Archive for category: Latest News

Visitors to this year’s festival have helped to smash the £70,000 fundraising barrier for Hope House Children’s Hospices as we celebrate our 11^th year of working together.

Hope House, which supports children with life limiting illnesses and their families, has received more than £7,800 after this year’s festival, including more than £2,000 from a donation for every adult weekend ticket that was sold.

The money will be used to fund music therapy sessions at the hospice. Since the partnership between our two organisations began in 2008, we have raised a total of £70,791.

This year the Hope House stall at the festival raised more than £3,300 and the annual bucket collection at the Bellstone and Pengwern stages resulted in around £1,835. Money was also raised through the charging of mobile phone and other electrical devices as well as collecting tins dotted around the festival site.

Festival Director Sandra Surtees said she was over the moon that such a significant sum had been raised.

“When we first began our partnership with Hope House we didn’t know where it would lead. But our festivalgoers’ generosity knows no bounds and each year they give an amazing show of support to Hope House,” she said.

“Music therapy is something that can make such a difference to the children using Hope House and we feel that fundraising for this service is the perfect fit for us. We cannot thank our supporters enough and look forward to doing it all over again next year!”

Vanessa Thomas, the Major Gifts Manager for Hope House, said: “Wow! Every year the support we receive from the organisers of Shrewsbury Folk Festival and the festivalgoers gets bigger and better and literally blows our socks off!

“Our Hope House stall had a record year as did our bucket collections during the Sunday afternoon concerts and all our volunteers had a brilliant weekend.

“The money raised will enable all the terminally ill children who come to Hope House for vital respite care to enjoy fulfilling and fun music therapy sessions that really do enhance their wellbeing and quality of life. We can’t thank the folk festival team enough for its continued support over the past 11 years.”

 

Tickets have gone on sale for the 2019 Shrewsbury Folk Festival as we’ve shared the first names to be added to the bill.

Two of the UK’s top solo stars Kate Rusby and Martyn Joseph will be topping the bill along with the legendary Oysterband and female supergroup Daphne’s Flight, who are returning after a triumphant performance in 2017. Scottish folk rockers Skerryvore have also been invited back after wowing crowds earlier this year.

Gary Stewart’s Graceland – a reworking of the Paul Simon classic – has also been signed up along with solo shows from Show of Hands frontman Steve Knightley, singer songwriter and activist Grace Petrie and appearances from The Phil Beer Band and Merry Hell.

Exclusive to the festival will be a special day of programming on its Pengwern stage by duo Chris While and Julie Matthews to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of their musical partnership. The While and Matthews Takeover will see the pair curate performances on August 25^th that will culminate in a big band show to close the night.

Other acts will include Chris Elliott and Caitlin Jones, Edgelarks, Geoff Lakeman, Granny’s Attic, Mankala, Paul Downes, Rapsquillion, Reg Meuross, Track Dogs, the Urban Folk Quartet, and Winter Wilson. Festivalgoers will also be able to watch folk opera Here at the Fair by Mick Ryan.

Festival Director Sandra Surtees: “As ever the Shrewsbury line-up will feature some of the biggest names in folk, some popular performers that have been requested by our audience and a number of world and Americana acts.

“But the festival is about so much more than just the music – there’s so much to do during the weekend for all ages. The festival has its own magical atmosphere and we have many visitors who wouldn’t class themselves as ‘folkies’ but they just come to enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere with friends and family and listen to great music. 

“The festival continues to go from strength to strength with a devoted audience who return year after year, demonstrated by the fact that we regularly sell out in advance.”

The festival has four main music stages, a dance tent featuring ceilidhs, workshops and dance shows, children and youth festivals, workshops, crafts, food village, real ale, cocktail and gin bars and on-site camping and glamping.

There are also fringe events at local pubs with dance displays held in the town centre and a parade through the streets on the Saturday afternoon. Weekend and day tickets can be booked at www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/booktickets/.

Folk legend Richard Thompson is set to make an electrifying return to this year’s festival with a rare appearance with his Electric Trio.

The former Fairport Convention musician, named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time, will headline the Bellstone stage on Saturday August 25.

Other names added to the programme include the new duo of Peter Knight (ex Steeleye Span) and John Spiers (Bellowhead) and singer songwriters James Riley and Edwina Hayes.

Already announced are American singer songwriter Gretchen Peters, Steeleye Span, Irish super group Usher’s Island, Show of Hands, Jon Boden and The Remnant Kings, Gigspanner, BBC Folk Award winner Daoirí Farrell and Scottish folk rockers Skerryvore.

Chinese flautist Guo Yue and Japanese drummer Joji Hirota will reunite for the festival with the London Taiko Drummers and Canadian band The Fitzgeralds – one of the hit groups of last year’s festival – will also make a welcome return.

Other performers include Welsh indie roots band Rusty Shackle, State of the Union – the duo of Boo Hewerdine and Brooks Williams, O’Hooley & Tidow, Megson, Blowzabella, Banter, Alden, Patterson & Dashwood, The Rogues Shanty Crew, Emma Morton & The Graces, Midnight Skyracer, FOS Brothers, Inlay, and Foreign Affairs.

Dance bands will be Blowzabella, Bedlam, Committee Band, Vertical Expression, Kirkophany and Out of Hand.

More than half of adult weekend tickets have already been sold with more than six months to go!

Director Sandra Surtees said: “We are delighted to have secured this rare appearance by the Richard Thompson Electric Trio for Shrewsbury. Richard is a folk legend but he doesn’t often perform in this format so it’ll be a real treat for our audience.

“The line up contains a wide variety of traditional and contemporary folk alongside singer songwriters and north American and Canadian acts so there is something to appeal to all tastes.

“That’s echoed in the strong ticket sales we’re experiencing with many of our visitors coming back year after year as they love the festival so much!”

Weekend and day tickets are now on sale and can be booked at www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk.

A CD launched in tribute to our co-founder Alan Surtees has raised more than £4,000 for a charity set up in his name to support young and emerging musicians.

The profits from Resound, a 15-track recording featuring tracks from artists including Oysterband, Jon Boden, Grace Petrie and Karine Polwart, will be ploughed into the Alan Surtees Trust.

The Trust, which has been formed by musician and clog dancer Hannah James, aims to open applications for its first grants next Spring. Trustees involved in the charity include Alan’s wife Sandra, with whom he co-founded the festival in 1997.

Hannah came up with the idea for the trust following Alan’s death from cancer in June.

She said: “As someone who has benefitted from the generosity of Shrewsbury Folk Festival, I want to take the baton and keep some of this support and momentum going. It seems like a very fitting way to serve Alan’s memory.

“The tracks on this album are all from artists who have had strong links with the festival and some are songs which we know were favourites of Alan’s. I hope it captures some of the spirit of the festival and the passion that Alan had for this music.”

More than 500 CDs were snapped up in exchange for donations at this year’s festival and it is now available to buy online at Fish Records.

A fundraising gig is being planned for February 2018 to raise additional funds with the first round of applications for grants opening in March. Further fundraising will be organised in future years to support the charity’s ongoing activities.

To buy a CD direct, go to: www.fishrecords.co.uk.

For more information about the trust: www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/more/alan-surtees-trust/