The ever popular Sidmouth Folkweek (4-11 August) have just announced their early headliners and pre-festival concerts. Just check some of the names below in what is sure to be another great week of festive spirit, great music, dance and more.
The centrepiece of concerts at the festival, the Ham Marquee features three first class concerts each day with exciting first line-up announcements including: magic-weaving Welsh and Senegalese master harpists CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA; acoustic giants and national treasures SHOW OF HANDS; musical adventurists LAU; fine Irish traditional band DERVISH; a poignant exploration of ideas through song with GEORGE MONBIOT & EWAN MCLENNAN’s Breaking The Spell of Loneliness; the mighty wall of voices SPOOKY MEN’S CHORALE; vital voice in contemporary English songwriting CHRIS WOOD; outstanding Scottish fiddle player and composer DUNCAN CHISHOLM; two generations of folk icon, MARTIN CARTHY & SAM SWEENEY; dynamic South African music and dance, ZULU TRADITION; exquisite crossover success, pairing of pure vocals and guitar JOSIENNE CLARKE AND BEN WALKER and many, many more.
The Bulverton is a buzzing hub of activity each night from 7 pm through ‘til the early hours with party vibes provided by Devon’s dynamic folk star SETH LAKEMAN; a 40th anniversary celebration with classic songs from every era of a long and mighty career of OYSTERBAND and a SCOTTISH PARTY NIGHT with one of the most exciting bands on the Scottish folk scene RURA plus new trad stars ÍMAR amongst many others.
FolkWeek also offers many opportunities to see festival guests on smaller concert stages in more intimate settings throughout the week, including EFDSS-curated Folk Rising Plus, special shows at The Manor Pavilion, traditional concerts at The Woodlands Hotel, Storytelling events and plenty more. The popular fRoots-curated Cellar Full of Folkadelia have an exceptional line-up of new faces this year including Dublin’s exquisite SLOW MOVING CLOUDS; the vaudeville fun of New Kings Of Old Time SHEESHAM AND LOTUS & ‘SON; exciting fresh-sounding discoveries ALDEN, PATTERSON & DASHWOOD and the amazing UNITED BIBLE STUDIES, CATH & PHIL TYLER, SHARRON KRAUS & NICK JONAH DAVIS, amongst others.
Other guests at smaller venues include: English squeezebox guru JOHN KIRKPATRICK, award-winning Somerset singer-songwriter ANGE HARDY; political performance poet ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER; topical singer-songwriter GRACE PETRIE; Irish flautist JACQUELYN HYNES, English folk duo PATTERSON DIPPER and more.
For the ceilidh lover, there are some fun-filled nights of wild dancing and great, driving dance music on offer daily at upbeat ceilidhs and dances at the welcoming Blackmore Evening Ceilidhs as well as the after-hours knees-ups at Bulverton Late Night Extras and more, at the Anchor Gardens and beyond.
The ever-excellent folk dance programme is shaping up to be a week of both fun and challenge.
Learning and fun also feature in our 200+ programme quality and range of workshops, a chance to learn new skills or develop established talents, in taster sessions or week-long series in all areas of music, dance and song
As ever, FolkWeek showcases a range of British traditional dance styles in Processions, Meet The Teams and spectacular displays around the town and along the seafront, including the unmissable Torchlight Procession.
Children’s Festival
Blackmore Gardens is the beating heart of the Children’s Festival: the hub for family-based fun throughout the week with three workshop venues offering opportunities for all ages to get involved. It’s also a colourful and welcoming place to come along to spread out your picnic blanket and enjoy the Young Performers Showcases and Walkabout Entertainment as well as all the fantastic programmed activities. From Saturday to Thursday there will be special FAMILY EVENING SHOWS including a spellbinding puppet show, captivating storytelling, South African music and dance and Super Stomping Evening Ceilidh. This year’s theme is What Can We See In The Garden?
And for everyone aged 12-17, Shooting Roots offer a chance to get involved in incredible activities, awesome workshops and stunning performances. Shooting Roots continue their collaboration with the superb Stream of Sound youth chorus. Things get industrial this year with the theme, Coal Pits and Factory Floors.
NEW for 2017: a fantastic new band for 10-13 yr olds in association with the Children’s Festival.
NEW for 2017: Building on the rip-roaring early evening sessions at Betsy’s Lounge at the Bulverton last year, Shooting Roots are back with some supercharged jamming to start the week. This gives everyone plenty of time to polish up their best material for new Open Mic, aimed at young, emerging performers.
SUPER EARLY BIRD deals are now available on all their great season tickets at the lowest possible prices now on sale. Buy early before they run out!
