In a time when live music venues are struggling, when any number of festivals have packed it all in, when musicians are finding it hard to make a living, this is something to celebrate.
 
Downend Folk & Roots (formerly Downend Folk Club) is ten years old and they're throwing a party. Three days of wonderful music, of dancing, of community action, three days of friendship, of laughter, of beautiful revelry.
 
 
Friday starts with a ceilidh, and it is an absolutely glorious thing. Young dance with old, pink mohicans dance with sensible cardigans, everybody smiles and laughs and smiles again. As THE MOLECATCHERS provide the square dances, so hands and feet twirl around in intricate little knots, up and back and back again, dancers weaving and spinning. Some of them do it right nearly all of the time. This is exactly what Downend has always been about; a sense of community and fun, an overwhelming love of the music but a refusal to take it all too seriously. By the end of the evening the party is well and truly underway, ready for a whole day of music on Saturday.
 
One of the more recent innovations at Downend has been the Saturday afternoon Family concert. A space where everyone is welcome, where the noise from little ones is celebrated and everyone is allowed to have a good time. KATIE GRACE HARRIS, a singer songwriter from Oxfordshire, fits the bill perfectly. Switching effortlessly between piano, accordion and dulcimer, as well as between trad and her own songs, Harris is never anything other than full of joy. Bedlam Boys and, Ralph McTell's Gypsy are toe-tappers made for joining in while her own songs lean heavily on her piano and have a Radio 2 smoothness. With Regret has a polite political under-tow, while The Ring is heartfelt and lovely, showing off her high, expressive voice. Throw in some audience participation with spoons and the Downend party is up and running. 
 
It just wouldn't have been right to throw this party and not invite ROAD NOT TAKEN. If this folk club has a house band, then they are probably it, although they have been on a self-imposed hiatus for the last few years. Formed in the club and featuring Ant Miles, Downend's founder, Road Not Taken are fantastic. Anita Dobson's voice has always been their focal point and, on I'll Weave My Love A Garland and Suzanne Vega's The Queen and The Soldier, it is as high, pure and expressive as ever. They take these wonderful, familiar, traditional songs and remind us just why we love them.
 
JANICE BURNS & JON DORAN also plunder the tradition, they do so with a gentleness that is simply beguiling. In a set stuffed with changelings, devilry, nature and the seasons, Burns and Doran cast a hazy warmth over the Saturday afternoon. Burns’ voice is a fabulous thing, giving a sense of defiant beauty to the Song of the Fishgutters, it is upbeat and pacey. As Doran lends her his harmony, the two voices blend seamlessly. Georgie and Love You No More are sublime.
 
 
Saturday afternoon ends with a Downend Folk & Roots favourite. JIM MORAY has been the club's patron since the very beginning and has played here twice before. To help with the celebrations he plays a set that is, more or less, one that he would have played in 2014. Even after 20 odd years of making music, folk is still startling in Moray's hands. He doesn't try to make things beautiful or nice, instead you feel the anger, the pain, the desperation when he sings. The storytelling on Lord Douglas and Jenny of the Moor is extraordinary, the simple electronics on Lemady still thrilling, the ferocity of Jim Jones in Botany Bay breathtaking. It is, however, Sounds of Earth that continues to be Moray's greatest (should have been a) hit. It is the best song that anyone plays all day, probably the best song that Downend Folk & Roots has ever heard. There are tears being shed at the back, the fact that he follows it with a version of Roy Orbison's Crying makes it even better. Touchingly Moray dedicates two Morris tunes to the much missed Downend stalwart Cliff Wooley, and in doing so he emphasises everything wonderful about this place.
 
After Moray's inventiveness, Saturday evening carries with it echoes of a more traditional Folk Club. It turns out that this is a brilliant thing. GAVIN OSBORN & THE COMMENT SECTION are delightfully funny, a throwback to those days of old when Billy Connolly and Jasper Carrott played folk music. His songs are smart and witty, if Billy Bragg was less annoyed by the world and more amused by it, he might be Osborn. The Comment Section is just one man, John Hare, but he adds keyboards, accordion and, best of all, trumpet. With his musical nouse and Osborn's clever songwriting they are gloriously entertaining. Bath Not Bristol is wry and knowing, What Kind of Thing endearingly self-deprecating and Albert Went Out to See Rock Bands is as intimate, heartwarming and delightfully observed as Victoria Wood or Alan Bennett. After their set, Downend whispered to itself, "How good were they?". The answer, simply, is that they were so good.
 
