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Bromyard Folk Festival 2010
Online Press Kit








Press release archive

Date: 20 August 2011

Generations of talent lined up for the 2011 Bromyard Folk Festival

- Veteran big name acts and young rising stars share the billing for a fun weekend of music and dance.

Some of the biggest names in folk music head for Herefordshire to appear in this year's Bromyard Folk Festival on the weekend of September 9-11.

Now celebrating its 44th year, the festival is one of the most enduring and popular events on the British folk calendar. It has also become a popular showcase for emerging folk talent, with some superb young artists sharing the billing with veteran big names acts.

Internationally acclaimed Irish band Dervish, powerful Scottish trio McCusker, McGoldrick and Doyle and award winning guitarist Martin Simpson and his band are among the top attractions lined up for this year.

Talented new acts on the guest list include the sparkling musicianship of young five-piece band from Wales Calan, powerful duo and BBC Horizon Award nominees Hannah James and Sam Sweeney, and the dynamic 20-year-old singer and guitarist from Derby taking the UK festival scene by storm, Lucy Ward.

Another rising star lined up for this year's Festival is captivating young singer Kirsty Bromley, winner of last year's Fred Jordan Memorial Competition, held each year at the Festival in memory of the celebrated singer Fred Jordan and open to singers up the age of 24.

Says Artistic Director for the Festival, Dick Dixon, 'Bromyard Folk Festival is one of longest running events on the British folk calendar and has witnessed many generations of artists who have become big international stars.

'This is very much a family event and it provides an ideal opportunity to celebrate not just the past traditions of folk music but also its future.'

Sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery, Caplor Energy and The Co-operative Society the event attracts hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers from across the UK for 170 hours of entertainment, not only on the main site but throughout the town centre.

The Festival also boasts some spectacular morris dancing, workshops, children's entertainment, craft fair, real ale bars and food.

Enquiries, orders for tickets and requests for information updates can be made on 07935 747 904 or by visiting the new Festival website on www.bromyard-folk-festival.org.uk

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Notes for Editors

Bromyard Folk Festival - background

The first Bromyard Folk Festival was a 'ceilidh' (or social dance) that took place in 1968 although the Herefordshire town has a much longer tradition of folk music and morris dancing.

Rounding off a packed programme of folk festivals across the UK, Bromyard Folk Festival usually takes place in the second weekend of September and attracts over 2000 visitors each year.

Most of the ticketed events take place on the main festival site in the BroadBridge field on the A4023 Stourbridge Road, sharing an entrance with Bromyard Town Football Club. There is also a choice of events in the Town Centre throughout the weekend, including a Saturday evening open air concert in Town Green next to the Public Hall.

Tickets are selling quickly. In fact tickets sold out at last year's Festival.

For further details and background, please visit the Festival Website on www.bromyard-folk-festival.org.uk.



Click on links to open up downloadable photographs in separate windows.

Click here for downloadable photo of Dervish (3.14Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Martin Simpson (1.41Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Calan (1.11Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Hannah James and Sam Sweeney (126kb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Kirsty Bromley (4.52Mb).

Click here for the Bromyard Folk Festival website with link to guest details



Date: 31 August 2010

It's a family affair as fans of all ages head for Bromyard Folk Festival

- Leading family bands The Watersons and The Doonans in Festival line-up, featuring generations of musical talent - plus: Non-stop sunshine predicted for Festival weekend

Two influential folk families are featured in this year's Bromyard Folk Festival on the weekend of September 10-12.

The Waterson Family and The Doonans are among the top names appearing in one of the most enduring and popular events on the British folk calendar.

The Saturday night concert sees a rare chance to see the extended line-up of The Waterson Family on stage. The line-up includes leading singer of English traditional songs Norma Waterson, her husband and innovator of the guitar as a traditional instrument Martin Carthy, and their daughter, award-winning singer and fiddle-player Eliza Carthy.

Now in her 70th year, Norma had formed the original Watersons group in the 1960s with her brother Mike, cousin John and sister, the late Lal Waterson. Known for their passionate and powerful unaccompanied style of singing, the line-up played a major part in boosting public interest in English traditional songs.

