The Folk Forecast: 8–14 March 2021
From Dervish, Leveret and Talisk to Fay Hield, Lady Nade and John Spiers: another busy week in the world of folk.
Sunday has slipped into Monday after a busy weekend, but I hope you’ll forgive my tardiness as there’s lots coming up in this week’s issue! The coming days are packed with some of the biggest names in folk, from John Spiers and Fay Hield to Dervish and Talisk, plus workshops, a Zoom ceilidh and more!
This issue’s Record of the Week is the newly released Rakes and Misfits by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne. Incidentally, that’s why Rakes and Misfits is the name of this week’s playlist; it wasn’t just us being rude about the artists…!
Have a good week and see you again soon.
TUESDAY 9 MARCH
Miranda Sykes Live with Folk Around Fishponds — 8pm GMT
Firebrand Music Events / Folk Around Fishponds
Join Miranda Sykes for an intimate solo gig, hosted virtually by Folk Around Fishponds. There will be an optional Q&A session on Zoom after the concert.
Tickets £15 plus booking fee.
WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH
Lady Nade — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Lady Nade presents words and melodies to nourish body and soul, weaving indie-folk and Americana and telling an array of stories. She’ll be joined by special guest Boo Hewerdine for this very special show.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson — 8pm GMT
FolkSoc UK on Facebook
English fiddler and singer Bryony Griffith and melodeon player Will Hampson present an evening of songs and tunes as part of the FolkSoc UK Spring Streams. There’s also the opportunity for a Q&A after the gig.
Free to view.
Brooke Sharkey + Tobias Ben Jacob + Blythe Pepino — 8pm GMT
Green Note website, Facebook page and YouTube channel
Enjoy an evening of song-sharing with Brooke Sharkey, Tobias Ben Jacob (of Jacob & Drinkwater) and Blythe Pepino, as they perform virtually ‘in the round’ for London’s Green Note.
No ticket required, but donations gratefully received on Paypal.
THURSDAY 11 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.
Fay Hield, with Support from Lewis Barfoot — 7.30pm GMT
The Nest Collective / Grand Junction
The Nest Collective present a series of special live shows this March for their Comfort and Courage season. Folk luminary Fay Hield headlines their opening night, with support from the ethereal-voiced Lewis Barfoot.
Tickets £8.
Talisk — 7.30pm GMT
The Met
Talisk is one of the most popular folk groups to have emerged from Scotland in the last decade, with numerous awards to their name and appearances at festivals around the world. Now, you can catch them from wherever in the world you are. Note, this livestreamed set has previously been broadcast as part of CCM Fest.
Tickets £8.
Steve Knightley — 7.30pm GMT
Poppleton Live
Steve Knightley of the mighty Show of Hands presents an intimate solo gig for Poppleton Live. Inspired by a love of folk traditions, Knightley writes songs that resonate with new meaning for today.
Tickets £15.
FRIDAY 12 MARCH
An Hour or So With… John Spiers — 8pm GMT
Downend Folk Club on Facebook
Enjoy an hour or so of song-sharing and conversation with folk legend John Spiers, known for his work with Spiers and Boden, Bellowhead, Gigspanner Big Band and many more. This event is presented by Downend Folk Club, who have been hosting weekly events on Facebook to help us get through lockdown.
Free to view, but donations gratefully received to the tip jar.
Oxfolk Zoom Ceilidh with Beth Gifford, Matt Brookes and Lisa Heywood — 8pm GMT
Oxfolk
Viola player Beth Gifford and accordionist Matt Brookes will be playing tunes to get you on your feet for this virtual ceilidh! Dances will be called by Lisa Heywood, who has a varied repertoire of traditional and self-written dances, including ones especially written to be done at home by one person or small groups.
Tickets £10, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Virtual Showcase with Brooks Williams — 8pm GMT
Cambridge Folk Club
Cambridge Folk Club presents a virtual showcase on Zoom, featuring I-Claudia, False Colours, Matt Kelly and Brooks Williams. You can also watch on the Cambridge Folk Club Facebook page as an alternative to Zoom.
Free to view.
Tommy Evans — 8pm GMT
The Globe Newcastle
After years of touring the UK and Europe with Newcastle’s acclaimed folk-rock band Holy Moly & The Crackers, Tommy is striking out on his own. He draws on the timeless traditions of folk, country and soul, penning original songs that twist the old into a reflection of the present.
Livestream tickets £7.50, with the option to pay more to support the artists and venue. Stream is available to view for a week.
Henry Parker — 8.50pm GMT
Folk at the Grove
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Henry Parker draws his influences from the likes of Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Pentangle and Fairport Convention. His songwriting lyrically entwines landscapes, people and politics with roots that run deep into the traditional folk songs of England.
Free to view, but donations gratefully received to the tip jar.
SATURDAY 13 MARCH
Jess and Richard Arrowsmith Singing Workshop and Concert — All day
Village Voices Towersey
A full day of workshops on Zoom from Jess and Richard Arrowsmith (of Melrose Quartet). There will also be a concert and Q&A session in the evening.
Tickets £25 for the workshops, £12 for the concert or £32 for both.
Scots Music Group Day of Tunes — All day
Scots Music Group
Four great musicians share their thoughts on four different types of traditional tune: pipe marches (Gary West), strathspeys (Sarah-Jane Summers), reels (Mike Vass) and jigs (Ian Lowthian). The workshops are aimed at a wide range of levels.
Tickets £22, with options to pay more or less depending on your circumstances. This event has been very popular and has now sold out, but contact the office if you would like to be added to the waiting list for returns. We didn’t realise it would be quite so popular and will try and give you earlier warning of workshops in future!
Ninebarrow — A Pocket Full of Acorns: Album Launch Concert — 7pm GMT
Ninebarrow
Join Ninebarrow as they celebrate the launch of their new album, A Pocket Full of Acorns. There will also be the chance to chat to Jon and Jay with a live Q&A after the show.
Tickets £25 for households or £12.50 for individuals/concessions.
Leveret — 7.30pm GMT
Kings Place
Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England’s finest folk musicians: Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron. No two Leveret performances are ever quite the same, as the trio improvise and interact in the moment to create music that is both spontaneous and timeless.
Tickets £9.50.
9Bach, with support from Germa Adan — 7.30pm GMT
The Nest Collective / Grand Junction
Experimental folk-rock band 9Bach present their atmospheric and emotional hybrid of the Welsh folk tradition. Creole folk star Germa Adan opens the evening.
Tickets £8.
True North Music: March Lockdown Livestream — 7.30pm GMT
True North Music
True North Music presents a fantastic line-up of female roots artists, including Sierra Hull, Hannah Read, Isa Burke and Caitlin Canty.
Free to view, but donations encouraged to the tip jar.
Dervish — 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Described by the BBC as ‘an icon of Irish music’, Dervish have a line-up which includes some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians. Catch four of their members as they perform live from Ireland to your living room — not to be missed!
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Miranda Sykes Live with Cotleigh Brewery — 8pm GMT
Firebrand Music Events / Cotleigh Brewery
A second chance to catch Miranda Sykes this week, as she takes a virtual trip to Cotleigh Brewery in Taunton.
Tickets £15 plus booking fee.
SUNDAY 14 MARCH
Keith Donnelly Family Show — 3pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
If you’re a regular at the likes of Warwick Folk Festival, you’ll be familiar with Keith Donnelly’s hilarious family shows. Join him for songs and stories to amuse kids (and big kids) of all ages.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
Minecraft Ceilidh — 4pm GMT
Charlotte Rich-Griffin and Ali Messer
A Minecraft ceilidh went down a storm at the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival recently, and now there’s a chance to have another go! You’ll need access to the Minecraft game and some basic knowledge of how to play it, as well as access to Zoom.
Tickets £8, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances.
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 about folk dances from the UK and further afield.
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.
The Undoing of Polly Button
In April 2020, Katherine Fear was due to premiere a new folk opera called The Undoing of Polly Button at Nuneaton’s Abbey Theatre. The show is being rescheduled to February 2022, but an EP has been released of songs written for the show, featuring Jez Lowe, Lucy Ward, Rowan Godel and Keith Donnelly. Find out more about Polly Button here or click the button below to get the EP.
Kate Rusby’s Hand Me Down livestream
Tickets are now on sale for Kate Rusby’s Hand Me Down livestream on 10th April. Join Kate and the band as they take to the stage to present the first live album play of the Hand Me Down album, in place of their Spring tour.
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
Our Record of the Week is Rakes and Misfits, the brand-new solo album from Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne. With confident mastery of both instrument and voice, Braithwaite-Kilcoyne explores an array of traditional songs and tunes, as well as some self-penned gems. The album was recorded live in the studio, resulting in a refreshingly natural and spontaneous feel.
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.
Alongside The Folk Forecast, I’m associated with other organisations on the folk scene, including Folk on Foot and Fancourt Music, and I steward gigs for Live to Your Living Room. Although I have other affiliations, I strive to be fair and inclusive.