NEWS & COMING YOUR WAY

Coming Your Way

March

Irish folk Veterans The Fureys have a full touring schedule this month starting March 8 at Ulchedre Centre, Anglesey, North Wales. 01 407 763 361. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £18 or £17 concessions.  

The Fureys, still going strong.

The following night, March 9, you can see them at the Civic Theatre, Rotherham. 01709 823 621.Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £19.50. On March 10 they are off to Chipping Village Hall, Garstang Road, Chipping, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 2QH. 01995 61835. Then on March11 it's off to The Atkinson Theatre, Southport. 01704 533 333. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20 plus £1 booking fee and there is a 2% booking fee for credit cards.
This is followed on March 12 by a show at Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford. 01785 619 080. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20 or £18.50 with concessions. Then on March 14 they are at The Brindley, Runcorn. 0151 907 8360. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £21 including booking fee. On march 15 you can catch them at The Core Theatre, Solihull, Birmingham. 0121 704 6962. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20.
They are off to  to play the Palace Theatre, Newark on March 16. 01636 655 755. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £21 or £20.50 concessions. They will be spending St Patrick's Day at William Aston Hall, Wrexham. 0844 888 9991. Doors open 7pm and tickets are £22 including booking fee. Please note the March 18 show at the Irish World Heritage Centre, Cheetham Hill, Manchester is SOLD OUT. Then on March 19 they will be playing Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury. 01684 295 074. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets range from £17 to £25 or £19.50 to £23 with concessions.
The following night, March 20, you can see them perform at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury. 01295 279 002. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £20. On March 21 they play Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East Grinstead. 01342 302 000. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £19. Then on March 22 it's off to The Elgiva, Chesham. 01494 582 900. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £19.50 and £18.50 with concessions and there is a £2.50 admin fee. Loughborough Town Hall, hosts them on March 23. 01509 231 914. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20 or £18.50 with concessions.
Then on March 24 they play the Arts Theatre, Braintree. 01376 556 354. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20 or £18.50 with concessions. You can see them on March 25 at Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton. 01298 72190. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20. Then on March 26 they play the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. 01793 524 481 Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £23.50 but also range from £20.50 to £21.50 for group bookings. If you want to see them on March 27 then get off to the Beck Theatre, Hayes. 020 8561 8371. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £21 and £22.50 with £1 discount for concessions. Then on March 28 they play The Stables, Milton Keynes. 01908 280 800. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £20 and a handling charge of £2.80 applies to all bookings. Online bookings are also subject to a £1.80 per ticket processing fee.
It's off to Lights Theatre, Andover on March 29. 01264 368 368. Show starts 7.45pm and tickets range from £19 to £21. The penultimate gig of the month on March 30 sees them at Thameside Theatre, Orsett Road, Grays. RM17 5DX. 0345 300 5264. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £21. Then finally, on March 31, you can see them at The Apex, Bury St Edmunds. 01284 758 000. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are£21.

Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston may be doing their final gigs together but they are still on the rounds for this month starting on March 3 at Finstock Village Hall, Finstock, Nr Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3BU. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £11 including booking fee.
The following night, March 4, you can catch their show at Westbury On Trym Village Hall, Westbury On Trym, Bristol, BS9 4AG. Contact Drmikecohen1@gmail.com or call 01179 623706. Then on March 8 they are off to Baldock & Letchworth Folk Club, The Orange Tree, Baldock, SG7 5AW. Show starts 8,30pm and tickets range from £10 to £13. On March 9 you can catch them at Christ The King Social Club, Liverpool, L16 6AW. Call 01512 809394 or 07762 360591. Then the duo finish their gigs for the month on March 10 at Doncaster Roots Music Club, Ukranian Centre, 45 Beckett Road, Doncaster. DN2 4AD. Doors open 7.30pm and tickets are £10 and £8.

Northern Ireland's own nightingale Cara Dillon will be performing this month beginning on March 2 at Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £18 or £16 with concessions. She will be playing in the Midlands on March 11 at Theatre Severn, (Walker Theatre) in Shrewsbury. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £21 with a 10% discount for friends of the venue. Then she will be marking St Patrick's Day with a gig at Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium, Winchester. She will be performing in the planetarium and doors open 7pm. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20.

