The Folk Forecast: 15–21 Feb 2021
David Eagle solo gig, plus Edwina Hayes, Hannah James, the IVFDF, a tour from Breabach and lots more
Hello, and welcome back to another issue of The Folk Forecast! It’s been a busy and music-filled week, and I’m running a bit later than usual after spending the day enjoying the Folk on Foot Festival of LOVE. At the time of writing, the Folk on Foot fundraiser is nearing £70k, and it’s been a great day of music and togetherness. If you missed it, you can watch it again on YouTube and the fundraiser is still running here.
The next week is looking a bit quieter, but there’s still lots to keep you entertained, including a solo music and comedy gig from David Eagle of The Young’Uns, a visit to Downend Folk Festival from one of my all-time favourite artists Hannah James, and the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival. As usual, I’ve drawn together a playlist inspired by the artists featured, if you’d like to have a listen!
TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY
Nick Cope Family Concert — 3pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
For over a decade, Nick Cope has been writing, recording and performing music for families, and he is loved by children and parents alike. Join Nick and his whippet Norman for an interactive live concert, plus the chance to chat to Nick and Norman live on air. The gig will be streamed via Zoom.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY
Reg Meuross - Calendar Concerts: February — 7.30pm GMT
Fromthewhitehouse / Company of Song
Reg Meuross will be singing a selection of songs from his extensive back catalogue: one set of requests, and a second set of his own choice. Make a donation to get access to the Zoom link, and get the chance to make any requests!
Tickets via a donation of your choice.
Edwina Hayes — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Edwina Hayes’ beautifully written songs, charming stage presence and voice of an angel have won her a reputation as a true natural talent of folk-Americana. She has opened numerous shows for Jools Holland and Van Morrison, as well as her own gigs, playing stages everywhere from Glastonbury Festival to The Royal Albert Hall. For this gig, you’ll be treated to something a little more intimate, as she streams to your living room via Zoom.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY
Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) 2021 - various events from Friday to Sunday
IVFDF
The Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) is a student-led folk festival which is going online this year for the first time. The IVFDF has been running since 1951, and is the UK’s longest continually running folk festival! This year’s hosts are Bristol University Folk Society. Events will be held from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 February, including a ceilidh, contra dancing, instrumental and dance workshops and even a morris dance competition held in Minecraft.
Standard tickets £10, with the option to pay more (£25) as a supporter, or £1 if you’re unwaged right now.
The Isolation Sessions - Song Swap with Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne — 7pm GMT
Piers Cawley on YouTube
Piers Cawley continues his Isolation Sessions, this time swapping songs with folk singer and musician Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne.
Free to view for a limited time, but donations encouraged.
An Hour or So With… Hannah James — 8pm GMT
Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Downend Folk Club opens its virtual doors to one of my absolute favourite musicians, Hannah James. Hannah is an incredibly talented singer, accordionist and dancer who brings a wide range of influences from across the world into her work. Tune in as she catches up with Ant Miles from Downend Folk Club for an hour or so of songs and conversation.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received to the tip jar.
SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY
Music Theory For Folk Musicians — 10am GMT
Askew Music School
A 6-week course with Emily Askew which will provide an introduction to the music theory behind UK folk music, including modes, scales, chords, intervals and harmonies. The course is open to players of all instruments, and will involve learning tunes as well as the theory behind the music.
Tickets £12 per session, or £60 for the whole course.
Battle of the Folk Bands — 2pm GMT
Hands Up for Trad Facebook and YouTube channels
Battle of the Folk Bands will be going online in 2021, with bands competing including the Tom Campbell Trio, the John Dew Trio, The Fountaineers and Katie Macfarlane. There will be a public vote, so you can have a say on your favourite!
Free to view.
Miranda Sykes: Strong Women — 7.30pm GMT
Miranda Sykes on Facebook
Join Miranda Sykes for an intimate solo gig on Facebook, as she plays songs written by UK female singer-songwriters.
Free to view, but donations to the tip jar encouraged.
Lunatraktors — 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court
Influenced by flamenco, post-punk and trip hop, Lunatraktors describe their sound as 'broken folk' which strips trad folk back to rhythm and voice. Their DIY debut This Is Broken Folk made it onto MOJO Magazine's Top Ten Folk Albums.
Free to attend, but donations encouraged.
David Eagle — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
David Eagle is best known for being one third of award-winning folk trio The Young’uns, but he’s also a stand-up comedian, and was awarded New Comedian Of The Year by Leicester Square Theatre, Bath Comedy Festival and Nottingham Comedy Festival. Join him for an evening of music, comedy and general silliness, which is sure to be exactly the tonic you need right now.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY
Songwriting Immersion Day with Dan Whitehouse — from 10.30am GMT
Fromthewhitehouse / Company of Song
Completely immerse yourself in your songwriting for a day, and write several songs (or song sketches). Working by ear and using improvisation, the immersion method uses simple musical games and exercises to reconnect writers with their creative self, providing the stimulus and motivation to generate new and original raw material. This workshop is led by Dan Whitehouse: ‘a master craftsman and wordsmith at the peak of his prowess’ (Mike Davies, FRUK).
