The Costa del Folk team have announced that, following the postponement of Costa del Folk in Ibiza to April 2022, they are instead planning to bring some of that Costa Del Folk sunshine to the UK at 16th Century Walton Hall, nestled in 65 acres of the beautiful English countryside, just outside Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon – 26-30 July 2021.
The lineup is quite spectacular, including:
Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band – in the word of our own Thomas Blake: “The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique musical proposition; they are taking folk music down new and enthralling paths. They are also one of the most exciting live bands you are likely to see this year (or any year, for that matter)”
Show Of Hands: A band that needs no introduction and who made quite an impact with their 2019 album Battlefield Dance Floor. Danny Neill described the album as one of the most consistently adventurous collections in the Show Of Hands catalogue.
Edward II: These re no strangers to the festival dance tents of the UK and they have just released their new album Dancing Tunes which Mike Davies recently reviewed, who noted how well it linked to their previous release of tunes written in the northern city during the Industrial Revolution – Manchester’s Improving Daily
“…linking to the last album, [Dancing Tunes] nods to the shared hardships of communities some 4000 miles apart but, more importantly, the resolve to dance through the bad times and soak up the sun when it shines. Kick off your shoes and lively up your own dancehall days.“
Knight & Spiers: “When two of the most venerated figures in the recent history of folk music get together, there can be little doubt that the result will be something special.” Those were the opening words to our review of Well Met (reviewed here by Thomas Blake), the 2018 debut release from Peter Knight and John Spiers.
“The pairing of violin and melodeon is not a new one, but in the hands of Knight and Spiers, Improvisation and invention meet the listener at every turn. Together they have created a musical document that resonates with history, but also something that should inspire future generations of musicians to engage with Britain’s folk dancing heritage, and the beautiful, mysterious tunes that can be found within that heritage”
Chris While and Julie Matthews: When we reviewed their 2016 album ‘Shoulder to Shoulder‘ the opening paragraph of Mike Davies’ review summed this duo up well –
“No envelopes pushed, no barriers broken, rather Chris While and Julie Matthews‘ tenth album together, Shoulder to Shoulder, just does what they’ve been doing for the past 22 years. Namely, producing songs that range from the personal to the political, that touch the heart and the mind equally, the lyrics couched in easy on the ear melodies, impeccably played and sung, either individually or as a duo, with gorgeous harmonies.“
Luke Daniels: This musician knows no bounds…a musician with the touch of an alchemist.
In 2019 he delievered Old Friends & Exhausted Enemies, a unique tribute to the poetic heritage of the British Isles. In Thomas Blakes own words “What makes it unique is the way each song uses a poem (or sometimes multiple poems) as a starting point to explore a different idea or theme. Daniels refers to it as a collaboration, and if the dead could willingly collaborate, that would be the perfect description.” He concludes “Old Friends & Exhausted Enemies is full of that mystery and emotion. It is the work of a discerning reader, a remarkable songwriter, and a musician with the touch of an alchemist.“
Alden, Patterson & Dashwood: On the cusp of last year’s lockdown, Norwich-based folk-Americana trio Alden Patterson & Dashwood lightened the load with Waterbound. A live set that will provide a great flavour of what this trio are capable of. In the words of David Kidman “It really does represent the threesome at their most invigorating, and demonstrates exactly why their sparkling live act has won so many folks over (including, notably, those diehard Show Of Hands fans!) ever since the unexpected runaway success of their 2016 debut Call Me Home, which itself set the bar pretty high.“
Tim Edey: Tim Edey is a well-known and loved multi-instrumentalist, known for his solo & for his work with bands like The Chieftains, Natalie MacMaster, Lunasa, Mary Black, Session A9, Mike McGoldrick & more. In December last year he managed to pick up Musician of the Year at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, shortly after which we interviewed him here – he was still in shock from the award. The ceremony which was held online wasn’t without its challenges for Tim – “my filming of the acceptance speech was quite a challenge, with our daughter Nancy who is three trying to join in on the speech every time I filmed it!” The previous year, Johnny Whalley reviewed his album ‘Being Myself‘, who concluded “Tim again shows himself to be a musician who simply cannot be pigeon-holed, neither in terms of the instruments he excels at playing nor the styles of music he chooses. The only relevant pigeon-hole for Tim is one labelled ‘Brilliant’.” His new album ‘I Got Rythmn’ is available now features Canadian fiddling royalty Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, Michael McGoldrick, Ross Ainslie, Patsy Reid to name a few. Check it out on Bandcamp.