Sidmouth Folk Week 2017 Line Up
SETH LAKEMAN ~ SHOW OF HANDS WITH MIRANDA SYKES ~ OYSTERBAND
THE SPOOKY MEN’S CHORALE ~ DERVISH ~ LAU ~ MARTIN CARTHY & SAM SWEENEY
CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA ~ CHRIS WOOD ~ RURA ~ DUNCAN CHISHOLM
GEORGE MONBIOT & EWAN MCLENNAN ~ JOSIENNE CLARKE & BEN WALKER
LEVERET ~ ROY BAILEY ~ COOPE BOYES & SIMPSON ~ JOHN KIRKPATRICK
DAOIRI FARRELL~ JIM CAUSLEY TRIO ~ MAWKIN ~ SLOW MOVING CLOUDS
ANGE HARDY ~ IMAR ~ ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER ~ RUSTY SHACKLE
SHEESHAM AND LOTUS & ‘SON ~ SARA GREY & KIERON MEANS ~ SIOBHAN MILLER
CROWS ~ BRIGHDE CHAIMBEUL ~ JENN BUTTERWORTH & LAURA-BETH SALTER
ALDEN, PATTERSON & DASHWOOD ~ JIMMY ALDRIDGE & SID GOLDSMITH ~ UNITED BIBLE STUDIES
GRACE PETRIE ~ MOIRAI ~ JIM & LYNETTE ELDON ~ BRYAN O’LEARY & JACK TALTY
HUGH LUPTON ~ CATH & PHIL TYLER ~ SHARRON KRAUS & NICK JONAH DAVIS
PATTERSON DIPPER ~ HORSE + BAMBOO ~ SANDRA KERR
THE OLD FASHIONED ~ URSULA HOLDEN GILL ~ PETER & BARBARA SNAPE
TOKEN WOMEN ~ KIRKOPHANY ~ STEAMCHICKEN ~ ENGLISH STRING BAND
THE PIGEON SWING ~ PURCELL’S POLYPHONIC PARTY ~ LASAIR ~ THREEPENNY BIT
DIATONICS ~ CONTRA ALT DELETE ~ THE LINDA GAME BAND ~ THIS WAY UP
PROPER ENGLISH ~ MRS MIDNIGHTS ~ MRS SAVAGE’S WHIM ~ MOMENTUM
THE ANDREW PURKISS BAND ~ ENGLISH CONTRA DANCE BAND ~JIGFOOT
BOB ISAACS ~ GORDON POTTS ~ MICHAEL BARRACLOUGH ~ JO FREYA
NICK WALDEN ~ MARY PANTON ~ FEE LOCK ~ BARRY GOODMAN
MARTYN HARVEY ~ KERRY FLETCHER ~ CATHY MEUNIER JOHN SWEENEY
EMMA WOODERS ~ IVAN AITKEN ~ RHIANWEN DAVIES ~ VAL KNIGHT
JAKE WOOD ~ MICHAEL CATOVSKY ~ SIMON MAPLESDEN ~ JANE THOMAS
ROSIE HOOD ~ THE SAVAGE PRUNES ~ BENAMMI SWIFT ~ EMILY MAE WINTERS
ELLY LUCAS ~ KITTY MACFARLANE ~ GERMA ADAN ~ KIRSTY MERRYN ~ ALVAR SMITH
HARBOUR LIGHTS TRIO ~ BARRY LISTER ~ PHILLIP HENRY ~ SAUL ROSE ~ PAUL SARTIN
ROSIE & ROWAN ~ OUT OF HAND
BLACK SWAN RAPPER ~ BOGGART’S BREAKFAST ~ HORWICH PRIZE MEDAL MORRIS MEN
CHINEWRDE MORRIS DANCERS ~ CLAUSENTUM MORRIS ~ CUTTING EDGE SWORD
EYNSHAM MORRIS ~ GREAT WESTERN MORRIS ~ JD & FOLK ~ LUASCADH ~ OYSTER MORRIS
RED MUM RAPPER ~ SILVER FLAME RAPPER ~ SHROPSHIRE BEDLAMS
MARTHA RODEN’S TUPPENNY DISH ~ TYLER’S MEN
THE JAM & CRUMPET BAND ~ THE BARBER BAND ~ ALI MESSER & JANE HARRISON
TERRY MANN VICKI SWAN & JONNY DYER ~ SAM MABBETT ~ CHRIS DYSON & PADDY HEFFRON
FRANCES WATT & CHRIS WALSHAW ~ JANET DOWLING ~ JO MAY ~ WILL LANG ~ ED RENNIE
JOHN DIPPER ~ NICK & MARY BARBER ~ JACQUELYN HYNES ~ BOB ELLIS ~ CANAAN’S LAND
MIKE BAILEY ~ WEST GALLERY MUSIC ASSOCIATION
JOHN HOWSON ~ DAN QUINN ~ TOM GOODALE ~ STEVE ROWLEY
INSTEP RESEARCH TEAM ~ JO AND SIMON HARMER ~ STEVE MCELENEY-SMITH ~ PETER WILTON
Keep checking the website for updates and latest line-up additions for the 2017 festival: www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk