The Folk Forecast: 23 Nov–6 Dec 2020
Including Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, John Kirkpatrick, Show of Hands and the return of the one and only Bellowhead!
Hello, and welcome to another issue of The Folk Forecast! I hope you’ve had a good weekend and are finding plenty of things to keep you cheerful during lockdown 2. If you’ve been to any of the events mentioned in the last newsletter, let me know what you thought!
One of my highlights of the last fortnight was Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith’s concert for Furness Tradition, and I’ve chosen their ‘Awake, Arise’ album with Lady Maisery as this issue’s album of the fortnight. It’s a festive album, but isn’t TOO Christmassy, so don’t worry if you aren’t quite ready to deck the halls just yet! You can find my top track, as well as tracks from the other highlighted artists in this issue, in this fortnight’s playlist. The playlists are proving to be a great way for me to break out of my usual favourites, and I hope that you also enjoy finding something new!
HIGHLIGHTS
Imagining Ireland: Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
Tuesday 24 November 8pm GMT
National Concert Hall Dublin
I discovered Rhiannon Giddens at about this time last year, whilst working for Sage Gateshead. After hearing her version of ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ with Francesco Turrisi being promoted in the run-up to the gig, it was love at first listen. I went to the concert that week, and made my very first vinyl purchase at the merch desk. Highly recommended!
Tickets €10 (approx £9), access to the stream lasts for 24 hours.
Sam Lee, Lucy Farrell & Rowan Rheingans
Friday 27 November 8pm GMT
Green Note website, Facebook page and YouTube channel
We’re in for a treat with this one, as we get to enjoy three of the most talented and original songwriters on the folk scene in just one night. Lucy Farrell is known for her work with Eliza Carthy and The Furrow Collective, whilst Rowan Rheingans performs with The Rheingans Sisters and Lady Maisery, and Sam Lee is known for his environmental work and founding of The Nest Collective. All three are great storytellers, each with their own unique voice.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received on Paypal.
John Kirkpatrick
Tunes from the Trenches - Friday 27 November 7.30pm GMT
Carolling & Crumpets - Friday 4 December 7.30pm GMT
John Kirkpatrick on Zoom
Renowned squeezebox virtuoso John Kirkpatrick is hosting a number of gigs on Zoom, including ‘Tunes from the Trenches’, featuring songs from the First and Second World Wars, and ‘Carolling and Crumpets’, to get you feeling Christmassy!
Tickets £10
An Hour Or So With… Jon Boden
Friday 27 November 8pm GMT
Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Downend Folk Club have been hosting weekly gigs on Facebook during lockdown, and the next one features none other than Jon Boden, lead singer of the mighty Bellowhead. Join him for an hour or so for some chat and songs, and get the chance to put forward any burning questions.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received on Paypal.
If you live near Norfolk, Jon is also planning to do a socially distanced gig at The Corn Hall in Diss on Saturday 5 December if lockdown restrictions allow - find out more.
Show of Hands - Autumn Concert Tour Video
Saturday 28 November 7.30pm GMT
Firebrand Music Events - tickets via a private YouTube link
Before the country locked down for a second time, Steve Knightley, Phil Beer, Miranda Sykes and Cormac Byrne played a sell-out concert at Exeter Northcott Theatre. The concert was filmed and will now be available to enjoy online, as well as a new live double album also being released.
Tickets for the concert £15, with packages including the new album also available.
Jim Causley
Saturday 28 November 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Described by Mojo Magazine as “the finest singer of his generation”, Jim Causley is a multi-award winning singer-songwriter and musician. He’s composed music for film and television and presented his own folk radio show, but now he’s heading to your living room - you’d best put the kettle on.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Live at Sam’s: Nancy Kerr & James Fagan
Sunday 29 November 7.30pm GMT
Live at Sam’s
With almost 25 years together, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan are one of the best loved duos on the UK folk scene, with an impressive repertoire of material from the UK and Australia, as well as beautifully written original songs. Catch them playing from their hometown of Sheffield in this concert presented by Live at Sam’s.
Tickets for a suggested donation of £12 per person.
Les Barker
Friday 4 December 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
After the year we’ve all had, we need some laughter in our lives, and Les Barker is just the tonic! His comic poems cover just about everything you can imagine, with silliness that’s sure to raise a smile.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Ministry of Folk Wintery Weekend
Friday 4 - Sunday 6 December
Ministry of Folk
Based in the USA, the Ministry of Folk was set up to connect the folk community during this difficult time. On the first weekend in December, they’re hosting their Wintery Weekend festival, featuring workshops, sessions and concerts. Artists include Sam Sweeney, Iona Fyfe, Alex Cumming and many more. Timings on the website are on Eastern Daylight Time, so add on 5 hours for GMT!
