Folk Roots
Rachel Sermanni
She's a straight-up storyteller with a voice to blow all others clean out of the water. 19-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni packs an almighty punch with her earthy folk melodies and dextrous fingerpicking. She recently released Black Currents' EP to great acclaim.
Edwina Hayes
Supported by Luke Sharples
Edwina Hayes numbers Michael Parkinson and Bob Harris among her fans. Her beautifully written songs, charming stage presence and voice of an angel have won her a reputation as a true natural talent of gentle folk-americana. She has opened numerous shows for Jools Holland and Van Morrison and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith who calls her 'the sweetest voice in England'.
Her cover of Randy Newman's Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister's Keeper and has since had over two million plays on YouTube.
This event is sold out. Call The Met on 0161 761 2216 or click the button below to join the waiting list for ticket returns.
Thursday 16
February 7.45pm
Friday 17
February 7.45pm
Saturday 18
February 1.30pm
£45 Weekend Ticket
£32 Saturday Day Ticket
Big Whistle Festival
The Big Whistle Festival returns this February for more folk gigs and workshops with the humble tin whistle at its core.
Big Whistle 2012 will feature headliners Kan, Breabach, Ross Ainslie, Tim Edey and Bredan Power and Treacherous Orchestra.
WEEKEND TICKET Grab yourself a bargain and get a weekend ticket for 45 pounds! The ticket will include full access to all Big Whistle Festival workshops and shows.
SATURDAY DAY TICKET If you are unable to attend the whole Big Whistle Festival but are still eager to see all of Saturday's concerts, grab yourself a bargain by purchasing a Saturday Day Ticket. For just 32 pounds you gain admission to Brebach at 1.30pm, Tim Edey and Brendan Power at 3.30pm, Ross Ainslie Duo at 7pm and The Treacherous Orchestra at 9pm.
Please contact Box Office on 0161 761 2216 to book either the Weekend Ticket or the Saturday Day Ticket so we can allocate your seats for the performances.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Big Whistle Ceilidh
Join Shake-a-Leg and Rivington Morris Side in Ramsbottom for a great night of folk music and dancing with a whistle theme.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
A Ramsbottom Festival Fundraiser event.
Kan
A perfect blend of Flook and Lau!
Brian Finnegan and Aidan O'Rourke, front men with two of the most revered bands ever to have thrilled the folk scene, join forces with Ian Stephenson on guitar and Jim Goodwin on drums to create an enthralling and beautiful new sound.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Whistle and Me
Brian Finnegan and by Aidan O' Rourke
Phil Brown hosts what has been dubbed the 'This is Your Life of The Whistle'. An hour of music and chat discovering the musical secrets and creative passion behind the stunning whistle playing of Kan's Brian Finnegan.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Getting Started
with Terry Walsh
Here's your chance to grasp the basics of whistle playing with one of the
best whistle teachers in the business Terry Walsh.
Entry level only. High D Whistle required.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
The Tradition and Beyond
James Duncan MacKenzie & Calum MacCrimmon
This is your chance to share in the creative talents of two absolutely
outstanding pipe and whistle musicians; James Duncan MacKenzie and Calum MacCrimmon of Breabach.
This workshop is designed to build a traditional tune from its raw state -
through to decoration and finalising this outcome with (illustrations of how
to create) exciting improvisations.
There will be the opportunity for working in smaller groups during this
session.
Intermediate players onwards.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Breabach
Scottish firebrands Breabach are one of the most talked about bands on the folk scene. Their innovative Celtic style shows flare, excitement and diversity rarely seen from such a young group.
"The phenomenon that is Breabach hit the stage like a highland army advancing out of the mountain mist... Frighteningly young to be this accomplished"
Eric Worrall
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Take One Tune
with Mat Walklate and Matt Fahey
Big Whistle Festival favourite Mat Walklate takes one tune and provides a detailed look into forming it into a performance level piece. Mat will be
accompanied by Matt Fahey on guitar to provide a fuller experience of arranging a tune.
The taught content of this workshop will be directly transferable into the 'Studio Experience' workshop.
Low or High D Whistle required.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Getting Better?
With Terry Walsh
Can you play a few tunes on the whistle already? Can you play a number of
scales and do you think you are ready for a further challenge? If so, you
are probably either at Beginner level or Beginner +.
Here's a workshop with a specific focus on gaining more confidence in your playing by building your repertoire of simple tunes. Your workshop leader Terry Walsh is an expert in this field - what are you waiting for?
High D Whistle required.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Tim Edey and Brendan Power
Tim and Brendan are both amongst the finest instrumentalists of their generation. Playing together, their passion and virtuosity is infectious. They have been nominated for Best Duo at the 2012 BBC Folk Awards
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Techniques and Tunes
with Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton
Ross Ainslie (Salsa Celtica) is a virtuoso of pipes and whistles. His prolific piping and whistling prowess will form the bedrock of this workshop. Ross will specifically focus upon the content of his recently published tune book to help workshop participants to build a repertoire. Ross will, as always, be ready to impart crucial advice on his legendary finger technique.
Intermediate + to advanced.
Low or High D Whistle required.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Studio Experience
Indulge yourself in a two hour session at the The Met's very own Edwin Street Recording Studio. Here is your chance to create and record a whistle tune and be involved in the production of this recorded track under the guidance of Mat Walklate (accompanied by Matt Fahey).
Intermediate to advanced level players. Low or High D Whistle required.
The intermediate players from the Take One Tune workshop will already be familiar with the taught tune content of this workshop which will be directly transferable into this workshop. Low or High D Whistle required.
Advanced players need not attend Take a Tune to qualify for attendding
this workshop.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
The Ross Ainslie Duo
A new star of Celtic music and a Met regular, piper Ross Ainslie is making a real name for himself on the folk scene playing with bands such as Salsa Celtica and Treacherous Orchestra. Ross plays a fine mix of original and traditional tunes.
Ross is joined at The Met by guitarist Ali Hutton.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Treacherous Orchestra
Treacherous Orchestra are a turbo-charged thirteen-piece supergroup comprising some of Scotland's finest young instrumentalists.
The band features past and present members of Salsa Celtica, the Peatbog Faeries, Old Blind Dogs, Session A9 and Box Club (to name but a few).
Their astounding musicianship combines with ferocious energy and sophisticated musical arrangements with explosive results, earning them a fearsome reputation as an incendiary live act.
A Big Whistle Festival event.
Karen Matheson
Karen Matheson has captivated audiences around the world and sold over a million records as the lead singer of the best-selling, internationally-renowned Celtic supergroup Capercaillie. Performing here as a solo artist, she has released three albums incorporating traditional and contemporary songs in English and Gaelic.
Chris Wood
Multi award wining Chris Wood is an uncompromising writer whose music reveals his love for the un-official history of the English speaking people.
With gentle intelligence he weaves the tradition with his own contemporary parables. His writing has been said to share the same timeless quality as Richard Thompson at his best.
Kirsty Almeida and The Troubadours
Supported by Ian Reynolds with Paul Cowham
As seen at Ramsbottom Festival, Kirsty Almeida draws you into her enchanting, uplifting and, at times, devilishly dark world.
Classic songwriting mixes with murder lullabies, broken blues-folk beauty, New Orleans soul, voodoo-tinged-pop and a healthy dose of Tim Burton-style brooding.
The Speech Project
Four years in the making, The Speech Project is ground-breaking collection of new musical works by Gerry Diver inspired by and incorporating recordings of the spoken word of seminal Irish folk musicians including Christy Moore, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftans, Joe Cooley, Danny Meehan and more.
