We are beyond delighted to reveal our programme for Summer 2025, which features a bonafide folk superstar and two of the most exciting emerging artists that the UK folk scene has to offer. To welcome an artist of CARA DILLON's stature to Downend goes to show how well-thought of we have become in the ten years that we've existed, while bringing you HOLLY CLARKE and LIZZY HARDINGHAM, both of whom have gone down well in South Gloucestershire supporting other artists, re-affirms our commitment to showcasing brilliant young talent.

The programme kicks off on Friday 16 May, when HOLLY CLARKE will headline with her full band. A singer who draws from the old ballads and stories, Holly conjures a performance that immediately captivates any listener. As a performer, Holly transports the listener into the heart of ballads, immersing them in the narratives that have shaped humanities experience through time. From songs of the supernatural and folklore, to the tales of love and loss, Holly sings with an infectious energy and passion for traditional song. Holly will be joined on-stage by her full band, which comprises Amy Thatcher (accordion & synths), Anna Hughes (fiddle & viola) and John Pope (double-bass). Opening the evening will be Cornwall-based duo LÖRE & LAMENT, who weave ballads from England and the Celtic isles. They play traditional songs, shanties, and originals inspired by folklore. Tickets are £14 in advance or £16 on the door. This concert will be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.

CARA DILLON is surely the biggest name we've ever featured, and she will headline on Friday 20 June. Cara is an extraordinary, multiple award-winning Irish folk singer, and she'll be joined on-stage by acclaimed musician and producer Sam Lakeman. Throughout an enviable career which has seen them explore opportunities to tread many different paths – from releasing folk crossover albums on indie label Rough Trade; recording on Disney soundtracks to collaborations with orchestras and even leading dance DJs – Cara has continuously chosen to firmly plant herself within the landscape of her Irish cultural heritage and that’s something to celebrate. Supporting Cara will be HERON ISLAND, a duo that sparked into existence on a narrow boat trip on the River Avon in the summer of 2023 to write, record and gig songs which drew on their shared experiences of childhood in the south Devon countryside and their love for honest music built around the guitar. This one's a little more expensive at £20 in advance or £22 on the door, but it will be worth every penny and then some, and we expect it to sell out very quickly.

Rounding off the programme on Friday 18 July will be LIZZY HARDINGHAM, who sings songs that drive straight to the heart, giving audiences a chance for genuine connection and empathy. Lizzy is paving her way as a powerhouse performer with beautifully delivered songs, her wonderful voice grabbing the listener from the very first note and holding on until the last. Think Christine Collister, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and KT Tunstall all wrapped into one. She will be joined on-stage by Katriona Gilmore (a very familiar face at Downend Folk & Roots!) & Jonny Wickham. Opening the evening will be DAN SEALEY, who started his career with folk rock band Ocean Colour Scene and toured the world, played headline slots at major festivals for over a decade and co-founded the band Merrymouth with Simon Fowler. Dan now takes his own show on the road, featuring music from all the bands he’s played in, along with the often hilarious stories he’s amassed along the way, plus material from his forthcoming album. Tickets for this concert are £14 in advance or £16 on the door. 

All three concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND as usual, and seating is unreserved. Tickets are available online HERE, and they will also be available from MELANIE’S KITCHEN in Downend ahead of each individual gig. Please note that Melanie's Kitchen can only take cash payments. There is also the option to buy a season ticket for all three concerts for £44, which saves a few pounds as well as booking fees. All tickets are non-refundable. 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 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start. 

We're really excited about this season, and we hope you will be too. Keep supporting live music, it’s never been more important! 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, BLUESKY, YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.

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We are thrilled to welcome DETTA KENZIE for the latest in our series of Live at Lunchtime concerts on Saturday 8 March.

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.

Detta Kenzie is an English folk singer creating original songs alongside reworking traditional music. With both Irish and Scottish heritage, Detta is committed to collecting, restoring and sharing songs passed down in the oral tradition. 

In her original work, a deep connection to the natural world is ever present. Inspired by placenames, specific references to locations in Britain, Ireland and Australia bring a strength to Detta’s creations. Themes of womanhood, grief, rebellion and rage can be found in her deeply narrative based songs.

Having worked as a Secondary English Teacher before transitioning into music, Detta’s love of language shines through in her storytelling. Her words capture the diversity of the landscape and its ability to both mould and reflect human experience.

