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22-25 may 

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Great North Folkfest '23

 WATCH THIS SPACE

        as our list of guest performers grows.......

First and foremost we are proud to announce

 MARTIN CARTHY will be our headliner on Saturday 15th July

Great North Folk Festival 2023

Get your Super Early Bird Tickets Before Midnight on the 26th March 

for 

The 20th 

GREAT NORTH FOLK FESTIVAL

                                                 JULY 14th-16th                                                                                             

     MARTIN CARTHY

     KATIE SPENCER

    STEVE TURNER

   CARRIE MARTIN

  THE DAVENPORT FAMILY

HELIAN

  BETH BURROWS

NIAMH FLYNN & CHARLIE BIRKETT

more to follow shortly

  Super Early Bird Weekend Tickets available NOW 

- click the  TICKETS & MERCH  link ! 

 Check back to see our list of guest performers grow

WORKSHOPS  

Singarounds - Concerts

 Foyer Folk - Storytelling

  Real Ale Bar - Refreshments - Catering

 

    Great North Songwriting Competition 2022

 'An open theme this year

Free Entry for all ticket holders.

Scroll Down for more details of performers  GNFF 23

               

 

Martin Carthy

 

Lifetime Achievement Award – BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014

 

For more than 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music's greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers, not only from within the folk scene, but also far beyond it.

Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife (Norma Waterson) and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums, but Martin has only recorded 10 solo albums, of which the much anticipated Waiting for Angels (Topic TSCD527) was the latest. Whether in the folk clubs (which he continues to champion), on the concert stage or making TV appearances (he was the subject of the acclaimed `Originals' music documentary strand on BBC 2) - there are few roles that Martin Carthy hasn't played.

 

He's a ballad singer, a ground-breaking acoustic and electric-guitarist and an authoritative interpreter of newly composed material. He always prefers to follow an insatiable musical curiosity rather than cash in on his unrivalled position. Perhaps, most significant of all, are his settings of traditional songs with guitar, which have influenced a generation of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

`Arguably the greatest English folk song performer, writer, collector and editor of them all' Q Magazine

 

‘Carthy is a master of the ballad of substance, songs that tell stories, whether they are traditional, his own or from contemporary writers.’ The Telegraph

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Barbara Wigg

 

Barbara's dancing career started at the age of two and a half, playing the role of Tom Thumb in the local panto at Hartlepool Borough Hall and later attending Miss Carr’s ballet class with Wayne Sleep! 

She currently dances with Duke’s Dandy Clog Team. 

Come along to the beginners' workshops and find out how much fun clog dancing can be, whilst learning a few basic steps to put into a routine. Clogs in various sizes will be available to borrow for the duration of the workshop, or wear flat shoes (preferably not trainers). Accompanying music will be provided by husband David, on fiddle.

Notation will be available as an aide mémoire.

Beth Burrows

..her love of music of all genres, includes songs from the English folk tradition. Beth lives in North Yorkshire, after having spent many years in Suffolk.
Now deeply involved in the local folk scene she is a beloved host of Folk at the Hall, Whitby and a popular choice at other local venues.
Beth has a great voice, and an effervescent personality making her popular far and wide.

CARRIE MARTIN

Born in Hull, Carrie is an acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter.
She fronted bands in the 90s before casting her music aside in order to raise her children, her guitar went untouched for some two decades until a chance meeting with guitar virtuoso Gordon Giltrap changed her life.
Close mentoring from Gordon saw her take a huge leap forward, attracting endorsements from Vintage Guitars, G7th Capos and Martin Strings. 
Her last two albums Seductive Sky and Entity included guests Elliott Randall, Gordon Giltrap, Oliver Wakeman, Daniel Cassidy (brother of late Eva Cassidy) and ex Bad Company guitarist Dave Colwell. 
Carrie has performed in Canada on tour and has represented Vintage Guitars twice at the Namm Show In California. She also guests at various guitar shows around the UK  to demo her use of open tunings.

