3 Jan
James Delarre and Saul Rose
Having first met at the 2007 Sidmouth Folk Festival, Saul Rose (Waterson/Carthy, Faustus, Edward II) and James Delarre (Mawkin, Jim Moray Band) have found time in their busy touring schedules to put together this truly captivating and hypnotic sound. Bringing together the classic combination of melodeon, fiddle and fine traditional singing all inspired by 15 years of playing on the English folk music scene, this duo harness all the subtleties of traditional music while still producing an exciting and energetic display of musicianship.
saulrosejamesdelarre.bandcamp.com 
17 Jan
Damien Barber & Mike Wilson
As two of the finest exponents of traditional song in the U.K, it is difficult to accept that these relatively young men, have a combined 40+ years experience of performing at folk venues. Damien is a stylish and distinctive singer, either unaccompanied or using guitar or concertina. Though he has lived for a long time in West Yorkshire, he retains a strong East Anglian identity.
Mike is the youngest member of the Wilson Family, the powerful Teesside singing siblings who have raised the rafters at many a festival or folk club event. His musical heritage is emphatically that of the North East &emdash; rural and industrial folk song both traditional and modern.
31 Jan
James Findlay and Ollie King
James was the 2009 winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards. A great fiddle player and with a voice you’d associate more with classic traditional English folk singers such as Nic Jones and the late Tony Rose. Jon Boden of Bellowhead, who was on the 2009 judging panel, was more than impressed. “What a voice! He’s warmly charismatic with that sparkle of personality that draws a crowd along with him”.
Ollie is a young traditional singer, melodeon player and guitarist whose music is steeped in the traditions and customs of England. He has already developed into a mature, well-rounded musician with a unique style and approach to traditional music.
14 Feb
Dan McKinnon
Dan hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the Canadian Maritimes, an area rich in the musical and cultural traditions of the North Atlantic. His warm baritone voice, superb guitar arrangements and original compositions have won him widespread praise. Dan’s thoughtful compositions and smooth melodies cover the entire folk spectrum, with themes traditional, historical, contemporary and universal.
28 Feb
North Sea Gas
North Sea Gas (Ronnie MacDonald, Grant Simpson and Dave Gilfillan) are one of Scotland’s most popular folk bands with great vocals and tremendous three part harmonies. Guitars, Mandolin, Fiddle, Bouzouki, Whistles, Bodhrans, Banjo (and great humour) are all part of their show which features traditional Scottish, contemporary and self-penned material all put together in a style which is all their own .
They have received Gold and Silver disc awards from the Scottish Music Industry Association and regularly have sell out shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Thirty years and stronger than ever!!
14 Mar
Bernard Wrigley
Away from his acting career (Dinner Ladies, Phoenix Nights, Coronation Street etc.etc.), Bernard (the “Bolton Bullfrog”) is delighting audiences up and down the country with an evening of songs, stories and silliness! A great entertainer, not to be missed (Please come early!)
28 Mar
Jaywalkers
Finalists in the 2009 BBC Young Folk Awards, Jaywalkers songs are mostly originals, written by the band, and present a fresh twist on long and often forgotten stories and ideas from the Northern culture they grew up in. Individually, the band are very accomplished on their respective instruments with Mike, having won numerous national competitions, on guitar and mandolin, Jay on fiddle and lead vocals and Lucy on double bass. Combining fast, exciting instrumentals with carefully crafted songs, three part harmony and good humour, Jaywalkers create a sound that is not only unique, but guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
11 Apr
Debra Cowan
Debra’s warm, captivating alto carries each folk song she chooses with such emotion that you’ll forget that they were written by others. She performs acappella and with guitar in the great tradition of folk singers like Joan Baez and Judy Collins, with a clear vocal that calls forth the ghosts of long past but can also offer a more modern urban landscape.
25 Apr
Chris Sherburn and Findlay Napier
Chris is best known for his longstanding musical partnership with Denny Bartley in the band extraordinaire “Last Night’s Fun” and is one of the finest anglo-concertina players in the UK, renowned for his skill and interpretation of traditional tunes and mighty craic!
Findlay is a superb Scottish singer, guitarist and songwriter based in Glasgow. After attaining his BA in Scottish Traditional Song, he formed the traditional folk band “Back of the Moon” which performed all over the world and were awarded ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ at the Trad Music Awards in 2003 and ‘Folk Band of the Year’ in 2005.
9 May
Dempsey, Robson and Bartlett
Kevin Dempsey, superb guitarist and singer/songwriter, is renowned for delivering fresh and vibrant arrangements of traditional and contemporary tunes.
Carolyn Robson is a highly regarded singer, with a large repertoire of songs from her native Northumberland and from Scotland.
