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.
Songs and music with:
Saul Rose( Melodeon) (Faustus, Eliza Carthy Trio. The Transports).
Maclaine Colston (Hammered Dulcimers) (Kings of Callicutt)
Beth Porter (Cello and recorders) (Spell Songs.The Wayward band)
Jennifer Crook (Harp and Guitars)
Please note: Ticket numbers limited. Advanced booking essential.
£12
Doors 7.00 for 7.30pm start
Contact Meg Rose: 07877 206124
Meg.rose AT btinternet.com
December is Ridgeway time, and once again The Ridgeway Singers & Band invite you to join them for an evening of Dorset carols, folksongs, toe-tapping dance tunes, and local poems and stories to welcome and celebrate the coming of midwinter and the festive season.
Formed ten years ago by Artsreach as part of the South Dorset Ridgeway project, the group specialises in performing the old gallery carols made famous by Thomas Hardy in Under the Greenwood Tree. The singers are accompanied by 9 musicians playing stringed and woodwind instruments, and the concerts evoke the fun, friendship and excitement of old-fashioned country Christmases when the entertainment was local and home-made.
The group is led by renowned serpent player and member of the Mellstock Band Phil Humphries, and actor and folk musician Tim Laycock, who is also the artistic director of the New Hardy Players.
Tickets via www.ridgewaysingersandband.org or call 01305 262159
Adults £12, Under 18s £6
4.00 - 6.00 pm
Contact Debs Coombes: 07710 461647
debscoombes AT outlook.com
www.ridgewaysingersandband.org
Stanchester Quire, with their conductor Eddie Upton, are making a welcome return to the lovely St. Mary's Church, Thorncombe, as part of their December Christmas tour for what promises to be a magical afternoon of choral music.
The quire specialises in singing carols from the 19th Century which used to be sung in and around the villages in the South West, interspersed with seasonal readings.
Tea, coffee and cakes will be available during the interval.
There is a toilet on site.
This is a Pay What You Feel event so donations gratefully received on the day.
For any information and to give an idea of audience numbers for refreshments, please contact Olive on the phone number below.
Donation/Pay What You Feel
3pm - 5pm
Contact Olive Mitchell : 01460 30539
mitchellguitars AT gmail.com
https://www.stanchesterquire.org/about_us
The winter season whilst often cold can be thawed by heart-lifting music that includes polyphonic, unaccompanied carols from Yorkshire and beyond, and tunes that make you want to dance. Throw into the mix a few irreverent songs about pheasants and other seasonal fair, and you’ve got a show that’ll thaw your icicles and warm your inglenooks. Performing on fiddles, viola, hammer dulcimer, diatonic accordion, hurdy gurdy and more, expect the unexpected from Fi Fraser, Sarah Matthews and Doug Eunson. Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s touring arts charity.
4:00pm
01929 450587
£12, £5 u18s, £30 family.
www.artsreach.co.uk
Join Narthen’s Fi Fraser, Sarah Matthews and Doug Eunson for a vocal harmony singing workshop, exploring polyphonic carols from Yorkshire and beyond. Similar in style to the West Gallery tradition which was popular across Dorset, learn alternative versions of carols including ‘While Shepherds Watched their Flocks’ plus some Narthen originals.
2pm-3pm
£5
www.artsreach.co.uk
Due to the success of last years course we are delighted to welcome back Laurel Swift and Matt Norman for a feast of festive fun! Singers and musicians are invited to join us for a cheer-filled week of seasonal folkiness.
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
Write a brand new carol
An introduction to Dartmoor step dancing and playing for dancing
Optional walks in the beautiful Quantock Hills, weather permitting
We hope to see you there and will get mulling the cider!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/festive-music-retreat-2023/
The early 1970s would prove to be the start of a vintage period for music and the beginning of an era that would change the world. For Steeleye Span – as the previous decade had drawn to a close – it would see them established as a major creative force. By the end of 1971 they had not only released their classic debut Hark The Village Wait but two follow ups – Please To See The King and Ten Man Mop – launching one of the most enduring stories in the folk world and beyond. Five decades on and the band, led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior and with a Six piece line-up featuring some of the most skilled musicians on the UK music scene, celebrate fifty years of these famous albums, playing key tracks from all three as well as favourites and gems from their long and glittering career.
£31.50 & £27.50 + BOOKING FEE
7:30 pm
https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/steeleye-span/
Annual concert, this year featuring a local to Weymouth mumming play
Start time: 7.30pm
Contact David Milner: 07393 730782
davmilner AT gmail.com
Jeroka will be providing the music and Simon Maplesden will be calling.
It's £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake, all welcome and it is a lot of fun!
Further details from Elaine on 01460 65909
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.
7:30 P.M.
Free entry - no tickets
https://www.marinetheatre.com/the-shanty-sessions-25/
Join the New Hardy Players for a feast of traditional seasonal entertainment in the evocative surroundings of Dorchester’s iconic Shire Hall Museum.
Local and well-known Christmas carols, midwinter poetry from Thomas Hardy and William Barnes, dramatic scenes from the 'Mayor of Casterbridge' and 'Under the Greenwood Tree', plus a Christmas Mummers play.
Doors open at 6:30pm, with a bar available to purchase refreshments, before the performance begins at 7:30pm. There will be an interval for this performance.
Tickets are £15, for more information and to book please visit our website. Proceeds to Dorchester Poverty in Action
Please note: The performance is taking place in the historic courtroom at Shire Hall Museum. The seating is all wooden benches, so we recommend bringing a cushion to sit on.
£15
Start time: 7.30pm, doors and bar from 6.30pm
Phone: 01305 261849
We’re delighted to welcome Narthen back to Halsway for a joyous fifth weekend of polyphonic unaccompanied singing in four part harmony, with a tutor to lead each section of the choir.
The weekend will explore some of the beautiful Yorkshire and Derbyshire carols and other festive fair, for which Narthen are so well known. Whilst this will set you up with some fantastic singing material for the festive season, it won’t all be about Christmas; there will be other songs and carols too!
Whether you like to sing bass, alto, tenor or soprano or move around between those you’re welcome. You don’t need to read music but music will be provided.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/narthen-carolling-and-beyond-2023/
The concert everyone will want to attend so book early!
The streamlined acoustic line up of MERRY HELL comes to Blandford again. They packed out the Corn Exchange last year with their full line up, and this is a smaller venue with a lower seating limit. Do not miss the them, book now!!
£20
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 07590 411515
kd.79 AT live.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
Barn Dance
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 under 16s free
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
Winners of Best Album at the 2023 Wales Folk Awards, Dorset’s touring arts charity Artsreach is delighted to welcome Welsh Chamberfolk Trio VRï to Dorset this December for two special concerts.
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.
The trio's 2019 debut album Ty Ein Tadau (House of Our Fathers) received a 5* review in Songlines magazine and numerous awards nominations. VRï’s second album Islais a genir (A Sung Whisper) saw them crowned Winners of Best Album at Wales Folk Awards 2023.
7.30 pm
Tickets and further information are available online at www.artsreach.co.uk
Join the New Hardy Players for a feast of traditional seasonal entertainment in the evocative surroundings of Dorchester’s iconic Shire Hall Museum.
Local and well-known Christmas carols, midwinter poetry from Thomas Hardy and William Barnes, dramatic scenes from the 'Mayor of Casterbridge' and 'Under the Greenwood Tree', plus a Christmas Mummers play.
Doors open at 6:30pm, with a bar available to purchase refreshments, before the performance begins at 7:30pm. There will be an interval for this performance.
Tickets are £15, for more information and to book please visit our website. Proceeds to Dorchester Poverty in Action
Please note: The performance is taking place in the historic courtroom at Shire Hall Museum. The seating is all wooden benches, so we recommend bringing a cushion to sit on.
£15
Start time: 7.30pm, doors and bar from 6.30pm
Phone: 01305 261849
The Harry's do not perform locally very often and a number of people were unable to get tickets when the sang at the church in March. This concert in the Barn will be a mix of beautifully arranged songs of the sea which are rarely performed with rich harmonies and some rousing shanties.
8.00pm
£10
Tickets available from ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club
Multi-award winning Merry Hell offer joyful, uplifting Folk-Rock, with a message for troubled times. Native to the North-West of England, the 8-piece musical charabanc was built from the embers of the much loved Folk-Punk band The Tansads, developing a life and feel all of its own. Their energy and passion is complimented by their love of what they do and desire to share hope and togetherness with as many people as are willing to listen. Through six well-received albums and hundreds of gigs, they’ve offered voices of hope and beacons of light to anyone valuing both melody and positive humanity.
www.merryhell.co.uk
8.00 pm
Tickets: £20 Full. £19 Concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/merry-hell-a-chance-to-dance-event/
Narthen are Jo Freya, Fi Fraser, Sarah Matthews and Doug Eunson. Join us for a festive evening at Halsway Manor. Narthen will be in the house and are set to entertain you with a veritable smörgåsbord of musical delights.
The term ‘Narthen’ is akin to ‘Now then’, ‘what gives’, ‘what’s happening now?’. Narthen sing and play the songs and tunes that reflect their individual personalities and tastes. From the tradition through to modern times, anything goes, and that material is expressed through vocal harmony and a large variety of instruments. All sing, all play and the instruments include Soprano sax, clarinet, whistles, fiddles, viola, hammer dulcimer, tenor guitar, diatonic accordion and hurdy gurdy. Expect the unexpected!!!
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-narthen-2/
Winners of Best Album at the 2023 Wales Folk Awards, Dorset’s touring arts charity Artsreach is delighted to welcome Welsh Chamberfolk Trio VRï to Dorset this December for two special concerts.
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.
The trio's 2019 debut album Ty Ein Tadau (House of Our Fathers) received a 5* review in Songlines magazine and numerous awards nominations. VRï’s second album Islais a genir (A Sung Whisper) saw them crowned Winners of Best Album at Wales Folk Awards 2023.
7.30 pm
Tickets and further information are available online at www.artsreach.co.uk
French and Breton dancing.
Dance workshop for beginners from 6 – 7pm, followed by the main dance. Live acoustic house band.
£4 admission, pay at the door. Tea and coffee provided.
Free parking in the town centre car parks.
