NEXT AT DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS: RANAGRI + NIC JANAWAY & SARAH OWEN

We resume our monthly concerts in September as we welcome a band who have been on our wish-list for some time for a concert that is likely to sell quickly, as our audience have also frequently requested that we book them!
 
RANAGRI's Say Hello Tour heralds a bold new era for this award-winning indie folk band, bringing their signature cinematic, prog-infused folk music to venues up and down the UK this Autumn.
 

With five studio albums under their belt, a wealth of international touring experience, and standout appearances at major festivals, Ranagri have built a formidable reputation on the global stage, captivating audiences from across Europe to Australia, Montreal and New Orleans. Now, they turn inward, reconnecting with their roots for what promises to be their most evocative and personal tour to date.

Steeped in stories of Ranagri - the farmland in rural Ireland from which the band takes its name - their new album explores themes of migration, identity, and the enduring search for the meaning of home. It is a work of depth and resonance, shaped by lived experiences and a profound sense of place.

Renowned for their commanding live performances, the band delivers 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 NIC JANAWAY & SARAH OWEN. Award-winning alternative folk duo Nic Janaway & Sarah Owen perform with a powerful, resonant live energy, coaxing listeners deeply into the hearts of traditionally-rooted songs, through daring and wayward recompositions. Nic & Sarah are currently in a season of performing in acoustic mode (voices, piano, guitar and percussion) filling spaces with vocal harmonies and rich, minimalism-inspired interlocking instrumental work. 
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 18 September 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.
  
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