunes from England and beyond.
Jackie and John will be leading workshops on Sunday afternoon.
In addition to all that, we’ll be putting on our usual great meals, including a Christmas dinner, lighting the fires and encouraging you to enjoy yourselves! Bring your voices and instruments, and don’t forget your walking boots. Games and quizzes will be available as well, in case there’s even a single moment for some extra entertainment. More information about the workshops will be available soon, but we’re hoping to offer a little something for everyone – singing, harmony, instrumental ensembles, dance, maybe even some craft…
Who is it for?
Everyone who would like a short pre-Christmas break at Halsway Manor, complete with great gigs, interesting and entertaining workshops, and a break from the washing up!
If you’ve always fancied our Christmas House Party but like to be at home on the 25th, this is your chance to experience all the magic of a Halsway Christmas but still getting back in time to put out the carrot for Rudolph…
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/a-very-halsway-christmas/
Barn dance
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50 under 16 free
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30
Finish time: 9.30
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
Multi award-winning contemporary folk artists Jackie Oates and John Spiers meld together their shared love of English traditional folk tunes and songs with their fine voices and expertly played acoustic instruments. Audiences can look forward to a heart-warming evening celebrating the traditions of Christmas.
7.30
£16
https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk
Winter Wonderband are Saul Rose on melodeon (Faustus, War Horse, Eliza Carthy) & Maclaine Colston on hammered dulcimer (Pressgang, Eliza Carthy) joined by Beth Porter (SpellSongs, Bookshop Band) on Cello and Jennifer Crook (Cythara, Broken Road) on harp and guitar.
With spellbinding vocal harmonies backed by this beautiful combination of instruments, they sing of wintery tales and festive times, both traditional and original. Their debut album will be released ahead of this tour, in autumn 2024.
8pm–9:30pm
All tickets: £15
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-the-winter-wonderband/
A Horizon Folk Award nominee, Rosie Hood is known for her powerful, clear vocals and captivating performances combining poetic writing with honest interpretations of traditional English songs. In her ‘Classy’ (MOJO) 4-piece, Rosie is joined by fiddle-player Nicola Beazley, melodeon-player & percussionist Robyn Wallace and fiddle-player Rosie Butler-Hall.
The instrumentalists bring dynamic lift and drive, expanding Rosie’s vision to re-work traditional songs and bring unheard stories to life. ‘To me, the story is always the most important thing, that’s the ‘Seed Of Gold’ within a song’ explains Rosie. The band released their debut album, Seed of Gold, in November 2023.
8pm–9:30pm
All tickets: £15
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-the-rosie-hood-band/
Multi award-winning contemporary folk artists Jackie Oates and John Spiers meld together their shared love of English traditional folk tunes and songs with their fine voices and expertly played acoustic instruments. Audiences can look forward to a fresh, uplifting and poignant evening. Their festive concerts are a beautiful and heart-warming antidote to the materiality that can be a feature of the Christmas season. The duo perform captivating traditional Christmas carols and tunes from England and beyond.
Although followers of British folk music will be familiar with Jackie and John from their other high-calibre bands, this collaboration began quite innocently and spontaneously when the pair first started playing together for fun during guest spots at Nettlebed Folk Club in Henley-on-Thames. Recognising the potential, they began working together on material from their native county of Oxfordshire.
8pm–9:30pm
All tickets: £15
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-jackie-oates-john-spiers/
Celebrate the New Year in style – folk style that is! See out the Old Year and bring in the New with dancing, singing, music and games in the glorious setting of Halsway Manor.
With good food, good music and a packed programme of activities for musicians and dancers, plus with workshops and evening dances. There will be plenty of activities to keep you entertained, or room by the fire to relax with a good book. If the weather is fair, optional walks will be arranged, and you can expect playing sessions too; pack your walking boots and instruments.
Enjoy the Manor is its festive finery and see in the New Year with good company!
An enjoyable New Year break for anyone who wants to enjoys folk music and dancing, and a ‘Country House’ style New Year!
The team for 2024 will be led by Bridget Flett, with music provided by Rod & Francis Stradling as the house band. Rod and Frances have an energetic style, with a broad variety of repertoire that covers all styles of English and Scottish dancing and much more. Bridget will be assisted by Anne & Fritjof Koerber, Jane Thomas, and Beverley Tapper.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/new-year-house-party-2024/
The Crooked Furrow band have been around forever! Formed in the mid 1980s as a Wurzels tribute band, hence the name, the only remaining founding member is Mark the accordion player.