6.00 - 10.00 pm
rainer.wittlin AT outlook.com
https://balcrew.wixsite.com/balcrewkerne
Christmas, as they say, starts with St. Agnes Fountain. 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 to concentrate on solo pursuits and whilst his presence will be missed, Chris, Chris and Julie will be keeping the Christmas Aggie spirit alive and touring as a trio celebrating 22 years together with a tour of new material and those old Aggie classics.
‘The Aggie’s’ latest album, Night Of A Million Stars was released in time for the December 2021 tour with 9 brand new songs from the band.
Although the albums accompany the putting up of a thousand Christmas trees throughout Britain and around the globe as their reputation reaches further afield, it is, without question, their magical live performances that have endeared them to an ever-growing audience (tickets were again being sold for this year’s tour as the curtain fell last year).
8.00 pm
Tickets: £22. No concessions
whileandmatthews.com chrislesliemusic.com
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/st-agnes-fountain-chris-leslie-chris-while-julie-matthews/
Lovely micropub very supportive of community events hosts a mumming play.
Time very approximate
Free, donation would be nice
8.15 pm
Contact David Milner: 07393 730782
davmilner AT gmail.com
Lovely small pub supportive of community events hosts a mumming play.
Time very approximate
Free, donation would be nice
7.30 pm
Contact David Milner: 07393 730782
davmilner AT gmail.com
A return to Athelhampton House for a festive evening of words and music from and about Dorset, performed in the stunning Christmassy-lit Tudor Great Hall. This year you can dine with us before the performance by booking our great value supper.
Local actor and folk singer Alastair Simpson is joined by his mentor, esteemed and respected singer and folk musician Tim Laycock, for an evening full of festive cheer, including humorous stories read and acted, traditional songs and carols to be sung along to, poems recited, and folk tunes to tap your foot to. Last year’s performance by these energetic and knowledgeable entertainers was a packed house, and we look forward to it being so again this time. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Athelhampton's Coach House will open for pre-booked supper at 6pm. See the ticket link for the menu.
The performance is approximately 2 hours, with a short interval.
£15/£20
Start time: 7.30pm, doors from 7pm.
Phone: 01305 848363
https://www.athelhampton.com/events-1/welcome-or-welcome-not-tuesday-19th-december-2023
Lovely village pub hosts a mumming play in the bar and then in the folk club that meets in a back bar. Times approximate
Free, donation would be nice
7.30 pm
Contact David Milner: 07393 730782
davmilner AT gmail.com
December is Ridgeway time, and once again The Ridgeway Singers & Band invite you to join them for an evening of Dorset carols, folksongs, toe-tapping dance tunes, and local poems and stories to welcome and celebrate the coming of midwinter and the festive season.
Formed ten years ago by Artsreach as part of the South Dorset Ridgeway project, the group specialises in performing the old gallery carols made famous by Thomas Hardy in Under the Greenwood Tree. The singers are accompanied by 9 musicians playing stringed and woodwind instruments, and the concerts evoke the fun, friendship and excitement of old-fashioned country Christmases when the entertainment was local and home-made.
The group is led by renowned serpent player and member of the Mellstock Band Phil Humphries, and actor and folk musician Tim Laycock, who is also the artistic director of the New Hardy Players.
Tickets via www.ridgewaysingersandband.org or call 01305 262159
Book early for Dorford which tends to sell out
Adults £12, Under 18s £6
7.30pm
Contact Debs Coombes: 07710461647
debscoombes AT outlook.com
www.ridgewaysingersandband.org
A dinner-dance, folk style! Enjoy a delicious home-cooked supper at 6pm followed by light-hearted country dancing. All welcome, including those new to country dance. With live music from musicians Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer and guest callers TBC.
Join the party in the cosy Halsway Manor, National Centre for Folk Arts and enjoy a folk themed celebration. All are welcome, for food, folk-dancing and festive fun!
You can even stay the night at the Manor and enjoy breakfast and a light lunch before you depart the following day.
6pm–11pm
£25 - Dinner and Dancing
£75 - Dinner, dancing and bed and breakfast
£83 - as above PLUS lunch on Sat 23 Dec
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/christmas-dinner-and-dance/
£12
8.00 pm
Tickets available from ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club
Heart-warming Christmas special with the Bristol Folk Singers.
https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk
Is it that time already!? Come and enjoy the Christmas celebrations at Halsway Manor! We’ll be cooking-up a fine feast of festive delights with plenty to keep you entertained.
As well as a lot of dancing, singing, playing, we have elves in the grotto and puzzles in the bar. There will be opportunities for learning new Morris dance skills, French couple dancing, with many lovely performances in the bar and jig dolls reunited. All this plus the wonderful food and drink throughout.
The team this time will be Ivan Aitken as our dance caller and teacher and the fabulous Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer as the band and leaders of the singing and instrument workshops. Gareth Kiddier will host the event, and play in the band. As ever, we love to include your skills and talents if you so wish, especially in the bar sessions in the evening.
So expect enjoyable and varied folk activities – music, dancing, singing, quizzes, crafts, informal performances (bring your party-piece!) and general merry-making. Plus great food, roaring log fires and convivial company. Bring your instruments, dancing shoes, and walking boots too if you fancy a stroll, and prepare for a very Merry folk Christmas!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/christmas-house-party-5/
Traditional Mummers Celebration
Our Award winning Community Pub are delighted to share this seasonal news.
Any funds raised will go direct to supporting our Community Project, Shop, Cafe & Pub.
Free Event, collection for Project running costs
12.00 noon - 12:45
Contact Tim Slattery: 01823 490528
mrtjslattery AT gmail.com
Chris Toyne will be providing the music and the caller for the evening is yet to be confirmed.
It's £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake, all welcome and it is a lot of fun!
Further details from Elaine on 01460 65909
Celebrate the New Year in style – folk style that is! Join us for an enjoyable Hogmanay break with a great team at the helm.
With good food, good music and a return to social dancing, with workshops and evening dances as a part of the programme. Plus plenty of other activities to keep you entertained. With optional walks and playing sessions; pack your walking boots and instruments.
Enjoy the Manor is its festive finery and see-in the New Year with great music and good company!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/new-year-house-party/
Bring in 2024 with fun and dance at The David Hall.
A light supper will be provided.
8.00 pm
Tickets £16 Full. No concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/new-years-eve-celebration-ceilidh/
Join us for the GreenMatthews Midwinter Getaway – a relaxing weekend of fun and festivities in the sumptuous surroundings of Halsway Manor with hosts Chris Green and Sophie Matthews.
GreenMatthews are well-known for their touring Christmas shows such as A Brief History of Christmas, A Christmas Carol and Midwinter Revels. On Saturday night there will be a performance of their new show Witty Ditties.
This weekend holiday is an opportunity to get up close and personal with Chris and Sophie and enjoy a weekend of music and merrymaking.
The Midwinter Getaway is very much about fun and relaxation, rather than Halsway’s usual intensive workshop-type weekends. With good food and good company, the house is the perfect place to gather with old friends and meet new ones. Free time will be an important part of the weekend, giving you the opportunity to explore the surrounding area or simply relax by the log fire with a glass of something warming.
If you play an instrument (to any level) then please do bring it along. If you don’t play, bring a voice, and if you’re not comfortable with either, please bring an appreciative pair of ears or a pair of dancing feet. There’ll be feasting, drinking, carolling and storytelling as well as a wintry walk across the beautiful Quantock Hills (the oldest area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK).
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/greenmatthews-midwinter-getaway-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
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Twelfth Night Celebrations
A Celebration for the New Year, with words and music with Peace in Mind. An annual event in support of Bridport Millennium Green. Price includes glass of wine and mince pie. Raffle.
£10, £8 members
7.30pm
Contact sue wilkinson: 01308 425037
sue.traidcraft AT btinternet.com
www.bridportmillenniumgreen.co.uk
Witty Ditties – 400 years of Comic Song
Following on from their acclaimed show A Brief History of Music, this year GreenMatthews bring you a new show which explores our rich history of witty wordplay and melodic mirth.
Chris Green (piano, guitar, accordion) and Sophie Matthews (early woodwinds, flute, saxophone) bring you four centuries of chromatic comedy, ranging from bawdy restoration ballads to stinging Sixties satire via Victorian music hall variety. Featuring songs by Noel Coward, Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann and a host of lesser-known songwriters, this fun and fast-moving revue will have you rolling in the aisles!
8pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-greenmatthews-witty-ditties/
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.
Free to attend – donations welcome.
8.00 pm
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/sunday-club-2/2024-01-07/
Once again we’re opening our doors to professional folk artists* at all stages of their careers wanting a place to write, rehearse, recharge, relax, and be creative. We’re offering full board – accommodation and all meals – from dinner on Monday evening until breakfast on Friday. You’ll be here alongside other artists so if you’re someone who likes to share ideas, experiences, advice and support, then this could be right up your street.
Booking is by application. we are limiting this opportunity to around 20-25 artists, and we’ll be asking for a financial contribution towards your place (subsidised by Halsway Manor).
Halsway Manor, set in beautiful West Somerset has a variety of resources, including the biggest folk library collection outside of London, large and small rehearsal spaces, and a lovely wood panelled bar (with log fire, naturally). There’s direct footpath access from the Manor onto the Quantock Hills, the coast is 5 minutes’ drive away, and there are views to Exmoor from our door. Nearest mainline station is Taunton, from which there’s a regular bus service stopping an easy 5 minute walk from our door.
*By ‘Professional folk artists’ we mean artists – musicians / singers / writers / dancers / theatre-makers etc – who use traditional material either directly or indirectly to inform their paid work. Applications from students / early-stage career artists are as welcome as those from established artists. Previous applicants and attendees are welcome to apply again.
Applications for Halsway Manor’s Open House in 2024 will open in September – check the Halsway website
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-manor-open-house-2024/
Delve into the wonderful world of klezmer with Susi Evans, Szilvia Csaranko, Indra Buraczewska and Johannes Paul Gräßer at the helm to inspire you to explore this celebratory, soulful and melodic music from nineteenth century Jewish Eastern Europe.
Learn some great tunes and gain knowledge of the modes, ornamentation, rhythms and accompaniment that give klezmer its unique flavour. Play in an orchestra led by four of Europe’s top klezmer specialists, join a small ensemble where you can develop your arrangement skills and learn tips and tricks on your instrument to play in a klezmer style. There will also be an informal tutors’ concert and plenty of opportunity for jamming in the bar!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-klezmer-weekend/
Kitty Macfarlane is a songwriter and guitarist from Somerset, whose music is rich with visual imagery and written with an eco-eye. Her trademark lies in remarkably mature song-writing, a marked empathy with the environment and a strong sense of place. Carried by a clear voice ‘controlled yet wild’ (Folk Radio), her lyrics touch on intervention and rewilding, climate change and migration, woman’s age-old relationship with textiles and the land, and the changing face of the natural world.