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THE DAVENPORT FAMILY

A family deeply involved in the folk scene as songwriters, singers and tradition bearers. Together they are a harmonic force. Paul & Liz, originally from Hull, can sing the history of their native region. Here they are joined by son Gavin and daughter in law Amy. It is a rare opportunity to see all four in action together, in workshop and in concert.

HELIAN

Intimate, introspective, and picturesque, Helian's music radiates a warmth that invites you in. We are delighted to welcome this young band back to Great North following an incredible first ever performance here , last year.

They are a four-piece folk band based in Leeds, blurring the line between modern ethereal sounds and classical instrumentation that spans everything from guitars and cellos, to fiddles and harps. Consisting of  Rhiannon (vocals and flute), Che (guitar), Ben (cello and fiddle), and Niamh (harp), the quintet met at Leeds Conservatoire, from where they have recently graduated.
Taking influence from the folk traditions of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia, their sound pivots between smooth, shimmery, and high-octane atmospheres, while exploring stories surrounding location, love, loss, nature, the human experience and family.

KATIE SPENCER

Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer’s music.
The songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements.
Katie Spencer’s widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain.
The inclusivity found in her recorded works is most apparent when on stage, with a personal connection and humour that allows the listener time to appreciate the emotion of the music. Her historical gig list is extensive, taking in the world-renowned Celtic Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival, whilst performances with Danny Thompson and Alan Thomson have left audiences in awe of her confidence and craftsmanship.
As live music has returned to our world, we can expect to see Katie Spencer where she belongs once more, eyes closed, in the moment, performing. 
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“Her articulate picking, with suggestions of folk and jazz, frames intelligently written songs and is the backbone to her music.” Guitarist Magazine
“One of the most satisfying and spellbinding singer-songwriter collections I’ve encountered in some time.” RnR Magazine ★★★★★
“Imaginative imagery supported by compelling music that summons up the best of early 70s folk, fluently delivered here with its own contemporary power. This is a fine collection of memorable songs by an outstanding writer and musician.” Record Collector
“A timeless English folk album, perfect for the still calm of a Sunday morning.” Shindig!
“Katie Spencer sits gracefully in a vocal nook between Sandy Denny, Linda Thompson and, to conjure a name we hear less often these days, Bridget St John.” Prog Magazine
“The way Katie plays is never contrived, showy or imitative; it sounds true … a world-class folk guitarist” – fRoots
“Katie’s guitar playing has echoes of my dear friend the late great Bert Jansch. Like a musical weaver she threads her poetic lyrics through the guitar’s strings and produces little tapestries of song” – Ralph McTell
www.katiespencer.net
https://www.facebook.com/katiespencermusic/
https://twitter.com/KRSpencerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/katiespencermusic/

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STEVE TURNER

Steve Turner, (UK) traditional and contemporary singer, concertina accompaniment, cittern, mandolin, banjo.

Steve Turner is known as a pioneer of highly sophisticated English concertina song accompaniments, stretching the boundaries of traditional forms, with one of the best voices in the business. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who also accompanies himself on the cittern, and also plays mandolin and banjo.

Steve began his career on the Manchester, UK folk scene at the end of the ‘60s, with the Geordie band “Canny Fettle”, touring with them for eight years and making two albums with them.

In 1979 he won the UK Melody Maker’s national “Stars of the 80s” competition, which persuaded him to turn professional, and for the next 12 years he toured solo, nationally and internationally, releasing four albums with Fellside Records during this period (Out Stack, Jigging One Now, Eclogue and Braiding).

After 13 years away from the folk scene he made a welcome return in 2004 performing in folk clubs and festivals, and in 2008 producing his 5th album, the highly acclaimed “Whirligig of Time” which featured UK luminaries Martin Carthy, Nancy Kerr and Miranda Sykes.

Since then he has released further albums, “Rim of the Wheel” and “Spirit of the Game”, and his latest much anticipated 8th album “Late Cut”, featuring Eliza Carthy, Martin Simpson and Sam Carter, was released in January 2019.

Steves latest release , which may be available at the festival features our headliner MARTIN CARTHY

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