CHARLOTTE CARRIVICK, flatpicking guitarist extraordinaire, has her head down, tuning. Her face is obscured by a single, old-timey microphone. There's laughter from the three musicians around her. “What's all of that giggling? You're not supposed to be having fun." She is deadpan, dry as an Appalachian path. She looks up, there's a sparkle in her eye and electricity crackles from her fingertips. She chuckles and her acoustic guitar leaps onto life.
 
There are a lot of incredible players in the folk world but, oh my, these Bluegrass musicians! Phew! There's nothing like them. Carrivick is joined by Evan Davies on mandolin and Niles Krieger - incredibly this is only his second show with the band - on fiddle, both from The Often Herd, and fellow Midnight Skyracer member, bassist Eleanor Cross. All four are incredible.
 
 
Over the course of their two sets the four-piece play 20-odd songs and tunes. They flit and fly by, they are fireflies, they are hummingbirds. Vivid and quicksilver, the music shoots into your field of vision, a blur of beauty, shooting sparks before leaving you with your jaw on the floor and a tingle in your ears.
 
There are tunes that take a little snap-shot of a moment; I'm Glad That's Not My Dog is inspired by a Springer Spaniel and lots of mud but it absolutely sings. Mandolin runs tumble over guitar lines, until the fiddle bursts through and the bass yomps by its side. Each instrument steps up to that microphone, takes up the tune, throws in the air and passes it on. It's fast and flash but never clinical. Instead, feet move and those fireflies dance. 
 
Ron's Duck Blanket has a cute-cute swing that could soundtrack some of Morph's more whimsical adventures. There are mandolin plinks until everyone else joins for some serious multi-coloured, hand drawn silliness.
 
 
When Carrivick sings she shows impeccable taste. Jason Isbell's If We Were Vampires is gorgeous, all shadow-y swoon and velvet-y night. Her harmonies with Davies are beautiful. Dylan's Farewell Angelina has a slow moan helped by Cross’ bowed double bass while Pony Boy, by Mark Simos, starts with sweetness and light until it blossoms into something altogether more rousing.
 
Throughout the evening it becomes obvious just how much Carrivick adores her family. So many tunes have been written for her children, or various nieces, and you'd be damn proud if any of them had been written for you. Evie, Brighton Breesey, Robyn's Tune and Waiting for Annie all have an affection and warmth that is utterly captivating. All four musicians gloriously compliment one another, allowing each to breathe and express themselves but singing with one voice too. No, Hatit has a Chaplin-silent-movie lopsided swagger and is just fabulous. 
 
By the time The Charlotte Carrivick Band make their way to the end of their set things are at fever pitch. Papa's on The House Top is a knee-slapping hoedown complete with fully rockin’ slapped double bass and then Krieger takes centre stage for a fiddle driven Train on the Island. His playing is breakneck but completely effortless, it glides across the tracks at dizzying speed. Davies and Carrivick race to keep pace and Cross is as languid as she's been all night. Phew!
 
 
Before the music began it was pointed out that the Queen of Country, Emmylou Harris, is in town tonight. Not that this has put off the Downend faithful. They are richly rewarded, too, by a fantastic support set from ERIKA OLSON, an American singer-songwriter by way of East Sussex. She's a bit indie-folk, a bit country, even a little bit of soulful testifying. 
 
This is How I Pray is nature-green, Olson's earthy voice adding sass and sway, while Benefit of the Doubt strains with anger and frustration. It is here that her inner street preacher peeks out; social commentary as barely contained fury.
 
If there are comparisons to be made then, maybe, Bonnie Raitt is a good one. Olson's voice is strong, especially on the anthemic I Don't Feel Like Fighting, and tells stories with Raitt's authenticity and assuredness. We might not get Emmylou but no-one's complaining. 
 
Charlotte Carrivick knew, of course, that if there's one thing that this music is, it's fun. This is music that crackles and leaps and does all of the good things. There's nothing like it.
 
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell
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With a shared passion for modern bluegrass, THE CHARLOTTE CARRIVICK BAND brings together four of the most exciting musicians in the UK today. Charlotte Carrivick is a flatpicking guitarist of international renown, sought for her inventive lead playing and regarded as an expert fiddle tune interpreter on the guitar, and her band headlines Downend Folk & Roots’ May concert. 

 
Joining Charlotte is long time collaborator and in-demand fiddler, Kieran Towers (Pet Yeti); master of tone and taste, Evan Davies (The Often Herd) on the mandolin; and the firm hand of fellow Midnight Skyracer member, bassist Eleanor Wilkie. Together, their music is at times joyous, poignant, dark, pensive or exuberant with virtuosic instrumentals and close harmony singing. 
 
As a founding member of IBMA award nominated, Island Records signed bluegrass powerhouse band, Midnight Skyracer, and one half of the more folk infused and award winning duo The Carrivick Sisters, Charlotte’s taste covers the breadth of the genre as well as taking influence from old time and jazz. It was during the recording of her debut solo album Sensible or Otherwise, showcasing her guitar playing and tune writing, that the band was formed. 
 
