Events

Fri 15 Dec The Harry Browns. They do not perform locally very often and a number of people were unable to get tickets when the sang at the church in March. This concert in the Barn will be a mix of beautifully arranged songs of the sea which are rarely performed with rich harmonies and some rousing shanties. Just £10 a ticket!

JIM CAUSLEY  supported by the Bristol Folk Singers

More than simply a folk-singer, multi award winning singer-songwriter, musician and proud Devonian Jim Causley is an all-round entertainer and during the past decade Causley has been nominated no less than six times for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award, last year he was nominated as “Singer of the Year” at the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, he won the Spiral Earth Singer of the Year award in 2014, presented his own folk music show on BBC Radio Devon and in 2015 he worked with BBC TV historian Dr Sam Willis to create the music for his show 'Highwaymen, Outlaws and Villains' and was asked to perform his song about Dartmoor tin mining 'Pride of the Moor' on BBC TV's Countryfile - Dartmoor Special. 2017 was also the centenary of Jim’s relative; the celebrated Cornish poet Charles Causley and award winning filmmaker Jane Darke made a specially commissioned biographical film about the poet which aired on BBC4 TV on 1^st October as part of the Centenary celebrations. The soundtrack to the film was composed entirely by Jim and featured music from his 2013 album ‘Cyprus Well’ of musical settings of Charles’ work.

Since the release of his debut album in 2005, Causley’s unique voice and persona have helped him become one of the most well-loved and respected figures of today’s contemporary roots and folk scene. A prolific collaborator, Causley is hugely admired for his work with iconic groups The Devil’s Interval and Mawkin:Causley as well as playing, touring and recording alongside Waterson:Carthy, John McCusker, Eddie Reader, Graham Coxson, Shirley Collins, Michael Morpurgo, Show of Hands, Kate Rusby, David Rotheray of Beautiful South fame and many more. He was described by Mojo Magazine as “the finest singer of his generation” and they put Forgotten Kingdom in their Top Ten Folk Albums of 2016 list. Westcountry father of folk Geoff Lakeman described Causley as possessing “A voice in a million” in a recent interview in the Western Morning News, some accolade indeed!

“The finest singer of his generation” Mojo Magazine

“A voice in a million” Geoff Lakeman      

The Bristol Folk Singers are fine group of singers who perform tradtional songs with fie harmonies. They sing for the joy of singing but have also performed in many venues and at the Priddy and Bristol Folk Festivals. The group is led by the talented Matt Norman

This is a special event all profits going to the Holocaust Memorial Day ​North Somerset

Fri Jan 19 8pm: Reg Meuross: “Stolen from God”. A gifted writer and spellbinding performer reflects on the hidden history of the slave trade.

Tickets £15

Reg Meuross is  true modern troubadour
Masterfully accompanying himself on his ‘44 Martin six-string guitar, harmonica, tenor guitar, banjo and dulcimer, witnessing a Reg Meuross performance is to experience a journey into the heart, soul and songs of one of England’s most celebrated writers. Stories that need to be told; struggles that need to be known; injustice that needs to be uncovered; social conscience that needs to be celebrated – his music has an unrivalled power to reach and move the listener. After 14 critically-acclaimed albums, Reg continues to prove how highly relevant his songs are, whilst reaching new audiences with consistently spellbinding performances.In April this year Reg releases a new song cycle Stolen From God, focusing on the transatlantic slave trade – uncovering its’ hidden history from a South West England perspective.Reg has also recorded Fire & Dust, due for release later this year, a song cycle that delves into the life story of Woody Guthrie. A  journey into the heart and soul of one of America’s finest folk musicians. Highlighting racism, bigotry, corruption and inequality.

Fri Feb 16 8pm: Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones: Tour de force duo delivering traditional Yorkshire tunes and songs at their most beguiling.

Tickets £14

Well-known on the grassroots scene for multifarious adventures with different outfits, this pair pitch together their fiddle and guitar and passionate vocals with winning vitality on a vividly enticing bunch of traditional music from their home county of Yorkshire. No fancy frills here – we get songs of fratricide, coalmining, betrayal, cockfighting and drinking, delivered in all their raw glory. Honest, wholesome and thoroughly enjoyable.

Sun 17 Mar 7.30pm: St Patricks Night (Ring o’ Bells): Feisty fiddles and flutes raise both the roof and money for Nailsea Memory Dementia Cafe

Tickets £12

A lively night in aid of the Memory Cafe supporting local people living with dementia. Featuring fiddles, flutes, whistles, banjos and some great old fashioned Irish Singing. Last year's St Patrick's night was packed out so book in advance. Always a great night and something to lift your spirits!

Sun 24 Mar 7.30pm: Medicine Creek: Beautifully rendered old-time Americana with stunning vocals, fiddle, guitar and sumptuous bass.