The Brothers Gillespie: In 2019 I fell in love with ‘The Fell’ (I even have the T-Shirt)…it triggered something in me…as it did our reviewer Thomas Blake:
“The subtle subjectivity inherent in the appreciation of music was demonstrated to me – and not for the first time – when I listened to the opening track on The Fell, the new Brothers Gillespie album. Golden One is a wild shimmer of a song with roots in the mysteries that still occupy the landscapes of rural Britain. But the series of controlled synaptic explosions it triggered in my brain in the instant between hearing and understanding made me think, for some inexplicable reason, of Bob Dylan in 1966, the Bob Dylan who travelled to Nashville in search of what he called the ‘thin, wild mercury sound’, and ended up with Blonde On Blonde, one of the most famous and rightly lauded albums ever made.” He concludes, “The Fell shows off British acoustic music in its best possible light.” A must see!
Sound of the Sirens: Another album that made quite a splash was this duo’s ‘This Time‘. In the word’s of Mike Davies: “Having made an impressive debut in 2013 with A Long Way To Fall and consolidated that with 2017’s widely acclaimed For All Our Sins, Exeter duo Sounds of the Sirens – Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood – return to seal their reputation with an ambitious and, while essentially two guitars and two voices, musically diverse third album that, part break-up/part self-realisation, features no fewer than 15 tracks, and not a filler among them.” He concluded, “We may still be in January, but this is unquestionably an album of the year.”
Katie Spencer: Katie’s full-length 2019 debut Weather Beaten was a remarkable album. Even our reviewer, David Kidman declared it was hard to believe it was her debut – “such is the intensely accomplished aura that pervades the record”, later adding that Katie’s “stylish blend of warmth and precision proves intensely captivating.”
Next month, sees the release of ‘Hurt in Your Heart’, an EP recorded with Alan Thomson and Spencer Cozens, two longstanding members of the John Martyn band.
Banter: Another Costa Del Folk favourite where they’ve also been the resident ceilidh band. Johnny reveiwed their second album ‘Dare‘ and was taken by how much they’d developed their sound:
“It’s been a delight to see and hear how Banter have developed over these last two years, amply justifying the expectations many people had of them. These could have been a millstone round the neck of lesser musicians but Simon, Tim and Nina have more than met the challenge, producing an album that’s entertaining and intriguing in equal measure. At Costa del Folk this year, Simon, never at a loss for a pithy quote, summed it up nicely, “we started out as a ceilidh band with a few songs, now we’re a concert band who can play ceilidhs”. The mix of songs and tunes on Dare is a perfect illustration.“
Lebedek – a name you may be less familiar with but not one you’re likely to forget – The members of Lebedek have Ukrainian, Macedonian, Polish, Jewish and English roots. They draw on this diverse heritage to create their unique blend of music. “Lebedek” is a Yiddish word meaning “lively and vivacious”. What more can you say?
Also performing are a grand mix of high octane performers and masterful tunesmiths:
- The Bar-Steward Sons Of Val Doonican
- Geoff Lakeman & Rob Murch
- Ric Sanders & Vo Fletcher
- Mather Robinson Band
- Gerry Colvin Band
- Sherburn, Bartley, Sanders
- The Hut People
Festival Director Angela Schofield:
“It’s been such a devasting twelve months for everyone working in the music & events industry. It didn’t feel right not to try and put something together in the UK, not only for the artists who were booked to perform in Ibiza but also for the loyal Costa del Folk festival-goers, who once again have faced the disappointment of not being able to travel. We might not be sipping Sangria under the warmth of the Spanish sunshine or enjoying the local brew from the Islands very own microbrewery, but we will be celebrating friendship, music and the uplifting joy that we cannot fail to recognise when listening to an artist play live on stage.
“We have limited the numbers to a maximum of 350 so that we are able to adhere to any social distancing measures that might still be in place in July.” continues husband and fellow Director Andy, “It’s critical that we operate a safe festival and we’re pulling out all the stops to ensure that ‘As You Like It’ will be a COVID secure place to be in July.” Andy explains. “Being Hotel based, with an outdoor stage, everyone has their own toilet and bedroom to return to whenever they need. Plus, if we are subjected to the Great British wet Summer, everyone has a warm room to retire to with hot shower or bath at the end of the day.”
Programme Director John Watterson is delighted with the response from artists. “Being in a position to offer artists an alternative gig following the postponement of a festival is a privilege not afforded to many and we have been delighted with the response. It will be a real celebration of folk rock, traditional music, contemporary and roots, along with a dash of quirkiness and comedy. Add to this the ceilidhs, sessions and workshops, we think this will be a hugely enjoyable test of everyone’s stamina.”
The team have been taking bookings constantly since the festival was launched and are expecting a full house at Walton Hall in July. “The response has been amazing,” says Angela. “We are so looking forward to hosting this very special, boutique garden festival and cannot wait to welcome everyone”
Details of this festival can be found here – https://www.costadelfolk.co.uk/as-you-like-it/