Tickets £35, or £20 for students and concessions.
Beginner’s Guide to Folk Music — 3pm GMT
Askew Music School
A 6-week course with Emily Askew and John Dipper, serving as an introduction to instrumental folk music. The course will be open to all instruments, and will look at different dance styles, use of emphasis, ornamentation and arrangement techniques to help bring your tunes to life.
Tickets £12 per session, or £60 for the whole course.
Regular events
‘Almost Acoustic’ with Eliza Carthy on Radio Scarborough - Mondays at 8pm. The show is also repeated through the week, so you can catch up if you miss it.
Afternoon Tea with Paul Walker and Karen Pfeiffer - Concerts are held on Fridays at 4pm on Facebook.
Winter Wilson Live from the Lounge - Concerts are held on Thursdays at 8.15pm on Facebook.
Jack Hogsden’s Kitchen Sessions - Concerts are held on Saturdays at 7.30pm on Facebook. All money raised goes to Don’t Stop the Music.
Tim Edey’s Sleeping Tunes - Concerts are held on Saturdays at 9pm on Facebook.
Will Pound’s Sunday concerts - Concerts are held on Sundays at 11.30am on Facebook.
Honey and the Bear - Concerts are held on Sundays at 7pm on Facebook.
Cara Dillon: This Woman’s Work on BBC Radio Ulster - This radio series is being broadcast on Sundays at 4pm, and you can catch up on past episodes now.
The Isolation Pub Sessions - John Spiers hosts monthly sessions on his Facebook page, and you can submit recordings of you playing if you’d like to join in!
‘Folk from the Boat’ - a YouTube series exploring traditional songs and tunes with Anna Tam, as she travels through Britain’s waterways on her canal boat.
Breabach (Dùsgadh) - Virtual Tour
This new animated film project is a collaboration between renowned Scottish folk group Breabach and Bafta winning animator Cat Bruce. Based on The Sea Maiden, the film is available to view in Gaelic and English. It features a soundtrack with five new pieces of music, one from each of Breabach’s five members, all of which were written, recorded and produced from home during the pandemic. The film is going on a virtual tour to venues across the country right through until 6 March, so you can support your favourite venue as well as the artists involved.
12 Silk Handkerchiefs - Reg Meuross song cycle
12 Silk Handkerchiefs, Reg Meuross’s 13th album, opens a window on Hull’s Hessle Road fishing community in the aftermath of the Triple Trawler Disaster of 1968. After three sell-out performances in Hull that recreated and expanded upon the original song cycle, the singer-songwriter took the show on a national tour in Autumn 2019, supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. One of these shows was captured in full and is now available to watch on YouTube until the end of February.
Scottish Culture & Traditions - Spring Term
Scottish Culture and Traditions are running a 12-week online term of lessons, starting on Monday 1 March. Lessons available include everything from guitar, mandolin and fiddle to banjo, harmonica and ukelele, as well as a choir.
A Song For Us
‘A Song For Us’ is a national music project marking this moment in time, celebrating communities and the power of music to bring us together. Help create a music map of the country with your songs, by sharing a favourite song (or one of your own!) that holds a special meaning at this time. Leading singer-songwriters and composers including Seth Lakeman and This Is the Kit have also created new songs for their counties which will be launched on 23 March 2021, the first anniversary of lockdown 1.
Sam Lee - The Nightgale
Folk musician and conservationist Sam Lee charts the story of the nightingale – from its ornithological characteristics to its appearances in mythology and art – in this celebration of nature and creativity. It will be published on 21 March, but you can pre-order a signed copy now.
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
A Valentine’s Day treat from Sam Sweeney, Jenn Butterworth and Rob Harbron, plus a few special guests!
This week’s playlist
Head over to this week’s playlist to hear a selection of tracks from artists featured in this issue. Listen to something new, and see which gigs you might fancy going to!
Record of the week
Lizzy Hardingham’s new single Orpheus, which was released on Valentine’s Day! Exploring Greek mythology, as well as more universal themes around falling in love, Orpheus is a song filled with tenderness and beauty, showcased by Lizzy’s outstanding voice. Lizzy is currently being mentored by English Folk Expo, with a view to affirming her place as one of folk’s rising stars!
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The Folk Forecast is created for artists, for audiences and for the UK folk scene. All information is correct to the best of our knowledge. If you have queries about the events listed, please contact the artists or promoters. If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future newsletters, please email TheFolkForecast@gmail.com. We may not be able to include absolutely everything, but we’re interested in UK folk events with a broad appeal, and would particularly welcome suggestions from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Folk Forecast is compiled by one person, so please bear with me if I can’t get back to you right away.