An award-winning accordion player, Harriet Bartlett’s material includes lightening-fast Celtic tunes, heart rendering slow airs and beautiful songs.
www.kevindempsey.co.uk, www.carolynrobson.com, www.harrietbartlett.com
23 May
Kelly’s Heroes
The rich sound provided by the button accordion, powerful rhythm guitar and bodhran give a fullness of sound that belies the number of people on stage. With a repertoire that encompasses fast and furious Celtic songs and tunes, gentle ballads, quality contemporary numbers as well as some original material, this Nottingham-based band are one of the most sought after on the circuit.
29 Aug
Grace Notes
Grace Notes perform acappella and accompanied arrangements of traditional and contemporary songs in three-part harmony.Their highly praised and thoughtful repertoire make them one of the folk scene’s best-loved female groups. Individually they have an even longer history of live performance and recording sessions with the likes of Nic Jones,The Chieftains and John Tams,to name but a few.
12 Sep
Harry Bird and the Rubber Wellies
Travelling folksters Harry Bird and the Rubber Wellies present their intimate cabaret of joyful sing-a-long choruses and general participatory fun. Pirates, lizards, cracks in the wall and Basque cyclists all inhabit the songscape!!. And a beard snood….
Based in Bilbao and Dublin they have spent the last five years touring Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe playing bars, cafes, theatres, circus galas, festivals and folk clubs alike.
26 Sep
Steve Turner
Steve comes from a family of singers and concertina players (his grandfather was known to have sung and played the instrument in the 1890’s) and is a fine singer of fine songs backed by a concertina accompaniment second to none. His treatment of well-known ballads (The Isle of St.Helena,The Dry Cardrona,The Poor and Single Sailor etc.) single him out as an exceptional talent.
10 Oct
Barrie and Ingrid Temple
Barrie and Ingrid are harmony singers from Newcastle upon Tyne. Although they sing mostly unaccompanied, Barrie also adds concertina or guitar accompaniment to some of their songs.Their singing is mainly traditional but with some serious and humorous material. They also perform lots of Barrie’s own songs, which are written in the traditional style.One of the most respected close-harmony duos on the folk scene.
24 Oct
Sunjay Brayne
Reminiscent of Ralph McTell and John Martyn , Sunjay is perhaps the last of the ‘1960’s’ guitar players. His voice is authoritative and brings a depth of meaning to all the songs he sings, belying his age.. Influenced by the blues, but drawing heavily from genres such as Folk, Country & Rock, from here he can only go from strength to strength, having already built a solid platform with his many accolades. From national radio play to mainstage festival appearances, Sunjay Brayne is a real talent, staying true to his roots, doing things his/the old fashioned way. Winner of the Wath Festival Young Performers Award 2012, BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Nominee 2012 & New Roots Competition Finalist 2012.
7 Nov
Ribbon Road
Ribbon Road, (Brenda Heslop – Vocals and guitar, Jill Heslop – Vocals and keyboard and Geoff Heslop – Vocals and guitar) sing beautifully crafted songs drawing on folk music’s long tradition yet relevant to our ever-changing modern times.Based on tight harmonies and simple instrumental arrangements which accentuate the words, their sound has a powerful directness often missing in contemporary song.
21 Nov
Bruce Molsky
Bruce is one of the most influential old-time fiddlers on the scene today. He’s also a remarkable guitarist, banjoist, and singer who learned directly from renowned musicians Tommy Jarrell and Albert Hash. He has earned numerous awards at fiddle and banjo contests and has performed extensively at festivals and concert venues throughout the US and abroad. He is a highly sought-after fiddle and banjo teacher, and teaches his own intensive fiddle workshop program all over the United States.
5 Dec
Wendy Arrowsmith
Wendy has sung many different styles of music but, with folk music, she has found songs that come from the heart and allow great emotional expression and social commentary. Originally from Glasgow, Wendy performs a mixture of British and Scottish folk material plus self-penned songs. She generally accompanies herself on guitar, but whistles, bodhran, mandolin and accordion have also been known to appear.
Voted “Best Performer” at 2012 Chippenham Festival
19 Dec
Ken Nicol and Becky Mills
Ken (ex.Steeleye Span and The Albion Band) and Becky (ex.Waking the Witch) are both well known to folk and folk-rock fans and, for the first time, they present audiences with a special showcase of their own music.
Ken is a highly acclaimed musician, singer and songwriter who plays acoustic, electric and resonator guitar, 5-string banjo, mandolin and ukulele. His music ranges from folk to ragtime, blues to rock, ballads to jazz, amazingly intricate instrumentals to singalong comedy numbers.
Becky has the perfect voice for folk which fits in beautifully with her acoustic guitar skills and yet is distinctive enough not to be lost in the milieu of all the other female voices on the circuit.
