The sun shone, so did the music and the smiles of the punters at the third Walton Folk Festival. It’s been a long wait (originally planned for 10 May 2020), but we all know how that story ended…
On that Sunday in May last year, I was on a walk with my children (when that was all the entertainment we were allowed to do), and we went past the festival site, the Riverhouse Barn in Walton-on-Thames. It was sad to see it empty, but we knew the music wouldn’t be silent forever. Then May 2021 came and went (the next proposed date), hoping that the event could go ahead in September. And it did, with the bonus of being outside for the first time, which greatly enhanced the festival vibe. Last summer, Riverhouse, a small indoor arts venue, crowdfunded for an outdoor stage. The campaign was a success, receiving an overwhelming local response, which has helped resurrect the local arts scene and secure the venue’s future.
So, the festival went ahead outdoors on a remarkably sultry Saturday in September, with a lineup of some of the best and most innovative folk acts in the UK, many of whom were originally booked to perform in 2020.
Kicking off the festival was the contemporary folk/acoustic duo Gilmore & Roberts. Katriona Gilmore (vocals, fiddle, mandolin) and Jamie Roberts (guitar, vocals) delighted the sold-out crowd, many of whom hadn’t experienced live music for far, far too long. They performed classics from their back catalogue, including Dr James, Bone Cupboard and The Stealing Arm, alongside some tantalisingly strong new material. Let’s hope these will be included on a new album soon. Despite some dark material featuring severed limbs and a drowning woman, the pair exuded warmth and wit throughout their set—the perfect start to a glorious day.
They were followed by Odette Michell, a singer songwriter who has featured several times on Folk Radio but whom I’d never seen live before. Odette made a welcome debut at the Riverhouse, which loves to showcase emerging artists. It was Odette’s vocals that really soared, accompanied by Alex Duncalf on cello and her own guitar and bouzouki. Incredibly, she has built a solid reputation since her debut album, The Wildest Rose, released just two years ago (with a pandemic in-between). But with beautifully crafted songs such as Banks Of Analee and the album’s title track, it’s easy to understand why. She also performed a few new songs, including the brilliant St Helen’s Morning.
It was clear when Scottish contemporary folk duo Jenn & Laura-Beth (Jenn Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter) took to the stage they had been performing together for several years. Their well-honed performance reflected the standards they set back in 2017 with their superbly-crafted debut album ‘Bound‘. They put on a captivating and delightful performance, effortlessly blending their vocals, mandolin and guitar. It was the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon with a beer in hand (particularly the award-winning Lip Smacker from the local Brightwater Brewery). Among the many highlights of their set was the enchanting instrumental, Shine, covers of Kate Wolf’s Across the Great Divide and Bob Dylan’s Meet Me In The Morning. I know they picked up many new admirers as a result (the queue for the merchandise stand testified to that), and their album Bound is highly recommended.
Having one stage gave the festival a relaxed atmosphere (no annoying choices between acts). But it also meant you were there while the performers sound-checked. As we looked on, it was clear there was something up as the crew tried to fix a buzzing microphone to allow Kim Lowings (vocals and Appalachian dulcimer) to perform with her band, the Greenwood (Andrew ‘Jarv’ Lowings on guitar, bouzouki and bodhran, Dave Sutherland on double bass and guitar, and Tim Rogers on Cajon). Despite the sound team’s best efforts (with the clock ticking), the stage crew couldn’t fix it in time, so the band stepped off the stage to perform acoustically.
It proved to be serendipitous. The crowd were compact enough for their unamplified voices and instruments to reach right to the back. And, now forced to hang on every note, we sat in rapped attention as Kim Lowings, and the Greenwood rose to the challenge and performed a masterclass of brilliance. The highlight for me was a cover of Richard Thompson’s heartbreaking From Galway to Graceland, in which Kim daringly added an extra refrain to enhance an already stunning song. Their interpretations of traditional songs, The Jones Boys and The Newry Highwayman, and a final singalong of Away Ye Merry Lassies were equal highlights. There was something extraordinary about this enforced acoustic interlude that made it such a memorable festival moment.
After a longer evening break where many headed to the bar, went for a stroll by the river Thames or grabbed some tasty dinner from the Riverhouse’s community cafe, it was time for the closing lineup. With the sound issues resolved, Jacob and Drinkwater took to the stage fully amplified. And were, frankly, astonishing. Singer, songwriter and guitarist, Tobias Ben Jacob and Lukas Drinkwater on backing vocals, bass, electric guitar and keyboards thrilled with heartfelt songs from their back catalogue, matched only by the new songs off their next release More Notes From The Field (available everywhere on 29 October but also right now at the festival and current tour). If you haven’t yet experienced them live, it is highly recommended you do so. Their shows are always fun and enthralling with these two absolute master performers. I can’t wait to delve deeper into the new album but, from their set at Walton, Sargasso Sea, The Nameless and (particularly) To Call You Friend already feel like classics. And they sold a caseload of the new CDs to many in the audience desperate to hear more.
And so to the closing act… The Trials of Cato (main image) previously performed with their original lineup at Walton Folk Festival in 2019 and went down an absolute storm. Since then, their debut album, Hide, and Hair won Best Album at the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, which explains why they are top of the bill this time. But also since then, the trio’s lineup changed with Polly Bolton (vocals, mandolin) joining Tomos Williams (vocals and guitar) and Robin Jones (vocals, keyboards, mandolin and tenor banjo). Ahead of their forthcoming album, Gog Magog (due later in the year), all we have heard of the new lineup is the stylish single Bedlam Boys.
It’s a difficult transition when a third of a band changes, but Polly definitely left her mark, not only with her startling houndstooth outfit but also her commanding vocals, songwriting and virtuosic mandolin playing. It definitely feels like an exciting new chapter for the band. The set included the brilliant Difrrwch, Gloria and Tom Paine’s Bones from their debut, alongside alluring new material. They even managed to get some of the seated audience up for a dance during one of their trademark intricate instrumentals, which closed a brilliant festival.
It was a day of many highlights, and with a fourth festival already scheduled for May next year, it won’t be long to wait. Already booked are Ellie Gowers and The Outside Track, so the foundations for another fabulous day (maybe longer?) are already in place.
Meanwhile, the Riverhouse still has a few upcoming concerts to close its 2021 Walton Folk season: Clawhammer banjo player extraordinaire Dan Walsh indoors at 12 noon on Sunday 10 October. Peter Knight’s stunning Gigspanner play indoors on the evening of Friday 5 November. And Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts team up with Hannah Sanders, Ben Savage and Jade Rhiannon as A Winter Union, playing festive songs to warm the cockles (indoors) on Sunday 12 December at 12.15pm. You can book them all at riverhousebarn.co.uk