Back in 2014, a group of enthusiastic folk music lovers decided to put on some concerts. They didn't really know what they were doing, but they knew they wanted to bring some great music to the area. Thus, Downend Folk Club (as it was then known) was formed.

An exciting trio from Sheffield were booked to perform at the first concert, and it's fair to say that the quality of the music on that April evening cemented Downend Folk Club as a fixture in the calendars of local (and not so local) music lovers. The trio stopped playing together a year or two later as their musical journeys took them in different directions.

That trio was BRIGHT SEASON, made up of Michael J Tinker, Ella Sprung and Simon Dumpleton, and we're thrilled to announce that they have agreed to reform for a one-off concert as part of our 10th Anniversary Celebration this Summer.

Michael J Tinker has performed and recorded with Damien O’Kane (Kate Rusby band), and has worked on a collaborative project with Bella Hardy, Josienne Clarke, The Young’uns, Tom Oakes, Ian Stephenson and Gilmore & Roberts. In addition he has supported Bellowhead, Lucy Ward, Sam Carter, Maz O’Connor and many more.

Ella Sprung is a fiddle player, singer and dancer. She specialises in French, Breton, and Scandinavian folk music, and has performed with European folk dance band Trip the Light and folk groups Gallivant and Jack’s Rake. In addition to playing the fiddle she also plays the Swedish nyckelharpa.

Simon Dumpleton is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed with numerous people including Kirsty Bromley and in the ceilidh band Trinculo. He has produced recordings for Jess and Richard Arrowsmith, Hekety, Outre Manche and BBC Folk Award nominees, the Melrose Quartet.

Bright Season will perform on Sunday afternoon at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND, after a morning of community action (details to follow soon) and a complimentary lunch. They will be joined on the bill by HEARTWOOD CHORUS, who will close the celebration. The Sunday of the weekend is presented in partnership with Christ Church Downend and is free entry. It will really help us to have an idea of numbers for the lunch though, so if you can, please let us know you're coming by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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