The Folk Forecast: March 2023
The Folk Forecast: March 2023
Featuring the Feminist Folk Club, The Rheingans Sisters, Hack-Poets Guild, Leveret and more news on folk happenings and new releases.
Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast! After a lovely week at Halsway Manor singing with Lady Maisery, it’s back to business as usual, and things are certainly looking busy when it comes to tours and new releases. A particularly exciting release that’s caught my eye (ear?) is Blackletter Garland by Hack-Poets Guild - find out more below, and check out the track in the latest playlist to see what you think.
This month also sees some special events to mark International Women’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, as well as tours from some of my favourite artists. Whatever you get up to, have a great month, till next time!
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, support the artists if you can, to help them do more great things 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
Feminist Folk Club* — Wednesday 8 March, 7.30pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room & in person at Cecil Sharp House
Thank Folk For Feminism (TFFF) and the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) present a special show to celebrate International Women’s Day, shining a light on women’s experiences in the folk world. Spend the evening in a pop-up folk club, where TFFF hosts Lucy Ward and Pinky Ward have curated their dream line-up, including Frankie Armstrong, Jackie Oates, Gemma Khawaja, Maddie Morris and Jennie Higgins.
Online tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best. In person tickets £14 / £10 for under 30s.
Girl Talk - Power of Women Festival — Thursday 9 March, 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court in Margate
Another opportunity to mark International Women’s Day, with artists including Sally Ironmonger & Brian Carter, Pat Turner, Lynne Heraud and Helen North.
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. Tickets in person are available at a range of prices depending on what you can afford.
The Rheingans Sisters* — Monday 13 March, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Multi-instrumentalists, composers and folk scholars Rowan and Anna Rheingans cross geographical boundaries with their playful, powerful and richly connecting music. The pair were nominated for ‘Best Duo/Group’ at the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and won the award for 'Best Original Track' in 2016. Between them, they play a variety of instruments, many of which are handmade by their luthier father Helmut Rheingans. Expect fiddles, voices, banjo, bansitar, tambourin à cordes, spoken word, dancing feet and percussion, all brought to life by their spellbinding musical connection.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
The Haar + Solarference* — Friday 17 March, 7.45pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room & in person at Downend Folk & Roots near Bristol
Live to Your Living Room have teamed up with Downend Folk & Roots near Bristol to livestream a special concert for St Patrick’s Day with Anglo-Irish quartet The Haar. The band combines the soaring vocals of traditional Irish singer Molly Donnery with the instrumental talents of Cormac Byrne (Uiscedwr, Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes and Murray Grainger (The Ciderhouse Rebellion, Words of a Fiddler’s Daughter). Together, they turn traditional music on its head and improvise in the moment, so no two performances are ever quite the same. There will also be support from Bristol-based electro-folk duo Solarference.
Online tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best. In person tickets £14 advance / £16 on the door.
Hack-Poets Guild* — Friday 24 March, 7.30pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room & in person at The North Wall, Oxford, with thanks to Oxford Contemporary Music and Folk Arts: Oxford
Three of the UK’s most innovative and prestigious folk artists present Blackletter Garland, a brand new album and live tour inspired by historic broadside ballads. Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann have reinvented these stories for the modern day, offering a rare insight into Britain’s history. Find out more about the album in the new releases section below.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best. You can also go along in person to the North Wall in Oxford - tickets from £10 to £22.
Hannah Martin Online Songwriting Session — Saturday 25 March, 10am GMT
Edgelarks on Bandcamp
Edgelarks regularly offer exclusive content for their subscribers on Bandcamp. There are a few songwriting sessions coming up on 25th March, 20th May and 17th June, as well as an online concert on 18th April - check out their website for details of what’s coming up, and find the community on Bandcamp at the button below.
Bandcamp subscription from £3 a month.
Leveret* — Sunday 26 March, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room & in person at Live At Sam’s in Sheffield (which is sold out!)
