The Folk Forecast: 27 Sep–10 Oct 2021
Including The Rheingans Sisters, Andy Irvine, Leveret, Edgelarks, a new album from Karine Polwart and the Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show.
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Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast! Hope Autumn is treating you well, with plenty of crunchy leaves and cosy evenings to enjoy.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ve got online gigs coming up with The Rheingans Sisters, Andy Irvine, Leveret, Edgelarks, Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi and lots more, as well as UK tours from the likes of Sam Lee, Leveret and Granny’s Attic. As October begins, it will also be time for a brand-new Official Folk Albums Chart, so tune into the Folk on Foot Chart Show on 5th October to see if any of your favourites have reached the top 40!
Record of the Week is Still As Your Sleeping by Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan, which is out on Friday! You’ll find a track from it in this week’s playlist. Happy listening, and we’ll see you again next time!
TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
Tuesday Folk People: Rodney Branigan — 8pm BST
Home Stage on YouTube and Facebook
Home Stage are hosting ‘Tuesday Folk People’ every week, with different artists invited along each time to showcase their music and tell us their story. On 28 September the guest was Rodney Branigan, and it’s available to watch on YouTube.
Free to view
WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER
Izzie Walsh + Jenny Lascelles — 8pm BST
The Globe Newcastle
Manchester singer-songwriter Izzie Walsh has a unique sound that blends country, bluegrass, folk and Americana. Her powerful vocals and honest lyrics captivate a range of audiences and make a bold statement.
Hybrid gig. Livestream tickets £7.50, with the option to pay more to support the artists and venue. Stream is available to view for a week.
THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
Tradition Now — Concert series running from 30 Sep — 3 Oct
National Concert Hall Dublin
The National Concert Hall in Dublin is running a series of hybrid concerts including:
An Córda Óir/The Golden Thread - 30 Sep 8pm BST
Claudia Schwab - 2 Oct 2pm BST
Thomas McCarthy - 2 Oct 4pm BST
Andy Irvine - The Woodie Guthrie Project - 2 Oct 8pm BST
Edwina Guckian - 3 Oct 2pm BST
Róisín Chambers With Natalie Ní Chasaide - 3 Oct 4pm BST
Jack Talty - 3 Oct 8pm BST
Hybrid gigs - livestream tickets from €7.50 to €10 each.
SUNDAY 3 OCTOBER
The Rheingans Sisters* — 8pm BST
Live to your Living Room
The Rheingans Sisters make playful, powerful and richly connecting music that is wholly contemporary while deeply anchored in folk traditions. These award-winning multi-instrumentalists, composers and folk scholars were nominated for ‘Best Duo/Group’ at 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show* — 7pm BST
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. I’ll also be on the show to talk about the latest folk news.
Free to access, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
Tuesday Folk People: John Doyle — 8pm BST
Home Stage on YouTube and Facebook
The second ‘Tuesday Folk People’ of this issue is with John Doyle. Tune in for music and chat about his career so far.
Free to view
Covid Sings Singaround — 8pm BST
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 6 OCTOBER
Andy Irvine* — 8pm BST
Live to your Living Room
Irish folk legend Andy Irvine will be playing for Live to your Living Room on 6th October. Known for his work with the mighty Planxty, as well as Sweeney's Men, Patrick Street, his duo with Paul Brady and much more, Andy has been a pioneer of traditional music, and this is a chance to catch him play an intimate solo gig.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER
Rhiannon Giddens’ Prism: Rhiannon Giddens And Francesco Turrisi — 8pm BST
National Concert Hall Dublin
Grammy and MacArthur award winner Rhiannon Giddens is curating and hosting two evenings at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, exploring her musical and cultural insights. For this first concert, Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi will be joined by flute, uilleann pipes and fiddle player Emer Mayock and guitarist Niwel Tsumbu, who feature on Giddens’ and Turrisi’s latest album They’re Calling Me Home.
Hybrid gig - livestream tickets €10.
CoCu — 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court
CoCu draws upon the mutual love of music, heritage and culture that is shared by Swedish and English musicians Moa Papillon and Daisy Beau.
Hybrid gig. The first hour of the performance will be livestreamed free of charge (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience.
FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER
Edgelarks - Live Tour Launch — 8pm BST
Firebrand Music
By popular demand, Phil and Hannah will be launching their upcoming tour with a special online concert which you can enjoy from the comfort of home! There will be songs old and new, plus some 'Blues & brews' from Phil.
Tickets £15 for one viewer or £20 for more than one person.
SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER
Leveret* — 8pm BST
Live to your Living Room
Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England’s finest folk musicians. Andy Cutting (button accordion), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Rob Harbron (concertina) are each regarded as exceptional performers and masters of their instruments. Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Manière des Bohémiens — 8pm BST
The Globe Newcastle
Manière des Bohémiens play an infectious blend of improvised, manouche jazz and rough-edged, virtuosic Eastern European gypsy-folk music.
Hybrid gig. 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 10 OCTOBER
Rhiannon Giddens’ Prism: Denise Chaila, Emer Mayock, Niwel Tsumbu — 8pm BST
National Concert Hall Dublin
This is the second of two evenings being curated and hosted by Rhiannon Giddens at the National Concert Hall in Dublin this fortnight. Alongside Francesco Turrisi, Rhiannon will be welcoming Denise Chaila, Emer Mayock and Niwel Tsumbu for this hybrid concert from Dublin.
Hybrid gig - livestream tickets €10.
Highlights in person
Granny’s Attic* are currently touring their new album, The Brickfields, which is out on 8th October. Find gig tickets here and pre-order the album.
The Trials of Cato are off on tour across England and Wales. Find tickets here.
The Breath are touring through the Autumn - find tickets here.
Leveret* are currently touring in Germany, before heading back to the UK! Find tickets here.
Sam Lee is touring Old Wow, kicking off on 13th October. Find tickets here.
Manchester Folk Festival is taking place from 21st to 23rd October, with a fantastic line-up including Spiers & Boden, Gigspanner Big Band, Sam Lee, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, The Breath, Hannah James & Toby Kuhn and loads more. I can’t wait for this one! Find out more about what’s in store.
Talent is Timeless are holding a series of songwriting workshops across the country which are aimed at encouraging those aged over 50 to explore their musical talents. The afternoon workshops will be accompanied by evening concerts headlined by Saskia Griffiths-Moore, who is touring her new album Where Are We Heading. Find out more.
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
Record of the Week is Still As Your Sleeping by Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan, which is out on 1st October. After the experiences of the pandemic, Karine felt it was more important than ever to work with the friends and neighbours around her, and the result is something very poignant and personal. Alongside Dave Milligan, a fantastic pianist who lives in the same village, she recorded it a stone’s throw from where she lives. Even the album’s artwork was created by an artist who lives nearby (Jenni Douglas), so it’s a real product of the community Karine is part of.
By being recorded amongst friends, it somehow retains a feeling of intimacy, with a sense of being there in the room as she sings just for you. Karine has always been an artist with a gift for authenticity, and this album, filled with understated beauty, feels like a gift from her world to ours.
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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.
* Alongside The Folk Forecast, I work with other organisations including Folk on Foot, Fancourt Music, Live to Your Living Room, English Folk Expo and Polyphony Arts, as well as individual artists including Jo Freya. Events where I have some involvement with the promoter, agency or artist are marked with a star for transparency. Although I have other affiliations, I strive to be fair and inclusive and tell you about anything I think you’ll enjoy!
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