Steve Tilston kicks his gigs off this month on March 3 starting at Acoustic Roots, The Old Courts, Crawford Street, Wigan WN1 1NA.  07875 881436 (David Hiney). He will be joined by guest Paul McClure. Doors open 7pm and show starts 7.30pm. Tickets are £15.40 and for U-16s £11 both including booking fee. Then on March 10 he is off to Newcastle & Potteries Folk Club, Foxfield Railway Station, Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge ST11 9BG. 01782 813401. Doors open 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start. Admission is £10 with a £1 discount for concessions or club members.
If you want to see him perform on March 18 then get yourself off to Dronfield Folk Collective, Pioneer Club, Stonelow Road, Dronfield S18 2EP. Contact dronfieldfolk@gmail.com. Then on March 23 he is off to The Front Room, Burnley Mechanics, Manchester Road, Burnley BB11 1BH. 01282 664400. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £12 plus £2 fee if booked online.
Then on March 24 you can see him perform at Upfront Gallery & Theatre, Nr Hutton in the Forest, Unthank, Penrith CA11 9TG. 01768 484538. Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm start and tickets are£12. The following night, March 25, you can catch his music at Music in Ulpha, Browfoot Room, Ulpha, Broughton in Furness LA20 6DZ
01946 723277. Doors open 7.30pm and show starts 8.15pm. Tickets are £10 or £5 for children and there will be a 60p fee if booked through Paypal. During the month he will also be teaming up with Jez Lowe as The Janus Game. The spring tour kicks off on March 17 at Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Arts Centre, Water Street, Buxton SK17 6XN. 01298 72190. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15. The next gig where they play together is on March 28 at the Black Swan FC at NCEM, St Margaret's Church, Walmgate, York YO1 9TL. 01904 658338. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15 or £13 concessions and there is a student Standby £5 available 15 minutes before this concert. All bookings are subject to £1.50 admin fee.
They bring the show to the West Midlands on March 29 to the Red Lion Folk Club, Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7LY. 0121 472 4253. Doors open 7.15pm and tickets are£14.30 including fees. On March 30 you can catch them at Silver Street Sessions, Cotleigh Brewery, Ford Road, Wiveliscombe TA4 2RE. 01984 623308. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15 or £13 concessions. They finish the month on March 31 at The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore Street, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8HQ. 01805 624624. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15 £13 with concessions or £10 for club members.

On March 3 the band Threepenny Bit will be bringing their distinctive sound to Discovery Centre, Winchester. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £12 in advance or £14 on the night. Then on March 4 it's off to Stroud Ceilidhs, Stroud. Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Then on March 11 they bring their Ceilidh to Borough Hall, Greenwich. Doors open 7.30pm for 8pm start and tickets are £10 or £7.50 with concessions.

Peter Knight's Gigspanner will kick off the month, on March 3 when the band play The Glasshouse Theatre, Stourbridge. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15 and £12. The following night, March 4, they will play The Croft Hall, The Croft, Hungerford. RG17 0HY. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16.22. Then on March 5 they play The Anvil Theatre, (Forge) Basingstoke. Show starts 8.15pm and tickets are £16 or £14 with concessions including booking fee. With a few days off they are back on stage again on March 10 when they play Revelation St Mary's, Ashford. Doors open 6.45pm for 7.30pm start and tickets are £16 in advance or £18 on the night.
The following night, March 11, you can see them at The Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15. On March 12 it's off to The Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffordshire Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15. Then on March 16 you can see them at Town Hall, Bishop's Castle. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £14. On March 17

their show at Rumney Folk Club, Cardiff is SOLD OUT. The following night on March 18 you can catch them at Helland Village Hall, Bodmin. Doors open 7pm and show starts 7.30pm, tickets are £8, £6 with concessions or £22 for a family ticket (two adults and two children).
The band is off to
The Stables Theatre, Hastings on March 22.  Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15. Then on March 23 you can see them perform at Rook Lane Chapel, Frome. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £16.22. They will be moving on to The Flavel, Dartmouth on March 24. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £17 or £5 for under-18s. The following night, March 25, they are off to The Poly, Falmouth. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £12.
They head over to the West Midlands on March 26 to play The Guildhall, Lichfield. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15 or £13.50 for friends of the theatre. They stay in the Midlands for their next gig on March 28 where they play The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. The band will be supported by Fleetwood Cave and the show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15. Their next gig on March 29 at The Stables Theatre, Wavenden is SOLD OUT.
Their penultimate gig of the month on March 30 finds them at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15.50 including admin fee. Their final gig of the month is at the Old Chapel, Alfriston. Show should start around 7.30pm but check website for final details and tickets are £18.50. They can be bought in person but only at The Hailsham Pavilion or by phone on 01323 841414.

Seth Lakeman is as busy as ever and is touring this month with a full band starting off on March 1 at Hall for Cornwall, Truro. He will be supported by The Henry Girls. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets range from £19 to £26. The following night, March 2, you can find him at the Arena, St Albans. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £22.50 and there is a £1.25 admin fee for online sales. He then moves on to Winchester Cathedral on March 3. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets range from £12 (no view) to £25 and there is a 0.75p booking fee per ticket. On March 4 you can see him at the Hexagon, Reading. Show starts 7pm and tickets are £24.50. He moved on to The Stables in Milton Keynes on March 5. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £25 or £19.50 standing. There is a handling charge of £2.80 and a further charge of £1.80 for booking online.
Following this on March 7 he will play the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £25.50.  If you want to see on March 8 then you need to travel to St David's Hall, Cardiff. Doors open 7pm and show starts 7.30pm, tickets are £22.50. He heads to the capital on March 9 to play Cadogan Hall, London. Doors open 6.30pm from 7.30pm to 8pm you can enjoy Wildwood Kin then Lakeman takes to the stage at 8.30pm. Tickets are £26.50 and all sales will incur a booking fee unless bought in person. On March 10 you can catch him at Picturedrome, Holmfirth. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £22.50. To finish the month he will perform at Parr Hall, Warrington. Show starts 7pm and tickets range from £18.50 to £25.25.

Oysterband have a full schedule for this month starting on March 2at Marlborough Town Hall, 01672 512 465. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £19 and must be booked online.  Then on March 3 they play Harberton Parish Hall, Totnes. Show starts 7.15 and tickets are £17.60 including booking fee. The following night on March 4 you can catch them at The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £20, £17.50 with concessions and £15 for centre supporters. Then on March 6 they play the Nettlebed Folk Song Club at the Village Club, Nettlebed. Tel 01628 636 620. Show starts 8pm and tickets can be booked online.
Then on March 7 they move on to Pocklington Arts Centre, Pocklington. Tel  01759 301 547. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £17. On March 8 you can see them at The Grand, Clitheroe. Tel 01200 421 599. Doors open 7pm and show starts 7.45pm. Tickets are £17. On March 9 they are welcomed to the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. 01539 725 133. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16 plus £1.50 booking fee. From there, on March 10, they go to The Witham, Barnard Castle. Tel 01833 631 107. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £16 plus booking fee.
Then on March 11 they play The Vic, Menai Bridge, Anglesey. Tel 01286 674 631. No time or ticket prices were available at time of publication. On March 12 they will be playing the Glee Club, Nottingham. Doors open 7pm and show starts 8pm, tickets are £17.50 in advance. The band will be playing in Cheltenham on March 14 at the Pillar Room. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £20 plus £1.50 booking fee. Then on March 15 you can catch them at the Music Room, Liverpool. Tel  01517 093 789. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £17.50.
The following night, March 16, they will be performing at Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. Tel 01239 621 200. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16 or £15 concessions. On St Patrick's Day you can catch them at Pontardawe Arts Centre, Pontardawe. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16.13 in advance or £18.27 on the day. The following night on March 18 they will be performing at St Andrew Village Hall, Mottram. Tel 07904 072 190 or email steveandkatyh@gmail.com for times and ticket information. The show on March 19 at Otley Courthouse, Otley is SOLD OUT.
The next gig is on March 21 at The Apex, Bury St Edmunds. Tel 01284 758 000. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £17.50. The following night, March 22, they will be performing at The Stables, Milton Keynes. Tel 01908 280 800. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £17.50. Booking Fees of £1.80 per ticket plus a Transaction Fee of £2.80 apply.
On March 29 they can be seen at The Haymarket, Basingstoke. Tel 01256 844 244. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £18.50 including booking fee. Their penultimate gig on March 30 will be at Lighthouse, Poole. Tel 01202 280 000. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16.75 including fees or £13 concessions. The band finish off the month at The Ivy House, Nunhead, London. SE15 3BE on March 31. Show starts 7pm and tickets are £5.40 including booking fee.

Duo O'Hooley & Tidow who are part of Coven along with Lady Maisery and Grace Petrie will be playing a series of concerts this month in honour of International Women's Day. The first two however, at Greystones in Sheffield on March 1 and 2 are both sold out. You can catch them on March 3 at All Hallows, Leeds. Show starts 7.45pm and tickets are £15.46.
On March 4 you can see the collective at Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £15. The following night, March 5, you can catch them at Cluny2, Newcastle. Doors open 7.30pm and show starts 8pm. Tickets are £15.40 including fee. On March 7 you can catch them at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £14.
Then on March 8 they play the West End Centre, Aldershot. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £14.50 or £12.50 with concessions. The following night on March 9 you can catch them at the Arts Centre, Bridport. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £14 or £12 with concessions. Then on March 10 they will be performing at St John on Bethnal Green, London. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £15.40 including booking fee.
You can catch the band on March 11 at The Ivy House, Nunhead. Show starts 7.15pm and tickets are £15.40 or £13.20 with concessions. Then on March 12 they will play Cooper Hall, Frome Show starts 4pm and tickets are £14 or £5 for Under-18s. There is also a 10% discount for group bookings of 10 adults or more. Their final gig of the month is on March 13 at the Guildhall, Leicester. Show starts 7.15pm and tickets are £15.40 or £13.20 with concessions including booking fee.