Uniquely Irish, ground-breaking in concept and stunningly beautiful, The Speech Project is performed by musicians including Gerry Diver, with special guest Lisa Knapp, interacting live with the spoken word recordings of the musicians used in the recordings, and accompanied by specially commissioned videos.
Yvonne Lyon
Singer/songwriter Yvonne Lyon is among the best and brightest emerging talent currently from Scotland. Her new album Ashes & Gold has been achieving five star reviews and combines poignant lyrics with strong, creative melodies, demonstrating a voice that can be both fragile and intense.
She has consistently drawn and stirred crowds across the UK with her emotive performances. Yvonne has toured extensively throughout the UK and shared the stage with the likes of Patti Griffin, Luka Bloom, Karine Polwart, Juliet Turner and Iona.
"Just stunning music"
- Bob Harris BBC Radio 2
Spiro
This contemporary acoustic ensemble first came together through Bristol's folk sessions scene in 1993, trading under the name of The Famous Five.
Their third album Lightbox is an extraordinarily stirring record, it showcases a highly imaginative and highly disciplined group with a sound that's unified but never uniform. All four members, all four instruments, pull in the same direction, creating music thats intricate yet so full of momentum. These are hurrying, scurrying soundscapes that sweep majestically with cinematic presence, echoing - at various points - the work of Steve Reich, Michael Nyman and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
But, kindred spirits aside, this is the music of Spiro - undeniably English, undeniably theirs.
"Spiro's infectious melodic exuberance propels the rhythmic engine skywards like a euphoric dance anthem"
- Owen Hewson, Now Then Manchester.
The Houghton Weavers
With their inimitable blend of music and comedy The Houghton Weavers ensure an excellent show with laugh out loud moments a plenty. Their down to earth Northern charm guarantees a family friendly and welcoming atmosphere where audience participation is greatly encouraged. So come and sing along and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Karine Polwart
Award winning Scottish folk singer-songwriter Karine Polwart's simple but evocative style has established her as one of the genre's most respected artists. Don't miss a compelling performance from one of Scotland's finest and most captivating folk artists who will be showcasing tracks from her new, much anticipated, fifth studio album scheduled for release in summer 2012.
Jenna Reid
Since releasing her debut solo album in 2005 and being awarded Best Up and Coming Artist at the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards, Jenna Reid has undoubtedly remained one of the brightest young talents ever to grace the traditional music scene. Jenna is joined by sister Bethany, the youngest ever winner of Shetland's Young Fiddler of the Year competition. Edinburgh based guitarist, Kevin Mackenzie completes the trio.
Nominated as Best Instrumentalist at the 2007 Scots Trad Awards, Jenna's career continues to go from strength to strength.
Steve Ashley
Challenging and compassionate, Steve Ashley is one of folk's finest singer-songwriters. His songs have been covered by Fairport Convention, Anne Briggs, Martin Simpson, Wizz Jones, Phil Beer and many other artists.
His award-winning debut album, Stroll On is widely acknowledged as a folk-rock classic and his latest, Time and Tide was described by fROOTS as "a modern day masterpiece"
.
Andy Irvine
For more than 40 years, Andy has been a world music pioneer and icon for traditional music and musicians. Founder member of bands such as Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Patrick Street, and Mozaik, he has been hailed as "a tradition in himself."
Musician, singer and songwriter, few others can equal his repertoire: Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dance tunes, and a compelling canon of his own material that defies description.
"His artistry is quite simply unique."
- The Independent
James Grant
Widely regarded as one of the finest singer-songwriters and performers around, Love And Money frontman James Grant plays material from all his critically acclaimed solo albums and a smattering of the old favourites in a solo acoustic setting. This is a show not to be missed, raw, heart-rending and uplifting...as MOJO says, "This is music from another place..."
Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts
BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award Nominees Katriona Gilmore (Rosie Doonan and the Snapdragons, ex-Tiny Tin Lady) and Jamie Roberts (Kerfuffle) have been performing together since 2006. Their self-penned material ranges from blazing instrumentals to heart-wrenching songs, to contemporary arrangements of traditional songs.