If you are lover of new acoustic music, bluegrass, old time and swing you won’t want to miss this band!
 
 
Opening the evening will be an artist heralded by Americana Highway as “a modern-day troubadour” with “impeccable musicianship and vocals.” ERIKA OLSON brings a distinctive blend of folk, Americana, and pop to the stage, forging a powerful connection with audiences through her intimate live performances. 
 
Since releasing her acclaimed debut album This Is How I Pray (2023), Erika has earned recognition as a finalist in Holler’s inaugural songwriting competition, secured a coveted place in the Purbeck Rising Competition, and performed widely across the UK, Europe, and the US. With a voice likened to Everything But The Girl, Emmylou Harris, and Bonnie Raitt, and songwriting reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Erika weaves deeply personal narratives into universal themes.
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 15 May 2026, are available online HERE. 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. This event is also included in our Summer Season Ticket.
 
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s 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. There is a decent-sized car-park behind the Parish Hall/Medical Centre, and free on-street parking in the surrounding area. Parking on the church grounds is not permitted unless agreed in advance.
  
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, BLUESKY, YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.
 
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We are thrilled to reveal our programme for Autumn/Winter 2026. We’ve managed to bring a couple of long-term targets to South Gloucestershire, as well as rounding off the season with our now-famous festive concert.

 

The season kicks off on Friday 18 September with a visit from RANAGRI, who we’ve wanted to book for a long time. Renowned for their commanding live performances, Ranagri deliver a sound that is both intricate and expansive. Soaring vocals, rich harmonies, and driving rhythmic energy intertwine with masterful instrumentation - flutes, whistles, harp, bodhrán, hammered dulcimer, percussion and guitars - forming a virtuosic and immersive soundscape around lead singer Dónal Rogers. The result is a musical experience that feels at once intimate, powerful, and unmistakably anthemic. Opening the evening will be award-winning alternative folk vocal duo NIC JANAWAY & SARAH OWEN, who perform with a powerful, resonant live energy, coaxing listeners deeply into the hearts of traditionally-rooted songs, through daring and wayward recompositions, space-filling vocal harmonies and minimalism-inspired interlocking instrumental work.

 

October’s concert will see TARREN in the headline slot, on Friday 16 October. Formed in 2021, this trio is creating New-Folk music, inspired by the English tradition while incorporating modern influences and their trademark modular hooks and riffs. They released their debut album Revel in 2022 to high critical acclaim with the album being likened to Faustus and Lau’s iconic debut Lightweights and Gentlemen. This success was built on in 2024 with the release of their second studio album Outside Time. Tarren is fast becoming known for intricate and dynamic arrangements of traditional and original material, tight musicianship, a forward-thinking outlook, and an inclusive and engaging on-stage presence. Supporting the trio will be RHONA MACFARLANE, a rising Scottish singer-songwriter whose emotive voice and evocative storytelling have been described as ‘casting a gentle spell over her audience’.

 

TOBY SHAER, ARCHIE MOSS & JACK WARNOCK will be our headline guests, on Friday 20 November. A brand-new trio formed by three seasoned session musicians, this collaboration between Archie Moss, Toby Shaer, and Jack Warnock was born out of a shared love for traditional music from the UK, Ireland, and mainland Europe. Since meeting in 2019, the trio have established themselves not only as dynamic performers but also as sensitive re- interpreters of the tradition. This trio approach their craft and arrangements with delicacy and thought, drawing influence from a plethora of traditions. A collaboration of three like-minded musicians presenting folk music through a contemporary lens. Opening the evening will be ERIN MANSFIELD. Known for authentic, bold interpretations of traditional music, they’ve developed a distinctive sound, delivering songs with a powerful three-octave voice, addressing social issues.

 

We’ll round off the season on Friday 18 December with our festive concert, which has become a highlight in the diaries of local music-lovers. We’re thrilled to welcome back THE WILDERNESS YET to headline the show. This new trio combines the acclaimed talents of folksinger Rosie Hodgson, traditional fiddler Rowan Piggott, and guitarist-flautist Philippe Barnes. Independently, they have earned audiences’ esteem as consummate musicians; together, they weave an eclectic tapestry of traditional and original songs and tunes; from a cappella three-part harmonies to luscious instrumental arrangements. As is now traditional, the evening will begin with a set from HEARTWOOD CHORUS, a Bristol-based folk choir who sing original arrangements of songs whose murky origins stretch back centuries and centuries, songs our grannies taught us and future classics from the thriving contemporary folk scene.

 

All four concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND as usual, and seating is unreserved. Tickets are £15 in advance (£17 on the door) and are available online HERE, and from Downend Cards & Gifts (correct cash only). There is also the option to 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. 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 7.00pm 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 becoming more and more important with every passing month! 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, BLUESKY, YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.

BUY TICKETS 

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