Tickets £14

“Beautifully rendered old-time americana” – Venue Magazine
Medicine Creek have been plying their whisky-soaked brand of bluegrass and americana since getting together in Bristol in 2010.
They have gained a cult following for their adrenaline-fuelled live act and gospel-flavoured harmonies, and have been invited to play at several major UK festivals, including Glastonbury, Beach Break and Shambala. The Eastwater audience were wowed by them last year and yelled for more!
The line up features….
Nuala Honan (vocals/guitar/harmonica) began her musical career as a teenager in rural South Australia. After moving to the UK she spent 4 years fronting the highly acclaimed Alchemy Quartet.
Aaron Catlow (violin/vocals/stomp box/harmonica) is heavily influenced by folk and jazz fusion and has played a huge range of music since finishing his music degree in 2003.
In 2005 Aaron founded the cult gypsy-folk-funk band Sheelanagig, who have released 4 albums and become a fixture on the UK festival scene.
He has done numerous sessions for film, theatre and television, and toured all over Europe with Paescod, Elephant Talk and Mad Dog McRea.
Dorian Sutton (double bass/vocals) has played everything from bebop to death metal since he began gigging with his Dad’s ceilidh band in Newcastle in his early teens.
Dorian was the bass player for Sheelanagig for a very eventful decade, and besides Medicine Creek he is currently gigging with The Al Fresco Trio, Los Whalers and Night Train. As a freela

Fri 26 April 8pm: Leveret (Holy Trinity) Three of England's finest folk musicians, Cutting, Harbron and Sweeney. Ingenious, sublime.

Tickets £18

Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England's finest folk musicians.  Andy Cutting (button accordion), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Rob Harbron (concertina) are each regarded as exceptional performers and masters of their instruments.  Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.  Leveret’s music is not arranged in the conventional sense and the trio rely on mutual trust and musical interaction to create new settings of their repertoire in the moment, with no two performances alike. Their playing is relaxed and natural, drawing audiences in and inviting them to share in music making that is truly spontaneous and yet deeply timeless.

 This concert is being held in the beautiful acoustic of Holy Trinity Church

Fiddler Sam Sweeney was the 2015 BBC Folk Awards Musician of the Year and the inaugural Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble.  He is known for his work in Bellowhead and The Full English, and his solo recordings including 2022’s Escape That.  Box player Andy Cutting, a three-time BBC Folk Awards Musician of the year, is a compelling solo performer and works with Blowzabella, Topette, Anne Niepold, and Roger Daltrey.  Concertina wizard Rob Harbron leads the English Acoustic Collective Summer School, released his own solo album Meanders in 2019, and is known for his work with Emily Portman, The Full English and Emma Reid.

Leveret will celebrate 10 years on the road in 2023 with Forms, a new album featuring new and traditional tunes played with the band’s trademark interaction and inventiveness.  Leveret's music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new and over the years their intimate presentation style has charmed countless audiences, helping the trio build a loyal following and demonstrating the enduring appeal and endless potential of the folk tune.  Listeners new and old can expect incredible musicianship and compelling presentation from a band at the top of their game.

Sun 19 May 7.30pm: Rant: Scottish traditional music Royalty. Scottish fiddle quartet deliver music which is spacious yet has earthy bite & spark

Tickets £18,  early bird £16.

A decade on from their first performance - and with 3 acclaimed albums under their belt - RANT remain at the forefront of the Scottish fiddle scene. The meeting of four of the country’s finest players, the quartet use just their fiddles to weave a tapestry of melodies, textures, layers and sounds.
Bethany Reid from Shetland, Anna Massie and Lauren MacColl from the Highland peninsula of the Black Isle, and latest member Gillian Frame from Arran join forces to showcase the combined resonance of their instruments with repertoire unearthed from both old collections and their own contemporary writing. RANT create a sound which is both spacious and lush, yet retaining all the earthy bite and spark synonymous with a Scottish fiddle player.

Since the release of their debut album 'RANT' in 2013 which won them critical acclaim in the form of a Herald Angel Award for outstanding performance across all the Edinburgh Festivals , the band have made major festival and concert appearances across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. They provided strings for Julie Fowlis’ Gach Sguel album, and their music has been used for both BBC and ITV national television programmes.

Their live set reflects years of honing their sound together and their love for the music of their respective home regions through their writing, repertoire and stories.

“Chamber-folk of the highest order” Scotsman
“An irresistible journey through reels, strathspeys and jigs” Songlines
“It is honest, deep instrumental music at its finest.” Folk Radio UK
“The album feels alive” Irish Music Magazine
"This is powerful and evocative music that is invigorating, bewitching and beautiful." Folk Radio UK
"absolutely compelling" Songlines
“Sheer class” ***** The Herald