Shadows and Half Light, the duo's first album has been described as "inspired"
by fRoots and awarded five stars by Rock'n'Reel.
Walsh and Pound
Labelled respectively as 'one of the most original harmonica players in Britain' and 'the UK's top Clawhammer banjoist', the two have joined forces to create a highly entertaining and astonishing live set.
Prepare to be astonished by stunning vocals, frailing banjo wizardry and sounds you didn't think were possible on harmonica. The pair have just finished recording their debut album.
Little Johnny England
Little Johnny England has been steadily making an impact on the folk and roots circuit with their own brand of folk rock, establishing a reputation as the band that is putting the 'rock' back into folk rock.
The band is comprised of five musicians who have been working within folk, traditional and mainstream for many years. Their individual credits include Peter Kaye, Fatima Mansisons, Show of Hands, Ruby Turner, The Steve Gibbons Band and The Albion Band to name just a few.
"They make a stirring sound indeed. Guaranteed to revive the jaded palates of those who thought electric folk was all but dead and buried."
- Traditional Music Maker
Home Service
Home Service was the greatest British folk rock band of the eighties. Formed out of the ashes of The Albion Band, for a few short years they burned bright, singing passionate political songs that exposed the rotten heart of Thatcher's Britain. They recorded three great albums, still beloved by fans, climaxing with the iconic Happy Jack. And then they stopped.
Now, three decades later, Home Service are back. Surviving members John Tams, Graeme Taylor, Steve King, Jon Davie, Michael Gregory, Paul Archibald, Roger Williams and Andy Findon have reunited to promote Live 1986, a new album of previously unheard live recordings. Just as powerful and committed as ever, Home Service are back in business.
A Mr Kite Benefits event.
Emily Smith
Emily Smith is a leading light of the contemporary Scottish folk scene. Her powerful, clear vocals have gained her award winning, worldwide recognition. As a songwriter Emily has been likened to "a Scottish Joni Mitchell"
, but as a collector she is equally adept at presenting fresh and evocative interpretations of traditional songs.
She has worked with artists such as Richard Thompson, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Eddi Reader. Recent TV appearances include Transatlantic Sessions 4 and BBC Songs of Praise.
"As far as I'm concerned she can walk on water"
Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
"Smith could become to Scottish folk what Joni Mitchell is to its Californian cousin"
Q
"Smith deserves to become yet another new folk celebrity"
The Guardian
The Bogtrotters
In aid of Bury Cancer Support Centre
The Boggies are a totally authentic band who have made a musical niche that is distinctly their own. Their energetic, original vocal material and instrumental music excitingly fuses traditional Irish, Scottish, country and Cajun genres.
Spiers and Boden
Described by The Guardian as "the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene"
and twice winners of the BBC Radio 2 folk award for Best Duo, John Spiers and Jon Boden have made the genre of spontaneous, punky English folk very much their own stomping ground. Loud, proud, and with just a few acoustic instruments, they create a multitude of textures upon which they present traditional stories and dance music which are as much at home on the main stage of Cambridge Folk Festival as they are in a lock-in at the local pub.
Daimh
This group are immensely talented with a live energy rarely rivaled, Daimh (Dive) offer a fresh, up to date approach to traditional music.
An exciting combination of musicians perform high energy, fast-flowing mixture of tunes, fusing together their individual styles on bagpipes, fiddle, banjo, guitar, bodhran and mandola to create a unique and compelling sound.
Robin and Bina Williamson
This incredible duo makes an enchanting and unique Indo-Celtic sound. Their acoustic concerts of song, story and music blend the East/West harmonies of Robin and Bina's vocals with harp, bowed psaltery, dulcimer and many other instruments.
Original, traditional and spiritual folk.
"Pure beauty through simplicity"
- Robert Plant.