Walk into any bookshop today and you are sure to see a wealth of books on offer dealing with nature and the enchantment of great outdoors as well as the Edgelands surrounding our cities, it’s a field of writing that is positively booming. Folk music has always had strong links to nature – through folklore, changing seasons, responses to our environment and that deep-seated mysterious sense of place. It’s no wonder, therefore, that a podcast series based around roving out to talk, sing and play in the landscapes that have inspired them should prove so popular. Hosted by broadcaster and former BBC executive Matthew Bannister, Folk on Foot, now in its fourth series, continues marching across the British landscape in all weathers garnering a growing audience and accolades. David Weir recently caught up with Matthew to talk about Folk on Foot, you can read the interview here. The good news is that Folk on Foot has teamed up with Kings Place in London to present a special Wild Singing weekend.
Between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 March 2020, Folk on Foot will co-curate a weekend of live performance at the ever-popular London venue, a hub for music, art, dialogue and food in London’s Kings Cross. The event forms part of Kings place ongoing ‘Nature Unwrapped’ series and this one includes both song and conversation. Eliza Carthy, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan and Martin Simpson will be performing as well as chatting to Matthew Bannister who will also be sharing footage from their appearances on Folk on Foot.
Also performing over the weekend are The Rheingans Sisters, Kitty Macfarlane and The Shackleton Trio.
In addition, you’ll get the opportunity to hear Rowan Piggott’s Songhive Project – a project comprising songs of ‘beelore’ and folksong of the British Isles, to raise awareness of the current plight of the bees; and The Wilderness Yet, an added bonus performance for those attending.
There will also be a showing of Folk on Foot on Film, telling the behind the scenes story of the podcast and featuring footage of many of the artists Folk on Foot have walked with.
Tickets and further details can be found here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/wild-singing-nature-inspired-folk/