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.
Online tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best. In person tickets sold out, but check the band’s website for dates near you.
Hannah James & Toby Kuhn* — Monday 27 March, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Award-winning folk musician, dancer and composer Hannah James is known for her work with Lady Maisery, Sam Sweeney, Songs of Separation and more. Toby Kuhn is a post-classical musician with a taste for improvisation and folk music of all persuasions. Together, their music is soulful and truly original. I’ve followed Hannah’s career for many years, and her work with Toby is some of the most beautiful she’s ever produced.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Den Miller — Thursday 30 March, 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court in Margate
Strong melodies, catchy sing-along choruses and intelligent lyrics are the trademark of songs composed and performed by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Den Miller. He delivers his music and his message with clarity, energy and a good deal of humour.
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. Tickets in person are available at a range of prices depending on what you can afford.
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.
Rosslyn Court are continuing to livestream their concerts on YouTube, including the gigs listed above. Find out more about everything that’s in store here.
Rowan Rheingans* has started doing a monthly Tunes Club and Writers Club for her Patreon followers, as well as sharing other exclusive content. I’ve been a patron for a while, and it’s well worth it. Find out more here.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Show of Hands — Monday 10 April, 7.30pm GMT
The Royal Albert Hall
Show of Hands are set to play the iconic Royal Albert Hall on Monday 10th April, joined by double bass player and singer Miranda Sykes, percussionist Cormac Byrne and special guests Track Dogs and Johnny Kalsi. There’s sure to be a real festival feeling about this one, and seeing a gig at the Royal Albert Hall is always extra special (and not something we folkies often get to experience!)
Singing with Nightingales — Various events from 12 April to 28 May
Sussex, Gloucestershire and online
Join folk singer and author of ‘The Nightingale’ Sam Lee alongside special guest musicians on an unforgettable journey into nature. Enjoy fireside food, drink, songs and stories, followed by an after-dark journey into the woods to meet the nightingale. Once nestled in ear-tinglingly close range, you will experience a concert like no other, as Sam and the musicians join in an improvised duet with their virtuosic night-song.
Folk Weekend: Oxford* — Friday 14 to Sunday 16 April
Various venues around Oxford
As the weather gets warmer, more festivals are on their way, and Folk Weekend: Oxford is coming up in a few weeks. As always, there will be plenty of ceilidhs and morris dancing, as well as concerts with Narthen, Emily Portman & Rob Harbron, Merry Hell, George Boomsma and more.
Over at Live to Your Living Room* we will be livestreaming two of the gigs (Narthen and Emily Portman & Rob Harbron). Folk Weekend: Oxford is where Live to Your Living Room first sprang from, so it’s great to still work in partnership with them.
Also on tour soon!
Cara Dillon, Chris Wood, Fisherman’s Friends, Gigspanner Big Band & Raynor Winn: Saltlines, Hannah James & Toby Kuhn, Heidi Talbot, Jim Ghedi, Leveret, Lisa O’Neill, Lucy Farrell, Martin Simpson, Ninebarrow, O’Hooley & Tidow, Oysterband (3-piece acoustic line-up), Phil Beer, Rachel Newton, Rozi Plain, Salt House, Steve Knightley, The Lost Trades, The Rheingans Sisters, The Wilderness Yet*, Unthank: Smith… and many more!
OTHER NEWS
Belshazzar’s Feast Scrapbook crowdfunder
There’s currently a Crowdfunder running to create the Belshazzar’s Feast Scrapbook. This was something the duo had been planning to do long before Paul Sartin sadly passed away. Now there are plans to complete it, which will be a lovely thing to do in his memory.
Alan Surtees Trust funding
The Alan Surtees Trust is a grant-giving organisation that supports young performers whose work is rooted in, or influenced by, traditional music and arts of any culture. It was set up in memory of Alan Surtees, the co-founder and director of Shrewsbury Folk Festival, in 2017. Applications for the 2023 funding round are now open. The deadline for submissions is 30th April.
