The Folk Forecast: 18–24 Jan 2021
Celtic Connections and a new episode of Folk on Foot, plus workshops galore from Rachael McShane, Rob Harbron, Gilmore & Roberts and Lady Maisery.
Hello (or should we say ahoy?) and welcome to another issue of The Folk Forecast! As you’ve probably seen, the latest surprise of lockdown is that sea shanties have surged in popularity after taking TikTok by storm. It’s been great to see people right around the world enjoying, sharing and collaborating on shanties. We’ve put together a playlist inspired by the songs trending if you fancy a listen, plus our usual playlist of artists featured this week.
As ever, there’s lots to look forward to this week, with events every day from Celtic Connections, plus a flurry of workshops from Rachael McShane, Rob Harbron, Gilmore and Roberts and Lady Maisery. We’re also looking forward to co-hosting a gig with Hector Gannet on Friday. Find all the details below — have a great week!
MONDAY 18 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 5pm GMT
Celtic Connections
Celtic Connections continues, with events on every day this week.
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
6pm - Blazin’ at Celtic Connections 2021
7.30pm - Come Away In with Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Rab Noakes, Siobhan Miller and Findlay Napier
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
TUESDAY 19 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 1pm GMT
Celtic Connections
1pm - Dementia-Friendly Concert: Catherine Tinney & Luc McNally
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
6pm - Blazin’ at Celtic Connections 2021
7.30pm - Breabach | Aidan O' Rourke 365 | Rachel Newton | Bassekou Kouyate | Katherine Priddy
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 12.30pm GMT
Celtic Connections
12.30pm - Celtic Connections on Campus
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
6pm - Blazin’ at Celtic Connections 2021
7.30pm - Blue Rose Code | Karen Matheson | LYRE | Rory Butler
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
THURSDAY 21 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 12.30pm GMT
Celtic Connections
12.30pm - Celtic Connections on Campus
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
6pm - Blazin’ at Celtic Connections 2021
7.30pm - Ross Ainslie and The Sanctuary Band | Talisk | Mànran| Siobhan Miller | Beth Malcolm
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
Rob Harbron — 8pm GMT
Rob Harbron on Zoom
Join Rob Harbron for a solo gig on zoom, featuring tunes from his latest album ‘Meanders’, plus conversation and a chance to ask questions.
Tickets £12
FRIDAY 22 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 12.30pm GMT
Celtic Connections
12.30pm - Celtic Connections on Campus
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
7.30pm - Blazin' Fiddles | Xabier Diaz | Gnoss | Deirdre Graham
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
Hector Gannet — 7.30pm GMT
Hector Gannet on Facebook
Aaron Duff, aka Hector Gannet, presents ‘Pictures in Your Garden’, a solo acoustic set of songs including brand-new material completed during lockdown. We’ve done some collaboration on this one, so you’ll be able to view it on The Folk Forecast page on Facebook when it goes live. Get a taste of what to expect with this video of Hector Gannet’s solo acoustic gig last year!
Free event
Emily Barker + Kris Drever + Sam Brookes — 8pm GMT
Green Note website, Facebook page and YouTube channel
Enjoy an evening of song-sharing with Emily Barker, Kris Drever and Sam Brookes, as they perform ‘in the round’ for London’s Green Note.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received on Paypal.
An Hour or So With… Blair Dunlop — 8pm GMT
Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Enjoy an hour or so of song-sharing and conversation with award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist Blair Dunlop. This event is presented by Downend Folk Club, who have been doing a fantastic job of cheering us up with weekly events on Facebook during lockdown.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received on Paypal.
Rob Heron and the Teapad Orchestra — 8pm GMT
The Globe Newcastle
A band that truly transcends genres, Rob Heron and the Teapad Orchestra take inspiration from rock, swing, blues, country and more. They’re heaps of fun to listen to — here’s a taste of what to expect!
Livestream tickets £7.50, with the option to pay more to support the artists and venue. Stream is available to view for a week.
Folk on Foot - The Rheingans Sisters in Grindleford
Folk on Foot website and podcast feed
A new episode of the Folk on Foot podcast is coming on Friday! Join Matthew Bannister as he goes walking with The Rheingans Sisters, visits their family’s amazing violin workshop and finds out more about what inspires them.
Free to listen, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
SATURDAY 23 JANUARY
Rachael McShane Absolute Beginners Intensive Fiddle Workshop — 10am GMT (second class on 30 Jan at 10am)
Rachael McShane on Zoom
This is a 2-week intensive fiddle course for absolute beginners, covering the basics to get you started playing. All you need is a fiddle and bow! The course is for adults, and sessions will be held via Zoom.
Tickets £41.50 for a 2-week course
Celtic Connections — from 10.30am GMT
Celtic Connections
10.30am - Guitar with Sean Gray
1pm - Ceilidh Band with John Carmichael
3.30pm - Ukelele Early Stages: First Steps in Ukelele with Finlay Allison
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
7.30pm - Dreamers' Circus | Kathleen MacInnes | Ímar | The Womanly Voices of Jodhpur RIFF
9pm - Admiral Fallow in Concert
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
Rob Harbron Concertina Workshop - Turning a Tune into an Arrangement — from 10.30am GMT
Rob Harbron on Zoom
Join Rob Harbron as he talks through the processes and techniques he uses to turn a tune into a solo arrangement, including chords, rhythm and techniques for improving your playing. The workshop is particularly aimed at English concertina players, but players of other instruments are welcome too. The main focus will be on ideas that you can take away and work on in your own time, and the workshop will be recorded so you can watch again at your leisure.