We eventually moved from Wurzels music to more mainstream and Irish Folk and noticed people dancing to some of the lovely Irish Folk tunes.
Current line up is accordion, fiddle/flute and caller, playing bass guitar and occasional banjo.
Tickets £17.50 Full. No concessions
8.30 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/new-years-eve-celebration-ceilidh/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30pm
Finish time: 9.30pm
Contact Sally Condon: 0i300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
This year High Grange brings its sell-out Burns night to the Marine Theatre, and this time there's a Celidh! The annual Scottish knees-up is a great excuse to dance away the January blues. Enjoy a fantastic Scottish haggis feast provided by Edinburgh-born Sara and Luke from High Grange Devon (bringing their award-winning Feast and BBQ Fire School experience) followed by a traditional Cèilidh (Scottish dance).
On the birthday of Scotland’s national poet Rabbie Burns, Burns Night is an opportunity to have a kilt-raising, whiskey-filled good time in celebration. Even if you’re not in the big guy’s motherland for the day, join us for plenty of food, booze and partying.
Whether you choose to come along to both the Supper and the Ceildih, or just turn up to dance at the Ceilidh this promises to be fantastic evening.
THE SUPPER
High Grange is an award-winning BBQ Feast and Fire School venue nestled in its own woodland in the Blackdown Hills, but this time they are bringing their barbecues to the Marine Theatre! As with every year at their sold-out Burns Feasts, High Grange will offer fire-pit canapes while guests gather and listen to the sound of the bagpipes from piper Ben, before being seated at the communal tables for Luke’s home-made haggis, with neeps and tatties of course, and finishing with a lovely Cranachan pudding. Everything is cooked outside over fire. Sara is a Scot and we do this the traditional way – with the haggis piped in before the Ode To A Haggis and a whisky toast!
We will also be making a vegetarian haggis. Please note if you are a vegetarian when booking. We sadly cannot cater for other dietary requirements at this event.
THE CEILIDH
Céilidh is derived from the Gaelic word to visit, and is linked with a time when house parties would host guests with entertainment ranging from telling stories and singing songs based on local folklore.
Over time the céilidh evolved into a structured step dance which requires a caller to shout out actions.
What to expect on Burns Night…… Rejig (the band) will be calling dances throughout the evening so even if you’ve never done Scottish Country Dancing before you’ll be instructed how! Sara has asked for all the traditional ones – the Gay Gordons, Strip the Willow, Reel of the 51st and the Eightsome Reel, Dashing White Sergeant and many more all of which are easy to pick up. Rejig will also be singing some well known Burns songs in between….. you will be needing your dancing shoes for sure.
Rejig are a Devon-based 5 piece band playing an exciting blend of Scottish, Irish and self penned tunes, they have extensive experience of Burns Night ceilidhs and are a continuum of the long lived band, Jiggerypipery, “we realised after legendary piper James Robertson retired that there was still a place for the big sound we had, particularly at special occasions”…like Burns Night!
Piper Ben Scott is also Edinburgh-born. He’s an award-winning solo piper and also in a number of Pipe Bands including the prestigious National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. He has performed in many venues and at many Burns nights, and has travelled the world playing the bagpipes to audiences all over Europe and America.
THE EVENING’S PROGRAMME
7pm – Diners arrive, with fire-pit canapes served to the sounds of the bagpipes!
7.45pm – Diners will be seated at communal tables before the haggis is piped on and the Burns Supper is served.
9pm – Ceilidh guests arrive for a ceilidh led by renowned Burns night aficionados Rejiig, with a caller to lead everyone through the most popular Scottish dances.
Those who have tickets for both the supper and the céilidh will need to arrive at 7 p.m.
Those who have ticket for the céilidh alone will need to arrive at 9 p.m.
High Grange Website – www.highgrangedevon.com
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 7:00 P.M.
Advance: supper & céilidh £46.00
Advance: céilidh £16.00
On the door: céilidh £19.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/burns-night/
The Mumford & Sons Story recreates the incredible tale of the floor-stomping folk-rock band that in 2009, took the world by storm.
Four musicians come together in tweed waistcoats, skinny jeans and bushy beards to celebrate the best of Mumford & Sons’ iconic music and their explosive rise to fame.
