Evie Ladin & Sophie Wellington – gig & workshops
with Sugarwell Hill in support
Saturday 23rd November 2024
The Carlile Institute, Meltham, Huddersfield
Thanks to everyone who came out for a thoroughly fabulous concert, despite the appallingly bad weather!
I’m delighted to announce a fitting finale to our 2023-24 series, featuring two amazing performers from the USA, Evie Ladin and Sophie Wellington. A generation apart, both grew up deep in the traditional folk music and dance scenes in the Eastern USA. Exploring an extensive shared repertoire of old-time and American roots music, as both percussive dancers and multi-instrumentalists, Evie and Sophie make a powerful duo. As well as performing together, combining their extravagant talents on banjo, fiddle, guitar, voice and percussive dance, Evie and Sophie will lead afternoon workshops in body percussion (Evie) and old time fiddle (Sophie). Check out this amazing recent video of the two of them together, and read on for more info. We’re delighted to present the excellent Sugarwell Hill duo from Leeds to open the show too. This one is absolutely not to be missed!
Multi-talented musician, singer, songwriter and dancer Evie Ladin has been playing banjo from the age of eight and clogging since she was just five! Based in California, Evie is a 2020 Jubilation Fellowship recipient, awarded to artists with an exceptional talent for bringing joy to people through music and movement. She has toured all over the world with the Evie Ladin Band, with the Stairwell Sisters, in a duo with Keith Terry, and as a solo performer, and has released numerous albums. On previous UK tours with Keith, Evie has received glowing reviews for performances at WOMAD Festival and Edinburgh TradFest among many more. Our very own Sheffield Greystones gig with Evie & Keith, in a double bill with Foghorn Stringband, was one of our most exciting ever! She is a director of the International Body Music Festival, the leader/choreographer of all-female Bay Area contemporary dance company MoToR/dance, and a leading proponent of the art of body percussion. Evie is a simply sensational live performer, as well as being an in-demand teacher of dance, singing and banjo, online and in person at camps and festivals all over the USA. Evie will lead an afternoon workshop in body percussion – loads of fun and no prior experience required!
Originally from Virginia, Sophie Wellington is an exciting young American musician and dancer who draws inspiration from old time fiddle music, percussive dance, and jazz improvisation. Like Evie, Sophie was brought up steeped in community music, attending contra dances, festivals and camps from a young age. Sophie attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, and since graduating she has released her debut solo album. Sophie is passionate about teaching and sharing her perspective on the connection between movement and music – she has taught fiddle and step dance at many venues including Virginia’s Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week and the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia. She has competed at various fiddlers’ conventions, placing and winning in categories including old time fiddle and flatfooting. In addition to her solo work, Sophie plays in several bands and has been touring with roots music sensation Willi Carlisle this year, contributing fiddle, guitar, harmony vocals and percussive dance. Sophie will lead an afternoon workshop in old time fiddle – suitable for all fiddle/violin players of early intermediate standard & up.
This is going to be a fabulous celebration of Appalachian (and beyond) roots music and dance, and a stunning collaboration between two very special artists. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Evie and Sophie perform together here in the UK, on their only Yorkshire date.
Evening concert 8pm (doors 7.30pm).
Workshops 3pm to 4.30pm approx. Body percussion will be taught by Evie Ladin and old time fiddle will be taught by Sophie Wellington.
Kris Drever
with Katy Ryder in support
Saturday 12th October 2024
The Carlile Institute, Meltham, Huddersfield
Thanks to everyone who joined us for a very special sold out concert from Kris Drever – what a marvellous evening!
I’m excited to announce our next local concert, which is a bit of a coup for True North Music! Acclaimed Scottish guitarist, singer and songwriter Kris Drever has been a leading light of the UK folk and roots scene for well over a decade. He has released five solo albums and has won numerous BBC Radio Two Folk Awards, including Folk Singer of the Year and Best Original Song. In addition to his thriving solo career, Kris is a member of renowned trio LAU, and has toured, recorded and won awards with the band since its foundation in 2004. He has also performed and collaborated with many other musical luminaries over the years, including Aoife O’Donovan, Eddi Reader and John McCusker. Kris is also a member of the award-winning Spell Songs collective, in a stellar line-up that includes Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis. Originally from Orkney and now based in Glasgow, Kris is a highly skilled guitarist who adroitly blends traditional folk and flatpicking styles with more contemporary influences. Also an outstanding singer with a warm and distinctive voice, Kris is a fine interpreter of others’ songs, as well as being a master songwriter on his own account.
On a personal level, I’m absolutely thrilled with this booking, as I’m a longtime fan of Kris and have seen him perform multiple times over the years. Special concerts that spring to mind include a big LAU gig at Celtic Connections (supported by Crooked Still), with LAU at the Brudenell in Leeds, a solo performance with Cahalen Morrison & Eli West that was filmed by BBC Alba, and over in Belgium earlier this year in a wonderful collaborative line-up alongside Eli, Laura Cortese and Nora Brown! Kris is a consummate musician and evocative singer, with a charming and humorous stage presence. There will also be some local talent featured, with the excellent Katy Ryder (Lonan, Living With Machines band) performing a short opening set. Katy is a great guitarist and singer based in Leeds, also skilled on flute, clarinet and whistle.
