Churches can be chilly places, especially in October, with those high ceilings and stone floors being a bit unforgiving. Tonight, RACHAEL McSHANE & THE CARTOGRAPHERS banish any ideas of chillness, instead they fill Christ Church Downend with warmth and friendliness, a fuzzy feeling and a twinkle in the eye.
 
McShane, of course, is a member of the folk juggernaut Bellowhead, so she's about to take her many stringed things and leap on board for their November tour. With The Cartographers (Julian Sutton on melodeon and Ian Stephenson on guitar) things are a little less manic. She ditches her cello and just plays fiddle, does most of the singing and gathers people 'round to tell stories rather than have them pinging off of walls.
 
 
In fact, Green Broom is a celebration of staying in bed until noon and, as early as the first song, McShane wraps a blanket around us. Her voice is beautiful, sweet but with just enough of a rough edge, and her fiddle playing sublime. There's a lightness, an effortlessness that sends the tune skipping and skimming about. Sutton's melodeon and Stephenson's guitar gently turn up the heat, bubbling everything nicely.
 
Even on songs of rebellion, McShane exudes warmth. Cropper Lads is a song about machine-smashing luddites but The Cartographers set it to McShane's Full Belly and it becomes something glorious, something danceable. All three instruments gleeful, taking trad folk and giving a gentle shake until it smiles. On The Lady and The Sailor, a broadside ballad is given another brilliant tune that is so full that it almost bursts.
 
 
All of the sweetness and all of the fuzziness could be a little overwhelming but McShane has a twinkle in her eye and a devilish smile too. "Who doesn't want a bit of smut on a Friday night?", she wonders at the start of The Molecatcher. A witty and sly tale of the biter bit, it is deliciously jaunty with McShane’s voice beautifully juxtaposing the cheeky subject matter. In fact, there are a few songs where couples "take a tumble", The Cartographers revelling in the sauciness. Barley and Rye, taken from the 2018 album When All Is Still, sees a farmer's wife thoroughly enjoying life with a younger man while McShane and her boys make joyful mischief.
 
While most of the set is taken from When All Is Still, there are a few new ones, from a forthcoming album (March 2025). Young Roger Esquire and The Banks of Sweet Dundee are both great, all three musicians drawing that blanket a bit closer, keeping the darkness at bay. It is Get Up Jack that sees a full-voiced singalong though, sees Downend simply enjoying itself. McShane's fiddle is, once again, central to the fun, leading from the front, dancing as if floating. 
 
There are tunes too, tailor made for dancing. Waltzing at Giggleswick/The Ginger Cat Monster are both delightfully old/new. There's enough tradition to keep those that care happy but huge dollops of fun, for everyone else. The Dusty Jigs, too, are wonderfully bouncy; McShane, Sutton and Stephenson throw another log on the fire, warming every soul in the place.

 
The support act for the evening was JOHNNY CAMPBELL, a singer-songwriter from Leeds. Conscious of nature and the right to roam, Campbell is a protest singer of the old school. Telling tales, raising awareness and reminding us all of what is right with a voice that is as honest as it is decent. A Roving I Will Go is his next single and a proper toe-tapper.
 
This wasn't the first time that Rachael McShane and The Cartographers have visited Downend. As they warmed the hearts of the faithful, and provoked the odd grin, it's hard to believe that they won't return to banish the chill once again.
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell

It is perhaps a marker of the quality of artists that Downend Folk & Roots has a reputation for programming, that a visit from a member of folk supergroup Bellowhead comes as no real surprise, for a concert that will also be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.
 
RACHAEL McSHANE is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player from the North East of England. She gained fame as an original member of Bellowhead, touring with them extensively and making a number of television appearances. The band recorded five studio albums and, together, they won a staggering total of eight BBC Folk Awards. Parting ways in 2016, the band returned in 2022 for a series of ecstatically-received performances that reminded audiences of their unique alchemy, energy and talent.
 
 
Away from her Bellowhead fame, Rachael is a much sought-after performer and recording artist. Her debut solo album No Man’s Fool arrived in 2009 via Navigator Records, establishing impressive credentials that eventually led her to signing with the prestigious Topic Records, the oldest independent record label in the world. She also is the leader of THE CARTOGRAPHERS, a band that features the exceptional talents of guitarist Ian Stephenson (Kan, Baltic Crossing), and melodeon player Julian Sutton (Kathryn Tickell, Sting). Their music is a powerful blend of traditional folk and contemporary sounds, with Rachael's stunning voice and instrumental skills leading the line. The Cartographers have garnered a loyal following thanks to their impressive live performances and critically acclaimed debut album, When All Is Still (2018, Topic Records).
 