Equally as good were BRYONY GRIFFITH & ALICE JONES. Unlike every other act over the weekend, they haven't played Downend before, but they were welcomed like homecoming heroes anyway. As Yorkshire as a good strong cup of tea, Griffiths and Jones proved to be exceptional company. Every song had been collected from the White Rose County, each came with its own story and each was as honest, as real as only folk song can be. Often singing unaccompanied, or with the minimal backing of fiddle, guitar and harmonium, Griffith and Jones harmonise exquisitely. The Girl Who Was Poorly Clad may have a desperate sadness at its core but was rapturously received, My Johnny Was a Shoemaker featured some plastic-trousered body percussion and The Grey Goose and Gander sparked a singalong. If Downend is all about friendliness, the importance of community and some damn good stories, sung wonderfully then it's no wonder that Griffith and Jones were able to fit right in.
 
 
LADY MAISERY have a similar relationship with Downend. Over the years Hannah James, Hazel Askew and Rowan Rheingans have played here in so many different iterations that they were, really, the only band that could possibly bring the day to a close. True to form, they were exactly what was required. Mainly playing songs from their most recent album, Tender, Lady Maisery were as glorious as ever. Although their own songs are lovely - Birdsong being a glorious evocation of freedom and song - it is three cover versions that tie the whole of their set together. Lal Waterson's Child Among the Weeds is brim-full with delicious harmonies, Tracy Chapman's 3000 Miles has an intensity built around a banjo and Rheingans’ incredible voice but Bjork’s Hyperballad is jaw dropping. It is a cover that easily eclipses the original as James replaces Icelandic quirk with wide-eyed wonder. It is a song that makes your heart feel good.
 
Those hearts continued to feel good for the final day of this celebration. Sunday was a little more relaxed, starting with some local community action, taking in the very first band that ever played Downend Folk Club, continuing with Bristol’s finest folk choir and ending with Morris Dancing in the sunshine. 
 
 
The first band that ever played Downend were BRIGHT SEASON, the trio led by Michael J Tinker. They haven't really existed as a band for years, so this represented something pretty special. Tinker, Ella Sprung and Simon Dumpleton are consummate musicians, weaving traditional songs and sea shanties around folk tunes from around the world. Sprung's nyckelharpa beautifully jaunty on a Danish Jig, Tinker heart-wrenching on a darkly haunting version of Strange Fruit and Dumpleton helping bring something almost Lau-like to Arrival. The unbridled pleasure that they, clearly, got from being back in Downend was infectious, it was, after all, them that started this whole thing. They seemed to radiate a pride that we were all still here.
 
Finally, the celebration was brought to a close by HEARTWOOD CHORUS, a choir that is becoming synonymous with celebration at Downend Folk & Roots. In the past they have sung a handful of songs at a couple of Christmases so it was a pleasure to see them do a full set. Christ Church Downend is the perfect venue for rejoicing with thirty voices, the perfect venue to worship at the temple of song, and Heartwood were more than ready to play their part. From traditional songs to contemporary folk classics, the choir raised the roof, voices in glorious harmony, a dynamic, overwhelming experience. The traditional Byker Hill sits comfortably next to Bjork’s Cosmogony, Heartwood effortlessly showing that a great song is a great song regardless of where it comes from.
 
At a time when things can sometimes feel uncertain and unfriendly, Downend Folk & Roots has embodied everything that is good in the world over the last ten years. A welcoming community, a friendly face, a brilliant song, a wonderful singer, Downend gives us all of these things. As I walked away on Sunday afternoon, the sun on my face, the sound on Morris bells still in the air, I realised that Downend Folk & Roots is one of my favourite places in the world. This weekend was the perfect celebration. 
 