The band has seen several changes over the years, not least with the addition of Martin Carthy in the early 70s and their formation of Waterson:Carthy with daughter Eliza. At Bromyard, Norma, Martin and Eliza are joined by Mike Waterson, his daughters Rachel and Eleanor, his wife Ann, plus Lal's son and daughter, Oliver Knight and Maria Gilhooley.

Their appearance follows the recent release of the highly acclaimed album Gift by Norma and Eliza, surprisingly the first one that they've recorded as a duo and proof positive that theirs are two of the most outstanding voices in English traditional music.

Another folk dynasty The Doonan Family Band headlines the final Sunday evening concert with a lively set of music and dance.

Sons of acclaimed piccolo player, the late John Doonan, Mick Doonan plays pipes, flutes, whistles and Kevin Doonan plays violin. They were founder members of 70s folk-rock band Hedgehog Pie, along with guitarist and singer Stu Luckley and bass-player Phil Murray who also form part of Sunday's line-up.

Their set includes some spectacular Irish step-dancing performed by John's granddaughters Frances Doonan and Sara Kirk. Mick's daughter, singer-songwriter Rosie Doonan is also a Bromyard guest with her band The Snapdragons.

Other acts appearing include mother and daughter duo Mo and Fiona Bradshaw. Fiona is a former winner of the Festival's Fred Jordan Memorial Competition, held each year in memory of the celebrated singer Fred Jordan and open to singers up the age of 24. No stranger to the world of traditional singing, her mother Mo returns to public performing after a long break to join Fiona in some beautiful harmony singing.

Says Artistic Director for the Festival, Dick Dixon, 'It's very fitting that guests at Bromyard Folk Festival include family groups with different generations of musician and singers. In 43 years, the festival has established itself as a family-friendly event and many of our regular audience members have been coming here since they were toddlers.

'Our guest artists range from veteran singers and musicians to a wide range of frighteningly talented young performers. It's reassuring to know that the future of folk music is safe in the hands of such an accomplished new generation of artists.'

Acclaimed acoustic roots duo Show Of Hands top the bill for Bromyard Folk Festival's opening night concert on Friday September 10. Sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery, the event is one of the longest running folk festivals in the country, attracting hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers from across the UK for 170 hours of entertainment, not only on the main site but throughout the town centre.

The Festival also boasts some spectacular morris dancing, workshops, children's entertainment, craft fair, real ale bars and food.

As an added bonus, current weather forecasts are predicting non-stop sunshine and clear skies for what promises to be another memorable and enjoyable weekend of music, song, dance and entertainment for all.

Enquiries, orders for tickets and requests for information updates can be made on 07935 747 904 or by visiting the new Festival website on www.bromyardfolkfestival.co.uk

(Ends)


Notes for Editors

NB - after viewing a photograph, please click on the Back arrow in your browser to return to this page.

Click here for downloadable photo of three key members of The Watersons (L-R Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy) (1.17Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of The Doonans (L-R top: Phil Murray, Mick Doonan, Kevin Doonan, Stu Luckley; L-R below: Sara Kirk, Frances Doonan) (123kb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Rosie Doonan (112kb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Mo (L) and Fiona Bradshaw (R) (128kb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Bromyard Folk Festival - Main Site, taken during one of the Festival evenings last year. Photo by Chele Willow (2.59Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Bromyard Folk Festival - Sunset, taken during the Festival at sunset last year. Photo by Chele Willow (4.61Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Bromyard Folk Festival - young folk fans: aspiring morris dancers at last year's Bromyard Folk Festival. Photo by Chele Willow (2.4Mb).


Click here for the Bromyard Folk Festival website with link to guest details

(Please note that searches via Google and other search engines may still lead to the old web page address which is no longer valid)



Contact details:

For interviews and further information about Bromyard Folk Festival, contact:

Lynne Barker (Festival Director) on 07772 831860. Email Lynne@bromyard-folk-festival.org.uk

Dick Dixon (Festival Director) on 07831 890905. Email dickdixon@warwickfolkfest.demon.co.uk

Pete Willow (PCWillow) on 07887 552896. Email pete@pcwillow.com



Visit the Festival MySpace page on: http://www.myspace.com/bromyardfolkfest




New photos added

Date: 9 August 2010

More photographs are now available of artists lined up for this year's Bromyard Folk Festival on the weekend of September 10-12.


