Scottish singer/songwriter Paul McKenna plays Ropery Hall

ACOUSTICA/ELECTRONICA UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

This is a unique chance to experience Toyah up close and personal with a show that has a lively cinematic sound using Toyah’s vocals/ keyboards/ stand up bass and story telling, it will include Toyah performing her loved hit singles and classic songs, alongside recalling stories from her colourful, forty year career. Toyah will perform stunning arrangements of hits It’s A Mystery, Thunder In The Mountains, I Want To Be Free and Good Morning Universe alongside modern days classics Sensational and Dance In The Hurricane.

East meets West as these two outstanding musicians from the UK and Syria perform their respective traditional music together. Luke Daniels is a multi- instrumentalist specialising in button accordion and melodeon and has a successful solo career as well as performing with Riverdance, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Cara Dillon and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.

Rihab Azar was born in the Syrian city Homs and studied at the Conservatoire of Damascus. In 2014, Rihab became the first woman oudist to perform accompanied by the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music. Rihab was also the oud player of the “Syrian Female Oriental Takht” from 2006 until 2015, the year in which she moved to the UK. In December 2016, Arts Council England recognised Rihab as a musician of “Exceptional Promise”, which allowed her to continue her professional pursuit from a UK base as a “Migrant Talent”. Since 2015 she has performed with London Sinfonietta and at iconic venues such as the South Bank Centre, King’s Place, Cumberland Lodge, the British Museum, the British Library, Lambeth Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral (Grenfell National Memorial Service), SOAS University, The National Museum of Denmark.

Together they have performed their exquisite blend of Middle-eastern and Celtic folk music at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Derry International Music Festival and for Nobel Prize Winners at the IMF. Egyptian, Persian and Turkish music alongside Irish jigs and reels with Daniels own original songs.

Fresh from the highly acclaimed, sell-out Woman To Woman UK tour with fellow artists Beverley Craven and Julia Fordham, Judie Tzuke makes a welcome return to the stage.

The Heart, Soul & Piano tour sees Judie performing some of her classic back catalogue with stunning new piano arrangements and accompanied by some of her favourite musicians.

Judie is one of the UK’s most beloved Singer/Songwriters having burst onto the music scene in 1979 with her evergreen standard ‘Stay With Me Till Dawn’. Having released 21 albums, Judie is very much looking forward to performing a selection of deep cuts and fan favourites from throughout her career including “Ladies Night”, “For You”, “Come Hell Or Waters High” and the haunting “Bring The Rain”.

Having recently toured to more than 35,000 adoring fans with Beverley and Julia, Judie is very much looking forward to some intimate performances where she can deliver her songs with her unique and heartfelt sincerity.

Settle in for a truly beautiful evening.

In the wake of his departure from Steeleye Span, legendary fiddle player Peter Knight has turned his full attention to his trio Gigspanner, and in the process established their reputation as one of the most genuinely ground-breaking forces on the British folk scene, inspiring Maverick magazine to write “Gigspanner are making some of the most beautiful music the genre has to offer” 5★★★★★

Described by Folk Radio UK as one of the “most quietly brilliant sets of musicians in the folk world and beyond”, they take self-penned material along with music rooted in the British Isles, and with the flick of a bow, a finely chosen chord or slip of a beat, produce richly atmospheric arrangements “with notes seemingly plucked from the stars and rhythms from the equator” (Spiral Earth).

Completing the line-up is guitarist Roger Flack, founding member of Celtic-Rock band The Tabs, and percussionist Sacha Trochet.

“Peter Knight’s Gigspanner were amazing… I can only think of a handful of folk musicians world-wide that have the kind of relationship with their instrument that Peter Knight has: Martin Hayes, Enda Scahill, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker, Martin Simpson.  Many people as they trickled out into the night said that this was one of the best gigs they’d ever been to. I’d agree with that. If you get a quarter of a chance to see them, go – there were people there last night who had travelled many miles to be there. It was well worth every mile”  Mike Harding: Broadcaster/Musician/Writer

“Gigspanner has taken traditional tunes as a starting point and rearranged, orchestrated and improvised around them to create fascinating new works. Their increasingly impressive sound is like no other” Folk Radio UK

“Gigspanner are a band who get better with every outing, studio or live, and this album cements their standing as one of the most interesting, vital and exciting outfits on the scene. Outstanding” 5★★★★★ Maverick Magazine

A big nine piece brassy saxy and soulful band playing music that grabs your heart and moves your feet.

The original, first and never forgotten ‘60s soul band formed by Snake, with Dave Bowie and Mark Creswell back in 1979 in Leeds, rises from the ashes playing Motown, Stax, Atlantic, Junior Walker, Otis Redding…

From Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Move on Up’ through Smokey’s ‘Tears of a Clown’ to Sam and Dave’s ‘Hold on I’m coming’ and Yvonne Elliman’s ‘Stay with me Baby’. Dance-floor-fillers, classic songs, played with commitment passion and love.

THIS IS A STANDING GIG

2020 is the 150th Anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens, so to celebrate, Nicholas Collett and Gavin Robertson have teamed up once again (“Done To Death, By Jove!”) to bring you three ghost stories – with a comic twist!

“Woman In Black” meets “The 39 Steps” in a spine-tingling show of storytelling and theatrical inventiveness…

Adapted and Directed by Gavin Robertson
Performed by Nicholas Collett