Whilst still a young festival, East Anglia’s FolkEast has made a big impression in the four years it’s been running. Launched five years ago by husband and wife John and Becky Marshall-Potter they aim to deliver another great three day festival in the 300-acre Suffolk estate of 16th century Glemham Hall, the home of Major Philip Hope-Cobbold, between August 19-21.
And it will be packing a punch with no less than six 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards nominees and three powerhouse band headliners – the musical whirlwind that is Eliza Carthy’s Wayward Band, a rare appearance by seven-piece Blowzabella and an exclusive UK festival performance by Irish supergroup Usher’s Island.
Eliza’s box fresh, high energy all-star band includes Sam Sweeney from Bellowhead, David Delarre (Mawkin) and Lucy Farrell from the Emily Portman Trio while alternative acoustic roots band Blowzabella include diatonic accordion wizard Andy Cutting (2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Musician of the Year nominee) among their number.
Blowzabella are a unique band – their driving, drone-based sound played with a strong sense of melody and rhythmic expertise. They compose their own music influenced by English and European traditional dance tunes.
Usher’s Island, who so far have only been seen at last year’s Celtic Connections unites two ground-breaking generations of Irish musicians. The revered figures of Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Paddy Glackin link the band’s heritage back to the glory days of Planxty and The Bothy Band while two of today’s leading heirs to these pioneers – signature guitarist John Doyle and virtuoso flautist Mike McGoldrick, bring their experience of Celtic and other international roots styles to the potent mix.
Also appearing are The Young’Uns, Chris Wood, Andy Irvine, Topette!, Rura, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, The Hut People, Gilmore & Roberts, Dan Walsh, Luke Jackson and many more!
Here’s a glimpse at last years festival:
Rekindling the ancient Eastfolk moots on the Glemham Hall estate where for three days a year the folk from the East would meet kith and kin at harvest time for “a bit of a do”, this gathering has Suffolk running through it like letters in a stick of rock – from its locally sourced fare in The Imagined Suffolk Food Village to its suppliers, its arts and crafts, its own newspaper The Eastfolk Chronicle and its Suffolk Punch horses.
Find out more here: www.folkeast.co.uk