The Folk Forecast: April 2023
The Folk Forecast: April 2023
Featuring Singing With Nightingales, George Sansome & Matt Quinn, the Ninebarrow Quartet, the Lost Spells musical, a UK tour from Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi and lots more.
Hello, and welcome to a rather bumper edition of The Folk Forecast! There’s absolutely loads to tell you about this month, from livestreams with the Ninebarrow Quartet, George Sansome & Matt Quinn and Singing With Nightingales, to festivals galore, a Lost Spells musical and a UK tour from Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi. There’s also heaps of amazing new music, so there’s plenty to get your ears around in this month’s playlist - happy listening!
This month’s playlist
This month’s playlist includes a variety of the artists mentioned in this issue, including some brilliant new releases! If you like what you hear, do support the artists if you can, to help them make more amazing music in the future.
If you enjoy this issue and fancy saying thanks, you can make a small donation on Ko-Fi to help support my freelance work on the folk scene. Thank you!
TOP PICKS: ONLINE
John Ward Trio — Thursday 6 April, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court, Margate
From acoustic guitar, bodhran and harmonica, to double bass, mandolin, accordion and whistles, the John Ward Trio have quite an array of instruments between them, as well as singing in three-part harmony. Their repertoire is wide-ranging, with John’s songwriting drawing from his life, travels and East Anglian roots.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. 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.
Singing With Nightingales — Wednesday 12 April, 10.30pm BST
The Nest Collective
Join Sam Lee for a special late-night live broadcast to mark the return of the nightingales to our shores! There will be songs from some special guests, as well as snippets of material submitted by the public, all woven in with the songs of the nightingales. It starts at 10.30pm and runs right through until midnight, and it’s always really magical. There are also lots of chances to go singing with nightingales in person in Sussex and Gloucestershire over the next couple of months, including evening events and a 2-night festival (find out more here), plus a special show at Kings Place in London on 20th May.
If you’d like to submit a piece of music or spoken word to be considered for the online broadcast, you’ve got until 11pm on 9th April - click the button below for details.
Free to tune in, with donations to support The Nest Collective encouraged.
George Sansome & Matt Quinn* — Thursday 13 April, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room
In an exciting new collaboration between two leading lights of their generation of traditional singers, George Sansome (Granny’s Attic*) and Matt Quinn (Dovetail Trio) have formed a new duo to explore their love of British folk song. The pair are set to release their debut album, Sheffield Park, on 28th April, and to find out more about what’s in store, I interviewed George for the Live to Your Living Room blog here. There will also be a chance for a Q&A on the night, if there’s anything you’d like to ask yourself.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Elizabeth and Jameson — Thursday 13 April, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court, Margate
Hannah Elizabeth and Griff Jameson have joined forces to create an acoustic sound which encompasses both of their musical backgrounds. Hannah’s influences are firmly planted in traditional folk-roots, whilst Griff has formed his musical reputation in folk pop and rock. Together, they offer the best of both worlds.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. 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.
Narthen at Folk Weekend: Oxford* — Friday 14 April, 7.30pm BST
Live to Your Living Room in association with Folk Weekend: Oxford, live from the Quaker Meeting House in Oxford
Expect the unexpected from Jo Freya, Fi Fraser, Sarah Matthews and Doug Eunson. From traditional material through to more modern pieces, anything goes, with a wide range of instruments between them - soprano sax, clarinet, whistles, fiddles, viola, hammered dulcimer, tenor guitar, diatonic accordion and hurdy-gurdy!
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. Online tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Emily Portman & Rob Harbron at Folk Weekend: Oxford* — Saturday 15 April, 7.30pm BST
Live to Your Living Room in association with Folk Weekend: Oxford, live from The North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford
Emily Portman & Rob Harbron both have award-winning reputations as performers, composers and recording artists. Emily (voice, banjo & piano) is best known as an original songwriter and for her work with the acclaimed folk band The Furrow Collective. Rob (concertina, guitar, voice) tours with Leveret, Fay Hield, Jon Boden and many more. Together, they’re exploring English folk traditions, creating a bold and intricately woven contemporary sound.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
John Conolly — Thursday 20 April, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court, Margate
John Conolly is an internationally respected songwriter. His most popular song, Fiddlers’ Green, is performed and loved all over the world.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. 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.
