It’s hard to believe that GRANNY'S ATTIC have been playing and touring together for 15 years, but they have… and the highly-rated trio headline our monthly concert on Friday 15 November.
 
With exceptional musicianship and boundless energy, Granny’s Attic are going from strength to strength. Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (melodeon, anglo concertina, vocals), George Sansome (guitar, vocals) and Lewis Wood (violin, vocals) have honed their skills touring the UK and Europe since 2009. They are much loved by audiences up and down the country, with bookings everywhere from Cambridge Folk Festival to Cecil Sharp House.
 
 
The trio have been heralded for their lively performances and skilled delivery of traditional material, playing with verve, energy and their own inimitable style. Though grounded in tradition, they are keen to push new boundaries by exploring fresh approaches and writing their own compositions. In October 2021, they released their latest album, The Brickfields, an instrumental collection that sees them reach new heights both as performers and composers. Described by Folk Radio as “one of the most exciting and accomplished English folk acts on the scene right now”, this outstanding trio can hold audiences in the palm of their hand.
 
With captivating musicianship and a sound that is unapologetically her own, HEATHER FERRIER is a force to be reckoned with, and she will get the evening underway with a short solo set. An “engaging talker and magnetic performer” (NARC magazine), the Stockport born accordionist, clog dancer and composer is changing the perceptions of alt-folk on her own terms. Her latest EP Engine for the Sound creates music that sets the accordion free from its stereotypes, and with an extended line-up of musicians, expresses everything Heather stands for using powerful melodies and jazz-influenced harmony. Bold, passionate and enthralling; the EP has been played on BBC Radio 6 music, and well as being favourably reviewed in local and national publications.
 
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at Christ Church Downend on Friday 15 November 2024, are available online HERE and from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). They are priced at £14 each in advance or £16 on the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts around 7.45pm. This event is also included in our Autumn/Winter Season Ticket.

 

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. 

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

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There's something very special about a Saturday afternoon spent watching live music. Everything just stops. All of the hassle, all of the heartache just melts away. This is the second of Downend Folk & Roots’ 'Live at Lunchtime' gigs and JACKIE OATES proves herself to be the perfect guest for a laid-back, inclusive, gentle hour (or so) of lovely folk music.
 
Best known for her own take on the English pastoral tradition, a string of brilliant collaborations, and a multitude of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Oates is a singer and fiddle player that has long had an affinity with children and songs of childhood. Which is a good thing, because there are plenty of little ones tottering and grooving about this afternoon.
 
 
These Saturday lunchtime concerts at Downend follow a simple pattern; there are two short sets, everyone is welcome, children can make noise, there’s squash and colouring (for young and old) and the whole thing is beautifully relaxed. Oates is as charming; as smiley, as welcoming as you could wish.
 
Starting at the piano with Isle of France, which she learned from the incomparable Nic Jones, she is warm and sweet. Her voice high and lovely, telling the tale of a shipwrecked convict, and human kindness. It is the perfect way to start, a welcoming embrace that is as beautiful as it is thoughtful. The piano lulls Dream Angus into a gentle lullaby and, later, issues a warning to Young Leonard on the dangers of going swimming. At all times, Oates is the delightful, and delighted, host; she chats and grins, tells stories and simply soothes.
 
 
She doesn't play the accordion very often but, in this relaxed atmosphere, uses her recently learned “three chords” wonderfully endearingly. There’s a false start here and there, an apologetic giggle, a quick check that she’s playing the right key but then there's a set of Christmas songs that are gorgeous. Bergers, Écoutez la Musique and As I Lay on Yoolis Night are both Breton carols, filled with the buzz and huff of an old, old fireside. You can almost taste the mulled cider. Both songs are taken from her forthcoming Christmas album, A Midwinter's Night, that she's made with Bellowhead's John Spiers.
 
Robin Tells of Winter is also snow-dusted, it is slow and gentle, her fiddle carefully plucked and her voice filled with a hot-water-bottle glow. The Sweet Nightingale is unaccompanied and “quite wiggly”, full of trills and curlicues. Both fill this room with smiles. 
 
Oates finishes where she started, back at the piano. May The Kindness, taken from her classic Hyperboreans album, is exactly what needs to be taken away from this afternoon. It's stunning, a warm-hearted encapsulation of everything that Downend are doing here.
 
Watching live music on a Saturday afternoon is, undoubtedly, brilliant. Jackie Oates makes it magical.
 
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell

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We are thrilled to welcome JACKIE OATES for the latest in our series of Live at Lunchtime concerts on Saturday 2 November.

These events are family-friendly and under-18s go free (accompanied by a paying adult). There will be a very relaxed atmosphere, and if children make some noise, that's fine! There will be activity and colouring sheets for younger children and a break-out room at the back for anyone that needs it, where there will be toys and a bit of space, with the audio of the gig piped into the room.

Jackie is a folk singer, songwriter, musician and teacher who lives with her young family in Oxfordshire. Those with little people in their lives may know that Jackie has sung and recorded fifteen traditional nursery rhymes for the Yoto music player for young children. And perhaps you have recognised Jackie’s vocal and instrumental contributions that feature widely in the CBeebies smash hit Nick Cope’s Popcast.

A central figure in English traditional music, Jackie is regarded as one of the country’s best loved folk performers. Her eighth solo studio album, Gracious Wings, took flight in September 2022, receiving acclaim from the music press both within and beyond the folk genre; “Her cover of On and On by indie band The Longpigs is a bit of genius, proving that a good song can be done in any musical genre or manner.” (Get Ready to Rock)

In the 14 years since her iconic coming of age album Hyperboreans, Jackie has continued to build her large and varied following, write her own material, include surprising covers into her albums and breathe new life into the traditional gems she unearths.

The concert itself is not specifically aimed at children, although is very family-friendly. These concerts are aimed at people who perhaps cannot make our usual Friday evening events, as well as our regular audience. And remember, if you already have a season ticket for Autumn/Winter 2024, you get this one for free!

The concert will be shorter than normal (just over  an hour with a short break halfway though) and there is no support. Doors open at midday and the music starts at 12.30pm. It will finish at around 1.45pm.

The event takes place at our usual CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND venue, tickets are £10 per adult (plus booking fees) and are available HERE, or, as usual, from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). U18s go free (when accompanied by an adult) but tickets should still be reserved. There will be tea, coffee and a small selection of soft drinks and THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY cakes available to purchase, and free squash for children, available from our bar. Please note that we will not be serving alcoholic drinks at these events. For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or find us on FACEBOOKINSTAGRAM or X.

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