Tickets $50 for the whole weekend (approx £38)
Bellowhead
Saturday 5 December 8pm GMT
Stabal/Crosstown Concerts/DMF Music
Folk fans have been wishing for Bellowhead to reunite ever since their farewell tour in 2016, and in the midst of a pandemic, it’s finally happening! Tune in for a one-off concert celebrating 10 years since the release of ‘Hedonism’, and enjoy bouncing up and down to your Bellowhead favourites from the comfort of your own home.
Tickets £16.50 for a one-night pass, or £22 for a 30-day pass with exclusive extras.
Lady Maisery Winter Singing Day
Sunday 6 December from 10.30am GMT
Lady Maisery on Zoom
Join Lady Maisery for a whole day of online workshops, this time featuring songs with a seasonal theme, including music from ‘Awake, Arise’, our album of the fortnight. As well as sessions through the day, there will be the chance to hang out with Lady Maisery and share songs in the evening.
Tickets £55, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Sessions will be held via Zoom.
Also look out for…
Catherine MacLellan - Wednesday 25 November 8pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Big Band Ceilidh Tunes Workshops - Thursday 26 November & Thursday 3 December 6.30pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Folk Talk Live: What Next? (Industry Conference) - Thursday 26 November from 12pm GMT, English Folk Expo
Tim Edey - Thursday 26 November 7.30pm, Poppleton Live
Virtual Showcase with Clive Carroll - Friday 27 November 8pm GMT, Cambridge Folk Club
Virtual Grand Sing 2020 - Saturday 28 November 7.30pm GMT, Village Carols
Daria Kulesh & Marina Osman - Saturday 28 November 8pm, Daria Kulesh on Zoom
Michael Chapman: Ancient & Modern (Live from The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall) - Sunday 29 November 7pm GMT, The Crescent Community Venue York
Gilmore and Roberts - Sunday 29 November 8pm GMT, The Live Room Saltaire
Covid Sings singaround hosted by Fay Hield - Tuesday 1 December 8pm GMT, Soundpost
Moirai - Wednesday 2 December 8pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Calan and Gwilym Bowen Rhys - Wednesday 2 December 7.30pm, @LwpS4C on Facebook and YouTube
Daria Kulesh & Tristan Seume - Wednesday 2 December 8pm, Daria Kulesh on Zoom
Danni Nicholls, Stylusboy and Granville Automatic - Wednesday 2 December 8pm GMT, Green Note
Amelia Coburn and Teenage Waitress - Friday 4 December 7pm GMT, RBOC Live Events on Facebook
Megson’s Yuletide Live Stream - Friday 4 December 7.30pm GMT, Megson on Facebook
An Hour or So With… Ellie Gowers - Friday 4 December 8pm GMT, Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Martin Simpson guitar workshop - Saturday 5 December from 10am GMT, Email info@martinsimpson.com with ‘Guitar Workshop’ in the subject line for further details and to sign up
John Dipper workshop series - Saturday 5 December, Saturday 12 December, Saturday 19 December & Monday 28 December 4pm GMT, John Dipper on Zoom, email JohnDipper@mac.com for further details and to sign up
Howzat TV: Balter - Sunday 6 December 7pm GMT, Howzat TV on YouTube
A Brief History of Christmas - Chris Green, Sophie Matthews & Jude Rees - Sunday 6 December 8pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Fundraisers
A few artists are running fundraisers at the moment, including:
Breaking Tradition - The producers of The Lock In and The Demon Barbers XL are fundraising to create a new outdoor show in 2021, with lots of great goodies in store in return for your pledges.
Mel Biggs - Mel is fundraising to produce her debut album, From Darkness Comes Light, with a range of great rewards available in return for supporting her.
O’Hooley and Tidow - Belinda, Heidi and their little one Flynn will be bringing their Winterfolk show online on Christmas Eve this year. This fundraiser will help to support their income, as well as helping their local food bank.
This fortnight’s playlist
Head over to this fortnight’s playlist to hear tracks from this issue’s highlighted artists and our album of the fortnight - have a listen, try something new and see which gigs you might fancy going to!
This fortnight, I’m mostly listening to…
’Awake Arise: A Winter Album’ by Lady Maisery, Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith. Although seasonal, this is not your typical collection of Christmas carols: it’s an exploration of all aspects of winter, from birds and berries to snowfall and singing (plus a potent recipe for wassailing of course). My top track is ‘Sing We All Merrily’, which you can find in this fortnight’s playlist.
I was lucky enough to see the group perform together on their Awake Arise tour last winter, and they’re planning to tour again this December if lockdown restrictions allow - find dates here.
You might also like…
The Folk Forecast’s Christmas Gift Guide
A Very Folky Christmas playlist
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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.