Author: Graham Smith

Originally performed in 2006, a remarkable journey through the English Midwinter in music and song. The customs and traditions of England at Midwinter yield a breathtaking array of dazzling riches, and accordion maestro John Kirkpatrick takes the listener through tunes celebrating Midwinter dance, rhymes of hope and luck-bringing, songs in honour of food and seasonal merriment, and…

Marion has a voice which has been described as mesmerising and ´siren-esque´, and plays all things bowed. A well-known figure on the folk scene, she is probably best known as a multi-instrumentalist member of new folk supergroup TRADarrr. She was a member of Meet on the Ledge and the award-winning ColvinQuarmby – now known as…

During years of part-time touring, Kip Winter (vocals, accordion, guitar, flute) and Dave Wilson (vocals, guitar, banjo) built a reputation for fine songs, stunning harmonies and spontaneous, (occasionally outrageous!) off-the-wall humour. Dave Wilson is now recognised as one of the UK’s best contemporary, acoustic songwriters. A great wordsmith, his songs are sometimes challenging, often lyrical,…

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 covering a variety of subjects and 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…

“When the faces of one hundred plus people leaving a concert are, without exception, beaming from ear to ear, with many eagerly clutching their newly purchased and signed CDs, it stands a good chance that the evening has been a successful one. Such was the case last night as Ranagri made a triumphant return to…

Andy Cutting is a rarity. A musician’s musician: a soulful and technically outstanding melodeon practitioner with an ear for a fine tune. Many of his tunes have been purloined along the way: some considered contemporary classics on the folk scene. But then, Andy is also a warm and emotive perfomer, modestly engaging his audiences with…

The group Churchfitters was founded in 1978 and Rosie Short joined soon after its formation having previously been playing in a London-based traditional Irish outfit. During the years that followed, the group frequently changed its line-up making a point of always including members from diverse musical backgrounds in order to maintain a fresh and original approach to folk music.…

THE SONGS THE SOUNDS & THE BLUES of BEN TYZACK A slight change to our Spikedrivers gig. Maurice (the drummer), was recovering from a serious heart issue so Ben (the lead guitarist), offered to fit us in to his solo tour instead, on the same date. Ben is a highly respected and talented guitarist and…

A fabulous fusion of blues, rock, folk and Americana that blew the socks off our audience. Absolute class.”Steve Sheldon www.folkicons.co.uk “What an amazing band! The Jigantics were fantastic. No wonder the place was packed out. What an absolutely brilliant masterclass in entertainment. The whole gambit of musical styles in a one stop shop. Witty, skilfull and…

Edgelarks fly in on the tailwind of BBC award winning duo Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin. The pair’s new project takes the roots of their previous work, from the traditional musics of the British Isles to Indian classical slide guitar to the stomping roots party of Phil’s beatbox harmonica; adds a strong stem of original…