St Albans Folk Music organises pub music sessions, a monthly
concert series, ‘Folk at the Maltings’, and an annual 'New roots' competition
for young musicians. It is a part of the 'Folk at the Festival' Committee which
organises the St Albans Folk Festival.
St Albans Folk Festival 2020
St Albans Folk Festival now runs from September
25-27 and will be mainly online. Our festival concert on Sunday September
27 featuring our original guest Fay
Hield will be live
streamed. Support will be Alison
Raymond, winner of the Watford Folk Club song writing competition. Tickets are
now back on sale on the Abbey Theatre web
site and tickets for June 27 will be valid for September 27.
We have arranged an online showing of the
film ‘All my life’s buried here.
The story of George Butterworth’ about
singer, composer and morris dancer, George
Butterworth, who died in 1916 on the Somme. The film will be available online
to ticket holders from 9am on Friday September 27 to midnight on Sunday
September 27 and there will be an online discussion with the producer Stewart
Morgan Hajdukiewicz at 5pm on Sunday September 27.
Tickets covering both are on sale at www.ticketsource.co.uk/stalbansfolkmusic
We welcome musicians and singers who want
to take part in our online showcase performances. If you want to contribute,
please contact info@stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk
These will be put online on Saturday September 26 from 11am onwards on our YouTube channel
There will also be sessions and singarounds. Further details will be announced here
shortly.
On September 26, we are unable to hold the planned a day of dance in the City Centre because of
the ban on dancing, but we hope you will enjoy our online events.
Write a new song for St Albans Unfortunately we received very few entries for our second song writing
competition is ‘St Albans
Scoundrels’. This is not surprising as we hoped writerswould access local libraries and museums for
inspiration, but these have re-opened only relatively recently after being
closed since lockdown in March. Two of the writers have been invited to
contribute a set with their entry and other songs to an online concert on
Saturday September 26 which will also include sets by leading local performers. Programme to
follow shortly. and revised plans will be available here when finalised.
Further details are here
and the application form is here.
St Albans
Folk Festival 2021
This will take place from June 25-27 2021. We can’t predict what form it will take, but there
will definitely be a festival.
New
Roots an event for young musicians who are under 25 and play or sing
folk, roots or traditional music. Entries for New Roots 2020 closed on February
9. The final at Trestle Arts Base, St Albans and has been postponed to Sunday
November 1 2020 from 11am to 5pm and may have to be partially or
wholly online so that all who want to can listen. For further details, click here. New Roots 2021 will take place in
the autumn of 2021. The closing date will be announced nearer the time.
New Roots 21st anniversary celebration, Sunday June
28
The first New Roots took place in 2000 and it was planned to
hold a 21st anniversary event on Sunday June 28, with
performances by some of the amazing singers and musicians who have taken part
over the years. This was an online event, with videos newly recorded by over 30
past New Roots finalists. If you missed it, you can still hear it on YouTube by
following this link and make
a donation at https://www.gofundme.com/new-roots-21st-anniversary The proceeds will be shared between the
performers. The programme, which includes featured spots by Iona Fyfe, Hazel
Askew on behalf of the Askew Sisters, the Foxglove Trio and Katrina Gilmore and
Jamie Roberts is here.
St Michael's Street folk evening
From 1988 to 2019, we held a popular event in St Michael’s
Street on the first Wednesday evening in July, with dancing in the street and
music everywhere. The 2020 event was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
We are keen to reinstate this event as soon as it is safe to do so, but it may
be several years before this is possible. If it possible to hold it as soon as
2021, it will be on Wednesday July 7 so please put this date in your
diary.
Folk at the Maltings
Maltings Arts
Theatre, The Maltings, St Albans AL1 3HL
These are likely to be online events. Please note
the dates in your diaries and watch this space for details and changes.
Monday October 12, 8.00pm Alden,
Patterson and Dashwood and The Shackleton Trio Two of Norwich’s finest folk exports on tour together. A set from each
act, along with a rare collaborative set bringing together Alden Patterson and
Dashwood and The Shackleton Trio.
Friday November 6, 8.00pm James Findlay plus New Roots finalist and BBC Young Folk Award 2019 winner Mandie MorrisJames comes from a family of folk singers and his enthusiasm lies firmly
within the English tradition, He first came into the public eye after winning
the 2010 BBC Young Folk award. In recent years, he has worked mainly in touring
theatre, so this is a rare chance to hear him sing. Mandie Morris is a folk
musician who uses traditional and contemporary folk song to create discussion
and social commentary on big issues.
Friday December 4, 8.00pm The Devines plus Elie Rees
and New Roots finalist Nancy
Potts.
John, Joe and Caz Devine are three
members of the same musical family, with an inspired blend of instruments that
include uilleann pipes, banjo and saxophone. They perform a mix of original
compositions and their own unique arrangements of traditional folk songs and dance
music. Elie Rees is a singer songwriter. A singer and a fiddler, Nancy Potts
specialises in playing for dancing and sings a variety of songs both for
performance and social settings.
Tickets: £12, Students and concessions £11. Under 18 £7.50
To book:
Online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo
By phone 0333 666 3366, in person at St Albans Central Library or pay on the
door.
Sessions Mainly traditional Irish,
English, Scottish and other traditional music. All welcome to listen or to
play. Mainly tunes, but singers welcome.
The sessions have been suspended until further notice.
Weekly sessions at 8.30pm on Wednesdays are at the Robin Hood, 126 Victoria Street, St
Albans AL1 3TG. These have now been replaced by sessions on Zoom. For details,
email info@stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk
Monthly sessions are at the Great
Northern, London Road at 6.00pm on Sundays, usually on the fourth Sunday of
the month.
Links to other
regular events in St Albans
Contact Alison
Macfarlane
Tel 01727 852111
Email: info@stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk