Dates for your diary
“Chris Wood might be the Ken Loach of songwriting. Very political, but at the same time full of compassion, and he grows sharper and more acute with each passing album. He’s good, quite probably the very best we have today, and we need him more than ever.” - fRoots Magazine
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Chris WoodChris 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.
A self-taught musician, composer and song writer, Chris is a lifelong autodidact whose independent streak shines through everything he does. Always direct and unafraid to speak his mind, his song writing has been praised for its surgical clarity. He cites his major influence as “Anon”. His most recent album ‘So Much to Defend’ has received wide critical acclaim and includes reflections on minor league football, empty nest syndrome, learning to swim, Cook-in Sauce and, not least, the Gecko as a metaphor for contemporary society. Hollow Point; his chilling ballad of the shooting of Jean Charles Menezez, won a BBC Folk Award (he's won six) and emphatically secured Wood’s place as a serious speech-master for the unofficial history of England. Collaborators include Martin Carthy, Dizraeli, Billy Bragg, Andy Cutting, Andy Irvine, Karine Polwart, Jean Francois Vrod, The Imagined Village, Hugh Lupton, Martin Butler and many others. On stage Chris has the air of a craftsman who no longer needs to be precious about his art. Without any apparent effort he reaches deep into an enviable repertoire of songs before revealing another gem. Thursday 30th March, 7.30pm Tickets £16 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/564166/ |
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He takes very real things that happen in life and makes you think afresh about them (Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2)
A bit different and kinda groovy too (Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 2) He's a fantastic musician, he's got a great voice and what a songwriter! What a glorious sound he makes (Frank Hennessey, BBC Radio 2) |
Mark Harrison BandAcclaimed national touring artist Mark Harrison brings his unique music and band to Wingfield Barns.
MARK HARRISON (National + 12-string guitars/vocals) Charles Benfield (double bass/vocals) Ben Welburn (drums/percussion) There is no one in music quite like Mark Harrison. With his unique and acclaimed rhythm section, he is widely considered one of the most original and interesting artists around. His highly individual, all-original music has taken him and the band to some of the top venues and festivals in the UK, attracting acclaim wherever he goes. Recent appearances on BBC Radio 2, as guest on Cerys Matthews’s show and on the Pick Of The Week show, have further added to his growing reputation. Mark is a songster, and his songs cover all manner of non-standard subjects. With catchy tunes, lyrics than intrigue and engage, and striking rhythms, they make you smile, think and move. He takes elements of roots music, including folk, blues and gospel, to create something new that is very much his own genre. Each song is a snapshot of life or has a story to tell, like a 3-minute film or novel. A thrilling, rhythmic, finger-picker and slide player, with a very distinctive style, Mark tours extensively. He has released six albums which have been unanimously acclaimed across a wide range of areas of the music world, receiving a very great deal of airplay and highly enthusiastic reviews in the UK, Europe and the US, the latest being the double album THE ROAD TO LIBERTY. Saturday 15th April 2023, 7.30pm Tickets £14 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/542065/ |
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One For The Road
One For The Road is a colourful and vibrant exploration of the many forms that street music has taken through the centuries. Chanter’s Jigge walk in the steps of Medieval Pilgrims, Tudor Monarchs, Victorian Buskers and lots more, to bring to life the music heard in the streets of the cities, towns and villages of England.
Chanter's Jigge play and sing with an huge variety of instruments and together with plenty of humour, bring the tunes of the past to life in a lively and entertaining evening. Join us on a stroll through 600 years of street music . Friday 21st April, 7.30pm Tickets £12 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/566041 |
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The Shackleton TrioCaptivating songwriting and fiery tunes that combine mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo with powerful three part harmonies. The unmistakeable sound of The Shackleton Trio brings to life the stories of their native East Anglia, and beyond.
Touring their brand new album 'Mousehold', the trio features Georgia Shackleton (fiddle, vocals), Aaren Bennett (guitar) and Nic Zuppardi (mandolin and banjo). Collectively the band draw influence from British, American and Scandinavian folk traditions, whilst Georgia’s flair for sourcing largely unsung material from East Anglia keeps the band firmly rooted in their local tradition. Seven years performing together has seen the band played on BBC Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4, with gleaming ★★★★★ reviews, an appearance on Cambridge Folk Festival’s prestigious main stage, a host of UK and European festivals and international tours, and many miles in the Mondeo. This is a band that clearly enjoy playing together, and are not to be missed. Friday 5th May, 7.30pm Tickets £13 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/572549/ |
“….. an intense, deeply personal performance. Alternating between guitar frenzy and stripped back soundscapes, the fragility and vulnerability of the human spirit was laid bare in lyrics that cut to the bone. An awesome roller-coaster of a ride, and absolutely wonderful.” Beardy Folk Festival live review Festivals For All
“Dan is a national treasure…. a profound, innovative and talented songwriter.” musomuso.com “For an album partly inspired by distance, barriers and locked-down-ness, people and connection ripple through The Glass Age." Arts Culture Mag “I defy anyone not to see shadows of Leonard Cohen in the literary quality of the writing…. Dan's emotive singing brings in a sense of isolation and yearning for the real human contact we still need.” Fatea Mag ‘The fabulous flute of Eliza Marshall’. – Peter Gabriel |
Dan Whitehouse with special guest Eliza MarshallDan Whitehouse The Glass Age tour with special guest (flautist) Eliza Marshall
Singer-guitarist Dan Whitehouse renews, reinvents and reimagines - revealing how he carefully nurtured his creativity during an imposed stay in Japan from January 2020 to June 2021. Mike Davies calls this collection of songs a "meditation on the way human experience and connecting has changed through the medium of virtual communication.” Dan uses his exceptional storytelling to explore the thin and fragile layer between digital and emotional life. Deeply poignant lyrics and atmospheric musical arrangements move the listener towards celebrating community spirit and connecting with authenticity. He will sing all seven songs from The Glass Age along with a selection from his five previous albums and new collaboration Voices From The Cones, about the history and community of Stourbridge’s Glassworks. The night will be opened by flautist Eliza Marshall, who has worked with many of the world’s leading musicians such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, The Divine Comedy and Peter Gabriel. She’s toured with sarod guru Amjad Ali Khan, the Britten Sinfonia, Peter Gabriel, Ranagri and with her award-winning project Freedom To Roam. Eliza’s solo work is influenced by her love of world music and combines incredible looped melodies from her flutes with spoken word and some surprises. Dan and Eliza will join musical forces for part of the evening’s magic. Thursday 18th May 2023, 7.30pm Tickets £15 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/554745/ |
Since the release of his debut album in 2005, Causley’s unique voice and persona have helped him become one of the most well-loved and respected figures of today’s contemporary roots and folk scene. A prolific collaborator, Causley is hugely admired for his work with iconic groups The Devil’s Interval and Mawkin:Causley as well as playing, touring and recording alongside Waterson:Carthy, John McCusker, Eddie Reader, Graham Coxson, Shirley Collins, Michael Morpurgo, Show of Hands, Kate Rusby, David Rotheray of Beautiful South fame and many more. He was described by Mojo Magazine as “the finest singer of his generation” and they put Forgotten Kingdom in their Top Ten Folk Albums of 2016 list. Westcountry father of folk Geoff Lakeman described Causley as possessing “A voice in a million” in a recent interview in the Western Morning News, some accolade indeed!
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Jim CausleyMore than simply a folk-singer, multi award winning singer-songwriter, musician and proud Devonian Jim Causley is an all-round entertainer and during the past decade Causley has been nominated no less than six times for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award, last year he was nominated as “Singer of the Year” at the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, he won the Spiral Earth Singer of the Year award in 2014, presented his own folk music show on BBC Radio Devon and in 2015 he worked with BBC TV historian Dr Sam Willis to create the music for his show 'Highwaymen, Outlaws and Villains' and was asked to perform his song about Dartmoor tin mining 'Pride of the Moor' on BBC TV's Countryfile - Dartmoor Special. 2017 was also the centenary of Jim’s relative; the celebrated Cornish poet Charles Causley and award winning filmmaker Jane Darke made a specially commissioned biographical film about the poet which aired on BBC4 TV on 1st October as part of the Centenary celebrations. The soundtrack to the film was composed entirely by Jim and featured music from his 2013 album ‘Cyprus Well’ of musical settings of Charles’ work.
