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 FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM or X.

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Churches can be chilly places, especially in October, with those high ceilings and stone floors being a bit unforgiving. Tonight, RACHAEL McSHANE & THE CARTOGRAPHERS banish any ideas of chillness, instead they fill Christ Church Downend with warmth and friendliness, a fuzzy feeling and a twinkle in the eye.
 
McShane, of course, is a member of the folk juggernaut Bellowhead, so she's about to take her many stringed things and leap on board for their November tour. With The Cartographers (Julian Sutton on melodeon and Ian Stephenson on guitar) things are a little less manic. She ditches her cello and just plays fiddle, does most of the singing and gathers people 'round to tell stories rather than have them pinging off of walls.
 
 
In fact, Green Broom is a celebration of staying in bed until noon and, as early as the first song, McShane wraps a blanket around us. Her voice is beautiful, sweet but with just enough of a rough edge, and her fiddle playing sublime. There's a lightness, an effortlessness that sends the tune skipping and skimming about. Sutton's melodeon and Stephenson's guitar gently turn up the heat, bubbling everything nicely.
 
Even on songs of rebellion, McShane exudes warmth. Cropper Lads is a song about machine-smashing luddites but The Cartographers set it to McShane's Full Belly and it becomes something glorious, something danceable. All three instruments gleeful, taking trad folk and giving a gentle shake until it smiles. On The Lady and The Sailor, a broadside ballad is given another brilliant tune that is so full that it almost bursts.
 
 
All of the sweetness and all of the fuzziness could be a little overwhelming but McShane has a twinkle in her eye and a devilish smile too. "Who doesn't want a bit of smut on a Friday night?", she wonders at the start of The Molecatcher. A witty and sly tale of the biter bit, it is deliciously jaunty with McShane’s voice beautifully juxtaposing the cheeky subject matter. In fact, there are a few songs where couples "take a tumble", The Cartographers revelling in the sauciness. Barley and Rye, taken from the 2018 album When All Is Still, sees a farmer's wife thoroughly enjoying life with a younger man while McShane and her boys make joyful mischief.
 
While most of the set is taken from When All Is Still, there are a few new ones, from a forthcoming album (March 2025). Young Roger Esquire and The Banks of Sweet Dundee are both great, all three musicians drawing that blanket a bit closer, keeping the darkness at bay. It is Get Up Jack that sees a full-voiced singalong though, sees Downend simply enjoying itself. McShane's fiddle is, once again, central to the fun, leading from the front, dancing as if floating. 
 
There are tunes too, tailor made for dancing. Waltzing at Giggleswick/The Ginger Cat Monster are both delightfully old/new. There's enough tradition to keep those that care happy but huge dollops of fun, for everyone else. The Dusty Jigs, too, are wonderfully bouncy; McShane, Sutton and Stephenson throw another log on the fire, warming every soul in the place.

 
The support act for the evening was JOHNNY CAMPBELL, a singer-songwriter from Leeds. Conscious of nature and the right to roam, Campbell is a protest singer of the old school. Telling tales, raising awareness and reminding us all of what is right with a voice that is as honest as it is decent. A Roving I Will Go is his next single and a proper toe-tapper.
 
This wasn't the first time that Rachael McShane and The Cartographers have visited Downend. As they warmed the hearts of the faithful, and provoked the odd grin, it's hard to believe that they won't return to banish the chill once again.
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell

It is perhaps a marker of the quality of artists that Downend Folk & Roots has a reputation for programming, that a visit from a member of folk supergroup Bellowhead comes as no real surprise, for a concert that will also be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.
 
RACHAEL McSHANE is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player from the North East of England. She gained fame as an original member of Bellowhead, touring with them extensively and making a number of television appearances. The band recorded five studio albums and, together, they won a staggering total of eight BBC Folk Awards. Parting ways in 2016, the band returned in 2022 for a series of ecstatically-received performances that reminded audiences of their unique alchemy, energy and talent.
 
 
Away from her Bellowhead fame, Rachael is a much sought-after performer and recording artist. Her debut solo album No Man’s Fool arrived in 2009 via Navigator Records, establishing impressive credentials that eventually led her to signing with the prestigious Topic Records, the oldest independent record label in the world. She also is the leader of THE CARTOGRAPHERS, a band that features the exceptional talents of guitarist Ian Stephenson (Kan, Baltic Crossing), and melodeon player Julian Sutton (Kathryn Tickell, Sting). Their music is a powerful blend of traditional folk and contemporary sounds, with Rachael's stunning voice and instrumental skills leading the line. The Cartographers have garnered a loyal following thanks to their impressive live performances and critically acclaimed debut album, When All Is Still (2018, Topic Records).
 
Opening the evening will be JOHNNY CAMPBELL, who emerged onto the UK folk scene writing self-penned material and delving deep into Northern English folk song and story.
 
 
The album From Hull & Halifax & Hell (2020) took him to The Faroe Islands where he recorded a live album on the island of Nolsoy.  Since musical instruments hadn't arrived on the islands until the 19th century,  this is perhaps the first time Northern English traditional song has been recorded on these islands.
 
Since March 2020, Johnny hasn't relented, releasing three singles; Hard Times of Old England, Winter Hill Trespass and A Right to Roam. 2024 sees Johnny releasing True North, an album of Northern English traditional songs recorded on their respective county summits.
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 18 October, are available online HERE and from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). 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. 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.
 
The concert will also be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM, so if you can’t get to Downend, you can watch from the comfort of your own home. Further information and tickets for the live-stream are available HERE.
 

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 or X.

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