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell
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Can it really be 10 years? Back in 2014, Ant Miles and a team of like-minded individuals decided to put on a few folk concerts in Downend. By their own admission, they didn’t really know what they were doing, but muddled through, made it work, and 10 years later it has grown into a monthly fixture on the calendars of music lovers from Downend and beyond.

10 years deserves a special event to celebrate, so our 10th Anniversary Celebration will take place over the weekend of 19-21 July this year. We've assembled a lineup of the very best folk, roots and acoustic music artists, including many who have played a big role in our story over the last decade, and have teamed up with our regular venue, CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND, for some community-focused events.

The weekend will kick-off with a ceilidh and ploughman’s supper on Friday 19 July, with Bristol favourites THE MOLECATCHERS providing the music for the dancing at an event brought to you in partnership with CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND.

On Saturday 20 July, there is a full day of the very best music. The day will start with a performance from KATIE GRACE HARRIS, in a gig which will simultaneously be the second in the new Live at Lunchtime series; concerts which are designed to be accessible to families, providing a relaxed atmosphere and shorter sets. Under-18s will go free for this part of the day, which is also individually ticketed, and there will be activity sheets and free squash for younger children. Some noise from children is expected and encouraged!

Attention then turns to the Saturday afternoon concert. JIM MORAY has been patron of the club since the beginning and he will headline the gig, where he will be joined on the bill by JANICE BURNS & JON DORAN, who went down a storm when they performed in Downend in November 2022... and wouldn’t be a 10th Anniversary Celebration without ROAD NOT TAKEN, the four-piece that was formed out of Downend Folk & Roots, and have been tempted out of their current hiatus to open the Saturday afternoon concert.

The celebrations continue on Saturday evening. LADY MAISERY headlined back in November 2016, and returned triumphantly in December 2018 with their Christmas show Awake Arise. Both concerts are among the favourites with our regulars, so inviting them back to headline the 10th Anniversary Celebration was a no-brainer... it’s been far too long! The trio will be joined on the bill by Downend Folk & Roots newcomers BRYONY GRIFFITH & ALICE JONES, while local favourites GAVIN OSBORN & THE COMMENT SECTION will open the evening. Gavin has played both support and headline slots over the years.

In addition, there will be events taking place in the Parish Hall throughout the afternoon, including crafts and games, with tea, coffee and cake on-sale. Our bar will be operating throughout Friday and Saturday, offering the usual range of hot drinks, soft drinks, wine, cider and locally-brewed real ales from HOP UNION BREWERY, as well as sweet treats from Radstock-based THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY.

This might look a bit like a mini-festival, and in some ways, it is, but Downend Folk & Roots also pride themselves on being part of the community, so Sunday will be a bit different. We have teamed up with CHRIST CHRUCH DOWNEND for this, and the day will kick-off at Lincombe Barn Park & Woods, where we'll spend 90 minutes weeding, clearing paths, cleaning railings and generally giving this beautiful local resource a bit of a spruce up. It’s then back to the church for a soup, bread and cake lunch (all complimentary), before enjoying a closing concert, which will feature the fantastic Bristol-based folk choir HEARTWOOD CHORUS and a very special guest headliner. BRIGHT SEASON were the first ever headliners back in 2024 and stopped playing together shortly afterwards, but they’ve agreed to reform for a one-off performance... you won’t want to miss this! The afternoon will conclude with a short set in the Sunshine (hopefully) from the Bristol-based, all-female and impossibly cool Cotswold Morris side HEAPS MORRIS. And all of Sunday is FREE, but you must reserve your place for catering reasons.

All events will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND unless otherwise stated, and seats are unreserved for everything. You can buy a Weekend Ticket for £55 per person, or you can just get a Saturday Ticket for £45 per person (the ceilidh is not included). You can also buy tickets individually for the ceilidh, Live at Lunchtime and both Saturday afternoon and evening concerts, if you can’t make it for the whole weekend.

Come and join the celebrations... it's a weekend that promises to live long in the memory! 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, X or INSTAGRAM.

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NANCY KERR & JAMES FAGAN have been doing this for a while. Next year will be their 30th anniversary as both a musical and personal partnership and, over that time, they have become, probably, the best folk duo in the country. This evening, they are extraordinary.
 
