The Folk Forecast: 1–7 March 2021
Including the Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show, a Beginner's Guide to Welsh Trad Music, Jackie Oates, Daoirí Farrell and a new EP from Ellie Gowers.
Hello, and welcome to a St David’s Day edition of The Folk Forecast! To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a playlist of Welsh folk to enjoy this week. You can also catch the new documentary, A Beginner’s Guide to Welsh Trad Folk, as well as some fantastic St David’s Day tunes from Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes of Calan.
This week, it’s also time for the Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show, so tune in to see what’s made the top 40 this month. We’ll also be on the show with some of our top picks for the coming month, so we’ll see you there (well, on YouTube!)
MONDAY 1 MARCH
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show — 7pm GMT
Folk on Foot website, YouTube and podcast feed. Commissioned by English Folk Expo and compiled by the Official Charts Company.
See which albums have made the Official Folk Albums Chart this month, with Folk on Foot. Packed with stories, music and exclusive content, this is always a joy to watch. We’ll also be on the show to share our picks for the coming month.
Free to access, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
Welsh Trad Music: A Beginner’s Guide — 7.30pm GMT
Rhodri McDonagh on Facebook
Tune in on St David's Day for the launch of the documentary "Welsh Trad Music: A Beginner’s Guide" which looks at the past, present and future of traditional music and customs in Wales.
Free to view.
Tunes for St David’s Day with Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes
Live Music Now on YouTube
Another treat for St David’s Day! Catch this very special video of Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes from Calan playing a beautiful set of Welsh tunes. This is available to view on YouTube, so you can watch it whenever you fancy.
Free to view.
TUESDAY 2 MARCH
Covid Sings Singaround — 8pm GMT
Soundpost
If you’re missing your usual folk club or singaround, join Fay Hield and fellow folkies from near and far to swap songs over Zoom. Covid Sings is held on the first Tuesday of every month.
Free to attend.
WEDNESDAY 3 MARCH
Jackie Oates: The FolkSoc UK Spring Streams — 7pm GMT
FolkSoc UK on Facebook
FolkSoc UK present the first in their series of Spring Streams, featuring award-winning musician and sublime singer Jackie Oates. There’s also the opportunity for a Q&A after the gig.
Free to view
Filkin's Drift — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Birmingham-based duo Filkin’s Drift explore original and traditional tunes and songs, drawing influence from the Afro-Cuban bembé, EDM, and their native folk traditions of Wales and England.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
THURSDAY 4 MARCH
Big Band Ceilidh Tunes Workshop — 6.30pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
A fantastic chance to learn ‘big band’ arrangements of a few of your favourite ceilidh tunes, with Jenny Newman and Andy Glass of The Party Band. Suitable for all instruments and abilities.
Tickets £12, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
‘Diddling’ Workshop with Rowan Rheingans plus Eurosession — 7.30pm GMT
Sheffield Eurosession
Learn how to sing for dancing with this workshop from Rowan Rheingans. After the workshop, enjoy the Eurosession with tunes and dancing until 11pm.
Tickets by donation depending on what you can afford.
FRIDAY 5 MARCH
Megson’s End of Winter Celebration — 7.30pm GMT
Megson on Facebook
Join Megson to celebrate the arrival of Spring and the launch of their new single, Through the Winter. They’ll be performing a mix of Megson classics, some older gems and brand new tracks, including the new single.
VIP tickets available for £10, which includes an exclusive download of the show and a download of the new single.
An Hour or So With… Luke Jackson — 8pm GMT
Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Enjoy an hour or so of song-sharing and conversation with accomplished singer-songwriter and guitarist Luke Jackson. This event is presented by Downend Folk Club, who have been doing a great job hosting weekly events on Facebook to cheer us all up during lockdown!
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received to the tip jar.
Steve Knightley Live with the Heart of Devon, Bow — 8pm GMT
Firebrand Music Events / The Heart of Devon
Steve Knightley of Show of Hands plays an intimate gig for The Heart of Devon, which will be streamed via YouTube. There will be an optional Q&A session post-show, via Zoom.
Tickets £20 plus booking fee, which includes a donation to charity.
KlezNorth 2021 — Various events from 5-7 March
KlezNorth
Enjoy a Klezmer festival from home, featuring concerts, workshops, a Klezmer Keilidh, opportunities to jam and lots more! Whether you’re a dedicated Klezmer fan or just fancy giving it a go, there’s something for everyone.
Weekend tickets £70, Introduction to Klezmer tickets £15. Individual events also available to book, and some events open to the public.
SATURDAY 6 MARCH
Elizabeth & Jameson — 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court
Award-winning duo Hannah Elizabeth and Griff Jameson join forces to create their own brand of indie-folk.
Free to attend, but donations encouraged.
Daoirí Farrell — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí Farrell has been described by some of the biggest names in Irish folk music as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years. Here’s a chance to see him from the comfort of home, and even ask him any questions you might have!
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
SUNDAY 7 MARCH
Clog Stepping for Intermediates with Melanie Barber — 11am GMT, & again at 11am on Sunday 14 March
The Morris Federation
Melanie Barber will teach the Whitby Toesday Waltz for intermediate clog dancers, made up of 10 steps. This is the first of two sessions, with the second being at the same time next week. Sessions will be taught over Zoom.
Free to attend, but donations to charity encouraged.
Ellie Gowers EP Launch — 7.30pm GMT
Fancourt Music / Gillywisky Records
Join Ellie Gowers for the launch of her new EP, Parting Breath — our Record of the Week! Ellie will be joined (remotely) by some of the musicians who appear on the EP. There will also be a Q&A and after-show party on Zoom at 9pm.
Tickets £5 for the launch event only, or £8 for the launch event and a copy of the EP.
Reg Meuross at Readifolk at Home — 8pm GMT
Readifolk
Enjoy Reg’s thought-provoking stories told through song, hosted by Readifolk.
Free to view - email mail colin@readifolk.org.uk to be added to the mailing list.
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.
Paul McKenna - Paul regularly plays Facebook gigs on Saturday nights at 8pm.
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.
Social Dancing with Lisa Heywood - Regular chances to get together and learn dances inspired by ceilidh (UK), contra (US) and European folk dances.
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.
Songs of England
The Nest Collective have teamed up with English Heritage for this fantastic project, which pairs up 12 traditional folk songs with some of England’s most iconic historic places. The songs have been recorded by artists including Fay Hield, Sam Lee, Lisa Knapp, Lucy Farrell and Jon Boden, and beautiful films have been created to draw the songs and places together.
Hannah James - 4-week Beginners’ Clog Course
This 4-week introduction to clog dancing with Hannah James is coming up in April. Each week will look at the basics of technique, posture, rhythm stepping to music, and learning a simple routine. Classes will run on Saturday mornings at 10am GMT, starting on 3 April.
Iona Lane Kickstarter
Iona Lane is crowdfunding to create her very first album, and you could help make it happen! She has a collection of songs ready to record, rooted in storytelling and exploring our links to the natural world. Pledge to support her with releasing the album, and get all sorts of goodies in return.
This week’s playlist
To mark St David’s Day, this week’s playlist is a celebration of Welsh folk. Have a listen, and let us know if you’ve got any favourites that we should add!
Record of the week
Parting Breath by Ellie Gowers. This bold new EP explores all aspects of the human condition, from our place within society to our connection with nature. With stunning vocals, gorgeous arrangements and powerful lyrics, this is a record you’ll be listening to time and time again (we’ve had it on repeat!).
The EP will be released on Friday 5 March, and Ellie is also doing a launch event on 7 March, with tickets and copies of the EP available from her Bandcamp page.
Keep up to date - find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
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.