From the starling murmurations on the Somerset Levels to the lowly eel’s epic transatlantic migration, the coasts and estuaries of the South West and the small part we ourselves play in a much bigger picture, her songs are bound by the underlying theme of mankind’s relationship with the wild. Cerebral and topical, honest and immediate, these are not throwaway lyrics or everyday melodies but thought-provoking and evocative compositions with wonderfully crafted soundscapes.
Her debut album Namer Of Clouds was one of The Guardian’s Best Folk Albums of 2018, and has seen airplay across BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 and 6 Music. Last year she was invited to guest-present two episodes of BBC Radio 4’s Tweet of the Day and Kitty performed live in session on BBC Radio 2 at the beginning of 2019.
8.00 pm
Tickets: £18 Full. £17 Concessions.
www.kittymacfarlane.com
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/kitty-macfarlane/
Wassail Concert.
Please note: tickets are limited. Advanced booking essential.
£10
Doors 7.00 for 7.30 pm start.
Contact Meg Rose: 07877 206124
Meg.rose AT btinternet.com
https://www.jimcausley.co.uk.
Join us for an exploration of 18th century English dance tunes! The last edition of Playford’s Dancing Master was published in 1728 but other publishers continued in his footsteps, making the 1700s a golden age for English vernacular music. It was a time when the lines between folk and classical music were blurred with the likes of Purcell and Handel equally at home composing jigs and hornpipes as they were with operas and oratorios. We’ll be learning some superb tunes from this period, looking at them in their historical context but also exploring ways to make them swing in the 21st century.
We are pleased to welcome the back course leaders: fiddle player Richard Heacock (Boldwood, The Warleggan Village Band), guitarist Chris Green (GreenMatthews, The Warleggan Village Band) and bagpiper and early woodwind specialist Sophie Matthews (GreenMatthews). All three have a longstanding expertise in this repertoire and the emphasis of the week will be very much on ensemble playing.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/beyond-playford-musicians-week/
Dive into the fantastic world of folk harp playing! For a weekend dedicated to harpists.
We’re delighted to welcome back Steph West and Irene Watt to lead a weekend of harp workshops and sessions in our annual weekend dedicated to harp playing in a folk context. With another tutor to be confirmed – watch this space!!
Using a range of repertoire we’ll explore the music, arrangements and techniques for playing the harp in traditional music.
With classes for players of all levels.
There will be a tutors’ concert on Saturday evening and plenty of time for informal playing and socialising!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-harp-weekend-2024/
Holocaust Memorial Day North Somerset Fundraising Event
£15
8.00 pm
Tickets available from ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club
The North Cadbury Wassail is back. Suitable for the whole family.
Wassail, Dancing, Music and Mummers Play.
7.00 - 9.00 pm
Contact Chris: 07767 488719
chris AT ringrow.co.uk
https://bruevalleyrotary.wordpress.com/wassail/
Morris dancing , Mummers play
Short walk to the orchard
Wassail Queen , Singing
Free mulled cider and apple juice.
Berbeque
6.00 - 9.00 pm
Contact Chris Ringrow: 07767 488719
wassail AT bruevalleyrotary.org
http://www.bruevalleyrotary.org/wassail
The Winter Warmer is a fun and friendly folk break to get your year off to a great start! Expect a range of activities – all optional – including dances, dance workshops, music workshops, games, quizzes, singing, craft activities, and hopefully a walk or two, depending on the weather.
We’re delighted to be welcoming back our the Winter Warmer team: Sue Irving is your host for the event and will lead some fun and games to keep everyone relaxed and entertained; Madeleine Smith – well-known to many as a friendly and knowledgeable caller – will lead the dancing, assisted by young caller David Capron; and musicians Dampiers’ Round (Peter & Moira Gutteridge) will be back, leading music for dancing and also offering workshops for musicians. There will also be opportunities for anyone attending to call a dance or run an activity, if they so wish.
There will be a range of activities to keep you entertained including daily music and dance workshops, plus afternoon activities and walks for those who want to get out into the fresh air. Dances every evening, with the option for you to play in the band or call a dance should you so wish, before retiring to the bar to enjoy the convivial relaxed atmosphere of the manor.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/winter-warmer-2024/
Dancing in Shakespeare’s Era is the title for this year’s Historical Dance Society Weekend at Halsway Manor.
Expect a weekend packed with dance, words and music from the English seventeenth century. Guided by Ann Hinchliffe, Dr Anne Daye and early music experts Colin Thompson and Ruth Thompson, people will learn court and country dances from around 1600. These will be used to re-create Ben Jonson’s 1606 masque Hymenaei which will then be performed on the Sunday.
This event is organised by the Historical Dance Society
Partnership Event
For more information and to book please contact
Thedancingmaster AT outlook.com or annhinchliffe AT hotmail.com
07780 799 613
www.historicaldance.org.uk
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/the-historical-dance-society-weekend/
+ Nigel Waite
Making a rare solo appearance, we welcome back Paul Downes with his guitar, singing a selection of songs, mostly traditional.
Supporting Paul is the smooth voiced Nigel Waite singing his own beautiful songs.
£15 ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 07590 411515
kd.79 AT live.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
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
7.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
Slave trade song cycle from Reg Meuross with Suntou Susso and Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne
Reg Meuross’s belief that Folk songs provide a rapid and accessible route into history and its current relevance stood him in good stead when it came to tackling the history of the transatlantic slave trade in story and song. He unearthed both incredible tales and uncomfortable truths – now brought fully to life with this stunning song cycle.
Featuring the sparkling playing of Kora master Suntou Susso and concertina wizard Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne alongside narration on the historical background to each song, Stolen From God was previewed during 2022’s Black History Month. Featuring vocals from all three musicians, alongside incredible instrumentation, it has received a tremendous reception at shows across the country.
www.regmeuross.com
8.00 pm
Tickets: £19 Full. £18 Concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/stolen-from-god/
Reg Meuross and Boo Hewerdine are delighted to be returning to Halsway to run a songwriting retreat together.
This retreat is a wonderful opportunity for songwriters of all levels to forget about the rest of the world and immerse themselves in their writing amongst like-minded people, and well-supported by Reg and Boo and founder of Company of Song Katie Whitehouse.
The programme includes group and individual tasks to stretch and challenge, opportunities to collaborate, a chance to play songs to Reg and Boo for feedback (song clinics), song sharing with the group, Q&A sessions, space to write brand new songs, time to relax at the bar, and to enjoy good food and good fun.
As well as running workshops and song clinics throughout the three days Reg and Boo will perform a live gig on Thursday night (free for retreat participants and ticketed to the public).
Fees are inclusive of workshops, small group song clinics, full board and accommodation. Visit https://bit.ly/RegANDBooWINTERSONGWRITING for more details.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/songwriting-retreat-reg-meuross/
Music enthusiasts and folk fans across the nation are in for a treat as Steve Knightley and Phil Beer prepare to embark on a journey back to where it all began. With a rich history spanning three decades the duo are renowned for their unique ‘hands on' cottage industry approach to touring, and this upcoming tour promises to be a celebration of their enduring legacy.
The Show of Hands tour includes village halls, folk clubs, small arts centres, and community venues are the very places where they honed their craft, building their following from the grassroots up!
This will be an opportunity to reconnect with their loyal supporters, and a chance to inspire a new generation of folk musicians. One of the defining aspects of Show of Hands’ career has been their unwavering commitment to supporting grassroots promoters. This ethos has not only enriched the folk music scene but also strengthened the bonds between artists and their audiences.
Following this tour, Steve and Phil will be taking a well-deserved break from the lime light. They plan to pursue solo projects, explore new creative horizons, and recharge their artistic batteries. This indefinite hiatus marks the end of an era, but it also heralds exciting new beginnings for two of the folk world’s best loved musicians. Show of Hands’ dedication to their roots, their music, and the communities that have supported them is a testament to their enduring legacy.
The spring of 2024 promises to be a time of reflection and celebration as we bid farewell to an era while eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the incredible journey of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer.
Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Advance £29.00
10% off for members
Unreserved Seating
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
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/show-of-hands/
Folk Dance Workshop
A 2 night 3 day Folk Dance workshop on a full board basis including Sunday lunch, and a trip out to a secret Exmoor Snowdrop Valley.
from £330.00 per person
Contact Antony Brunt: 01643 821425
hotel AT yarnmarkethotel.co.uk
www.yarnmarkethotel.co.uk
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
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
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).
Free to attend – donations welcome.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/sunday-club-2/2024-02-04/
We’re delighted to be welcoming PIVA back to Halsway for their 8th course exploring the Real Roots! of European traditional and renaissance music, both the music and the instruments. During this enjoyable and fascinating course, you will discover the world of late 16th century popular music as heard in both court and country. The focus of the course will be playing 4 or 5 part harmony but it doesn’t matter if you are new to this music or an experienced renaissance specialist; sessions will be adapted to suit all levels.
PIVA has decided, due to popular demand, that they will take a pause on their ‘Grand Tour’ of European roots music – and they will be staying over in Italy, as well as looking at how Italian music influenced English composers of the time.
PIVA will also play a public gig on the Saturday evening.
The core of the programme will consist of playing in 4 and 5 part harmony in a mixture of large and small ensembles, as well as a range of other options, including:
Developing arrangements and making the music your own
• Ornamentation and improvisation
• Informal performance
• Individual coaching sessions, if required
Woodwind instrument ‘surgery’, if required
Who is it for?
Open to those new to early music, through to specialists.
The course is suitable for players of woodwinds, reed instruments, historical brass and strings (ancient and modern), as well as other instruments such as bagpipes & nyckelharpa. Please let us know your instrument(s) when booking your place, and we can check with PIVA if you’re unsure whether they will be suitable!
Thanks to The Bagpipe Society, there will be an opportunity to have a beginner’s session on their loan pipes.
Participants should be competent on their instruments and have a reasonable sight reading ability.
Arrive from 2pm on Friday and depart after breakfast on Monday morning.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/piva-real-roots-2024/
A fresh, boundary-pushing take on traditional songs.
