Thu 18th May, 2017
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
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CHAPEL ARTS CAFE IS OPEN THIS EVENING – Last orders 7.00 p.m. To book a table please call: 01225 920256
In an English folk scene currently bursting with bold and innovative folk music, vocal trio Lady Maisery shine brightly. With their unique approach to harmony singing and thoughtful and striking arrangements of both traditional repertoire and original compositions, Hazel Askew, Hannah James and Rowan Rheingans harness and celebrate their united voice. Whether unearthing a feminist twist hidden in a traditional tale, delivering a poignant anti-war ballad, or showcasing their immense multi-instrumental talents in original compositions that draw on a myriad of musical influences, Lady Maisery are skilful explorers of the power, beauty and vitality of song. Over the last five years, the trio have toured widely, performing sell-out shows across the UK and Europe.
Underpinning every performance are Lady Maisery’s distinctive harmonies: sometimes lush and rich, sometimes dark and invigorating, they intertwine with assured precision. The trio are also one of the foremost English proponents of mouth music, or “diddling” – once common in England, and still found across parts of southern and northern Europe, this form of singing without words is a perfect showcase for their sheer musicality. Each also an accomplished instrumentalist, many songs are expertly accompanied by a rich tapestry of Rowan’s fiddle, banjo and bansitar, Hazel’s harp and concertina and Hannah’s accordion and foot percussion.
Since the release of their debut album in 2011, ‘Weave and Spin’ (named Album of the Week by the Independent newspaper), Lady Maisery have attracted substantial attention, including being nominated for the Horizon Award at the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and regularly appearing live on national radio. Their second album ‘Mayday’ (2013), a darker and more politically coloured record, cemented their growing reputation as a truly unique band on the English folk scene, with five star reviews from the likes of The Financial Times newspaper, music critics called it an album full of “ideas, purpose and urgency…powerful, enthralling work” (Songlines). Their hotly anticipated third album will be released in Summer 2016.
Lady Maisery’s members are all highly respected performers in their own right: Hannah James is currently touring her first solo show ‘Jigdoll’ and also plays in folk legend Maddy Prior’s trio ‘3 for Joy’; Rowan Rheingans is half of the critically acclaimed duo The Rheingans Sisters and also plays with BBC Folk Singer of the Year Nancy Kerr’s Sweet Visitor Band; and Hazel Askew is well known as a musician and singer in award winning duo Askew Sisters and the early music group The Artisans. All three are also key members of the English/Scottish supergroup ‘Songs of Separation’ whose debut album and stunning premiere at Celtic Connections festival pushed them straight into the indie album charts top 20 in January 2016 – a very rare accolade British folk!
Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith
Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith are a highly acclaimed folk duo who play traditional and original music of the British Isles.
Over the last three years they have built a reputation on the UK folk scene for arresting and moving performances. The songs themselves are always given centre stage but they are brought to life with sensitive musical arrangements and stunning vocals. There is an integrity that shines through their performances and a common thread of political struggle, resistance, and justice.
They have been heavily influenced by the songs and singers of East Anglia, where they both grew up, but their music also reflects the diversity of voices within the folk world.
Their debut album on Fellside Records was described as ‘utterly absorbing’ with ‘excellent musicianship and sympathetic instrumentation twinned with fine harmony singing.’
Their second album ‘Night Hours’ was released in December 2016 to great reviews across the board and has fast cemented their place of longevity within the folk scene.
“To be a great folk singer, you have to be a great storyteller, as Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith are clearly aware. The duo are both fine singers and multi-instrumentalists.”
The Guardian
“Exhilaratingly diverse and full of impeccably crafted and beautifully realised songs”
Folk Radio
‘Night Hours has to be one of the best albums of the year – I hope it will be fresh in the mind when the awards come around.’
Folking.com
“Every now and then an act jumps out at you and knocks you back. You’re in for a treat.”
Mike Harding