York-based duo The Hut People will be touting their distinctive and energetic talent around the UK this month starting on March 1 at Whitby Pavilion Cafe, Whitby, YO21 3EH. Shows starts 7.30pm and tickets are £10. The show also features Tom Townsend. The following night, March 2, they play a house concert in Edinburgh. If you are interested in going then please message the duo at thehutpeople@gmail.com. They have all the details but the hosts do not want them made public. Bring your own drinks and entry is £10.
Next, on March 3 they play The Witham, Horsemarket, Barnard Castle. DL12 8LY. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £10 plus booking fee. Then it's on to the Little Theatre, Thornton on March 4. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £10. Their next show is on March 11 at Masham Town Hall, Market Place, Masham, Ripon. HG4 4DY. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £10 or £6 concessions.
Their next show is on March 24 at Hinckley Act,  Waiting Close, Hinckley, Leicestershire. LE10 3EZ. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £10. Then to finish the month they play The Green Note, Parkway, London NW1 7AN. Doors open 7pm and show starts 8.30pm. Tickets are £11 including booking fee. Also note the February 21 date at Barnsley Civic has been moved to April 21

Louise Jordan, now a native of the New Forest, has three gigs this month promoting her latest album No Petticoats Here starting on March 3 when she will be playing at the launch of Keep The Home Fires Burning exhibition at the Town Hall, Cross Hayes, Malmesbury. SN16 9BZ, starting at 7pm. The event is free. Then on March 24 you can see her perform at Fo’c’sle Folk Club, Richmond Inn, 108 Portswood Road, Southampton. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £9 or £7 for members. She finishes the month on March 30 at Hawthorns Hotel, 8-12 Northload Street, Glastonbury, Somerset. BA6 9JJ.

Another York-based band, Blackbeard's Tea Party, are also heading out on the road this month beginning on March 3 at Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury. Bar opens 7pm and show starts 8pm doors normally open 15 minutes before the performance. Tickets are £13. Support is from A Different Thread. Then on March 5 they play Talking Heads, Southampton. Doors open 7.30pm and show starts 8pm. Tickets are £8. On March 10 you can see them perform at The National Forest Folk Club at
The Moira Miners Welfare Club, Moira near Ashby de la Zouch. DE12 6BP. Show starts 8.30pm and tickets are £10 plus booking fee. Then on March 25 they play Cafe Indiependent, Scunthorpe. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £8. 

Shropshire outfit Whalebone take to the road this month with their Mirabilia Tour starting on March 10 at Bledington Village Hall, The Green, Bledington, Gloucestershire OX7 6XQ. Tel: 01608 658669. Show starts 7.30 pm and tickets are £10. Tickets available from the number above. Then on March 15 you can catch the group at The Oak Room, The Pheasant at Neenton, Neenton, Nr Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 6RJ. Tel: 01746 787955. Show starts 7.30 pm and tickets are £25 which includes a two course menu. To book call the number above. 

On March 24 they move on to May Hill Village Hall, All Saints Road, May Hill, Gloucestershire. GL17 0NP. Tel: 01452 830350. Show starts 7.30pm, tickets are £10 and available from Jenny Grassam on the number above. Their penultimate show of the month is on March 25 when they play Clee Hill Village Hall, Ludlow Road, Cleehill, Ludlow SY8 3NZ. Tel: 01584 890467. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £8 or £5 for a child plus booking fee. They are available from Debbie Taylor from the number above or buy online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/whalebone. The final gig of the month is on March 31 at Radway Village Hall, Tysoe Road, Radway, Warwickshire. CV35 0UN. Tel: 01295 670662. Show starts 7.30 pm and tickets are £10. They are available from Liz Manwaring above or online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/whalebone

Folk legend Phil Beer is heading out on the road this month for a run of solo gigs starting on March 2 at Christ the King Social Club, Score Lane, Childwall, Liverpool. Show starts 7:30pm and tickets are £15.46 including booking fee. Box office: 0151 291 1777. Venue phone: 0151 291 1777.  The following night on March 3 you can see him perform at Ellel Village Hall, Main Road, Galgate, Lancashire. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £14.
His show on March 9 at the Royal Manor Theatre, 138a Fortuneswell, Portland, Dorset has SOLD OUT. The following night, March 10, he will be performing at The Old Chapel Centre, Alfriston, East Sussex. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £18.50. Then on March 11 he is appearing at Gill Nethercott Centre, Winchester Street, Whitchurch, Hampshire. Doors open 7.30pm and show starts 8pm. Tickets are £15.40 including booking fees.
He then moves on to the Tuppenny Barn, Main Road, Southbourne, West Sussex on March 12. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £16. On March 17 he will be appearing at Chudleigh CE Community Primary School, Lawn Drive, Chudleigh, Newton Abbot, Devon. Show starts 7pm. For tickets call 01626 853651.

News

The Radio2 Folk Awards are just around the corner and the list of nominees has been released. The show on Wednesday April 5 at the Royal Albert Hall will also include the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Al Stewart.

Legend Woody Guthrie

Long overdue is this year's inductee into the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame, Woody Guthrie. The full list of nominees are as follows:
Folk Singer of the Year: Daoiri Farrell, Jim Causley, Kris Drever and Shirley Collins.
Best duo: Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Megson, O’Hooley & Tidow and Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton
Best group: 9Bach, Breabach, The Furrow Collective and The Gloaming.
Best album: Jarlath Henderson – Hearts Broken, Heads Turned, Jim Moray – Upcetera, Martin Green – Flit, Shirley Collins – Lodestar and Songs of Separation – Songs of Separation.
Horizon award: Daoiri Farrell, Fara, Ninebarrow and Talisk
Musician of the year: John McCusker, John McSherry, Mohsen Amini and Rachel Newton.
Best original track: Fragile Water by Nancy Kerr, If Wishes Were Horses by Kris Drever, Roll Away by Martin Green feat. Adam Holmes and Sounds of Earth by Jim Moray.
Best traditional track: Courting Is a Pleasure by Jarlath Henderson, Echo Mocks The Corncrake by Songs of Separation, Van Diemen’s Land by Daoiri Farrell and Willie Taylor by Julie Murphy.
BBC Radio2 young folk award: Amelia Coburn, Charlie Grey & Joseph Peach, Eryn Rae and
Josie Duncan & Pablo Lafuente.

It involves a journey through caverns, ancient sites,  hostelries and forgotten tunnels however, it's not an episode of Game of Thrones nor a new Lord of the Rings film but the locations for a most unusual tour from a folk duo who have made a big impression on the scene over the last few years.

One of the unusual venues
Butser Iron Age Roundhouse,

Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin will embark on a tour of the "most unexpected venues" this spring playing sites which are as unusual and distinctive as the duo's music.

The 10-date Out of the Ordinary tour which runs from May 10 to 27 will see the award-winning pair taking their enchanting and almost mystical sound across England and Wales. 

No strangers to performing in churches to add to their list the tour will involve hoping to captivate their audience in a Derby gaol, echo their past successes in Cornwall caverns, steam ahead in a Swindon rail museum, add some flavour to a Cheshire salt works and hope their fans will only be lost in their music in a Liverpool labyrinth.

With this year's Radio 2 Folk Awards looming it brings back memories of them winning Best Duo in 2014.

Their latest album Watershed was released last September. Martin said: “We are really looking forward to taking our music to these magical places. We have always drawn on many musical styles and regional influences so it seemed apt to seek out some of the more unusual places that have shaped our island’s rich and diverse history.
“Some of the venues are part of our industrial heritage, like the Great Western Railway Steam Museum; then there are mysterious places created for unknown reasons like the Williamson Tunnels.”
The tour kicks off at Cardiff’s Norwegian Church on Wednesday, May 10 and finishes on the May Bank Holiday at Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire.

All links, dates, times and prices were correct at time of publication and Folkall takes no responsibility for broken links or hidden fees not published.

SIOBHAN MILLER

CD Review

Strata

Second albums can be notoriously tricky to create especially if your debut has been well received, it means you have set a benchmark others expect not only to be matched but exceeded. 

Siobhan Miller

Well Siobhan Miller needn't have worried as Strata contains eleven songs which showcase the soft tones of the Scottish songstress perfectly.
Miller has that gorgeously rich, yet soft tone to her voice very close to the likes of Cara Dillon or Ange Hardy. Her voice comes rolling on the opening track Banks of Newfoundland.
The arrangement has a strong beat created by the percussion skills of Louis Abbott which almost threatens to overpower Miller's voice but her tones cut through the accompaniment like a surgeon's scalpel.
The dancing cadence of the next track What You Do With What You've Got is a life philosophy in one song and although it's got a strong and uplifting message, Miller gets that right balance between keeping it light and getting the point across.
For the cover of Dylan's One Too Many Mornings Miller's voice takes on a more emotional yet slightly raspier tone similar to the gorgeous voice of Kate Rusby.
The strings of Jack Smedley, of Rura fame, under her voice also give the song an emotional boost. Pound A Week Rise is the stuff folk music is made of. The story of mine workers fighting against pit owners to get a decent wage.
Miller's voice and the throbbing beat underneath give it a menace of determination with Transatlantic Sessions regular, Phil Cunningham's subtle accordion playing adding extra colour to proceedings.