The Haar introduces 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 circuit: Cormac Byrne (BBC Folk Award/Show of Hands/Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes, and Murray Grainger (both of the FATEA award-winning Ciderhouse Rebellion).
This is music that is not afraid to transcend borders – whilst recognisably born of the traditional music that all members have grown up with. The Haar are unapologetic in pushing the boundaries to create a unique and compelling sound.
The origins of the band go back to a chance meeting between Adam, Cormac and Molly at a session at the Craiceann Bodhrán Festival. This resulted in an improvised performance recorded by the shipwreck of the Plassey on the west coast of Ireland. It was to become typical of the unique ‘live reactive composition’ that characterises their music. With the addition of master accordionist Grainger, they entered the studio at the end of 2019 to record their first album.
Their self-titled debut, released in June 2020, is a collection of traditional Irish songs tackling love, poverty and oppression. It was heralded as “a splendid balance of swirling instrumental magic and beautifully sung narratives” by Folk Radio UK and garnered attention from Mike Harding who described it as “absolutely amazing”.
The latest album, entitled 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.
www.thehaar.ie
Tickets: £20 Full. £19 Concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/the-haar/
Join Granny’s Attic (Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome, Lewis Wood) for an intensive week of playing and arranging.
This course is a chance for instrumentalists to get to grips with some new tunes and think about how you can start to make them your own, in small groups and a supportive environment.
Cohen, George and Lewis will help you to think about your role in an ensemble, how to make the most of what a tune has to offer, and why listening is as important as playing… You’ll be aiming, with their guidance, for an arrangement that can be showcased before their Thursday night gig (though only if you feel comfortable to do so).
There’ll also be plenty of time for discussion, whole group improvisation (using the tunes and skills you’ve developed over the week), and informal sessions in the bar, as well as time to pick the band’s brains about their inspirations, approach and processes.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/grannys-attic-2024/
Irish President Michael D Higgins called her ‘A National Treasure’ and after 20 of her own albums, countless DVDS, filmed concerts, musical collaborations and a career that has spanned 40 years, Sharon Shannon in 2023 is still breaking new musical ground. Her career has seen her tour the world through America, Europe, Africa, Australia,New Zealand even to to Saudi Arabia and China and she has recorded and toured with artistes as diverse as Bono, Willie Nelson, La Bottine Souriante, Shane Mc Gowan, Nigel Kennedy, Steve Earle,Justin Adams, Johnny Depp, Linton Kwesi Johnston,The Waterboys and Dessie O Halloran, and the RTE Symphony Orchestra to mention just a few.
Playing shows throughout her career from The Kennedy Centre in Washington to Londons Wembley Arena, Sharon continues to redefine and reimagine the boundaries of Irish traditional music, mixing with genres as different from each other as reggae and classical. An honorary Dr. Of Music at The University of Galway Sharon inspires the students through master classes and tutorials both online and in person. She is working on her archive at the University. She recently created and presented a 4 part musical TV series called Heartlands which saw her travel the length of her ancient namesake the mighty River Shannon, making music along its journey. 2023 will see Sharon releasing new music, creating new live music
shows that continue to surprise and excite.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Seated advance £26.00
Standing advance £24.00
Seated on the door £28.00
Standing on the door £26.00
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
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/sharon-shannon/
Guaranteed to be one of Halsway’s noisiest weekends, this popular Hurdy-Gurdy Weekend runs alongside our Bagpipe Weekend with masterclasses, workshops, sessions and a Saturday night concert/dance. A frenzy of reeds, drones and buzzing things! Early booking advised.
The weekend is hosted by Claire Dugué, hurdy-gurdy maker and repairer, and she’ll be available to help people get the most out of their instruments with tips for maintenance. Our international tutor team includes:
Francesco Giusta and Benoit Michaud (Intermediate/Advanced Hurdy Gurdy Workshop – one group each)
Scott Marshall (Beginner Hurdy Gurdy Workshop).
Each tutor will dedicate themselves to a specific group for the full weekend allowing for maximum learning and progression. You will need to decide which tutor you wish to work with and tell us when booking; numbers in each group are limited. Because course places are limited, we aren’t able to take bookings from those not wishing to fully participate in one of the workshop groups (unless you’re coming as the friend or partner of a participant, and sharing a room).
For an extra £60, participants can stay until Monday morning, including supper and B&B. Please enquire when booking.
The Workshops
Beginners with Scott Marshall: This workshop is for both complete day one beginners and for those who have been playing for sometime but want to brush up on their core techniques. Scott will tailor his workshop to the students.
You will work on good habits of posture and left hand fingering articulation. Regarding the rhythm and right hand technique, Scott will work through the basic useful buzzes and towards the “coup de quatre” level. Exercises will be linked to tune fragments and simple group pieces to make the workshop a more pleasant memorable experience.
Intermediate/Advanced with Francesco Giusta: The workshop will focus on the dynamics of the instrument, regarding both left and right hand. We’ll focus on folk and early music repertoire working on style and musical expressivity. Suitable for both G and D instruments.
Intermediate/Advanced with Benoit Michaud: During this workshop we’ll work around different small pieces. We will tackle technical aspects of the hurdy-gurdy: the rhythmic equivalences of the “coup de poignet” (right hand), the dissociation between right hand and left hand, melodic ornamentation and instrument settings (cotton, string support, keyboard). Suitable for both G and D instruments
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/hurdy-gurdy-weekend-2024/
Our popular Bagpipe workshop weekend returns in 2024, running alongside the Hurdy Gurdy Weekend, in a frenzy of reeds, drones and buzzing things! Our thanks to the Bagpipe Society for their support of our bagpipe events.
Isabelle Blô (France) will be joining us to lead a course for Intermediate/Advanced level bagpipe players, while Anne-Marie Summers will lead a course to introduce complete beginners to the bagpipes.
You’ll need to select your level and will be working with the same tutor over the whole weekend. Outside the workshops, there will be plenty of opportunity to socialise with the other tutors and participants not in your group.
For an extra £60, participants can stay until Monday morning, including supper and B&B. Please enquire when booking.
Who is it for?
Beginners’ Course with Anne-Marie
This is a course for complete beginners. You will be finding out how the instrument works, posture, tuning, basic techniques, and simple repertoire to enjoy when learning to play. Most of the learning will be by ear with music scores provided to support our learning. We will aim to have a bit of fun too!
Instruments will be available for course participants to borrow. You will need to let us know when booking if you’ll require a loan instrument.
Intermediate/Advanced Course with Isabelle
This workshop is for intermediate and advanced level players of G/C and G/D bagpipes who already own their own instruments.
The Bagpipe Society was formed in 1986 to bring together players, makers, researchers and people who love the bagpipes. They’ve been a great support to Halsway in running this bagpipe workshop weekend over the years – thank you! It’s a great resource for pipers everywhere – check out their website here: www.bagpipesociety.org.uk
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/bagpipe-weekend-2024/
Two exceptional musicians, world-renowned Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Aoife Ni Bhriain, one of Ireland's foremost traditional fiddle players and a classical violinist of international stature, who's serendipitous meeting during a brief respite in covid lockdown has blossomed into a ground breaking musical partnership.
Double You, Catrin and Aoife’s debut album as a duo, features an exquisite collection of new compositions that draw inspiration from various genres, taking listeners on a captivating journey on the wings of the bees across the Irish Sea and inspired by the cultures of their home countries.
Dublin native Aoife Ní Bhriain is one of her generation’s most versatile and gifted violinists, a dazzling musician who commands both the classical world and her Irish traditional heritage. From across the Irish Sea and the west coast of Wales, harpist Catrin Finch has also built an impressive classical career and ventured into unchartered musical territory, most notably through her international award-winning collaborations. Double You, their debut album as a duo, features an exquisite collection of new compositions that draw inspiration from various genres, taking listeners on a captivating journey on the wings of the bees across the Irish Sea and inspired by the cultures of their home countries.
Both are incredible virtuosos of their respective instruments, who started young and trained hard with great dedication to achieve the highest world-class standards of their art. Both went through rigorous classical training and grounded their careers in the classical world. Given her family heritage, it was inevitable that Aoife would also become a master of the Irish tradition; and given her fearless and inquisitive nature, it was equally inevitable that Catrin would seek artistic satisfaction beyond the confines of the classical world. “Audiences just want to come away from a performance having been moved,” says Catrin. That becomes the key creative force, transcending the boundaries of genre.
Running through their stories – as individual creatives, remarkable women, and now as an inspirational duo – are universal themes of identity, self-belief and the courage to be who you really are, to find yourself, particularly when others expect you to conform. Theirs is a story of being brave enough to follow your own path. From fighting against cancer and embracing sexuality, to being courageous enough to express their full creative potential, both Catrin and Aoife have been forging their own paths of challenge and discovery.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £21.00
10% off for members
Unreserved Seating
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
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/catrin-finch-and-aoife-ni-bhriain/
Mad Dog Mcrea blend a unique mixture of Folk Rock, Pop, Gypsy Jazz, Bluegrass and ‘shake your ass’ music. From self-penned songs of adventure, drinking, love and life, to traditional songs of gypsies, fairies, legless pirates and black flies – Mad Dog never fail to capture their audience with their infectious songs. In constant demand and having played just about every festival and two-bit, jibe-arsed dive in Christendom, Mad Dog Mcrea are, in every sense of the word, a live, band.
Matched with the unshakable dedication of their massive and “loyal-to-the-hilt”, fan base – Mad Dog Mcrea are more than just a very popular, festival act – with five albums under their belts, they are serious and acclaimed recording artists too. December 2019 saw Mad Dog Mcrea released a 5-track EP titled ‘It’s a Sign’.
The famous purple happy bus is fired up and ready for action, and there’s room for you – jump aboard!
www.maddogmcrea.co.uk
Tickets: £23. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/mad-dog-mcrea-a-chance-to-dance-event/
This course is currently sold out. We do sometimes get cancellations – if you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact us.
Lady Maisery are back to Halsway in 2024 to lead another edition of their hugely popular Creative Song Week, an exploratory course for intermediate and advanced singers to develop their creative skills.
With traditional and contemporary folk song as our starting point, this mid-week course is a chance to delve deeply into the songs we sing, work on how to make our music more meaningful and discover what might move us forward in our personal musical journeys.
Hazel Askew, Hannah James and Rowan Rheingans of Lady Maisery will be your guides and mentors in the creation of new music, arranging and harmonising traditional songs, creating new tunes for old song texts and writing new songs. Workshops will be a variety of whole group activities and some small group self-directed tasks, so participants should be open to exploring ideas in this way.