Doors 7.30pm, showtime from 8pm
Tickets £18 advance (£12 for under 23s)
Marsden Americana & Bluegrass Day
featuring Jake Blount (USA), Jaywalkers (UK), Golden Shoals (USA), Cara Luft (Canada)
Saturday 22nd June 2024 at Marsden Mechanics
Huge thanks to everyone who bought tickets and came along to Marsden Americana & Bluegrass Day on Saturday 22nd June, and to all the fabulous musicians, tech crew and volunteers who helped us make it a huge success! Every performance set was outstanding, and we also hosted marvellous and well supported workshops in harmony singing and Appalachian step dance. In case you couldn’t be there (or if you want to re-live the magic) check out our high quality concert videos below (filmed and livestreamed by the excellent Northern Cowboy Films). Scroll down to view the concert film from each artist…
More about our sensational performance line-up:
Jake Blount Trio (USA)
We are very excited to welcome Jake Blount as our headline artist! Jake is a rising star on the American roots music scene, an award winning banjoist, talented fiddle player and singer and an authority on the early folk music of Black Americans. Jake will be performing with his trio which also features double bass ace Nelson Williams and gifted multi-instrumentalist Gus Tritsch (electric guitar, banjo uke, fiddle). Jake was featured on NPR’s renowned Tiny Desk concert series in 2023, was nominated for Artist of the Year 2023 at Folk Alliance’s International Folk Music Awards, and won the Steve Martin Banjo Prize back in 2020. He has received huge acclaim for both his album releases to date, especially 2022’s The New Faith, released as part of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings’ prestigious African-American Legacy Series. The album sees Jake incorporating electric guitar and percussion seamlessly alongside the older tones of banjo and fiddle. Featuring innovative new arrangements of traditional songs, including Black spirituals and Blues, The New Faith received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Telegraph and many more. Jake has performed and collaborated with numerous musical luminaries including Tatiana Hargreaves, Kaia Kater, Rhiannon Giddens and the Kronos Quartet. We previously hosted Jake’s band for Meltham and Sheffield gigs in 2022, and they were simply outstandinWe are thrilled to present the Jake Blount Trio as our headline artist.
Watch the Jake Blount trio performance:
Golden Shoals (USA)
We are delighted to announce USA duo Golden Shoals as part of our line-up. They blend old time Appalachian traditions with fine original songwriting and excellent musicianship on acoustic guitar, fiddle and banjo. They are fabulously entertaining, combining influences from bluegrass, folk, Americana, Cajun, old time country music and more! Since forming their duo in Boston back in 2013, Amy Alvey and Mark Kilianski have taken their blend of footstomping traditional tunes and memorable original songs around the world, touring extensively across the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and the UK. Formerly known as Hoot & Holler (changing their name in 2020 to avoid confusion with a similarly named band) they got a storming reception from our local audiences in both Meltham and Sheffield back in 2019. Golden Shoals have released several albums and an EP to date, and have a fun and lively stage presence to complement their impressive musicianship and glorious vocal harmonies. We’re really looking forward to welcoming Mark and Amy back to Yorkshire and to see them perform at our one day festival.
Watch the Golden Shoals performance:
Jaywalkers (UK)
Watch the Jaywalkers performance:
Cara Luft (Canada)
Another exciting artist announcement incoming! Hailing from Canada, Cara Luft is well known for her work with The Small Glories and The Wailin’ Jennys as well as her solo career. A talented guitarist and banjoist and a powerful singer, the JUNO award winner is also a gifted songwriter. Cara has a well-deserved reputation as one of Canadian folk music’s finest live performers, with an engaging, down-home style that comes wrapped in a warm and delicious sense of humour. A co-founder of popular folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys, after leaving that band in 2004 Cara toured widely as a solo performer, releasing several solo albums and wowing audiences across North America and Europe. In 2012 she started performing with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter JD Edwards, forming The Small Glories, which has become a much loved fixture on the Americana and folk circuit over the last decade (including a sensational Sheffield gig we hosted back in 2018). The Small Glories released two albums and toured regularly around the world, winning Folk Alliance International’s 2020 Folk Artist of the Year Award. Born into a folk singing family, Cara has been steeped in folk and traditional music almost from birth – but like all the finest artists, she has always shown a desire to fearlessly stretch style and genre boundaries. The Small Glories’ decision to take a hiatus in 2024 has provided Cara with another opportunity for new adventures and collaborations.
Watch the Cara Luft performance:
Workshops
Step dance with Sara Marshall Rose
Sara Marshall Rose is accomplished in a wide range of dance styles including Appalachian clogging and English Morris dancing. She has danced with Appalachian dance side Restless Soles for many years, and also performs regularly with the band Buffalo Gals as one of their accompanying dancers. She also led a body percussion school workshop for us last year, alongside Simon Robinson. Sara is an excellent, experienced tutor and highly qualified dance movement psychotherapist as well as a sensational dancer – we’re so pleased to have her join our line-up! The step dance workshop will be in the Main Hall and we plan to start the programme with this, around 1.30pm.
Singing with Cara Luft
Cara Luft is an award-winning Canadian singer, songwriter and musician, as detailed above. As well as performing, Cara will lead a harmony singing workshop later in the afternoon. Cara is an incredibly skilled singer and arranger of vocal harmonies and an experienced workshop leader. Cara describes the class thus: “Come experience the fun and unique qualities of singing with others in harmony and learn how to capture the essence of a song with your voice. We will explore listening techniques, how to recognize chordal relationships, how harmony fits into a melodic landscape, how to sing better lines while picking up some vocal techniques and exercises along the way. Join us for a fun and empowering experience! Everything is taught by ear and learned as a group.” We’ve provisionally scheduled the singing workshop for 5.15pm in the Library (downstairs at Marsden Mechanics) during the tea-time break in performances.
We would like to acknowledge the valuable Project Grants funding support from Arts Council England which helped to fund our entire 2023-24 local live music series, including concerts, community outreach workshops and this upcoming one day festival. We also want to thank our sponsors for their contributions: our generous series sponsor Dark Woods Coffee, and our event co-sponsors, Eagle Music Shop and the British Bluegrass Music Association. We’ll be sharing more information about them very soon!
