The Folk Forecast: 4–15 Dec 2021
Including Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan, Sam Sweeney, Belshazzar's Feast, A Winter Union and lots more!
Hello, and welcome back! As befits the weather, I got a bit snowed under this week, and I’m off to London for a few days now, so I thought I’d send you a quick update before I go!
Since we’re into December now, the time seems right to revive last year’s Christmas playlist. It’s 9 and a half hours long, so should keep you going through any festive gatherings! Have a great week and see you again soon.
SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER
Sam Sweeney* — 8pm GMT
Live to your Living Room
Sam Sweeney’s album, Unearth Repeat, came out in March 2020 (ring any bells?) and he’s finally been out sharing it with audiences! He’s got an amazing band, including Jack Rutter, Ben Nicholls and Louis Campbell, and it’s an absolute masterclass in musicianship. I went to see them a few days ago and it was amazing; highly recommended!
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
MONDAY 6 DECEMBER
Belshazzar’s Feast* — 8pm GMT
Live to your Living Room
Belshazzar’s Feast are on their last ever full-length Christmas tour, as they’ll be doing a lot fewer gigs in future, so don’t miss the chance to see them while you can! As well as great musicians, they’ve got a great sense of humour so expect lots of fun and festive silliness!
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
TUESDAY 7 DECEMBER
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. 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: Christina Alden & Alex Patterson — 8pm GMT
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. This time, they’ll be chatting to the wonderful duo, Christina Alden and Alex Patterson. Their latest album, Hunter, was Record of the Week a few months ago - check it out.
Free to view
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.
FRIDAY 10 DECEMBER
Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan* — 8pm GMT
Live to your Living Room
Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan’s new duo album, Still As Your Sleeping, is absolutely stunning. This gig is your only chance to hear it played live this year, and it’s being streamed from Castlesound Studios where the album was recorded, making this one extra-special! You’ll also have the chance to get up close and personal with Karine and Dave to find out more about how the album came about.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
SATURDAY 11 DECEMBER
Treaty: Songs — 8pm GMT
National Concert Hall Dublin
December 1921 saw Irish representatives gather to debate the Anglo-Irish Treaty at the Kevin Barry Rooms at Earlsfort Terrace, now the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The treaty that would lead to the Irish Civil War and prove a defining moment in the history of the Irish state. The events that took place will be remembered in this concert, featuring Lisa O’Neill, Gemma Dunleavy, John Spillane, Karan Casey, Maija Sofia, Duke Special, Jonathan Nangle & Crash Ensemble, Adrian Crowley, Ailbhe Reddy, and The Darkling Air, plus special guest Christy Moore.
Hybrid gigs - livestream tickets €10.
SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER
The Brothers Gillespie — 6pm GMT
Trafika Europe Radio
Brothers James and Sam Gillespie grew up in the Northumbrian village of Wall and sing finely crafted original and traditional songs rich with lyrical intensity, harmony, and instrumentation.
Suggested donation $5 (around £4)
A Winter Union — 7pm GMT
Live to your Living Room
A Winter Union is something of a folk supergroup, made up of Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Gilmore & Roberts and Jade Rhiannon of The Willows. Each Christmas they come together to sing seasonal songs with gorgeous 5-part harmonies and it’s a real treat.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
MONDAY 13 DECEMBER
EFDSS: The Young Folk Club — 5.30pm GMT
English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)
A chance for young people aged 14-21 to meet online, learn some new music and meet new friends. This session will be hosted by special guest Patrick Rimes of Calan and VRï.
Free to attend, but you need to pre-book your place.
TUESDAY 14 DECEMBER
Tuesday Folk People: Milton Hide — 8pm GMT
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. This time, they’ll be chatting to folk duo Milton Hide.
Free to view
WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER
Janice Burns & Jon Doran* — 8pm GMT
Live to your Living Room
Janice Burns & Jon Doran played some gorgeous online gigs last Christmas time, and they’re back for another livestreamed gig this year! They’ll be singing a mixture of seasonal songs and some from their EP, and they’d like to encourage everyone to come along with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie in hand! I’m their agent, so rather biased, but I heard their festive set at a gig recently and it was just beautiful. Watch this for a taster! If you live near Sutton, Hambledon or Glasgow, you can also catch them on tour in person.
Tickets £15, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Also online…
Back @ The Trav Online
Soundhouse in Edinburgh are sharing a film featuring highlights from their gigs at the Traverse theatre. It includes performances from Noushy 4tet, Adam Holmes, Hannah Read, Leveret, Mairearad and Anna, Cahalen Morrison, Cera Impala, Brian Molley Quartet, Evie Waddell, Salt House, Rachel Duns Quintet and Martin Simpson. Tickets are available until Sunday 12th December. All proceeds will go to the artists who took part.
Highlights in person
Seth Lakeman is heading out for some December dates, accompanied by Alex Hart and with support from Joe Francis. Find tickets here.
Belshazzar’s Feast are out on their last ever full-length Christmas tour. Find all their upcoming dates here.
The Albion Christmas Band have lots of gigs coming up throughout December. Find out more.
Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook is on tour across Scotland with Karen Matheson, Eddi Reader, John McCusker, Kris Drever, Ian Carr, Kevin McGuire AND a brass band in tow. See where you can catch them.
Awake Arise are on tour in December, and their Kings Place gig on 20th December is also being livestreamed! Find tickets here.
Bellowhead are getting back together for a one-off tour next November, and tickets are selling fast so don’t delay or they could sell out! Find a date near you.
New releases
3 Dec - Salt House - Working For Zeus
3 Dec - The Little Unsaid - December Songs
10 Dec - The Lost Words - Spell Songs II
Record of the week
Record of the Week is Spell Songs II: Let the Light In, the new album from The Lost Words. Continuing on from where the last Spell Songs album left off, it delves further into our relationship with the natural world, highlighting its beauty as well as crying out for help for a world hurtling towards disaster. This is a labour of love, with each artist pouring their heart and soul into songs crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. From the lyrics and arrangements of the songs themselves, to the stunning booklet of photography and Jackie Morris’s artwork that accompanies it, this has to rate as one of the most beautiful albums I’ve ever come across.
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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, Thank Folk For Feminism 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!