Wednesday 24th May, 7.30pm Tickets £15 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/567375/ |
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Open Space Theatre Co. presents
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Wingfield Open GardensResidents of Wingfield are pleased to be back on track after the pandemic with their biennial Open Gardens event, this year raising money for St Elizabeth's Hospice and St Andrew's Church.
Car parking will be here at Wingfield Barns, where there will also be refreshments available and free use of the facilities. Tickets/Guides to be collected from Wingfield Barns, either on the day for £5 per person, or after booking in advance for £4 via www.wegottickets.com/event/575416/ |
"...stunning harmonies that were so good it reminded me of seeing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings”
No Depression "It is so rare an opening act rival the main performance but that is exactly what the seamless harmony singing Black Feathers achieved” Jumpin’ Hot Club "The pure emotion and subtle timing of their song delivery is as evident as the enjoyment radiating from their onstage chemistry” 3 Chords and the Truth |
The Black FeathersIf you were of the belief that The Black Feathers are named because of their love of dark humour and the smooth blending of harmony, you’d be wrong.
If you were told that the name is more concerned with recognition of their gentle souls, a predilection for dark clothing and the sonic tumult of the plethora of (mainly US) progressive-metal bands doing mega-business around the world in the 1990s and beyond, you might doubt those who said so, but they would be accurate. You’d be wrong as to the name, BUT you would be utterly correct that the sonic architecture of their lyrics and musical composition takes its imperious scope from a love of blended vocal harmony and idiosyncratic guitar shapes. Americana to some, folk to others, The Black Feathers have those qualities in expansive quantity. Sian Chandler’s soaring, dramatic, melodious but powerful voice is a perfect counterpoint to Ray Hughes’ piquant vocals and his sparkling and occasionally spicy guitar motifs. This is a duo who love what they play and play what they love with panache, humour, delight and rather a lot of commentary on the downside of being a human. Seeing and hearing them will leave you with a smile on your face and a glowing heart of delight. You might not think that is possible when you’ve just spent some time hearing the themes of the songs they lay before an audience but it is testament to their sunny dispositions, infectious laughter and amused self-deprecation that you can only come away from a gig feeling a whole heap better about yourself and life. Friday 9th June, 7.30pm Tickets £15 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/574384/ |
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Bof! Workshop and DanceBOF! is an established East Anglian band with considerable experience in playing traditional French and Breton dance music. They have a vast experience of playing at clubs and festivals and for specialist dance groups in England and France. The members of BOF! play a variety of authentic instruments and sing.
Their line-up is: • Simon Haines diatonic accordions • Phil Lyons acoustic guitar / bass guitar / vocals • Gwendal Moële vocals • Val Woollard bagpipes / flute / recorders / desk bells Bof!’s performance at Wingfield Barns will begin with a dance workshop to teach some of the simpler French and Breton dances. After a break, they will play for an evening “bal”. The songs and instrumentals they play is equally suitable for dancing and listening to, so in addition to a dance space, there will be a seated area for non-dancers. There is more information about Bof! on their website where you can hear samples of their music. www.bof-frenchdance.co.uk Running times are as follows: 16.30-18.30 Workshop 18.30-19.30 Break 19.30-22.00 Concert/Dance Saturday 10th June 2023 Workshop only £5 Concert only £12 Workshop and concert £15 Online sales via www.wegottickets.com/event/554819 |
Drama is a crucial part of the programme of events and includes performances by professional companies. We are also delighted to host plays by local societies and are keen to promote events by students in local schools and by pupils of local music teachers.
Please call 01379 384505 if you would like to discuss Wingfield Barns hosting your community group performance.
Please call 01379 384505 if you would like to discuss Wingfield Barns hosting your community group performance.
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The smaller print:
Unless otherwise credited, content © Wingfield Barns CIC 2009-2023. Unless otherwise credited, photographs © WBCIC and Mike Allmey. All content is published in good faith. Spotted an error? There are no prizes, but please let Webslave know (Webslave doesn't get to meet real people very often). It'll be corrected or removed as appropriate. |