Phil Cunningham

If there is one track which exemplifies the sweet and emotional tones of Miller it's her breathy rendition of The Unquiet Grave.
The gentle lament is softly layered over the subtle picking of Kris Drever on guitar and it's the simplicity which gives it such impact.
There is almost a military beat to Thanksgiving Eve and Miller, at least in the first part, seems to be battling to be heard. The bluegrass fiddle inserts from Aidan O'Rourke add a really strong strand of colour to the song.
Miller seems to deepen her accent for her arrangement of The Sun Shines High. the effects used on the production by Euan Burton seems to give her tones a harder edge which puts the percussion side firmly in its place.
Miller's silky tones which bring in The Month of January soon turn to the strong clear voice which seems to always be warning there is power in reserve for her to call on whenever she chooses.
She possesses real depth of tone and yet maintains a great subtlety to be able to dance over the top of the quick, strong beat of the percussion. False False is a ballad where Miller shows both her versatility and her range.
Her arrangement is a beautiful song which falls somewhere between a lullaby and lament. The strings of Megan Henderson, who you may also know from Breabach,  also help to create a real depth of emotion.
The penultimate track, Bonny Light Horseman, sounds incredibly close to Dillon's style of singing, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Both Celtic singers have wonderful voices that are able to stir the spirit. Miller's arrangement of this gentle ballad of losing your loved one through war has just the right tone.

Miller's second solo album

There is a note of sorrow at the loss and yet a sense of pride in that he died a noble death. Miller goes on a lighter tone with another staple of folk music about taking an older lover.
In the Ramblin' Rover there are some great irreverent lines and it's clear from her tone Miller is enjoying herself with lines such as, "You're bent with arthritis, your bowels have got colitis, you've galloping bollockitis and you're thinking it's time you died."
This album draws together many of the influential musicians and songs which have made an impact on Miller.
Her arrangements and the clever input of a string of impressive musicians for this album has given her a grandstand for her impressive talent.
Miller's voice is subtle, sharp, gentle and emotive and you often get the feeling there is a lot more power being kept in reserve. Strata is a real pleasure to listen to and there really isn't a bad track on the album.


Strata is released on February 24 which will also kick off her album tour starting in Edinburgh.

You can catch the launch of the new album at The Queens Hall, Edinburgh. Doors open 7pm and the show starts 8pm. Tickets are £17 plus a £1 fee. She will be joined by special guests from the album including Euan Burton, Kris Drever, Louis Abbott and Megan Henderson.
The following night, February 25 you can see her at The Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets range from £10 to £12. On February 26 you can catch her at Hare & Hounds, Birmingham. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £11 including booking fee. The on February 27 she will be performing at Kingskerswell Parish Church, Newton Abbot. Doors open 7pm and tickets are £11 including booking fee.
The following night, February 28, she will be appearing at The Slaughtered Lamb, London. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £13. Then going into the next month on March 2 she plays The Swallow Theatre, Whithorn. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £12. It's off to Catstrand, New Galloway on March 3. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets are £10. On March 4 she plays Stonehaven Folk Club, The Community Centre, Stonehaven. Show starts 7pm and tickets are £12 for non-members and £10 for members. Please note there is no bar so if you wish to imbibe then you need to take your own drinks.
Following that on March 5 Miller will perform at The Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £8.58 including booking fee.
Then on March 7 she is off to The Hippodrome, Eyemouth. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £14 or £8 for U-16s. The following night March 8 you can catch her at Seall, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Sleat. IV44 8RQ. Show starts 7.30pm and tickets need to be reserved through a booking form and paid for on the night. The on March 9 it's off to Eden Court, Inverness. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £12, £10 with concessions and there is a friends discount too. The next gig is on March 11 where she will perform at The Tolbooth, Stirling. Show starts 8pm and tickets are £14 and £12.
On St Patrick's Day she starts the German leg of her tour and you can see her at Kult, Niederstetten, Germany. Show starts 8pm and see the website for ticket information. Then on March 18 she plays Schlosskelter, Freiberg Am Neckar. Show starts 8pm and tickets are €20 or €15 Euro concessions. On March 19 she will be playing Staatschauspiel, Dresden. Show starts 8pm and tickets are €24.25 or €19.85.
On march 21 you can see her perform at Folk Club Isaar im Landgasthof, Kienberg. Show starts 8pm and tickets are €11 Euro for club members, €13 on the night and €6 concessions. Under-14s are free.
Then on March 22 she is off to Apex, Gottingen. Show starts 8.30pm and tickets are €16.50 or €11 with concessions. The following night, March 23, she plays Hauskonzert, Mullenbach. Show starts 8pm and tickets are €15 or €12 with concessions. Then on March 24 you can see her at Baldauf Villa, Marienberg. Show starts 8pm. To finish the month on March 25 she will play Buchcafé, Bad Hersfeld. Show starts 8pm and tickets range from €12 to €18.

KATE DIMBLEBY

CD Review

Songbirds

You have to give it to Kate Dimbleby she seems determined not to be corralled into any particular camp when it comes to musical styles, instead she looks to use her voice to explore wherever her artistic spirit takes her.

