Derby Folk Festival 2019

Andy Irvine is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as “a tradition in himself.” Musician, singer and songwriter, Andy has maintained his highly individual performing skills throughout his over 50-year career. From Sweeney’s Men in […]

We’ve seen Barry perform as a member of the sensational acapella trio Coope Boyes Simpson; in a duo with our patron John Tams; and more recently with Narthen. His voice is instantly recognisable, and always fabulous to hear. This year, we’re very pleased that Barry is coming to join us, and introduce Kongero’s Old Bell […]

He’s been with us quite a numbers of times, and never fails to impress, and entertain whether on stage, or off! Bob is so well known, and so well loved, that he probably needs very little introduction. His career has spanned over forty years, and all began in 1975… After spending 5 years as a floor singer […]

It takes a special blend of musical flair to create memorable songs of yesteryear! Songs with a hint of contemporary—dosed with uncontrolled laughter, deep-rooted couplets and sudden, impromptu shifts—that speak to familiar rhythms of the past. Welcome to the original musical stylings of De Temps Antan! Éric Beaudry, David Boulanger and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been […]

Drawing on influences such as John Martyn, Roy Harper and Laura Marling, Katie Spencer creates modern progressive folk music which owes as much the songwriters of the 60’s acoustic music heyday as it does the East Riding landscape where she has always felt a strong spiritual connection. Her striking vocals and deft songwriting are backed […]

Kitty Macfarlane is a songwriter and guitarist from Somerset, whose music is rich with visual imagery and written with an eco-eye. Her trademark lies in remarkably mature songwriting, a marked empathy with the environment and a strong sense of place. Carried by a clear voice ‘controlled yet wild’ (Folk Radio), her lyrics touch on intervention […]

A concert with Kongero will take the listener on a fabulous journey, an all-embracing Scandinavian folk music experience. Amazing vocal polyphony, groovy, intimate, and powerful. The group released their 4th album ‘Kom’ in 2017 and ‘Vaerla Vaken’, a collaboration CD with the group Massivet, in late 2018. They conduct well-received workshops and masterclasses worldwide and […]

Lester Simpson – who most people will know from the wonderful Coope, Boyes and Simpson (who had their farewell concert with us last year) joins us for another of his fabulous Saturday (rather than Sunday!) Sing sessions. Lester runs 6 harmony choirs and workshops all over the UK and Europe, as well as performing as […]

Luke is a Singer-Songwriter from Canterbury, Kent, who in 2013 was nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for both the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Talent and The Young Folk Category. He was also winner of Fatea’s “Male Artist of the Year 2014” and 2016 and his live album ‘Solo:Duo:Trio’ was voted 2018 […]

Moirai (pronounced ‘More-eye’) Jo Freya, Melanie Biggs and and Sarah Matthews manage to create an orchestra and a choir of sounds and yet there are still only three of them. ​Throw away your preconceptions about what constitutes folk music and open your minds to a colourful pallet of sounds and song. They will take you […]

Nick Hart is a folk singer deeply rooted in the English tradition. Raised in a family of morris dancers, Nick played instrumental music for many years before discovering his passion for traditional song. Whilst studying for an ethnomusicology degree, he began to explore the large body of recordings of traditional singers from the second half […]

Rachael McShane is a singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player based in the North East of England. Best known as an original member of folk big band Bellowhead, Rachael toured internationally with them as well as making several TV appearances. Bellowhead recorded 5 studio albums, and won a total of 8 BBC Folk Awards in […]

Two of the finest singers to come out of the UK folk scene in the last 15 years have joined forces to record a brand new duo album. Recorded at Kate Rusby’s legendary Pure Records studio and produced by musical maestro Damien O’Kane, the album contains a dynamic mixture of revamped traditional material and brand […]

Steve Turner is a pioneer of highly sophisticated English concertina song accompaniments; he is a multi-instrumentalist, playing mandolin and banjo and accompanies himself on the cittern. After 13 years away from the folk scene he made a welcome return in 2004, producing his 5th album, the highly acclaimed “Whirligig of Time” which featured Martin Carthy, […]

In an age where the word “folk” encompasses everything from acoustic pop to hardcore traditional music, the use of such labels to distinguish one musical experience from another has arguably been stretched farther than ever. The Urban Folk Quartet’s distinguishing features have much less to do with the traditional idea of genre. Yes, this is […]

Bringing together some of the most exciting musicians on the UK folk & roots scene, The Willows blur the boundaries between contemporary song and folk traditions on either side of the Atlantic. The band was formed in Cambridge by husband & wife (Cliff Ward & Jade Rhiannon) and Ben Savage via a chance meeting on […]