To access photographs, please click on links below to download. Use the back buttom on your browser to return to this page.


Click here for downloadable photo of Show Of Hands (l-r Phil Beer, Steve Knightley, Miranda Sykes (1.35Mb). One of the biggest names on the English folk and roots circuit, Show Of Hands are back after their storming performance at Bromyard in 2008 and will headline the Friday night main concert on the Wye Valley Brewery Stage. Among their achievements, Show of Hands have played to a full house at the Royal Albert Hall three times.

Click here for downloadable photo of three key members of The Watersons (L-R Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy) (1.17Mb). The Saturday night concert on the Wye Valley Brewery Stage offers a rare chance to see the full line-up of this famous family band, widely regarded as true ambassadors of British folk music

Click here for downloadable photo of Whapweasel (3.21Mb). One of the liveliest and most popular folk dance bands in the country, Whapweasel will provide the music for a wild Saturday night ceilidh on the main Festival site with acclaimed caller Martyn Harvey guiding you through the steps.

Click here for downloadable photo of Belshazzar's Feast (L-R Paul Hutchinson and Paul Sartin) (1.37Mb). These two highly talented musicians have delighted audiences across the Northern hemisphere with their unique blend of classical music, music hall and comedy. Their Festival appearances on the Saturday include an evening concert set on the Wye Valley Brewery Stage.

Click here for downloadable photo of Grace Notes (1.01Mb). Maggie Boyle, Lynda Hardcastle and Helen Hockenhull perform acappella and accompanied arrangements of traditional and contemporary songs in gorgeous three-part harmony. One of their shows at Bromyard, A Woman's Work is a fascinating musical account of women's work from the 17th century to the present day.

Click here for downloadable photo of Keith Donnelly (1.85Mb). Singer, songwriter, hilarious comedian and writer of some of the funniest routines by Phil Cool and Jasper Carrott, Keith makes a welcome return to Bromyard to appear throughout the weekend as performer and MC.

Click here for downloadable photo of Niamh Boadle (5.87Mb - photo by Chele Willow). Now only 16, this highly talented singer, songwriter and guitarist from Lancashire won the Fred Jordan Memorial competition for young singers at last year's Bromyard Festival and was also a finalist in this year's BBC Young Folk Award. Catch her at the opening night concert in Bromyard's Falcon Mews.

Click here for downloadable photo of The Old Dance School (5.61Mb). In just four years, this exciting young band from Birmingham has toured thousands of miles to delight festival and concert audiences with their blistering tunes and vivid songs drawing from their backgrounds of classical and jazz music.

Click here for downloadable photo of The QP (2.45Mb). Another superb young band, this Warwickshire line-up started out as The Quarter Pounders to play a one-off gig at Warwick Folk Festival supporting Nizlopi. Their lively collection of folk-rock, ballads and klezmer music has established them as a formidable act and their album Intro was voted 'best debut' in this year's Spiral Earth Awards.




Date: 29 July 2010

Top names and generations of fans head for a lively weekend of music and dance at Bromyard Folk Festival

- New Festival website now online - Extra two weeks to buy discount tickets - now available until 13 August

Leading acoustic roots duo Show Of Hands, and Britain's most famous folk family The Watersons are among the big attractions for this year's Bromyard Folk Festival on the weekend of September 10-12.

The Herefordshire event is the leading folk gathering in the Borders area and packs 170 hours of entertainment into a lively weekend of music, song and dance.

The multi-award winning Show Of Hands features singer and writer of powerful songs, Steve Knightley and superb multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. They have played three sell-out shows at The Royal Albert Hall and will be appearing with double-bass player Miranda Sykes.

