@Cecil Sharp House, 7/2/26. All day, 1300 – 22.30

A FEAST OF TALENTS

Can it really be the 4th time that this one day extravaganza has taken place, 5th if you include the Northern variation, at Settle, last autumn. Once more it has been put together by folk-rockers extraordinaire, The Magpie Arc, in conjunction with EFDSS, with the celebration returning to Cecil Sharp House for this current iteration. Sticking to the tried and tested formula, there is a feast of talents to feed your ears, together with an interview slot, between Folk On Foot maestro, Matthew Bannister and a worthy representative of Folk’s great and good. Previous interviewees have included Maddy Prior and Peter Knight, Joe Boyd and John Wood, and, last year, Ashley Hutchings, instigators and architects of folk-rock all.

TO START

The day starts with Ellie Gowers. We have been keeping an eye on her here, and this promises to be a splendid beginning. The mercurial charms of Lisa Knapp, together with her sonic alchemist, Gerry Diver, follow. Having caught them at last years Manchester Folk Festival, this is guaranteed to both delight and astound, as the two twist and turn the tradition to their febrile imaginations.

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Simon Nicol needs no introduction in these pages. The one near constant of Fairport Convention, ever since he, Hutchings and Thompson first started practising in his parent’s house, he is Bannister’s this year’s guest. Always a witty and urbane voice, his memories and reflections cannot help but captivate. Plus, as a key holder of the Fairport flame, perhaps some idea as to the future of the b(r)and can be teased out of him.

Chris Wood seems back on a bit of a roll at the moment. It may be some time since this singer and fiddle player has graced us with any new, but recent years have seen him popping up on festival bills the length and breadth of the country, often in collaboration with old friends, of whom he has many. A consummately English writer, his songs tend toward celebration of a disappearing past. Is there anything fresh in the pot, we wonder, with fingers crossed.

SPANNING THE YEARS

The next performance might well not have been taking place, were it not for the 2022 Indoor Day Of Folk, as that is when Maddy Prior and Peter Knight realised they may still have some unfinished business. For so long in musical partnership, as part of Steeleye Span, with whom, of course, Prior remains, few can have ever dreamt they would again join each other on stage. Knight has built himself a potent post Span presence, with the various Gigspanner iterations, trio, big band and more. Yes, he did appear with the band during a 2002 reunion tour, but only made the Barbican finale of their 50th year celebration. This is going to be very special.

THE MIGHTY ARC

Finally, and to close the bill with, literally, a bang, or many of them, are the mighty Arc, as people are now beginning to call them. Despite letting Martin Simpson off the bus, last year, if anything, they go from strength to strength without him. The release of Gil Brenton, late last year, saw this cottage industry, with neither management, label or representation, bar a vibrant social media presence, enter both the National Folk and the Indie Charts in the week of release, at numbers 7 and 2 respectively. All without Spotify and streaming in general, which, these days, takes some doing. We liked it too, citing them somewhere between Black Sabbath and the Albion Country Band.

For this recording, it was the residual quartet, Nancy Kerr, fiddle and vocals, Findley Napier, guitar and vocals, Alex Hunter, bass, drummer/producer Tom A. Wright tackling just about everything else, so, besides drums, keyboards, programming, electric, high strung, lap-steel and pedal steel guitars. Phew! Clearly, he cannot reproduce such versatility live, being not an octopus. Therefore the band are delighted to welcome back the guest guitarist from the last tour, one of the few players able to fill Mr Simpson’s burning seat, Sam Carter. On the showing at Bury, this is one hot combo! Whether Ms Prior, who guests on the album for the title track and, single, The Mantle, will join them on stage, well, we shall have to wait and see.

Here’s a link to Youtube for The Mantle, which also features, besides Maddy Prior’s backing vocals, the flute of Ian Anderson. (Hmmmm, I wonder if he’s in London next month?)

Tickets are obviously fast disappearing, it unlikely there will be any left on the day. Therefore, if you haven’t yet invested, get cracking. Apply here.

The Magpie Arc: Website

EFDSS: Website

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