Detta will be joined on-stage by Tobias ben Jacob.

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) in advance, £12 on the door, and are available HERE and 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 go to downendfolkandroots.com. 

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, BLUESKY or YOUTUBE.

 

How many people will pull on shades and go off and watch Timothee Chalamet's pitch-perfect Dylan impersonation this week? How many will wish for a time machine to shoot them back to Cafe Wha? or The Gaslight? How many will think that they've missed out on those harmonies, on delicate folk-y loveliness, on a different way of thinking? 
 
Those people need to see THE BROTHERS GILLESPIE. Two actual brothers with two incredible voices, one microphone and an acoustic guitar held like a shield.
 
Is it too crass to call them Northumberland's Simon & Garfunkel? Too ridiculous to imagine a world where Greenwich Village materialised between the Tweed and the Tyne? Is it silly to want to grab those nostalgists and say "Look! Here! Now!"?
 
 
They start with Pilgrim Song, taken from their latest album The Merciful Road, it's dusted with silver dew and exquisite harmonies. Sam Gillespie seems to sing effortlessly, the rays of a golden sun dancing with motes, waiting for his brother, James, to join him. Together they are warmth and depth, home and hearth. They are a bridge over troubled water, the sound of silence. They are astonishing. 
 
Golden One is an ambling, rambling reverie of a song, a walk across the fells, stopping, marvelling then doubling back. It doesn't meander so much as layer beauty on top of beauty. There are spirits and a turn-of-the-year spookiness as the two voices throw a velvet cloak over the Fell wanderers. Sam picks fluid runs from his guitar and the whole thing is utterly timeless. Truly, these are songs that could be from those battered NY coffee shops or, just as easily, plucked from ancient tomes.
 
 
So many of the songs this evening speak of the lifting of a veil, of finding something beneath our battered world. There's the joyful multiculturalism of Wingrove Road, the nature-filled, greenwood-tinge of Albion and the wide-eyed evocations of Child Oisín Blessing. All of which show The Brothers Gillespie to be eternal optimists, to see all of the best bits that our wide world has to offer.
 
A new song, The Worlds Unfold, is pure Simon & Garfunkel, glistening with layers of luminosity. The harmonies are simply gorgeous, the song gently wrapping us between sheets of golden silk as the brothers lift more veils.
 
While there's melancholy and introspection across the whole set, there's joy and uplift too. The Banks of the Liffey has that timeless quality, again, but it's full of positivity, the harmonies a celebration, the tune immediate and wonderful. Two voices that fit together, that uncover loveliness.
 
 
If The Brothers Gillespie conjure New York circa ‘61 then LIZ SIMCOCK is just as timeless, just as classic (with a capital C). Remember when you found those Vashti Bunyan and Karen Dalton records? Remember how you thought "I wish I could have been there"? Well, Simcock is right here, right now. People will rediscover her albums in thirty years' time, lavishly compile sleeve notes and wish that they were there too. She's that good.
 
Her voice on The Long Haul is caramel smooth and deliciously deep, the perfect accompaniment to a song that Joan Baez would be proud of. City Girl, too, captures a universal truth in that way that only the very best songwriters can. She touches on environmental issues, on love and loss, and being stood up on the way to a party. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a brilliant voice and a sharp, songwriterly eye, Simcock is the precious stone glinting on a pebble beach. 
 
That beautiful Mr Chalamet will encourage all manner of people into the cinemas over the next few weeks. He will, doubtless, cause a frenzy of interest in the folk music of 60 odd years ago. The thing is, there's brilliant folk music being made right now that deserves all of that Chalamet-shaped attention. The Brothers Gillespie and Liz Simcock are out there, waiting. Brilliant folk music that echoes the past but is here, now, and ready to be discovered.
 
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell
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  1. NEXT AT DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS: THE BROTHERS GILLESPIE + LIZ SIMCOCK
  2. REVIEW: "THE BEST WAY TO USHER IN THE FESTIVITIES IMAGINABLE"
  3. NEXT AT DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS: A WINTER UNION + HEARTWOOD CHORUS #LIVETOYOURLIVINGROOM
  4. REVIEW: “FIFTEEN YEARS YOUNG AND AS MUCH FUN AS IT’S POSSIBLE TO HAVE”