The Canny Band* — Sunday 23 April, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room
The Canny Band are Sam Mabbett, Michael Biggins (BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2021) and Callum Convoy. A rare fusion of piano, diatonic button accordion and bodhran, the band have stormed the Glasgow traditional music scene and gained numerous high-profile appearances including recent performances on BBC ALBA and BBC Radio Scotland. They also won ‘Up and Coming Artist of the Year’ at the 2021 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Monday Folk Singers with James Fagan — Monday 24 April, 7pm BST
English Folk Dance and Song Society
The EFDSS Monday Folk Singers course is a great opportunity to learn repertoire and arrangements from some of the finest artists on the folk scene. This term, the course is being led by James Fagan. Classes will be held online on Monday nights, starting on 24th April.
Tickets £100 (£80 concessions) for a 10-week course.
Hushman* — Wednesday 26 April, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room
Hushman is the new solo project from renowned folk musician Ewan MacPherson, known for his work with Salt House and Shooglenifty. Ewan is a singer/songwriter, instrumentalist and music producer, with a wide range of experience as a performer and in the studio. The debut Hushman album was released in November 2022 on Hudson Records.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
George Sansome & Matt Quinn — Thursday 27 April, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court, Margate
This is a second chance to catch George Sansome & Matt Quinn’s new duo, ahead of the release of their debut album ‘Sheffield Park’ on 28th April.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. 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.
The Ninebarrow Quartet — Saturday 29 April, 7pm BST
Ninebarrow
Ninebarrow are well known for their livestreams, but this is the first one they’re doing with the Ninebarrow Quartet. It’s being filmed at the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole, and there will be a chance for a Q&A after the show.
Tickets £14 single/concessions, or £28 for a household. You can catch up for 7 days after the performance.
Also online
If you missed the Folk On Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show* you can catch up on YouTube or listen to the podcast now.
Speaking of Folk On Foot*, the next episode will feature Matthew going for a walk with Katherine Priddy in her home village of Alvechurch and paying a visit to the grave of Nick Drake. That’s out on 14th April so subscribe on your preferred podcast platform if you don’t want to miss it.
There are still a few snippets from Celtic Connections available to watch on BBC iPlayer here, including performances from Lady Maisery*, Duncan Chisholm, Blue Rose Code and more. Some of the episodes only have a few days left, so catch them while you can.
Rowan Rheingans has written and produced a short piece for Radio 4’s Short Cuts. It’s called ‘Postcards’, and features words and music by Rowan, as well as bagpipes by John-Francis Goodacre. Listen here.
Rhiannon Giddens has done a new video series exploring the music, history and heritage of the banjo. It’s available to watch via Wondrium, who specialise in educational content, and it looks like a fascinating watch! Check it out here.
Fabian Holland is doing YouTube livestreams on the first Sunday of every month. The first 30 minutes are just for email subscribers to ask questions or make requests, after which it opens up to everyone. You can see past streams here.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Sheffield Folk Sessions Festival, 7-9 April
Kelham Island, Sheffield
Enjoy a whole weekend of singing and instrumental sessions in venues around the Kelham Island area of Sheffield. Whether you’re based near Sheffield or fancy visiting for the weekend, this is well worth checking out.
Kings Place Folk Weekend, 21-23 April
London
There’s a fantastic weekend of concerts and workshops coming up at Kings Place, featuring Ímar, the Tamsin Elliott Trio, Leveret + Eleven Magpies, Sam Sweeney & Louis Campbell, Brìghde Chaimbeul and Ross Ainslie with Steven Byrnes, a raga fusion workshop with Sheema Mukherjee (who has worked with The Imagined Village among others) and a dance workshop with Boss Morris (who recently performed with Wet Leg at the Brit Awards).
The Lost Spells musical and exhibition
I recently found out that The Lost Spells, the much-loved book by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris, has been made into a musical. Catch it at all of these places:
Watford Palace Theatre (until 8 April)
Polka Theatre, London (13 April - 7 May)
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (24 May - 3 June)
If you live in the North East like me, there is also a Lost Spells exhibition at The Sill in Northumberland National Park until 4th June, if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet!
Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi UK tour
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Perth, London, Norwich, Birmingham, Saffron Walden
I last saw Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi in person in 2019, and after a strange few years, I’m thrilled to see them returning to the UK. They’ll be on tour from 27th April until 14th May, and come very highly recommended.
SandyFest, Saturday 29th April
Byfield Village Hall, Daventry
This year’s SandyFest commemorates 45 years since the passing of iconic singer/songwriter Sandy Denny. Sandy lived in Byfield, and the Village Hall is the venue that hosted her last public performance. The band for SandyFest is called The Sandy Denny Project, and features Sally Barker, PJ Wright and Anna Ryder (members of the last line-up of the reformed Fotheringay), along with Marion Fleetwood, Mat Davies and Mark Stevens.
The Odyssey - The Island of the Sun, 28-29 April
The Fire Station, Sunderland
Sean Cooney of The Young’uns has written the music for the latest episode of the National Theatre’s The Odyssey. The story has been split into 5 episodes for this multi-venue theatre project, with each episode being created and performed by artists and communities from different areas of the country. Episode 4, The Island of the Sun, sees the National Theatre team up with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire to present this section of the classic tale.
Festivals coming up soon
14-16 April - Folk Weekend: Oxford
27-30 April - Shetland Folk Festival
28-30 April - Bristol Folk Festival
28-30 April - Filey Folk Festival
28-30 April - Todmorden Folk Festival
28 April-1 May - Upton-upon-Severn Folk Festival
28 April-8 May - Edinburgh Tradfest
5-7 May - Folk on the Pier
5-7 May - Holmfirth Festival of Folk
This is just a selection! You can find a list of upcoming UK folk festivals here. TradFolk have also published a handy guide to this year’s line-ups here.
Artists on tour soon
Breabach, Cara Dillon, Chris Wood, Fisherman’s Friends, George Sansome & Matt Quinn, Granny’s Attic*, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, Jim Ghedi, Kate Rusby, Lady Maisery*, Le Vent du Nord, Maddie Prior & The Carnival Band, O’Hooley & Tidow, Old Spot, Oysterband (3-piece acoustic line-up), Reg Meuross: Stolen From God, Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, Tarren, The Young’uns… and lots more!
OTHER NEWS
Simon Emmerson
I was very sorry to hear of the loss of Simon Emmerson, whose creative vision brought about The Imagined Village and Afro Celt Sound System, two of my favourite live bands of all time. I’m very glad I got to see Simon play at festivals again last summer. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. You can read Simon’s obituary in The Guardian here and listen to his tribute on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word here, with memories from bandmates Eliza Carthy and Johnny Kalsi.
Thank Goodness It’s Folk
I’m pleased to say that I’m going to be a guest on the Thank Goodness It’s Folk radio show on Friday 21st April. Sam Hindley has invited me onto the show while his co-host James Fagan is away in Australia. I’m looking forward to having a chat with Sam and maybe choosing a track or two! You can listen on Sheffield Live from 10am and it will also be available on catch-up afterwards.
NEW RELEASES
17 March - Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Almost a Sunset
This is Kathryn and Sean’s seventh album, recorded over the space of a year (in their words, at Devon-pace!) in their studio on Dartmoor. With a sharp eye for a story, the duo have crafted songs which give their own unique view on the world.
21 March - The Longest Johns & El Pony Pisador, The Longest Pony
The Longest Johns teamed up with fellow shanty enthusiasts El Pony Pisador (translation - the prancing pony) for this album. El Pony Pisador are based in Barcelona, and the album features tracks in both English and Catalan.
24 March - Fairport Convention, Full House For Sale
This is a live recording from Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2022, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1970 LP Full House. The album was played in full by the original line-up of Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg, with Chris Leslie filling the shoes of the late great Dave Swarbrick.
24 March - Tapestri, Tell Me World
This collection of songs from Welsh band Tapestri looks at the world through the experiences of women, exploring everything from love and longing to the complexities of domestic abuse.