NEW RELEASES
23 February - Will Varley, Through the Lowlands
This live album was recorded at The Lighthouse in December 2022. It includes new arrangements of solo acoustic songs from Will's back catalogue, so is well worth checking out if you’re a fan.
24 February - Daoirí Farrell, The Wedding Above in Glencree
Daoirí Farrell has just released his fourth solo album, which he’s been crafting to perfection for the last two and a half years. It’s an acoustic album which places focus on the songs themselves, and in Daoirí’s own words, it combines the rawness of his first album, the impact of his second and the beauty of his third.
4 March - Ben & Dom - His Head Lies Heavy
Choir leaders, singers and songwriters Ben See and Dominic Stichbury have released their debut album, showcasing their beautiful harmonies.
10 March - Salt House, Riverwoods
This gorgeous new album from Salt House is inspired by the journey of the atlantic salmon and the importance of biodiversity in our rivers. It’s a musical response to the feature-length documentary of the same name made by rewilding charity ‘SCOTLAND: The Big Picture’, recently featured on Channel 5.
10 March - The Lost Trades - Petrichor
Following on from their hugely successful debut album, which spent 8 months in the Official Folk Albums Chart, The Lost Trades are set to release their second offering, Petrichor. They’ll be marking it with a 21-date tour - see where you can catch them.
17 March - Blue Rose Code - Thirteen Years (EP)
Blue Rose Code are releasing a new protest single, Thirteen Years, to shine a light on the impact of 13 years of austerity. All proceeds will help the charity #Children1st to support families experiencing poverty.
24 March - Nickel Creek, Celebrants
This is Nickel Creek’s first new music in 9 years, as they’ve each been busy with other projects. It’s an album that explores the dynamics of human connection - love and friendship, and bridges burned and rebuilt.
24 March - Lankum, False Lankum
Lankum have always brought new elements to traditional music, but this album sees them take a step further to create something even more bold and contemporary. False Lankum is the title of the murder ballad from which the band also take their name.
24 March - Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble, Peggy’s Dream
With The Common Ground Ensemble, Martin Hayes aimed to create an ensemble of musicians from different backgrounds who each have connections to Irish music (hence ‘common ground’). Collectively, they possess a wealth of talent spanning the worlds of traditional Irish music, cutting-edge contemporary classical, jazz improvisation and experimental music. This album is dedicated to the memory of Martin’s mother, Peggy (hence the album title) and his friend, the guitarist Dennis Cahill, so it has a very personal meaning.
24 March - Megson - What Are We Trying to Say?
Megson fans are in for a treat with this new release, which features eight original tracks, as well as a couple of North East traditional songs for good measure. The album artwork by Jess Morgan is also really lovely, in the style of a graphic novel.
31 March - Alasdair Roberts - Grief in the Kitchen and Mirth in the Hall
Alasdair Roberts of The Furrow Collective has released his fifth full-length collection of traditional songs. Although the material for the album spans the centuries, there are distinct parallels with the modern day.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Blackletter Garland by Hack-Poets Guild, an exciting new collaboration between Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann. The album is inspired by historic broadside ballads, which the trio have brought vividly to life for a new generation. Hundreds of years ago, broadsides were how you got your news, and the ballads and rhymes within them were widely sung. The original illustrated sheets are now only available in a few libraries, but they offer a unique insight into the past, as well as touching on themes with continued relevance today.
Marry, Lisa and Nathaniel are some of the most innovative artists on the folk scene, and in their hands, these stories aren’t just told, but lived and breathed. From the darkness of the macabre Ten Tongues, to the plucky Daring Highwayman, each track transports you to another world. This is musical storytelling at its best, and quite unlike anything I’ve heard before.
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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, Lady Maisery, The Rheingans Sisters and Hannah James & Toby Kuhn. 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!