The Creative Song Week will include: learning some inspiring folk songs by ear, exploring our voices through vocal and breath work, creative musical and writing tasks, improvisation with others, working with archives/library texts, and chances to perform or share songs in a supportive environment.
Though the format remains unchanged from previous years, the trio will choose material carefully, to ensure enjoyable new challenges for returning participants!
Participants are invited to bring along instruments if they wish and there will be chances during the week to focus on playing an instrument if desired, but some parts of the week will focusing purely on singing so all participants have to be happy to sing.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/lady-maisery-creative-song-week-2024/
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.
7:45PM
Tickets: £16 incl. £1cmsm
Venue: Studio
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/josienne-clarke/
A weekend event for The Madding Crowd who research and perform the church and secular music of the English village bands and choirs in the period 1660 to 1861.
Who’s it For?
The Madding Crowd and friends, all lovers of West Gallery music.
The Madding Crowd is one of the largest and longest established of the revival groups specialising in West Gallery music. They meet each week, just as the old gallery bands and choirs did. The group was founded in 1975 to lead a village evensong, and we have given carol concerts every year since 1977, summer concerts since 1979, harvest concerts since 1989, and have led the singing at many church services, baptisms, weddings and harvest festivals. We have broadcast on radio and television several times, including the Songs of Praise programme shown in 1990, and in “Going the Rounds” on BBC Radio 4 in December 2003. We also provided music for a television programme about Isaac Watts, shown on the PAX channel in North America. In the 1990s we created an early 19th century village wedding and celebration for English Heritage Special Events at various locations in the South of England.
If you’d like to find out more, head to the website www.maddingcrowd.org
For more details please contact:
info AT maddingcrowd.org
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/madding-crowd/
+ Linda Watkins
The fabulous Marion Fleetwood joins forces with Gregg Cave in an upbeat duo offering a variety of songs with folk roots.
Opening support is from Welsh songstress Linda Watkins
£15 ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 01202 732239
kd.79 AT live.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
In this concert, Wareham Whalers will be celebrating 200 years since the RNLI was founded.
Through readings, shanties and songs of the sea, they will recount some key events which highlight the bravery and sacrifices made throughout this period.
Bar available
£10
7.30pm
Contact David Blakeley: 07923 020946
wareham.whalers AT gmail.com
https://www.durlston.co.uk/whats-on
A ‘Support the Hall’ Event
SomerStep are a dance group based in Crewkerne, performing a variety of English step and social dances.
We are bringing our Wessex Barn Dance to The David Hall.
There will be lots of Traditional dances to join in, all collected in the south-west of England. These will be interspersed with short displays and the occasional song, while you get your breath back.
Our band includes members of Teasing the Cat and the Rum and Kidney Band. The callers will be Steve Cunio and Chris Edmunds.
www.somerstep.org
Tickets: £8 Full. £7 Concessions
7.30 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/wessex-barn-dance-with-somerstep-a-support-the-hall-event/
Members of Moonrakers return to Halsway Manor bringing their exciting and dynamic music event for musicians and singers.
Expect a relaxing, stimulating and engaging multi-instrumental week. Whether you play bowed, fretted or reed instruments, whistles or flutes, or simply like to sing, you are very welcome on this course!
We’ll work on our own improvised arrangements of about 10 folk tunes and songs throughout the week. You don’t need to read music, but some instrumental experience is required.
In the evenings there will be plenty of opportunity to showcase some of your own material.
This course is aimed at instrumentalists and singers with some experience under their belts. You’ll need a good understanding of your instrument and to be open to working in small and larger groups and trying new ways of working.
You’ll be able to download resources (sheet music and sound files) for the week in advance of the course. We’ll post a link here nearer the time.
Don’t worry if you’ve been on the course before, there will be plenty of new material to choose from!
The idea is not to just learn tunes but to look in detail at how we might arrange these within a mixed ensemble of instruments. The sound files will provide the skeleton of the tune itself and the beginnings of an arrangement. What we may come up with together as we work with the tune could be very different! All will be explained on arrival.
Meanwhile, you’ll need to work through at least some of the material in advance, learn the tune and begin to think of how we might develop it – maybe through the use of a counter-melody? a particular rhythm or strumming pattern? or a bass part? Please print out the music and bring a music stand and a note book/pencil.
Expect to have quite a relaxed week with opportunities to also have some one-to-one advice on developing your playing or writing. Don’t worry about your skill level, we will accommodate all standards of playing.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/moonrakers-folk-orchestra-2024/
This course will be available to book shortly.
Subject to demand, a short course to learn how to make reeds for the Northumbrian (or Scottish) smallpipes – then, if you wish, stay on for our Northumbrian smallpipes weekend! The course is led by renowned piper and pipe-maker Andy May. You’ll be in the workshop by day, but there will be time in the evenings to relax and enjoy informal playing sessions in the bar, so bring your instruments and try your new reeds!
This course is for all-comers. Tools will be supplied but you may wish to bring your own. There will be a small charge of £10-£15 (payable on departure) to cover the cost of cane.
Andy May was introduced to the smallpipes by his father Stan, later learning from Roland Lofthouse and Adrian Schofield, and from studying the recordings of Billy Pigg and Tom Clough. Through the 90s Andy entered many piping competitions and studied music at the University of York with the pipes as his chosen instrument. Andy has been a full-time musician since 2002, nowadays touring with North-East band Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies, UK/Finnish/Danish ensemble Baltic Crossing, his own Andy May Trio, and various other projects.
When not gigging Andy has become a pipemaker, again learning much from his father, and also Colin Ross. He has a particular interest in the study of old instruments and his current ongoing research project is into the pipemaking of Tom Clough and Fred Picknell.
Andy became the Vice President of the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society in 2012.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/reed-making-for-northumbrian-smallpipes-2024/
Members of Moonrakers bring their exciting and dynamic music to Halsway Manor during their Folk Orchestra week. Two members of Moonrakers – Jon Bennett (guitar, bouzouki, low whistles, ukelele and vocals) and Jacqui Johnson (cello, accordion) – will be joined by Andy May (Northumbrian small pipes) for an informal concert of tunes, songs, and anecdotes.
Moonrakers is an Oxford-based group of four musicians who pride themselves in having brought traditional and contemporary folk music to new audiences in village halls, churches, arts centres and festivals across the UK. The fact that the band “just OOZES quality” (Living Tradition) is down to the careful arrangements and selection of tunes and songs, presenting “exquisite music” (BBC). The material is a combination of traditional Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English music and their own contemporary songs and tunes, still very much ‘in the idiom’.
8pm–9:30pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-moonrakers-2024/
We’re delighted to welcome back Andy May, Pauline Cato, Chris Ormston and Chris Evans to put Northumbrian Smallpipers of all abilities through their paces.
The weekend offers a enjoyable opportunity to develop technique and repertoire with a variety of workshops, sessions, plus a performance from the tutors.
Make a long weekend of it and book an additional night of B&B on Sunday night for just £60 per person (includes supper).
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/northumbrian-smallpipes-weekend-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
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
Come and try the Northumbrian Smallpipes in this special taster session for absolute beginners. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play the Northumbrian pipes, it’s a great introduction to this slightly mysterious instrument!
Led by Francis Wood, we’ll have simple sets of teaching pipes available, designed for beginners. This is an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy the gentle sound of small pipes and would like to learn a little about their technique, repertoire and history.
The morning will aim to cover :
The use of bellows in the most relaxed and efficient way
Principles of ‘closed fingering’
Coordinating bag and bellows arms to sustain a steady pressure
Drone tuning
with some discussion of the instrument’s history and development (time permitting)
Timings:
Arrival is from 9.30am, with the workshops begin at 10am and finish at 1pm. The course includes lunch after your two workshops, and you are welcome to stay with us in the afternoon to observe the more advanced classes working with the other smallpipes tutors, if you wish.
Tickets to the evening concert can be purchased separately.
Who is it for?
You don’t need to own, or bring, a set of pipes, sets of teaching pipes are available. Designed for beginners, these are simple sets in ‘G’ without keys, and are a modern interpretation of the original form of Northumbrian smallpipes on which the earliest traditional repertoire is based. This is an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy the gentle sound of smallpipes and would like to learn a little about their technique, repertoire and history. The group is limited to 6 students.
The Tutor
The course is led by experienced tutor Francis Wood. Francis has been playing and teaching for more years than he cares to remember. He has a particular passion for introducing newcomers to the Northumbrian Smallpipes, as well as endless patience.
9:30am–2pm
£50
Incudes morning workshops, instrument hire and lunch
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/northumbrian-smallpipes-taster-session-sat-2024/
Join us for an informal evening of music featuring tutors from the Halsway Northumbrian Smallpipes Weekend, and contributions from course participants and guests too. A celebration of all things NSP!
Andy May was introduced to the smallpipes by his father Stan, later learning from Roland Lofthouse and Adrian Schofield, and from studying the recordings of Billy Pigg and Tom Clough. Through the 90s Andy entered many piping competitions and studied music at the University of York with the pipes as his chosen instrument. Andy has been a full-time musician since 2002, with the Andy May Trio, UK/Finnish/Danish ensemble Baltic Crossing, and with North-East band Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies. Andy is a notable pipemaker, learning much from his father, and also Colin Ross, and teaches on the folk music degree course at Newcastle University.
Pauline Cato with her extremely accurate staccato approach, has brought a fresh and exciting sound to the Northumbrian bagpipe tradition. While she’s has shown a mastery of the traditional repertoire of Billy Pigg and Tom Clough, Cato become known for her unique bagpipe renditions of songs by such folk-like songwriters as Richard Thompson and Jay Ungar. In addition to performing as a soloist and in a duo with McConville, Cato has worked with Alistair Anderson and the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra in the opera Cullecoates Tommy. Cato has become a highly respected instructor and has taught courses in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.
Chris Ormston was given his first set of pipes on his 15th birthday and nine months later won the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society Junior Class. Within three years he had won every Open competition in the county. Early in his piping career he acquired a taste for the classic repertoire of the pipes, with a particular interest in the music of the Clough family. Chris has collaborated with the NPS Society in the publication of two collections: ‘The Clough Family of Newsham’ (2000) and ‘The Clough Family Tunebook’ (2012). In 2011 Chris was honoured to take possession of ‘Young’ Tom Clough’s pipes, a Reid set gifted to Tom by his grandfather.