Kate Dimbleby

Coming from the political broadcaster dynasty the obvious route would have been to follow her forebears on to our TV screens, however Dimbleby veered towards her mother's side of the talent stream and took up her banner of singing.
With five albums under her belt she is trying a brave venture of an album of original songs which are all essentially a Capella.
This shows both her confidence in her abilities and her willingness not to be constrained when it comes exploring other genres. Songbirds opens with a torch song, Limbo, where her silken tones express her first heartbreak and the feeling of emptiness.
The layering of her voice is used to great effect and gives it the nuance of a spiritual.
Love Can Be Easy has a much more relaxed tone and you get the sense that it comes from a much happier and settled place than the previous track.
The undertone harmonies have an almost lazy feel to them, having the sort of cadence you associate with a lullaby.
With Happy you can feel the influence of Bobby McFerrin, who had a novelty hit back in the 80s with Don't Worry Be Happy, however, it feels like there is great deal more going on with what is close to a schizophrenic sound. You can pick out overtones of Laurie Anderson but with the main body of the singing sounding very much like Crystal Waters and thrown in just for good measure are primal screams which never really let you settle into the song.
There is a move back to the spiritual feel for Musical Boxes. This time you get a deeper resonance from Dimbleby's voice and the layers also give it an eerie feel like you are listening to some ancient pagan or tribalistic ritual.
This gives way to the gentle opening of Life Is which is Dimbleby musing about the men in her life. It's a quick composition which builds to a crescendo which then dies out just as fast just like an important message hurriedly passed on in the shortness of time.
At Our Best is the type of song which you could easily hear leaking from the windows of a church. It has that triumphal marching cadence but the problem is it's the shortest track on the album and just as you get into it, it's gone!

Mahalia Jackson

Whatever has too distinct parts the opening has this waved almost blues sound which in the middle gives way to Dimbleby exercising her control over the lyrics before it returns to the wave of sound.
There is a sense that this was written with a particular person in mind, to reassure them they would always have someone to turn to and as you listen you are never sure whether you should take it on board for yourself.
These Things, They Will Come has an old-style plantation song feel to it, the sort of song you associate more with Billie Holiday or Mahalia Jackson.
There is a depth of feeling from Dimbleby and you get the sense this song comes from a dark place,  you can almost imagine the chorus being the voices of the demons she is trying to exorcise with her words.
Harder Than You Think is almost a musical experiment. It was created in spontaneity and is the vocal equivalent of musicians just getting together to jam in between recording tracks.
Dimbleby brings a thoughtful and seemingly nervous style to the penultimate track, Walk Away. As you listen you do feel you are getting an insight into her inner character, it has the feel of her singing and being almost oblivious to anyone listening.
There is a strong emotion in the simple style where you feel at any moment her words could falter in a swirl of once restrained feelings.
The album goes out with Song For A Hill, although there could be a case for arguing that the previous track should have ended the list, where Dimbleby introduces far more sounds than previous tracks. Strangely enough it's the sound effects which seem to take precedence and the voice is reduced to wordless harmonies in the distance.
It does seem slightly out of place almost like the wrong last piece of a jigsaw forced into place to get a finished article.

The solo album

What Dimbleby has is a very versatile voice and a seemingly voracious appetite for finding different ways of expressing her talent regardless of the barriers of style or genre.
It's a risky move to create whole album using just her voice and could prove a little too niche for many and you could see why Folkstock Records would take up her cause because it specialises in championing the female voice, and has come up with some wonderfully surprising, strong and successful songstresses.
In some ways Songbirds is a tough one to quantify but you have to give it to Dimbleby, she has got as far as she has purely by cutting her own swathe while staying true to how she wants to perform. This album does come across as something of an experiment, a water tester, how the results will turn out remains to be seen.

Songbirds will be released on the Folkstock Label on February 23 at the NOW Gallery, Greenwich.

DARIA KULESH

CD Review

Long Lost Home

The jury may be out as to whether Daria Kulesh is a bona fide Siren but the simple fact is that from the first tone of her hypnotic and opera-esque singing you are in her thrall. 