As late evening sunlight floods through the church windows and the gentle buzz of a full folk club revels in a pleasant June warmth, Kerr wonders, "Did you all just get together one day and decide that, if there was a perfect folk club, it would be this one?". The two of them beam and then make this space sing.
 
Fol The Day-O was originally written for The Full English project and it is a celebration of everything that is good and pastoral. It is the rural world blowing down city streets and, in Kerr's hands, it is as deep and green and lush as an English meadow. Her voice is glorious, high but shot through with passionate inflections, it has the natural rhythms of the finest of storytellers. As Fagan lends guitar and then vocal harmonies, their connection is instinctive, indestructible.
 
 
There are not too many voices that you could listen to forever, but Kerr’s is one of them. Barbara Allen is about as trad as things come (Samuel Pepys mentioned it in his diaries) but Kerr lovingly breathes new life into it. You can imagine her voice drifting up past the gas lamps in 19th century London, strong and defiant, a voice that can sing for its supper and break your heart. Her version is rooted in the Romany tradition but calls to travellers of all kinds, spanning continents, spanning years. 
 
Towards the end of the first half of the evening Kerr shows that she is a brilliant songwriter as well as a fantastic singer. There are three songs, all of which she has written, that are amongst the best that this folk club has ever heard. I Am The Fox is sung by Fagan and thrums with the pulse of nature, it freewheels like an excitable fox-cub on a dew-dappled summer's morning. Fiddle and guitar cavorting about, unabashed. 
 
For Broadside it is Kerr that sings her own song. The tale of the meeting between Queen Elizabeth I and the pirate Grace O'Malley was originally written for The Elizabethan Sessions, and is a feminist sea shanty. It is one of those songs that could have been written centuries ago, everything is spot on. It's no exercise in facsimile though; it hums with vitality, Kerr relishing the strong female characters that she unleashes.
 
It is Gingerbread, taken from 2016's Instar album, that is entirely tear-duct-bothering though. As Kerr and Fagan meet on the chorus there is a gentle warmth, a delicious sense of the personal that threatens to overwhelm. Fiddle and guitar helping to swell hearts and comfort souls. Once again, getting lost in Kerr's voice is the easiest thing.
 
 
As much as it is sometimes impossible to wrench your attention away from Kerr, Fagan is just as brilliant. His Australian heritage is mined for The Diamantina Drover and The Outside Track. Both are sung with a poet’s grace, his eight-stringed bouzouki glistening as stories of leaving and returning, love and loss tumble from him. There is a barely restrained fury on The Herald of Free Enterprise, Robb Johnson’s contemporary tale of tragedy, as Fagan sides with the people (of course) and rails against greed. All the while Kerr's violin broods behind him.
 
The combination of fiddle and guitar is most striking on the sets of tunes that they play. Australian Waltzes capture the haphazard totter of a gin-laced tea dance; elegant one minute, ferocious the next. Kitchen Dance is sandwiched between tunes from Croatia and Macedonia and is full of Eastern European dash. Fagan's bouzouki absolutely flying, a dizzy joy. Kerr's fiddle swoops over Fagan's folk-rock strum on Nancy Taylor's/The Pearl Wedding and is little more than a wonderful celebration. Thirty years of playing together has made these two indescribably tight.
 
The final highlight of an evening packed with them is Dark Honey, a song about urban bees making honey from cola. Kerr describes her songs like this: "The first two listens you think 'ooh, nature', the third is 'ooh, Marxism'" and, somehow, Dark Honey sums that up. Her voice is the sweetness that soothes the stings.

 
Support for the evening comes from DAVID MITCHELL, a virtuoso on the classical guitar. A short set of purely instrumental tunes showed off an incredible talent. Folk legend, Ralph McTell, has been heard to wish that he could play like Mitchell and it's easy to see why. Supremely technical and wonderfully fluid, he plays traditional folk tunes and classical pieces with equal ease. Beautiful stuff.
 
If Downend has the perfect folk club then Kerr and Fagan are the perfect band for it. Simply one of the finest gigs that this place has seen.


Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell

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