Chris Evans was born and raised in Dorset. He won a music scholarship to Bryanston School, Blandford, and is a graduate of the University of Bristol with a Bachelor of Arts Joint Honours degree in German and Russian, and a Master of Arts in Medieval Studies, specialising in Late Medieval German. Chris started playing Northumbrian Smallpipes in 2001. He has won Open Classes at the Bellingham Show and the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society annual competitions and has gone on to perform as a soloist for HRH Duke of Edinburgh on Horse Guards Parade, and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is in demand as a tutor throughout the UK and US, and has been a regular tutor at Halsway since 2006.
8pm–9:30pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-northumbrian-smallpipes/
Since arriving in the UK in 1999, Seckou has been on an epic creative journey that has seen him broaden the idiomatic scope of his instrument as well as spread his wings, literally and figuratively.
Nicknamed “the Hendrix of the Kora”, Seckou has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as “one of the finest exponents of the kora”. Performing all over the globe as a solo artist and with his ground-breaking quintet, he has captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more places.
www.seckoukeita.com
Tickets: £20 Full. £19 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/seckou-keita/
Come and try the Northumbrian Smallpipes in this special taster session for absolute beginners. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play the Northumbrian pipes, it’s a great introduction to this slightly mysterious instrument!
Led by Francis Wood, we’ll have simple sets of teaching pipes available, designed for beginners. This is an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy the gentle sound of small pipes and would like to learn a little about their technique, repertoire and history.
The morning will aim to cover :
The use of bellows in the most relaxed and efficient way
Principles of ‘closed fingering’
Coordinating bag and bellows arms to sustain a steady pressure
Drone tuning
with some discussion of the instrument’s history and development (time permitting)
Timings:
Arrival is from 9.30am, with the workshops begin at 10am and finish at 1pm. The course includes lunch after your two workshops, and you are welcome to stay with us in the afternoon to observe the more advanced classes working with the other smallpipes tutors, if you wish. The Halsway Cream Tea can be added to your booking for £5 (in advance only).
Who is it for?
You don’t need to own, or bring, a set of pipes, sets of teaching pipes are available. Designed for beginners, these are simple sets in ‘G’ without keys, and are a modern interpretation of the original form of Northumbrian smallpipes on which the earliest traditional repertoire is based. This is an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy the gentle sound of smallpipes and would like to learn a little about their technique, repertoire and history. The group is limited to 6 students.
The Tutor
The course is led by experienced tutor Francis Wood. Francis has been playing and teaching for more years than he cares to remember. He has a particular passion for introducing newcomers to the Northumbrian Smallpipes, as well as endless patience
9:30am–2pm
£50
Incudes morning workshops, instrument hire and lunch
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/northumbrian-smallpipes-taster-session-sunday/
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-2/2024-03-03/
Full Circle Part II: Show of Hands Return to Their Roots
Steve Knightley and Phil Beer embark on a journey back to where it all began. With a rich history spanning three decades, the duo are renowned for their unique ‘hands-on’ cottage industry approach to touring, and this upcoming tour promises to be a celebration of their enduring legacy.
Following this tour, Steve and Phil will be taking a well-deserved break from the limelight, so don’t miss your chance to see them play together!
7:30PM
Tickets: £28
https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/show-of-hands/
Bellowhead Fiddle Player & BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – Musician Of The Year 2015
Following the colossal success of supporting Bellowhead on their comeback tour in 2022, Sam is taking to the road to play his genre-defying landmark album, Escape That, with his all-star band. Featuring Louis Campbell on electric guitar, Ben Nicholls on double bass and Stuart McCallum on acoustic guitar, this will be a gig you don’t want to miss.
Sam is one of England’s finest and most in demand traditional musicians, however Escape That is his first entirely self-composed record. It ties together all of Sam’s musical passions in an honest and fearless expression of himself.
Sam and his band are putting something into English music that has never been there before and pressing the reset button on how folk music should sound. Combining Sam’s love for traditional music with strong pop hooks and aesthetics, this music is unashamed in its wide pool of influences.
Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, former artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and a genre defining instrumentalist at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music.
7:30 pm
Please note this is an 18+ event, and the venue is accessed by stairs with no lift. If you have any enquiries please email thetreehouse AT cheeseandgrain.com or phone 01373 466230
£20 ADVANCE + BOOKING FEE
All Standing
https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/sam-sweeney-band/
Singers of all abilities are invited to join Hilary James and enjoy the pleasure of group singing as you discover the potential of your own voice. Explore the wealth of songs within the British folk traditions and beyond: from ballads to blues, sea songs to lullabies, comic ditties and more. You’ll be working largely ‘by ear’ with simple improvised vocal harmonies but for the more experienced, written parts for some songs will be available. As well as singing acappella, the group will join Simon Mayor’s mandolinists on Sunday afternoon to sing with mandolin orchestra backing!
‘Mellow Virginians’ Andy Baum and Richard Collins will be on hand to help with some of the lower harmonies.
This weekend runs alongside the Simon Mayor Mandolin Weekend – click here for details
Hilary, Simon, Andy and Richard will be performing as ‘Slim Panatella and the Mellow Virginians’ on the Saturday evening concert.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/spring-song-weekend-2024/
Simon Mayor is beyond doubt this country’s finest mandolin player, moving effortlessly between classical, traditional folk, jazz & blues. His dazzling technical skills grace all the music he plays. He’s also a fine guitarist & fiddle player, with a delicious sense of humour & great teaching ability. In 2022, he and Hilary James were awarded honorary directorships of The Classical Mandolin Society of America.
Simon will cover all right & left hand techniques including position shifting, tremolo, decoration, tone production & more. There will also be the opportunity to accompany songs with singers from Hilary James’ Spring Song Weekend.
Simon will welcome Richard Collins (Mandolinquents, Slim Panatella & the Mellow Virginians) as guest tutor for a couple of the sessions. The weekend will feature some of the most requested pieces from Simon’s regular visits to Halsway Manor over the last eight years.
Halsway Manor will be hosting this weekend workshop alongside the Spring Song Weekend with Hilary James.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/simon-mayors-mandolin-weekend-2024/
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
7.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
In the spring of 2024, music enthusiasts and Folk fans across the nation are in for a treat as Steve Knightley and Phil Beer prepare to embark on a journey back to where it all began. With a rich history spanning three decades the duo are renowned for their unique ‘hands-on’ cottage industry approach to touring, and this upcoming tour promises to be a celebration of their enduring legacy. Village halls, Folks clubs, small arts centres, and community venues are the very places where they honed their craft, building their following from the grassroots up.
This will be an opportunity to reconnect with their loyal supporters, and a chance to inspire a new generation of Folk musicians. One of the defining aspects of Show of Hands’ career has been their unwavering commitment to supporting grassroots promoters. Their policy of profit sharing and providing all production equipment has empowered countless individuals to organise concerts in their local communities. This ethos has not only enriched the folk music scene but also strengthened the bonds between artists and their audiences.
Following this tour, Steve and Phil will be taking a well-deserved break from the limelight. They plan to pursue solo projects, explore new creative horizons, and recharge their artistic batteries. This indefinite hiatus marks the end of an era, but it also heralds exciting new beginnings for two of the folk world’s best loved musicians. Show of Hands’ dedication to their roots, their music, and the communities that have supported them is a testament to their enduring legacy.
The spring of 2024 promises to be a time of reflection, celebration as we bid farewell to an era while eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the incredible journey of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer.
www.showofhands.co.uk
Tickets: £28. No concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/full-circle-part-two-show-of-hands-return-to-their-roots-phil-beer-and-steve-knightley-2/
Salt House have been a mainstay of the folk scene for almost a decade. New songs that sound as if they’ve always been here. Ancient ballads woken up. Poems given the melodies they’ve long deserved. Songs about place, politics, landscape and birds.
The Salt House sound is carefully honed - melancholy viola entangled round rich vocals and double-guitar interplay. There’s a sense of place in their music - with the band based between the Scottish Highlands and Shetland. Taking their name from a dock
in Ewan’s native Liverpool, Salt House draw on a wide range of influences from their varied backgrounds in folk, singer-songwriter and traditional music.
Their latest releases (‘Working for Zeus’ and ‘Huam’) have seen them solidify their reputation as fine interpreters of words both old and new. Salt House are Jenny Sturgeon (vocals, keys, guitar), Ewan MacPherson (vocals, guitars) and Lauren MacColl (fiddle, viola, vocals).
7:45PM
Tickets: £15 Venue: Studio
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/salt-house/
Tutors on this weekend’s Mandolin and Voice Weekend, Simon Mayor and Hilary James, are joined by the Mellow Virginians Andy Baum and Richard Collins for a special evening performance.
Simon Mayor will bring the hilarious banter and mandolin wizardry he is known for (he’s one of the world’s leading virtuosos, not to mention his fine guitar and fiddle playing). Alongside Hilary’s “wonderfully honey-dripping voice” and unusual basses!
To ring the changes and bring a trans-Atlantic flavour to the weekend there will be two guest musicians from Simon and Hilary’s quartets, the Mandolinquents and Slim Panatella and the Mellow Virginians. Andy Baum and Richard Collins are both multi-instrumentalists and vocalists who, as well as featuring on the Saturday night concert, will be adding the occasional harmony in Hilary’s singing group and joining in on one or two of Simon’s mandolin arrangements. You’ll see them around throughout the weekend.
8pm–10pm
£12 Adult
£6 Concession
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-slim-panatella-and-the-mellow-virginians-2/
In the spring of 2024, music enthusiasts and Folk fans across the nation are in for a treat as Steve Knightley and Phil Beer prepare to embark on a journey back to where it all began. With a rich history spanning three decades the duo are renowned for their unique ‘hands-on’ cottage industry approach to touring, and this upcoming tour promises to be a celebration of their enduring legacy. Village halls, Folks clubs, small arts centres, and community venues are the very places where they honed their craft, building their following from the grassroots up.
This will be an opportunity to reconnect with their loyal supporters, and a chance to inspire a new generation of Folk musicians. One of the defining aspects of Show of Hands’ career has been their unwavering commitment to supporting grassroots promoters. Their policy of profit sharing and providing all production equipment has empowered countless individuals to organise concerts in their local communities. This ethos has not only enriched the folk music scene but also strengthened the bonds between artists and their audiences.
