Every year, tens of thousands of visitors head to the East Devon coastal resort of Sidmouth for a cultural event that has been enjoyed every year since 1955. I am of course referring to the newly named The Sidmouth Folk Festival which features hundreds of events from song and dance as well as over 200 workshops. There simply isn’t another festival quite like it.
It isn’t just the festival goers that recognise the magic of the week-long event, as we revealed in 2014 when the festival was celebrating it’s 60th Anniversary. Many artists have grown up with the festival which holds great memories. It’s also a great meeting ground for artists as well as festival goers. You only need to look around the town at all the sessions going on – you’ll recognise many familiar faces. It was the first English folk festival that Kathryn Tickell attended as a performer. She told us how she loved the fact that the festival embraces “the real traditional players as well as the new innovators.” You can read our interview with her here.
Andy Cutting told us of his most cherished memories. “I met my wife and Chris Wood at Sidmouth. In 2010 putting together the night Andy Cutting and Friends in the Ham was very special to me. …and playing a five and a half hour dance with Blowzabella at the Bulverton in 2008!” and Oysterband recalled “It was creative, crazy and exhilarating. We met many fellow travellers who have remained lifelong friends. Whether it was playing to thousands surrounding us on the grassy bank of the Arena on a beautiful evening or simple walking round the town taking in the colour and verve of international dance teams, great morris, street theatre, and bumping into people, Sidmouth has been a thread of continuity through our lives. It didn’t just reflect what was going on in the wider folk music world, it helped shape it and still does. It means a lot to us!”
Every year at Sidmouth is a new experience, from choosing who you’ll go to see, what workshops you’ll try out, to who you’ll meet from previous years…not forgetting making new friends.
Here’s a rundown of some of those first names:
In 2019, The Sidmouth Folk Festival marks its significant 65th birthday with a re-name and a new logo that demonstrates a commitment to innovation, driving the event forward in every way while continuing to proudly champion its musical roots and long-established East Devon home.
The Ham is the festival’s largest seated concert venue. Gracing its stage for evening concerts are headliners including: legendary guitarist and songwriting genius Richard Thompson in a solo acoustic show; magnificent, craggy ensemblage The Spooky Men’s Chorale; Steve Knightley & Friends in Fifty Shades of Sidmouth – tracing Steve’s musical journey from apprentice to patron, and from beach busker to Ham headliner; multi-award winning Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis; the fiery brilliance of Flook; Quebecois trailblazers Le Vent Du Nord; the unadorned Co. Cavan soul singer Lisa O’Neill; Lady Maisery; Belshazzar’s Feast and many more. There are also pre-Festival special concerts with chart-topping 70s folk-rock pioneers Lindisfarne and much-loved singer, songwriter and guitarist Ralph McTell.
A peak into the Daytime Concerts (included in Week, Weekend and Day tickets) reveals The Young’Uns: The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff; Martin Simpson; Sam Sweeney’s The Unfinished Violin; Hannah James’ JigDoll Ensemble and exceptional duo Nancy Kerr & James Fagan.
If you’re up for a party and fancy some dance floor action, The Bulverton is your natural habitat at Sidmouth: a buzzing hub of activity each night from 7pm through ‘til the early hours with nightly evening roots shows and dances. Confirmed artists so far include: Scotland’s mighty Peatbog Faeries; Dartmoor’s own Seth Lakeman; Anglo-French musical adventurers, Topette; Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys; a 10th anniversary Blackbeard’s Tea Party Bulverton take-over, and much more.
The Sidmouth Folk Festival has a wide range of small events offering opportunities to see festival guests on concert stages in more intimate settings – from special shows at The Manor Pavilion to the English Folk Dance & Song Society co-curated concert series featuring emerging young artists; traditional music and song events at The Woodlands and new sounds from fRoots magazine-curated Cellar Full of Folkadelia afternoon sessions.
Amongst early Cellarful bookings for 2019 are: Lisa O’Neill; glorious Kurdish singer Çiğdem Aslan; award-winning folklore-inspired You Are Wolf; powerful and raw young Canadian folk duo Mama’s Broke; the dark landscapes and deep stories of Glasgow’s Burd Ellen and Welsh guitar and banjo titan Gwenifer Raymond.
Some of the Manor Pavilion special shows through the week include: The Road to Peterloo with Pete Coe, Laura Smyth & Brian Peters; Debs Newbold’s King Lear Retold and Rowan Rheingans’ Dispatches On the Red Dress.
A round-up of early bookings in other smaller venues includes: Iona Fyfe, Jeff Warner, Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, Broom Bezzums, Jim Causley, Ben Walker & Rob Harbron. The smaller venues also play host to a wide range of storytelling and poetry events.
Sidmouth Ceilidhs are renowned for fun, energy and great danceable bands. Fill your dance card with a line-up of leading ceilidh bands and callers from around the country including: Whapweasel, Token Women, Banter, The Committee Band, Threepenny Bit, Out Of Hand, Kirkophany, The Gloworms, Tautas Roks and Blackbeard’s Tea Party.
The big news for Folk Dance enthusiasts is the introduction of a splendid new venue. The historic Music Room at Sidholme Hotel boasts glass chandeliers, a magnificent painted dome and a frieze with musical motifs.
The tried and tested formula in the Folk Dance programme – big mornings, interesting afternoons and fun evenings of folk dance – is back again for 2019.
Big Mornings include American Dance with Diane Silver (USA) and English Dance with Victoria Yeomans and Stuart Marsden. Afternoon sessions feature Irish Set from Maggie Daniel; Scandinavian Dance with Megan Hatto; two workshops each afternoon on square dance and calling with Ivan Aitken and Jeremy Child and Early Dance and Music with Helen Richards. Beginners are in the safe hands of Amy Burton, plus there will be a very special pair of weekend workshops on Bhangra and Bollywood with Avtar Indian Dance.
Every evening there will be a Festival Dance Club with Mic Spenceley in charge of mixed fun social dance, and meg’n’mor playing. There will be Playford Balls, American Dances, a Scandi Night, an Irish Set Dance Ceili and a final Celebration Contra to round off the week.
The 200+ Workshop Events programme at Sidmouth Folk Festival offers a wonderful opportunity to learn and develop skills in a huge variety of music, dance and song styles within a safe and welcoming community of teachers and learners.
Expect some wonderful new ideas as well as many tried and tested favourites at the Children’s Festival in 2019, packed with opportunities for music, dance, song, to make things, to see fantastic shows and enjoy the great atmosphere in the hub of the Children’s Festival at Blackmore Gardens!
Evening Family Entertainment has always been a key feature of the programme and this year is no exception with family ceilidhs, storytelling, puppetry, circus, songs and so much more.
Check out the website for a full breakdown of all the fun being planned.
There’s another anniversary to celebrate at the 2019 Youth Festival, as Shooting Roots turns 25. Expect a special year of shimmering silver shenanigans as well as the usual great assortment of craft, dance, theatre and band workshops for 12-17 year olds (and some special performance opportunities). Look out for a special collaboration with the superb Stream Of Sound choir (turning 21 themselves) and appearances from the National Youth Folk Ensemble.
Display Dance Co-ordinators Malcolm Major and Charlotte Dover have put together a stellar array of dance teams, workshops and special events.
With an ear to the past and an eye on the future, The Sidmouth Folk Festival really is the music-filled seaside holiday with something for everyone.
Super Early Bird ticket deals are available now from Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
Ham Lane Sidmouth EX10 8XR. Phone: 01395 577952. Web. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk