Now in its 3rd year Normafest is a celebration of all things to do with folk music legend Norma Waterson MBE bringing together the woman herself in exclusive live performance alongside friends, family and special guests.
Norma, who resides in Robin Hoods Bay, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Radio 2 Folk Award and is widely recognised as one of the most important figures in English Folk Music since the folk revival of the 1960s. Together with her husband guitarist & singer Martin Carthy & multi-talented daughter Eliza Carthy (both MBEs too), the family, including late brother Mike & sister Lal, are largely responsible for sustaining and growing the interest in English folk music since then and, through three Mercury Prize nominations, helping it reach out to new younger audiences. Due to on-going health issues Norma is now unable to travel so this is a rare chance to see her perform live.
With guest performers including American folk veteran (and old friend of Norma’s) Peggy Seeger, young folk bands Stick In The Wheel and The Furrow Collective, from Ireland the much-lauded Lynched plus a rare performance by The Waterson Family the two days will finish off with a performance by The Gift Big Band which will include Norma, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Neill MacColl & special guest Richard Hawley. Richard has long been an admirer of Norma’s having first met her whilst researching a BBC documentary and whose friendship partly inspired Richard to write the classic single Heart Of Oak on his 2015 top ten album Hollow Meadows.
Norma is keen that as well as the wonderful musicians and singers who will be joining together this year the work of those no longer with us will be shared through film showings of Travelling For a Living about the early days of The Watersons, “Where You Are Meant To Be” featuring the late, great Sheila Stewart, & “Land Of Green Ginger” Alan Plater’s classic evocation of Norma’s hometown Hull.
Additional features this year will include interviews, informal sessions in the theatre bar, DJ Dolphin Boy in the café and a local food produce market with cookery demos led by chef/comedian/broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli.
Musicport & The Waterson Carthy Family presents: Normafest
@ Whitby Pavilion, West Cliff, Whitby, YO25 3EN
Friday January 6th & Saturday 7th 2017
www.musicportfestival.com/Normafest_2017