Following this tour, Steve and Phil will be taking a well-deserved break from the limelight. They plan to pursue solo projects, explore new creative horizons, and recharge their artistic batteries. This indefinite hiatus marks the end of an era, but it also heralds exciting new beginnings for two of the folk world’s best loved musicians. Show of Hands’ dedication to their roots, their music, and the communities that have supported them is a testament to their enduring legacy.
The spring of 2024 promises to be a time of reflection, celebration as we bid farewell to an era while eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the incredible journey of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer.
www.showofhands.co.uk
Tickets: £28. No concessions
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/full-circle-part-two-show-of-hands-return-to-their-roots-phil-beer-and-steve-knightley/
SykesMartin is the new collaboration from two of the UK’s finest folk singers. Miranda Sykes (Show of Hands) and Hannah Martin (Edgelarks, Gigspanner Big Band, Saltlines) draw on the tradition to form a set of songs that celebrate the power of two voices singing in harmony. Double bass, fiddle, banjo and guitars all come together around the duo’s vocal arrangements, taking their deep knowledge of roots music, adding a contemporary twist, and then singing these old songs back to their heart. Delivering beautiful ballads and rousing chorus songs, this set showcases two mesmerising storytellers joining voices to create a spine tingling testimonial to our shared musical heritage.
https://edgelarks.co.uk/sykesmartin
Tickets: £18 Full. £17 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/sykesmartin/
Maddy Prior MBE and her daughter Rose-Ellen Kemp BSc (Hons) return to Halsway in 2024 for another song week dedicated to the voice. Maddy and Rose-Ellen have been teaching people and their voices at their own teaching centre, Stones Barn in Cumbria for many years, and we’re delighted to host them in the South West. The course will be for singers of all levels who want to work to build confidence, progress and improve their singing, and learn about voicing and the voice itself.
Working both altogether, and in smaller groups, you’ll have fun learning practical techniques to improve and maintain the voice, gain knowledge of vocal anatomy and physiology and hear some interesting insights into the current voice research. In the smaller groups you have the option to work individually with one of the leaders, with the supportive audience of your fellow group members. You will also – of course – enjoy some group singing for the sheer love of it.
A programme, timetable and music/lyrics sheets will be available nearer the time. We will also be joined by Jerry King, a pianist and music theory expert who can assist with learning the pieces and to quickly answer any queries you may have about the written music.
Each evening participants can gather in the bar to put these new techniques into practice during informal sing-around performances; these are hugely enjoyable and a chance to extend your confidence.
Past participants have found the course to be an absorbing and fulfilling singing experience.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/maddy-prior-song-week-2024/
SykesMartin is the new collaboration from two of the UK’s finest folk singers. Miranda Sykes (Show of Hands) and Hannah Martin (Edgelarks, Gigspanner Big Band, Saltlines) draw on the tradition to form a set of songs that celebrate the power of two voices singing in harmony. Double bass, fiddle, banjo and guitars all come together around the duo’s vocal arrangements, taking their deep knowledge of roots music, adding a contemporary twist, and then singing these old songs back to their heart.
Delivering beautiful ballads and rousing chorus songs, this set showcases two mesmerising storytellers joining voices to create a spine tingling testimonial to our shared musical heritage.
Bar open from 7pm
Doors 7.15pm
Music from 7.45pm
£15 adv + £1 booking fee / £18 otd
https://bfcpresents.co.uk/product/sykesmartin/
+ Annie, Jane and Rod
A concert with the highly popular singer Edwina (Eddie) Hayes.
Opening support is from Rod, Jane and Annie
£15, ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact John Butcher: 017474 850 212 or 07590 202203
j.w.butcher AT btintrnet.co.uk
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
In this concert, Wareham Whalers will be celebrating 200 years since the RNLI was founded.
Through readings, shanties and songs of the sea, they will recount some key events which highlight the bravery and sacrifices made throughout this period.
BRING YOUR DRINK
£10
7.30pm
Contact David Blakeley: 07923 020946
wareham.whalers AT gmail.com
http://www.wareham-whalers.org.uk/
It has been five years since the last offering from the popular husband and wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman and their latest album proves a ‘tour de force’ of musical and lyrical surprises.
‘Almost A Sunset ‘, their seventh album, released in March 2023 is a collection of thoughtful, varied songs that range from re-worked traditional ballads to the off-piste storytelling style that has become their trademark. Recorded at Devon-pace in their studio on Dartmoor over the course of a year, the couple explore favourite characters, childhood memories and deep emotion to pull together a collection of songs that demonstrate their musical versatility, a sharp interest in the world around them and their own unique
perspective on the folk genre.
From their early days in folk supergroup ‘Equation’ through to their new album this multi award-winning couple continue to exude timeless class with their exquisite brand of traditional and contemporary acoustic music.
7:00PM
Tickets: £19 incl. £1.00 cmsn Venue: Theatre
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/kathryn-roberts-sean-lakeman/
Love dancing AND the great outdoors? This is the holiday week for you! Enjoy a light-hearted Springtime week of dancing, with opportunities to walk in the beautiful Quantock Hills each afternoon. Discover and learn about our beautiful local landscapes, while also brushing-up on your folk dance steps!
We’re delighted to welcome back caller and keen walker – Rhodri Davies. He will be joined by musicians and dedicated hikers – Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer. The team is completed by our regular walk leaders Nan Ward & Roger Phipps, who might be persuaded to dance.
You can enjoy a mixed-programme of country dance workshops each morning with Rhodri and the band. So you can brush-up your dancing skills and maybe learn a new dance or two. Then head off into the hills – quite literally – to enjoy the spectacular landscapes of this distinctive and nationally important protected area. Guided walks will be led by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic local guides – Nan and Roger, giving you a chance to learn more about the history and wildlife of the hills, or simply to enjoy an amble with in beautiful countryside in amiable company!
After your walk in the Quantock Hills it’s back to the Manor, for dinner, and dances every evening.
Feel free to bring along instruments for the odd informal session in the bar!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/walking-and-dancing-holiday/
The Violin making workshops are extremely popular at Halsway Manor, with many of the participants coming back year after year. The workshop gives maximum continuous time at the workbench supported by Neville Gardner, who has been teaching violin making for the last twenty years. He is joined by Corrie Schrijver to ensure that there is a ratio of 1 tutor to no more than 5 participants giving plenty of patient and knowledgeable support.
Who is it for?
This course is for all levels of ability and beginners are very welcome. As well as the violin family, support can also be given for making a Rebec (an ancient ancestor of the violin). The class size is limited so that participants have plenty of support from the two tutors. Before enrolling please contact Neville Gardner – Neville AT nevillejgardner.co.uk – to discuss the suitability of the course for your needs.
The Team
Neville Gardner was a University Lecturer and has been teaching violin making for twenty years.
Corrie Schrijver graduated from the Welsh School of Violin Making, with Merit in 1980. Since then she has worked at various workshops, making and restoring for professional players.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/violin-making-spring-2024/
Develop your ensemble playing skills on this extended weekend course for musicians. Drawing on European folk/contemporary/popular music traditions we’ll be making new arrangements that can go in any direction! We aim to explore and combine all sorts of influences and ideas to make spine tingling music that is more than the sum of the parts.
The course is fairly intensive and includes all day ensemble workshop sessions. We will aim to perform all the pieces we create together at a public concert on the Sunday night.
This years edition will be special as we will have four tutors.
The course was started by musician/composer/arranger Paul James (Blowzabella). He now has handed over the leadership to Merit Zloch, harpist, composer and music tutor from Berlin, Germany. We are delighted to also announce that Mikael Marin (Väsen) from Sweden and Matthias Branschke will also return to tutor in 2024 alongside German Diaz, inventive hurdy-gurdy player, singer and composer from Spain.
As you can see you will be in safe hands with a very experienced tutor team, playing in a mutually supportive atmosphere. We’ll have a lot of fun too with time for relaxation and informal music making.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/european-ensemble-weekend/
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
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
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
7.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
CORACLE ARE PAUL HUTCHINSON, KAREN WIMHURST, ANNA TAM
Coracle bring together the traditional and the contemporary.
Agile, flexible, built on trusted traditional foundations, yet uniquely tuned to respond to and embrace the ebbs and flows, squalls and flurries of each musical current which carries them.
Coracle will transport you through a new wave of musical magic – the British folk tradition at its very heart with eddies of contemporary classical and splashes of early music – on a exhilarating journey of exploration and enjoyment.
Coracle brings together the talent, imagination and creativity of three artists with vastly different backgrounds, who have come together through their love of experimentation, boldness, humour and risk.
www.coracleband.co.uk
Tickets: £19 Full. £18 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/coracle/
£18
8.00 pm
Tickets available from ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club
+ Jerry Harmon from USA!
Salisbury based duo Ribble are making a big name for themselves on the folk club and festival scene. The played to a very appreciative audience at New Forest Folk Festival in July 2023.
Opening support is a surprise to everyone. Jerry Harmon from the USA is in Britain on tour and has kindly agreed to perform for us. He appeared at the club many years ago and entertained us with a selection of songs and stories from his home state of North Carolina.
£15, ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact John Butcher: 017474 850 212 or 07590 202203
j.w.butcher AT btintrnet.co.uk
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
+ Jerry Harmon from USA!
Salisbury based duo Ribble are making a big name for themselves on the folk club and festival scene. The played to a very appreciative audience at New Forest Folk Festival in July 2023.
Opening support is a surprise to everyone. Jerry Harmon from the USA is in Britain on tour and has kindly agreed to perform for us. He appeared at the club many years ago and entertained us with a selection of songs and stories from his home state of North Carolina.
£15, ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact John Butcher: 017474 850 212 or 07590 202203
j.w.butcher AT btintrnet.co.uk
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
Accompanied by Hugh Bradley (double bass)
He’s been described as “a complete guitarist,” “a singer songwriter of rare talent” and “absurdly accomplished.” He’s toured with John Renbourn, Maggie Boyle, WAZ, Ballet Rambert and daughter Martha. The writer of the classics The Slipjigs and Reels, The Naked Highwayman and Here’s to Tom Paine; his songs have been covered by a who’s who of the folk world. The boxed-set retrospective Reaching Back is a fitting celebration of the life and music of one of our finest performers. After 50 years in the business he’s on as fine form as ever; his new album Such Times out now.
www.stevetilston.com
Tickets: £17 Full. £16 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/steve-tilston/
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
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.15
Contact Jenny and Ian Edlin: 01258 861184
jenny_harrison_1123 AT yahoo.co.uk
- the 80s and 90s
Oysterband DECADES
Four decades of Oysterband songs over two evenings: from their early acoustic roots, through the roaring 90s, onwards to a new century … and songs for the future.
