Artists
Sam Sweeney
One of the defining English fiddle players of his generation…— Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
Nominated four times, and winner in 2015, of Musician Of The Year BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, former and inaugural artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and a superb instrumentalist at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music.
Sheelanagig
Putting the groove into a selection of traditional and original European Folk music dating from the medieval times to present day, it’s difficult – nay, impossible – for your limbs to remain stationary when you’re within earshot of them in full flight.
The Wilson Family
The Wilson Family is an English folk music group who have been singing and performing a cappella folk songs since 1974. From Billingham, County Durham, North East England, the group now consists of brothers, Tom, Chris, Steve and Mike
Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones
A powerful new duo is emerging from the chaos of the last 12 months – and the folk world has been waiting! As established solo artists, Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones are no strangers to the folk scene, however the force of this phenomenal “new” duo is sure to turn some heads, and for very good reason.
Tim Edey and Ross Ainslie
Award-winning musical geniuses who are old friends and two of the best musicians of their generation. Tim (guitar, melodeon), is brilliant – in every which way. As a guitarist he has few peers. As a box player he´s a magician. As a character he´s off the scale (Colin Irwin, fRoots). Ross, one of Scotland´s finest traditional musicians and composers (pipes, whistles, cittern) is an acclaimed soloist and prolific collaborator with a long list of high profile awards and nominations going back as far as 2005 including Scots Trad Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year (2015), Composer of the Year (2015) and Album of the Year (2016).
The Drystones
The Drystones are a duo whose arrival on the UK folk scene is making waves combining traditional music’s timeless instrumental union of fiddle and guitar with technical mastery, a ‘brave experimental bent’ (David Kidman – FATEA).
Brown Boots
Brown Boots is Will Allen and Martin Clarke Their musical background is rooted in playing music for dancing, as well as gaining inspiration from playing with friends at festivals and pub sessions across the country.
Gavin and Amy Davenport
Northerners by birth, Amy from Liverpool and Gavin from South Yorkshire, their voices reflect their origins, strong but not strident, holding distinct individuality whilst blending in the way that only regional voices can.
Both have familial singer’s roots which inform their performances.
Gavin is well known on the UK folk scene as well as in Canada, with an impressive discography and performance pedigree. He plays with ceilidh band, Hekety, and tours extensively as a solo artist and workshop leader.
Amy also grew up in a singing home and has strong ties with the folk scene in Liverpool. She brings her strong and distinctive voice together with her keen awareness of maritime singing traditions to this stirring duo.
Maddie Morris
Maddie Morris was the winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young folk award, and is a contemporary folk musician, who is heavily influenced by traditional protest song. Originally from Bedfordshire and currently based in Leeds, Maddie is a strong believer that ‘the personal is political’, and uses her own experiences to raise discussion around issues such as LGBTQ rights, CSA, Feminism and trauma, too name a few.
Maddie recently completed a EU joint headline tour with activist CHUCK SJ. She has also played at prestigious events including Sidmouth folk festival and the main stage at Trans Pride Brighton 2019 . Maddie was also a ‘new roots’ winner, and won the Alan Surtees trust fund for emerging roots and traditional artists.
Five time folk award winner Jim Moray describes Maddie as ‘leading the next generation of politically motivated songwriters.’.
Will and Pippa Noble
Traditional singer Will Noble , champion stone waller from South Yorkshire, learnt from his family and local singers as a young man and has since sung at numerous events from Whitby Festival to Pinewoods USA .Pippa Noble has a compelling command of traditional song and it’s also a delight to hear her French chansons and self composed songs.
Duncan McFarlane and Anne Brivonese
This duo offers an entertaining blend of Progressive, Contemporary, Self-Penned and Traditional Folk Song, played on guitar and fiddle and sung with style, panache and lashings of good humour!
For almost twenty years now they have graced many a Festival Main Stage from Shrewsbury to Sidmouth, from Otley to Ely, from Costa del Folk (Spain) to Denmark!
