We’re excited to announce our lineup for Autumn/Winter 2024. As usual, It’s a great mix of the traditional and the contemporary, the established and the emerging… the very best that the UK folk scene has to offer.
We kick off after our Summer break with FILKIN’S DRIFT, who return to headline on Friday 20 September, after performing a well-received support slot a couple of years ago. Seth Bye and Chris Roberts reimagine traditional melodies through pizzicato grooves, intricate guitar tunes, and boundless improvisation. Their recent 870 mile foot-powered tour, described as ‘committed and fascinating’ by BBC 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews, has recently propelled them into the spotlight. Opening the evening MICHELLE HOLLOWAY, who performs unaccompanied traditional songs and plays whistles alongside the duo in their 15-piece folk orchestra Filkin’s Ensemble.
RACHAEL McSHANE & THE CARTOGRAPHERS release a new album this Autumn, and their tour brings them to South Gloucestershire on Friday 18 October, for a show that will also be streamed live in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM. Rachael is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player from the North East of England. She gained fame as an original member of the award-winning folk big band Bellowhead. Joined by guitarist Ian Stephenson (Kan, Baltic Crossing), and melodeon player Julian Sutton (Kathryn Tickell, Sting), they bring a powerful blend of traditional folk and contemporary sounds, with Rachael's stunning voice and instrumental skills leading the line. The evening will begin with a set Yorkshire’s JOHNNY CAMPBELL.
It’s hard to believe that GRANNY’S ATTIC have been playing together for 15 years, but they have… and their celebration tour brings them to Downend on Friday 15 November. 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.. Described by Folk Radio as “one of the most exciting and accomplished English folk acts on the scene right now”, Granny’s Attic can hold audiences in the palm of their hand. They’ll be supported by HEATHER FERRIER, a fresh new talent from the vibrant Newcastle folk scene.
The Downend Folk & Roots Christmas concert has seen some incredible lineups take to the stage in front of some of our biggest audiences, but the one that our regulars have kept talking about is A WINTER UNION, and they return on Friday 13 December in a gig that will also be live-streamed by LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM. Featuring members of The Willows, Gilmore & Roberts and Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, this supergroup is now fast becoming thought of as the pre-Christmas knees-up for folk and roots music lovers all over the country. And, after the success of last year, we’re pleased to say that the brilliant folk-choir HEARTWOOD CHORUS will get us underway.
All four concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND. Seating is unreserved. The concerts are all individually priced, but you can also buy a season ticket for all four concerts for £55. All tickets are non-refundable. They are available online HERE, and they will also be available from MELANIE’S KITCHEN in Downend ahead of each individual gig. Please note that the shop can only take cash payments and season tickets are not available at the shop. There will be a full bar at all concerts, as well as a prize draw, all proceeds of which go towards booking our support artists. Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.45pm start.
We're really excited about this season, and we hope you will be too. Keep supporting live music! 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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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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