Saturday 4 May at 8pm
OYSTERBAND – the 80s and 90s
From Step Outside to Holy Bandits and beyond.
Featuring: Oxford Girl / Hal-an-Tow / Too Late Now / When I’m Up / Granite Years
Sunday 5 May at 7.30pm
OYSTERBAND – into a new millennium
Through Meet You There to Read The Sky.
Featuring: Rise Above / Here Comes the Flood / Dancing as Fast as I Can / A River Runs / Corner of the Room
… and many more …
www.oysterband.co.uk
Tickets: £26. No concession
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/oysterband-the-80s-and-90s/
– into a new millennium
Sunday 5th May 2024 AT 7:30 pm
£26
Saturday 4 May at 8pm and Sunday 5 May ay 7.30pm
Oysterband DECADES
Four decades of Oysterband songs over two evenings: from their early acoustic roots, through the roaring 90s, onwards to a new century … and songs for the future.
Saturday 4 May at 8pm
OYSTERBAND – the 80s and 90s
From Step Outside to Holy Bandits and beyond.
Featuring: Oxford Girl / Hal-an-Tow / Too Late Now / When I’m Up / Granite Years
Sunday 5 May at 7.30pm
OYSTERBAND – into a new millennium
Through Meet You There to Read The Sky.
Featuring: Rise Above / Here Comes the Flood / Dancing as Fast as I Can / A River Runs / Corner of the Room
… and many more …
www.oysterband.co.uk
Tickets: £26. No concession
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/oysterband-into-a-new-millennium/
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
7.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
Blowzabella is a genuinely unique band that makes an inimitable, driving, drone-based wall-of-sound played with a fabulous sense of melody, rhythmic expertise and sheer feeling They compose their own music which is influenced by English and European traditional folk music and song – a shared culture with ancient roots.
Andy Cutting – diatonic button accordion; Jo Freya – vocals, saxophones, clarinet; Paul James – vocals, bagpipes, saxophones; David Shepherd – violin; Barn Stradling – bass guitar; Jon Swayne – bagpipes, saxophones.
Many of their tunes are “standards” in the modern British/European folk repertoire and are played by people all over the world. Bands across Europe who experiment with folk music often cite Blowzabella as a major influence. Much loved and respected, there is no one else quite like them.
There will be a short dance workshop at 6pm, which will introduce you to the basics you will need for joining in. This is a good starter or reminder for those who have not done the general ‘bal’ folk dances before or for a long time. All are welcome. Cost: £5 per person
www.blowzbella.co.uk
Tickets: £19 Full. £8 Under 21s
8.00 pm (workshop at 6.00)
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/blowzabella/
+ support
Let’s Get Out of The Rain Album Tour
‘Let’s Get Out of the Rain’ will be Blair’s first studio album since 2018 (‘Notes from an Island’). Where ‘Notes’ was an introspective analysis of Brexit Britain, the new collection is a celebration of spring, newness and freedom. Songs of metamorphosis and wide screen road trips prevail.
Blair has been hailed as one of the UK’s most accomplished songwriters since he burst into the folk scene with his debut ‘Blight & Blossom’ (2012). BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards followed along with critical acclaim. In 2016 Blair released on his own label (Gilded Wings) and received wider acclaim and BBC Radio 2 playlisting for singles ‘The Egoist’ and ‘356’. Appearances at Glastonbury and the major folk festivals followed, along with breakthrough tours of Australia; and Blair is now firmly established as a household name amongst respected British songwriters.
On the new collection of songs and the album Blair says: “It’s been 5 years since my last record, comfortably my longest gap between releases, so it feels really good to be able to put this out in the world. Jim Moray is producing, and that’s very exciting as he’s someone I’ve admired for many years. He was one of the reasons I first got into traditional music in my teens. Since then, my personal style has evolved, but there are aspects of traditional storytelling that seep into my original works. I would say that Midday Mass is a reflection of that. It’s a song about a café back in my hometown of Chesterfield, but I guess that it’s a vehicle for a social commentary as much as anything else.
Overall, I would say the sound of the record is more positive than my previous work. That’s due, in part, to the world opening up post-pandemic, and is ultimately born from a will to connect with people and get out into the world again. The industry hasn’t fully recovered yet, but it is a blessing to be able to tour in any capacity again. Freedom is a theme that runs throughout (unintentionally), and I reckon that’s reflected musically as well as lyrically. I’ve reached a point in my career where I just want to make the music I want to make, and give less consideration to where it may sit in terms of stylings and genre. That’s an empowering place to be and it opens up a world of sonic possibilities.”
blairdunlop.com
Bar open from 7pm
Doors 7:15pm
Music from 7:45pm
£16 adv + £1 booking fee / £19 otd
https://bfcpresents.co.uk/product/blair-dunlop-2/
+ Simon Loake
A concert of much musicality and humour with club patrons PJ Wright and Guy Fletcher.
Opening support is from folk, blues, rock giant Simon Loake
£15, ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact John Butcher: 017474 850 212 or 07590 202203
j.w.butcher AT btintrnet.co.uk
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
Cara Dillon, an extraordinary, multiple award-winning Irish folk singer, and acclaimed musician and producer Sam Lakeman, will captivate listeners once again with their exquisite and enthralling live performance. Every note and word sung with a passion and confidence earned through a life of experience singing traditional songs.
Throughout an enviable career which has seen them explore opportunities to tread many different paths – from releasing folk crossover albums on indie label Rough Trade; recording on Disney soundtracks to collaborations with orchestras and even leading dance DJs – Cara has continuously chosen to firmly plant herself within the landscape of her Irish cultural heritage and that’s something to celebrate.
Their enduring partnership has ensured they have remained at the very pinnacle of the folk genre for well over two decades and this performance will feature a selection of acoustic songs from previous releases and may also include material from her highly anticipated 2024 release, “Coming Home”, her first in over six years. Within it Cara effortlessly blurs the lines between spoken word and song to stunning effect, exploring profoundly personal memories, her native Co. Derry and the people, places and customs she holds closest to her heart; revealing a newly found freedom to express herself within the tiniest of details and life’s larger mysteries.
Join Cara and Sam for an intimate evening full of exceptional music and the genuine warmth they bring to the stage.
www.caradillon.co.uk
Tickets: £24. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/cara-dillon/
Jez Lowe, Bob Fox & Julie Matthews together in a concert of songs and spoken word: “The New Radio Ballads” – In the Footsteps of Ewan MacColl
In the 50s and 60s Ewan MacColl along with Charles Parker and Peggy Seeger created the groundbreaking Radio Ballads broadcasts for the BBC Home Service using an audio documentary format to highlight the experiences of real people, weaving the voices of rarely-heard communities with songs written from and about their recorded interviews. Almost half a century later, in 2006, a new set of Radio Ballads were commissioned by BBC Radio 2 using the same format but this time involving a whole team of stellar musicians, singers and songwriters from the folk/acoustic/roots music scene under the guiding hands of producer John Leonard and musical director John Tams. Now three members of that team, Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Julie Matthews, have put together a selection of songs from the 2006 New Radio Ballads for a concert performance.
All three are consummate engaging performers of meaningful songs and stories and are multi-instrumentalists whose skills have been honed by decades of live touring. They have all recorded extensively, worked in collaboration with many of the top folk roots artists and bands as well as having highly successful solo careers and are well loved and respected by audiences and colleagues alike. Expect to be entertained and enlightened by songs of joy, love, hardship and humour. http://www.bobfoxmusic.com www.jezlowe.com http://www.whileandmatthews.com
Tickets: £23. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/in-the-footsteps-of-ewan-maccoll/
Critically acclaimed Southwest based alt-folk duo Jacob & Drinkwater formed in 2014, playing their first gig together at the iconic Glastonbury Festival.
Jacob’s sweeping vocals never fail to captivate, delivering many a spine-tingling moment; the fluidity and precision of his fingerpicking underpinned by Drinkwater’s nimbly rhythmic double bass; at times sweetly soaring, haunting, percussive and driving. Featured numerous times on BBC Radio 2, BBC6 Music and lauded by their musical peers, the pair are one of the most accomplished acts touring the circuit today.
7:00PM
Tickets: £15.00 (incl £1.00 cmsn) Venue: Studio
https://www.strodetheatre.org.uk/whats-on/view/jacob-and-drinkwater/
After a successful 2023 festival, this year will be the 11th annual folk festival and plans are under way to make it another truly memorable experience. Special thanks go to Pete Wheeler who retired as chair after his many years of dedication.
As in previous years, entertainment will take place all day, throughout the village. Key venues will include The David Hall, the Market Square, the Blake Hall, St Peter and St Paul Church and the Brewers Arms.
This is, as always, a day of free entertainment for all ages and will include music and dance performances, workshops, stalls and much, much more!!
www.pethertonfolkfest.co.uk
+ Mel Langton
A fabulous concert featuring the 4 piece band BANTER who are Simon Care on melodeon, Nina Zella on keyboards & vocals, Tim Walker on drums, percussion, brass, vocals, and Mark Jolley on bass, fiddle, guitar & vocals.
Opening support is from East Anglia's finest folk artiste, Mel Langton.
£15 ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact John Butcher: 017474 850 212 or 07590 202203
j.w.butcher AT btintrnet.co.uk
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
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
7.30pm - 10.00pm
Contact Steve Earwicker: 01929 480737
arish.mel AT btinternet.com
www.earwicker.org/arish_mel.htm
Plus Special Guests
Heart-Pounding Revelry A high-energy folk-rock band from the West Country, The Leylines mix raucous violin dynamic guitar riffs and acerbic lyrics. All of which culminate in a whirlwind show that will get heart, and mind, pounding.
The band have a reputation of playing rowdy, high-energy shows, and with their infectious feel-good tunes, The Leylines are firm favourites of the festival and independent venue circuit.
The Leylines are: Steve(vocals/acoustic guitar), Hannah (violin/keys/bs), Dan (lead guitar/bvs), Sean(bass guitar/bvs) and Dave(Drums)
www.theleylinesmusic.co.uk
Tickets: £18 Full. £17 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/the-leylines-a-chance-to-dance-event/
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
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