Daria Kulesh

With this album Kulesh takes the listener on a personal and historic journey, so there is always a risk when there is a strong and emotional connection that the listener is often kept on the outside.
This said, with Kulesh's diamond-cut tones you are drawn into a world which often blurs the line between myth and reality, where, like staring transfixed into the dancing flames of a campfire, the songs capture your imagination and you are lost in the surroundings Kulesh is recreating.
The deep tones of opener Tamara wrap around you, and even within the lyrics there is the warning of what is happening, "Enticing the heart of a stranger, seducing with magic delight." and "Great kings were ensnared by her singing, no man could her power withstand."  
The album is themed around the long lost land of her grandmother which was in southern Russia in the Caucasus Mountains and is also a potted history of the country outlining some of the incredible life stories and tragedies which have befallen her ancestors.
The Moon and The Pilot is a familiar track which Kulesh has released previously and is a story of love and dispossession. Inspired by her great-grandmother Diba Posheva who married a pilot, Rashid Akhriev.
He went on to be hailed and recorded as a hero while his wife and her people were declared enemies of the state and thrown from their homes by the orders of Joseph Stalin.
The simple but stunningly effective piano melody underneath Kulesh's voice gives it both a melancholy and admiring element.
You can almost see her bathed in the eerie alabaster light of the moon as she dances to create a picture of her ancestor and yet in the same sky of light, strength and beauty is the sorrow, loss and tragedy of the pilot who died in the line of duty.
In the storytelling Kulesh's incredible tones paint a picture no brush stroke could ever achieve.
There is a slightly lighter tone to Safely Wed in which Kulesh sings of comparative lives and the vagaries of forced marriages.
The stories involve both her grandmother and a distant aunt which make it a very personal song and, as a listener, you do feel a little like a visitor who has happened upon a family tale being told where the abundant metaphors are used almost like a code to tell the tale of eventually finding love.
Kulesh goes back even further through her lineage for Amanat which focuses on her great-great-grandfather who was forced to leave his home and be taken in by foster parents.

Laisat Baisarova

There is real and passionate grief in her voice as she tells the tale of his life and legacy.
The Hazel Tree is a song of longing where the tree is a metaphor for where the roots of her ancestors lie. With it's more contemporary and lighter beat under Kulesh's slightly tremulous voice, it is the story of aching to return to a forest which is a symbol of heart and home.
Kulesh tells it more like a story than a song with the tune sounding almost incidental on this occasion.
Distant Love/Gyanar Bezam is a traditional song translated by Kulesh. She captures the anguish of the woman who is the victim of an arranged marriage and as she suffers in silence for the honour of her family the only way she can express her heart is through song. Kulesh gives her a voice which carries over the ages.
The Panther is a slightly bizarre story of that rare breed, a female sniper. Laisat Baisarova disobeyed her masters and turned the deadly skills she possessed on them rather than her own people. Kulesh is almost dispassionate with her telling of the story perhaps mirroring the steely coldness of the deadly Baisarova.
The language Kulesh uses is very descriptive and borders on  the jingoistic, you get a sense that she has more than a sneaking admiration for her subject.
This is followed by Like A God which has the sense of a spiritual with what's close to a reggae beat underneath. Kulesh once again pulling the metaphors out of the bag to tell the story of doctor Alaudin Poshev, another of her ancestors, who risked his life to stand against the corruption and brutality of the regime surrounding him.
Once again Kulesh adopts more of a storytelling style rather than full singing. There is something almost patriotic sounding with Heart's Delight. Kulesh sounds more like she is reading out a stirring poem designed to rouse citizens into action, it even comes with the marching sound of the military drums.
Gone is a migration song written from the perspective of those who are trying to find their feet in a new country and culture. Kulesh puts her unique style of singing on the track which lies somewhere between the operatic, the showstopper and the folk ballad, something she does so well.
Carrying on with this theme is Only Begun,  another song of longing to be back where your heart is.

The solo album

Once again this was inspired by a member Kulesh's dispossessed family and how she remembers the little things in life which when gone take on such significance.
Kulesh adopts a breathy almost reverent style as if she is afraid of waking her forebears.
The wonderfully titled Untangle My Bones takes the album out and, like the Biblical story of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, is a tale of a fisherman who finds a skeleton which comes back to life as a beautiful woman whom he marries.
The tune is quite jazzy and there seems to be a conflict between Kulesh's vocals and the music but somehow the separation seems to work.
Kulesh has a style which, unlike anyone on the folk circuit, is partly down to her skill as a musician and songwriter but also because she has a whole different culture upon which to draw.
While this is a personal journey for Kulesh she has done it in a way that the listener does not feel prurient in any way, but more than that she is able to recreate, at least in music and song, a world which has been lost but is part of her personality and heritage.
Kulesh's album will be launched on 23 February 2017 at Cecil Sharp House. The date marks the anniversary of Stalin’s injustice over the deportation of the Ingush and the Chechens in 1944. Doors open 7pm and the show starts 7.30pm.
Tickets are £12 or £10 for U-26s and there is a booking fee. She will be playing with the full band and joined by friends Jonny Dyer, Timur Dzeytov, Vicki Swan, Pete Morton, Phil Underwood, Jason Emberton and Kate Rouse.

Then on February 20 the band move on to The Pheasantry, Chelsea, London.  SW3 4UT. The show is a double bill with Pete Morton. Doors open 7pm and show starts 8.30pm, tickets are £15.
The following night, February 21, you can see Daria and Jonny Dye​r at Bracknell Folk Club, The Sun, Windlesham, GU20 6EN. Show starts 8.30pm.