Duncan has an obvious feel for the tradition and a deep-rooted belief that it has a place in
the current folk scene, aspects which he puts across with lively showmanship. His own
songs show a canny grasp of, and response to, the tradition, while his intrinsic seriousness
of intent and approach is often laced with a healthy irreverence that happens to be hugely
entertaining! To the already full sound of Duncan’s own tremendous guitar playing, Anne
Brivonese contributes excellent, sympathetic yet punchy fiddle; Supremely exciting playing
without needing to act the show-off, her violin rolls out a carpet of sound over which the
action ceaselessly capers. Standing serene at the centre of proceedings, adding elegant
and exciting fiddle, Anne also gets a chance to show off her voice and a great voice it is too,
contributing lovely supporting harmony vocals’ – The Living Tradition
Danny Pedler and two-time BBC Radio2 Folk Award Winner Greg Russell bring you the Field & Dyke project; a project combining traditional music with the sounds of industry. Grown out of an oral history research project conducted by Danny, the music and songs incorporate samples of dialogue from Field & Dyke Interviewees as well as being based around, and incorporating, factory machine rhythms. These innovative music making techniques create songs that explore folk music as a vehicle to communicate the feeling behind the social and cultural themes present in 21st century England.
Holme and Dry
Holme & Dry are named so because the members all live in and around the Holme Valley in West Yorkshire, and because they are possibly the most landlocked group of sea shanty singers in the country! Formed in 2013, Holme & Dry consists of male and female singers who mainly perform a cappella, with occasional appearances of guitars, concertinas, whistles and kazoos. They sing a rousing range of traditional and modern sea shanties and the odd song or two about drinking.
The Jack Tars
The Jack Tars are a newly formed Yorkshire Based Folk Band specialising in Sea Shanties! They enjoy playing traditional and contemporary arrangements of sea songs from the golden age of sail. Influenced by Irish folk music as well you can expect a good variety of folk staples, Jigs & Reels from 8 members including instruments such as Accordion, Fiddle, Flute, Bouzouki, Banjo, Guitar, Concertina, Bodhran and Whistles along with accapella songs. The band is currently gigging in Yorkshire whilst making plans for their first EP recording.
Folk Factory
The Folk Factory is a club in Dungworth, Sheffield for young musicians to explore folk music, tunes and songs in a fun and friendly way. Throughout the year guest workshop leaders join the group and children have the opportunity to learn from a variety of exciting experts. They will be coming to Shepley to give us a short performance of the music they enjoy, accompanied by their Director Nicola Beazley who will also run a youth music workshop on Sunday for anyone who would like to join in…. any instrument, any standard!!
David Ford and Annie Dressner
In January 2022 David Ford & Annie Dressner met and played music together for the first time. At a couple of live shows in the north of England, they became firm friends and found a common love for sweet harmony and brutally emotive songwriting.
Three weeks later they had written, recorded, mixed and mastered this short collection of new songs.
They decided to call the record “48 Hours with David Ford & Annie Dressner”, named in honour of the series of two-day creative bursts that shaped the project. 48 hours to write the songs, 48 hours to rehearse and record, before being mixed inside 48 hours by Grammy winning mix engineer James Brown.
Linn Phipps
Linn is a Gaelic singer and Medallist at the Royal National Mod. During lockdown she has been running a monthly Learn-Gaelic Song workshop every month on zoom and also led workshops at virtual folk festivals from the USA to Australia. She co-founded and hosts a monthly Celtic-language zoom sing, all welcome! With the start of live festivals, she has started leading in-person workshops, and will be providing all learning materials. No prior knowledge of Gaelic needed. Come and give it a go! Sunday afternoon at the Football Club.
Shepley Singers
It is 15 years since the Shepley singers were formed for the first Shepley Spring Festival. They have only recently started rehearsing after the forced break of over 2 years but they will be back to sing for us again on Sunday at the Festival conducted as ever by the one and only Bryony Griffith