£28.50
7.30 pm
Phone: 01823 283244
boxoffice AT tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/awake-my-soul-the-mumford-and-sons-story/
One of Scotland 's premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable. Over the years the Tannies have been international trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes.
In 2018 they released their 18th recording, Òrach (“Golden” in Gaelic) to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and in 2019 they were nominated for Folk Band of the Year and Album of the Year in Scotland. In 2021 they have been joined by exciting piper and fiddle player Iain MacGillivray, who is also Scotland’s youngest Clan leader. Iain, a fluent Gaelic speaker, has worked on such exciting productions as Outlander and Men in Kilts, and has performed for a huge list of stars and dignitaries in recent years.
s they head back out on the road they are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage – from reflective ballads to foot-stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £15.00
On the door £19.00
10% off for members
https://www.marinetheatre.com/the-tannahill-weavers/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
On instruments from Guitar to Nyckelharpa, Violin to Cittern, Griselda and Louis bring tunes from all parts of Europe and beyond, as well as original songs.
£15
7.30 pm
Contact Colin Bowen: 01963 240282
bowencolin AT hotmail.com
hvh.chessck.co.uk
Barn dance
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50 under 16 free
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30
Finish time: 9.30
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
Duos come and duos go, and some nurture and fine tune their art and watch it grow into something totally original and captivating.
For over a quarter of a century, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman’s partnership has proved personal, permanent and pivotal.
From their early days in folk supergroup “Equation” through to their new album, Almost A Sunset, this multi award-winning musical couple continue to exude timeless class with their exquisite brand of traditional and contemporary acoustic music.
£22.00
7.30 pm
Phone: 01823 283244
boxoffice AT tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/kathryn-roberts-sean-lakeman/
Duos come and duos go, and some nurture and fine tune their art and watch it grow into something totally original and captivating.
For over a quarter of a century Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman’s partnership has proved personal, permanent and pivotal.
From their early days in folk supergroup ‘Equation ‘ through to their new album, Almost A Sunset, this multi award-winning musical couple continue to exude timeless class with their exquisite brand of traditional and contemporary acoustic music.
2024 sees them release ’The Collection’. 18 of their most loved songs compiled into one seamless album.
BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Duo – 2016 & 2013
www.kathrynrobertsandseanlakeman.com
www.facebook.com/kathrynrobertsandseanlakeman
https://x.com/kathryn_sean
www.soundcloud.com/kathryn-roberts
www.youtube.com/user/KathrynSean
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £20.00
Advance: £19.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/kathryn-roberts-sean-lakeman-4/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Virtuoso players of Classical Guitar and Violin, Dom and Oscar bring us a wide variety of repertoire from different genres.
£15
7.30 pm
Contact Colin Hugh Bowen: 01963 240282
bowencolin AT hotmail.com
hvh.chessck.co.uk
Spiers & Boden first rocketed onto the music scene in 2001, quickly winning a clutch of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and going on to form and front the extraordinarily successful folk big band Bellowhead, which sold out The Royal Albert Hall several times, provides the theme tune for Radio 4’s The Archers and were recently heard on the soundtrack of BBC 1’s ‘Beyond Paradise’.
The much-loved duo reformed in 2021 after a seven-year hiatus, arriving with a brand new album ‘Fallow Ground’ which went on to reach number 3 in September ‘21’s Official Folk Albums Chart and was a Mojo magazine top 10 folk album of 2021.
7.30 pm
£ 7.00 - £ 23.00
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/spiers-boden/
The new record from this reunited pair of uber-experienced folk musicians, came out in November 2023. Kith and Kin (the title a nod towards their own enduring friendship and expanding families) is a collection of the favourite tunes and songs from their ‘perfectly balanced’ live set. With the timeless combination of fiddle and box, James and Saul have been making music together for a long time now and re-launch their live act after time focusing energies on their young families. Born out of friendship, the duo intertwine seamlessly; dancing around the tunes between the notes, finding space and air breathing life into the music they create together.
James Delarre (Fiddle)
A veteran and founding member of the critically acclaimed Topette!!, Mawkin, and Mawkin:Causley, James Delarre has established himself as a stalwart of the English traditional music scene. As a fiddle player he is in high demand and has worked with some of the country’s top musicians and groups including, Eliza Carthy, Bombay Bicycle Club, Jim Moray, Jim Causley, Saul Rose, appearances with Bellowhead and Jools Holland as well as work as a musician on Tv and film. His filmography includes Peaky Blinders, Far from the Madding Crowd, Tulip Fever and My Cousin Rachel, to name but a few.
Saul Rose (Vocals & Melodeon)
Saul Rose is a renowned English folk melodeon player and singer. A long-time member of Waterson:Carthy, winning two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards with ‘Broken Ground’ and forming a duo with Eliza Carthy. Double album ‘Red Rice’ was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1998. Saul played on numerous albums, including Jackie Oates’ ‘Hyperboreans’, Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy’s album ‘The Gift’ and soundtracks for the films ‘Morris – A Life With Bells On’ and ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’. Nominated for the Musician of The Year award in the 2010 BBC Folk Awards, during 2011 he took the part of Songman in West End play War Horse. Now part of band Whapweasel and a duo with Maclaine Colsten, Saul was also a member of Faustus and a founder member of Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band.
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/jamesdelarresaulrose
Bandcamp: https://saulrosejamesdelarre.bandcamp.com/album/cabin-fever
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLhV24riYLs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesDelarreAndSaulRose
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £17.00
Advance: £15.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/james-delarre-saul-rose/
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30pm
Finish time: 9.30pm
Contact Sally Condon: 0i300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
To round off our season, Martin Clarke and Will Allen, two outstanding young folk musicians on Fiddles and Melodeon, maybe a bit of banjo…
£15
7.30 pm
Contact Colin Hugh Bowen: 01963 240282
bowencolin AT hotmail.com
hvh.chessck.co.uk
Legends of Irish music & song, The FUREYS are renowned for their hit songs ‘I will love you’, ‘When you were sweet 16’, ‘The Green fields of France’, ‘The old man’, ‘Red rose café’, ‘From Clare to here’, ‘Her father didn’t like me anyway’, ‘Leaving Nancy’, ‘Steal away’ etc
The oldest of the brothers, Eddie Furey left home in 1966 and travelled to Scotland at the time of the great folk revival where with his brother Finbar, he met and shared accommodation with then unknown folk singers Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty, Tam Harvey and Alex Campbell.
In 1972, Gerry Rafferty wrote ‘Her father didn’t like me anyway’ for Eddie. BBC Radio 1 presenter, the late John Peel made it his single of the year.
They are particularly proud of their UK chart success with songs such as I Will Love You and When You Were Sweet Sixteen, which in turn helped bring Irish folk and traditional music to a completely new audience. The band made their Top of the Pops debut in 1981.
Eddie Furey recalls how “many musicians have told us we influenced them after hearing a record from their parents or grandparents’ collection”. Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics has credited Eddie with teaching him his first chords on the guitar while still a teenager. Eddie would return the compliment by joining Dave on stage in Paris for a jam during the latter’s wedding to Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey.
Their emotive songs stir many emotions, tears and laughter, sadness and joy.
Tickets: £25
https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/the-fureys-2025/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
A radically fresh, boundary-pushing take on traditional songs.
Anglo/Irish folk band The Haar brings the formidable singing talent of All-Ireland Scór na nÓg winner Molly Donnery combined with three of the most exciting instrumentalists on the folk and traditional music scene in Cormàc Byrne (Show of Hands/Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes, and Murray Grainger (both of the FATEA award-winning The Ciderhouse Rebellion).
Known for taking a familiar tune and turning it into something breathtakingly fresh and ambitious, this band of high level improvisers produce ever-changing musical soundscapes, while Molly lets her sublime vocals flow to stunning effect.
Latest album ‘Where Old Ghosts Meet’ received multiple rave reviews and has paved the way for outstanding festival appearances at Shrewsbury, Beardy Folk, and at other prestigious stages during their successful UK tours.
Expect a magical evening of stunning, made-in-the-moment renditions of some of the world’s most incredible songs.
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£16.00 Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/the-haar/
The hall is on the left when travelling north. The only street light along the main road is on the hall. Roadside parking.
All are welcome, no experience necessary. We enjoy an evening with live music and a caller who will guide you through all the dances. You don't need to bring a partner. No refreshments other than water provided, feel free to bring your own.
Do come along have some fun and laughter.
£7.50
Start time: 7.15 for 7.30pm
Finish time: 9.30pm
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
The Magpie Arc is a cross-border band featuring acclaimed musicians Nancy Kerr, Findlay Napier, Tom Wright, Alex Hunter, and UK folk legend Martin Simpson on electric guitar.
Formed to blend their songwriting and musicianship into a fresh take on the British folk/rock sound of the ’60s and ’70s, the band quickly gained recognition for its unique mix of folk, rock, country, and prog-rock elements.
Their debut album, Glamour In The Grey (2022), spent 12 months on the UK Official Folk Chart, debuting at number 9 and Mojo magazine compared it to Fairport Convention’s ground-breaking 1969 release, calling it “Liege and Lief-affirming” with “an elemental racket.”
Expect excellent songs, lush harmonies, scything electric guitars, gorgeous fiddle lines and rock solid bass and drums.
www.themagpiearc.com
www.facebook.com/TheMagpieArc/
X (formerly known as you know what) – AT themagpiearc
Instagram – AT themagpiearc
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £22.00
Advance: £20.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/an-evening-with-the-magpie-arc/
Direct from the West End and riding high on the success of world tours, Seven Drunken Nights – The Story of the Dubliners brings the ultimate feel-good Irish show to a theatre near you.
In partnership with Tourism Ireland and in association with legendary Irish pub O’Donoghues, we invite you to join a talented cast of seasoned musicians dedicated to bringing the music of this iconic group back to life.
Steeped in song, story and revelry, this spectacular tale celebrates The Dubliners, Ireland’s favourite musical sons in authentic style. This critically-acclaimed production spans half a century, invoking the spirit of Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, John Sheahan, Ciaran Bourke and Jim McCann.
Come join us for an unforgettable night out and see why lifelong Dubliner devotees and new fans alike are singing high praise for this amazing production direct from the West End.
£30.50
7.30 pm
Phone: 01823 283244
boxoffice AT tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/events/seven-drunken-nights/
Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening
A 'Micro' Barn Dance evening. Usual easy and fun dances, friendly atmosphere, but no bar. BYO if you wish. No need to come with a partner.
£7.50
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Singer and guitarist, Jack Badcock is a hugely experienced performer, having toured throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, predominantly as frontman and founding member of his multi-award winning, internationally renowned world-folk band ‘Dallahan’. He is a critically acclaimed solo artist and has also performed or recorded with Rura, Siobhan Miller, Adam Holmes, Dougie MacLean and The Royal Scottish National Orchestra among many others and was a finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award. His career has seen him perform at some of the world’s most prestigious folk music events including Tønder Festival (DK), Festival Ortigueira (ES), Celtic Connections, (SCO) Woodford Folk Festival (AUS), Milwaukee Irish Fest (USA), Festival Dranouter (BE) and countless others.
Raised in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland and later Yorkshire, England, before moving to Scotland as a teenager, Jack has a split national identity shared between the three countries. At eighteen, in Edinburgh, he formed a partnership with multi-instrumentalist Ciaran Ryan, touring the UK, Germany and Denmark. The duo would go on to form Dallahan in 2013, which rapidly became one of Scotland’s busiest international folk bands. To date the band have recorded four critically acclaimed albums, earned several awards and many nominations and toured extensively on four continents.
Having previously sung mostly original interpretations of traditional songs, In 2020, Jack began writing original songs, initially incorporating them into Dallahan’s music before beginning to write and release solo recordings. In 2021, Jack released his debut solo EP, The Driftwood Project. Funded by Creative Scotland, the EP was drip-released throughout the year and showcased a plethora of musical influences and outlooks, featuring a large lineup of some of Scotland’s most accomplished instrumentalists from the jazz, classical and folk worlds. It was nominated for Original Work of the Year (Sponsored by PRS) at the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards 2021. He was then invited to write, arrange and perform the prestigious New Voices commission at Celtic Connections 2022 with a show of all-new original material with a six-piece band.
Jack Badcock is a singer whose solo material reveals an astute songcraft exploring enormously wide ranging subjects delivered with a musical sensitivity clearly influenced by American folk, funk and soul music as much as the traditional music of Britain and Ireland and all served with a healthy dose of storytelling and humour.
Website: www.jackbadcock.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JackBadcockMusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/JackBadcockMusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZEC5eIFq5kRQGFTRj5S1t?si=XoIbJUFMS2ainPcFRkBJqg
Youtube: www.youtube.com/JackBadcockMusic
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £15.00
Advance: £13.00
Note: A 5% booking fee will be added to all bookings
https://chapelarts.org/events/jack-badcock-dallahan/