The weekend offers a rare chance to see the full line-up of The Waterson Family, who have been ambassadors for British folk music for almost half a century. The familiar core members of Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy are joined by Mike Waterson, Mike's daughters Rachel and Eleanor, his wife Ann, and Oliver Knight and Maria Gilhooley, son and daughter of the much missed Lal Waterson.

Other Bromyard guests include a lively blend of music and step dancing for The Doonans, a comic blend of classical and music hall from Belshazzar's Feast, powerfully arranged music on squeezebox and fiddle from the dynamic Damien Barber and Mike Wilson and the welcome return of one of the country's top ceilidh bands Whapweasel.

Sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery, the Festival features hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers from across the UK. The main Festival site is just outside the picturesque town of Bromyard but there will also be plenty of music and dancing in the streets and pubs of the town centre.

The Festival also boasts some spectacular morris dancing, workshops, children's entertainment, craft fair, real ale bars and food.

Festival Director, Dick Dixon, is delighted that Bromyard is popular with music fans of all ages, with many young performers and audiences keeping traditional music alive and relevant to today's tastes. He says, 'This is one of the longest running folk festivals in the country and it's great to see new generations of fans turning up each year.

'Some of the best young singers on the circuit today are former winners of the Fred Jordan Memorial Competition which we hold every year as part of the Festival.'

Weekend and day tickets are available with discounts for families, NUS card holders, juniors and young adults. All tickets are now offered at a reduced price until August 13. The ticket price increase has been held back because of the last-minute website changes. Enquiries and requests for information updates can be made on 07935 747 904 or by visiting the new Festival website on www.bromyardfolkfestival.co.uk

(Ends)




Date: 15 September 2009

New talent promoted at sun-drenched Bromyard Folk Festival

- Top folk acts and rising stars delight thousands at one of Britain's leading folk events

Thousands of folk fans headed for Bromyard last weekend (11-13 September) to enjoy the music, spectacle and sunshine of the world-famous Bromyard Folk Festival.

Tickets sold out for most of the concert events on the main festival site while the town centre played host to a packed programme of music and dancing.

Guest artists included Mercury Prize nominated Seth Lakeman, leading ambassadors of Scottish folk music, the Battlefield Band, plus The Demon Barber Roadshow, who were voted Best Live Act in this year's BBC Folk Awards.

One of the longest-running folk festivals in Britain, Bromyard has built up a reputation for promoting new young talent as well as celebrating the folk tradition and hosts the annual Fred Jordan Memorial Competition for traditional singers under the age of 25.

Named after a celebrated Shropshire singer who supported the festival until his death in 2002, this year's competition was won by 15-year old Niamh Boadle from Lancashire. Not only an excellent singer but also an accomplished guitarist and step-dancer, Niamh has been booked to appear at next year's Bromyard and Warwick Folk Festivals as part of her prize.

Joint winners of last year's competition, Ffion Thomas from mid-Wales and Kate Holland from Kent were handed their trophies during the Sunday afternoon concert by Festival Director, Lynne Barker.

Lynne said, 'It's wonderful to see that folk music has a strong future in the hands of such talented young artists'.

Sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery, the Festival featured hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers with over 170 hours of entertainment packed into 75 events.

(Ends)


Notes for Editors

Click here for downloadable photo of Ffion Thomas (left) and Kate Holland (right) receiving their trophies as joint winners of the 2008 Fred Jordan Memorial Competition. The trophies were handed to them by Festival Director, Lynne Barker (centre). Photo by Chele Willow (2.45 Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Ffion Thomas (left) and Kate Holland (right) with their trophies. Photo by Chele Willow (4.18Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Niamh Boadle, this year's winner of the Fred Jordan Memorial Competition. Photo by Chele Willow (5.86Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of Seth Lakeman onstage at Bromyard Folk Festival, Friday 11th September 2009. Photo by Chele Willow (4.74 Mb).

Click here for downloadable photo of The Battlefield Band

The Fred Jordan Memorial Competition is a regular feature since the death of the celebrated local singer and festival supporter in 2002. The competition is open to any singer up to the age of 25 and previous winners are Kathryn Turner, Jim Moray, Maz O'Connor and Fiona Bradshaw.