Described as “one of the premier English folk groups of the 21st century” The Unthanks will headline the final night of FolkEast this August, organisers have announced.
The eclectic English line-up, built around the stand-out harmonies of Tyneside sisters Becky and Rachel Unthank, has developed an unparalleled reputation with their fusion of traditional folk music and bold genre-hopping forays which has seen them perform with orchestras at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall.
Their distinctive, haunting music was heard at Christmas on BBC-TV’s enchanting reimagining of the children’s story of talking scarecrow Worzel Gummidge and has also been heard on BBC-TV’s The Detectorists –both starring actor Mackenzie Crook.
But at FolkEast, England’s most easterly folk festival, the band will return to their roots with the Unthank sisters being joined by regular band member Niopha Keegan for a special unaccompanied vocal trio show, “As We Are” on the Moot Hall stage on Sunday night (August 23).
An exploration of their rich vocal combinations it will include brand new material and arrangements alongside more familiar Unthanks material.
Suffolk’s distinct and quirky FolkEast festival – now in its eighth year – returns to the glorious grounds of Elizabethan Glemham Hall between August 21-23, offering diverse performances on no less than seven stages – from local acts to international stars.
Organisers John and Becky Marshall-Potter are also delighted to announce a strong contingent of artists from Canada for 2020. They will be led by Irish-Canadian award-winning songwriter and force of nature Irish Mythen, last seen at the festival in 2018 where she certainly made her presence felt.
County Wexford-born but now living in Canada’s Prince Edward Island, she may be diminutive in stature but is one of the most fearless and powerful performers out there and has appeared with both Rod Stewart and Gordon Lightfoot and at venues including Sydney Opera House.
Also journeying from over the Atlantic will be Newfoundland trio The Once (Geraldine Hollett, Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale), particularly noted for their strong three-part harmonies; the Juno-nominated, Winnipeg-based ‘powerhouse duo’ Small Glories (Cara Luft and JD Edwards) and Prince Edward Island poet and songwriter Bob Jensen.
Also heading to the East Anglian party will be two significant Irish talents – one a former electrician and another who juggles music with his career as a GP.
Hugely successful former Dublin electrician Daoiri Farrell is a traditional singer/bouzouki player who has never looked back since launching his solo live career at Celtic Connections in 2016. Last year saw the release of his third album A Lifetime of Happiness which we reviewed here and which Neil McFadyen declared a wonderful album that delights on every level. The next year Daoiri won two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – Best Newcomer and Best Traditional Track – and performed with a six-piece line up at the awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall.
Another leading Irish light is Jarlath Henderson, the Tyrone born singer and multi-instrumentalist who was the youngest ever winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award (2003) and is a three times All-Ireland Champion uilleann piper. In 2016 he released his critically acclaimed album Hearts Broken, Heads Turned which led Folk Radio’s Neil McFadyen to declare that it had “drawn a line in the sand. It shows how Jarlath Henderson shines as an arranger, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, the power of his imagination only excelled by his musical skill. Like a growing number of exceptional albums appearing recently in the UK, it also proves that there’s ample scope in the tradition for experiment, innovation and sheer excitement.” Jarlath will take to the FolkEast stage with his band.
The other UK acts just announced are inventive Bristol-based instrumental trio Three Cane Whale, Merseyside’s acoustic roots combo Elbow Jane and Lucy Farrell. Known for her exquisite renditions of traditional ballads and original songs, Lucy won a BBC Radio 2 Folk award with The Furrow Collective (Best Group).
Flying the flag for the East of England will be Suffolk duo Honey and the Bear who have supported The Shires and Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys. The multi-instrumental pair of Jon and Lucy Hart combine delicate vocal harmonies with evocative songwriting as heard in recent debut album Made in the Aker.
From Essex will come singer songwriter MG Boulter while Norfolk-born Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith, one of the finest duos to have emerged onto the British folk scene in recent years – will show how capable they are at making old songs sound current and new songs sound ancient.
These new names add to those already announced – Friday headliners Elephant Sessions and Saturday’s awesome Afro Celt Sound System – as well as Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Drever, McCusker and Woomble, female sextet The Shee, Brighton’s big band with a difference, The Moulettes, Peter Knight’s glorious Gigspanner Big Band and 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Best Album winners The Trials of Cato.
Back after an absence last year will be festival patrons The Young’ uns (Sean Cooney, Michael Hughes and David Eagle), currently enjoying five-star reviews for their touring stage show The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff.
FolkEast is the place to see The Young’ uns up to things you won’t see anywhere else! They will once again be presenting their hugely popular podcast while David, who also has an ever-escalating career on comedy stages, will be back in DJ mode with his special Young’ Uns in the Mix – an ‘unholy matrimony’ of folk and pop.
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”, the FolkEast gathering celebrates Suffolk at every turn -from its locally sourced fare to its suppliers, arts and crafts.
Tickets and more details here https://folkeast.co.uk/