31 March - Westward the Light, Flow Country
This is the second release from Scottish folk quartet, Westward the Light. The group describe their approach as ‘instrumental Scottish music true to its traditional roots whilst pointing to the future’.
7 April - Reg Meuross, Stolen From God
Having realised how little he knew about black history in Britain, Reg Meuross decided to address this by writing a new song cycle about the transatlantic slave trade. Reg is joined on the album by Jali Fily Cissokho, Cohen Braithwaite Kilcoyne, Jaz Gayle and Roy Dodds. There are also chances to catch the song cycle played live, including Green Note in London on 12th April, Dartington Great Hall on the 13th and various festivals over the summer including Sidmouth and Whitby.
7 April - Old Spot, Old Spot
Rowan Piggott and Joe Danks were introduced in 2021 and bonded over a shared passion for Old Time Appalachian music. An initial campsite session progressed quickly into a brand-new duo, and two years later, their first release is here. Bringing a modern twist to a classic sound, this confident debut is bursting with joy. When music-making is this fun, I don’t think this release will be their last!
14 April - Josienne Clarke, Onliness
Over the last couple of years, Josienne Clarke has branched out into more solo work, as well as establishing her own label, which has given her more creative freedom. With this in mind, she’s chosen to revisit fan favourites and gems from her back catalogue to rework them in a whole new way.
Leveret are celebrating 10 years together with this new release. It was recorded on location in Belgium at a venue where the band have played lots of house concerts. They decided to explore some new material and have fun playing with it, bringing some freshness to the sound. In terms of meanings behind the album title, a hare’s nest is called a form, the tunes themselves are in many forms, and as the band noted, there were also a lot of forms involved when transporting the instruments to Belgium to record it!
21 April - Lucy Farrell, We Are Only Sound
This is the long-awaited debut album from Lucy Farrell. Lucy is a well-known face on the folk scene, but after working on many projects with others, it’s only now that she’s finally embarked on her first solo venture. It features all original songs by Lucy, and is absolutely beautiful!
21 April - O’Hooley & Tidow, Cloudheads
This is perhaps O’Hooley & Tidow’s most personal album to date. It really delves into their experiences as autistic women, having both been diagnosed recently. The title track Cloudheads is about how difficult it can be for autistic people to connect in social situations, and there’s a great video to help illustrate this, which you can see here. The song was recorded at Peel House Barn, Luddenden near Halifax with the grand piano that used to belong to Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart when they were writing and recording songs as the Eurythmics.
Ímar are back with their first new album in 5 years, featuring original tunes as well as fresh takes on tradition.
28 April - Georgie Buchanan, Wise as a Fool
Combining traditional melodies with original compositions, Georgie Buchanan creates musical landscapes that explore our place within the world.
28 April - George Sansome & Matt Quinn, Sheffield Park
This thoughtful new release celebrates George and Matt’s shared love of folk song, with pared-back instrumentals and two unaccompanied tracks, to let the storytelling take centre stage.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Tiny Notes by The Young’uns. As you might expect, this is an album full of heart, which lifts up the stories of ordinary people. The album takes its title from the story of 22-year-old Paige Hunter, who wrote messages of hope and tied them to the railings of Sunderland’s Wearmouth Bridge, saving around 30 people from taking their own lives. Elsewhere on the album, there are many more stories of hope and humanity - from Richard Moore, who raised millions through his Children in Crossfire charity after being blinded as a child in the Troubles, to the surgeon who saved the life of a young ISIS fighter in Syria and the three fathers who raised over £1 million for suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS after their daughters took their own lives.
Under the pen of master songsmith Sean Cooney, these stories are sensitively told with a lightness of touch that makes them all the more human. This is an album that wears its heart on its sleeve, and in the words of the title track, “sometimes, love’s not enough - but sometimes it is.”
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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 Live to Your Living Room, Soundpost, Downlander Events, Folk on Foot, Fancourt Music (Granny’s Attic, Janice Burns & Jon Doran and The Wilderness Yet), and individual artists including Jo Freya and Lady Maisery. Events where I have some involvement with the promoter, agency or artist are marked with a star for transparency. Although I have various affiliations, I strive to be inclusive and tell you about anything I find which I think you’ll enjoy!