Tickets £12
Burns Big Night In — 7pm GMT
National Trust for Scotland
We may be stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on Burns Night celebrations! Enjoy a night of entertainment hosted by Edith Bowman, featuring music from Talisk, Jenn Butterworth, Ross Ainslie and more. Tickets allow you to view the event for a week.
Tickets from £18
Phil Beer - Live with Shutlanger — 7.30pm GMT
Firebrand Music Events/Shutlanger
Phil Beer, known for being half of the ever-popular duo Show of Hands, presents a solo gig for you to enjoy from the comfort of home.
Tickets £15 plus booking fee.
Rachel Croft — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Singer-songwriter Rachel Croft grew up with her roots in folk, but her music is increasingly genre-fluid. Her rich and varied range, strong stage presence and songwriting abilities have landed her in the spotlight of many UK festival stages and European venues, but for now you can enjoy hearing her without leaving the house.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Julie Grant — 8pm GMT
The Globe Newcastle
Dulcet tones meet powerful lyrics, as Julie Grant explores life’s meaning and experiences through beautifully crafted songs.
Livestream tickets £7.50, with the option to pay more to support the artists and venue. Stream is available to view for a week.
SUNDAY 24 JANUARY
Celtic Connections — from 10am GMT
Celtic Connections
10am - Claire’s Music Club
10.30am - Cello with Trish Strain
1pm - New Voices: Charlie Stewart
1.30pm - Jigs & Reels with Daniel Thorpe
3.30pm - Fiddle Gym with Emma Tomlinson
5pm - Danny Kyle Open Stage
7.30pm - The Secret Sisters | Kinnaris Quintet | An Tobar presents
9pm - José González in Concert from Sweden
Event tickets range from free to £10, or get a festival pass for £40.
Chris Fox — 4pm GMT
Folk Weekend Oxford on Facebook
Award-winning singer-songwriter Chris Fox has worked his way through the Cambridge music scene the past few years, each year acclaiming greater presence at an increasing number of stages and festivals, including Cambridge Folk Festival. His music reflects thought provoking topics and humorous insights on life with deep powerful vocals and varied and eclectic guitar styles that span the roots lexicon of Americana, Folk, Country and Blues.
Free event
Lady Maisery Online Singing Day — from 10.30am GMT
Lady Maisery on Zoom
Join Lady Maisery for a day of harmony singing, with the chance to hang out and share songs in the evening too.
Tickets £55, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Sessions will be held via Zoom.
John Kirkpatrick - Morris Music — 7.30pm GMT
John Kirkpatrick on Zoom
John Kirkpatrick plays tunes and songs from ‘Morris On’ and ‘Plain Capers’, plus tunes from his local dance teams and more.
Tickets £10
Burns And A’ That with Vicki Swan, Jonny Dyer and Hector Gilchrist — 7.30pm GMT
Hosted on Zoom
Expect an evening of Burns songs, pipe tunes, poems, a story and folk favourites with Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer, who will be joined by the wonderful Scots singer Hector Gilchrist. You’ll find all the usual trappings of a Burns evening – but you’ll have to supply your own whisky and haggis!
Tickets £8 for a single ticket or £12 for a household
Gilmore & Roberts Songwriting Workshop — 7.45pm GMT
Gilmore & Roberts
Award-winning contemporary folk duo Gilmore & Roberts explore the fundamental elements of songwriting in this one-off YouTube workshop. Using their own work to highlight different options in areas such as subject matter, lyrics and rhyme, structure, harmony, melody, mood and arrangement, they will provide you with a toolkit of tips and techniques to help you construct your own songs.
Tickets £10 for a single viewer or £15 for a household
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.
Tim Edey’s Sleeping Tunes - Concerts are held on Saturdays at 9pm on Facebook
Will Pound’s Sunday concerts - Will Pound hosts concerts on Facebook on Sundays at 11.30am.
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!
Karafolkie
Many of us are missing playing in sessions right now, and Jenn Butterworth has been hard at work launching a new platform to keep us going! Karafolkie provides a library of trad backing tracks to play along with and digital sheet music to help you learn the tunes.
Don’t Stop the Music
Don’t Stop The Music was created to raise funds for people in the events industry affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, including techies, roadies, lampies, agents and musicians in need of financial help. Take a look at their website to find out more, shop for merch or make a donation.
This week’s playlist
This week, we’ve put together a playlist inspired by the sea shanty TikTok trend, with a mix of the songs that been popular recently and a capella folk songs in a similar style. As usual, we’ve also compiled a playlist featuring artists from this week’s issue, for a taster of upcoming gigs. It’s a bit of a mega playlist with there being so many events from Celtic Connections, so it could keep you listening for quite a while…
Album of the week
’Up the Cut’ by Jon Wilks. The album features traditional songs from Birmingham and the Midlands, some of which haven’t been heard in over 180 years! As a researcher and performer of traditional folk songs, Jon has a keen interest in the history of songs in his local area, and with this album he’s uncovered a wealth of stories to pass on. The album will be released on 12 February and is currently available for pre-order.
Share your views
Thanks to everyone who’s completed our survey so far — we’ve had some lovely feedback, and it’s been great to hear about your ideas! There’s still time to have your say if you’d like to tell us what you think of The Folk Forecast so far.
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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.