Opening the evening will be JOHNNY CAMPBELL, who emerged onto the UK folk scene writing self-penned material and delving deep into Northern English folk song and story.
 
 
The album From Hull & Halifax & Hell (2020) took him to The Faroe Islands where he recorded a live album on the island of Nolsoy.  Since musical instruments hadn't arrived on the islands until the 19th century,  this is perhaps the first time Northern English traditional song has been recorded on these islands.
 
Since March 2020, Johnny hasn't relented, releasing three singles; Hard Times of Old England, Winter Hill Trespass and A Right to Roam. 2024 sees Johnny releasing True North, an album of Northern English traditional songs recorded on their respective county summits.
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 18 October, are available online HERE and from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). They are priced at £15 each in advance or £17 on the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts around 7.45pm. There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from locally-based HOP UNION BREWERY. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/ mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.
 
The concert will also be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM, so if you can’t get to Downend, you can watch from the comfort of your own home. Further information and tickets for the live-stream are available HERE.
 

For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM or X.

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We are delighted to reveal our programme for Spring 2025. As usual, it features the very best in traditional and contemporary folk, roots and acoustic music, and we hope that you will agree that it’s one of our best yet.

We kick off after Christmas with THE BROTHERS GILLESPIE on Friday 17 January. Described by Folk Radio UK as "weaving an especially compelling magic", and "showing British acoustic music in its best possible light", the Northumbrian duo make music that is animated by lyrical songwriting, fine fingerstyle guitar playing, multi-instrumental musicianship and "the glorious tones of their blood harmony" (Sam Lee). Opening the evening will be LIZ SIMCOCK, whose songs – often autobiographical and highly personal – are immediately accessible to audiences and injected with poetry, emotion and splashes of humour.

SAM SWEENEY makes a welcome return to Downend to headline our concert on Friday 21 February, when he’ll be joined on stage by special guest LOUIS CAMPBELL. Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, former and inaugural artistic director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and "Britain’s premier fiddler" (Songlines), at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music. Bristol-based singer-songwriter LOU SHEPHERD brings the powerful energy of the folk revival firmly into the world of experimental indie-folk, and she will get the evening underway, with the concert also live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.

Friday 21 March will see THE ROSIE HOOD BAND headline our monthly concert. A Horizon Folk Award nominee, Rosie is known for her powerful, clear vocals and captivating performances combining poetic writing with honest interpretations of traditional English songs. Rosie is joined by fiddle-player Nicola Beazley, melodeon-player & percussionist Robyn Wallace and fiddle-player Rosie Butler-Hall. With songs of epic journeys, rural pastimes and loves lost and found, the BRISTOL FOLK SINGERS will open the evening, and this is another that we’re partnering with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM on as we live-stream the concert.

Our Spring programme draws to a close on Friday 25 April. HANNAH SCOTT went down a storm with a solo support set last year, and she returns to headline with her trio. Her music is shaped by human stories, with family, in all its chaos and glory, sitting at the heart of her work. Her lyrics are powerful and poignant, and her voice feels strangely familiar, though you can’t quite put your finger on why. CORUJA JONES is a songwriting project from Manchester-based musician and songwriter Dan Jones, originally hailing from Dudley in the West Midlands, and he will get the evening underway with some dreamy, melancholic, indie-folk. Please note that this concert is a week later than our usual third Friday slot due to the church being unavailable for the Easter weekend.

All four concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND as usual, and seating is unreserved. The concerts are all priced at £14 in advance, £16 on the door, but you can also buy a season ticket for all four concerts for £50, which saves a few pounds as well as booking fees! All tickets are non-refundable. They are available online HERE, and they will also be available from MELANIE’S KITCHEN in Downend ahead of each individual gig. Please note that Melanie's Kitchen can only take cash payments and season tickets are not available at the shop. There will be a full bar at all concerts, as well as a prize draw, all proceeds of which go towards booking our support artists. Doors open at 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start. 

We're really excited about this season, and we hope you will be too. Keep supporting live music, it’s never been more important!For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM or X.

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