We kick off our Autumn/Winter programme with SARAH McQUAID, whose lush, chocolatey voice combines with her engaging personality and "brilliant musicianship" (fRoots) on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and (occasionally) drum to create a truly immersive experience.
 
 
Born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holding dual Irish and American citizenship and now settled in rural England, she brings the eclecticism of her background to her "captivating, unorthodox songwriting" (PopMatters) and choice of material, spanning genres and defying categorisation. 
 
In the words of one audience member: "Sarah is a truly impressive artist who takes you on a journey through storytelling, blending a variety of musical genres and instruments with ease and creativity. Her lyrics are down-to-earth yet incredibly captivating. Attending her concert feels like diving into a book of short stories — some resonate deeply, some spark your imagination, others make you pause and reflect, and a few bring tears or spontaneous laughter. Sarah’s connection with the audience is both gentle and profound. You don’t  just watch a performance — you become part of it, part of the story she’s telling. To anyone considering seeing her live; go. It’s worth every second. You’ll leave with your heart full and your soul touched — guaranteed."
 
 
Opening the evening will be long-time friend of Downend Folk & Roots, MIKE WEAVER, a singer-songwriter originally from Cheltenham, but now living in Worcestershire. He is a writer and illustrator by day and an acoustic performer by night, presenting his own melodic songs which draw upon both contemporary and traditional influences.
 
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 19 September 2025, are available online HERE and from MELANIE’S KITCHEN (cash only). They are priced at £14 each in advance or £16 on the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts around 7.45pm. This event is also included in our AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON TICKET.
 
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s HOP UNION BREWERY. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.
  
For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, BLUESKY, YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.
 

ADVANCE SALES CLOSED - TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR

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Our programme for Autumn/Winter 2025 is on-sale now, and as usual, we’ve struck the balance between well-known names and brilliant emerging talent, we’re sure you’ll agree.

The programme kicks off on Friday 19 September, when SARAH McQUAID will be our headline guest. Sarah’s lush, chocolatey voice combines with her engaging personality and brilliant musicianship on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and (occasionally) drum to create a truly immersive experience. Opening the evening will be long-time friend of DF&R, MIKE WEAVER, a singer-songwriter originally from Cheltenham, but now living in Worcestershire. He is a writer and illustrator by day and an acoustic performer by night, presenting his own melodic songs which draw upon both contemporary and traditional influences.

We’ve been wanting to feature THE SHACKLETON TRIO for quite some time, and the stars have finally aligned as they headline our concert on Friday 17 October. 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. In support will be THE ASHEN KEYS, a multi instrumental, multi voiced celebration of heartfelt storytelling from Kent. Their sound tells of influences from folk, blues, pop, classical and even early music. Expect to be taken on a journey through dark folk tales, bittersweet love stories and reveries on nature, all with exquisite vocal harmonies and unique instrumentation.

Back in March of 2022, we were due to welcome KNIGHT & SPIERS, but that pesky covid intervened. We’re delighted to say we’ve finally managed to find a date to reschedule, and they’ll be with us on Friday 21 November. 'Folk a-listers’, ‘folk royalty’ and ‘folk icons' are terms frequently applied to both Peter and John, but what it means in reality is that they bring the best of traditional music to any stage they play. The exquisite explorations of the liminal space that exists between traditional and classical music is what makes the music so compelling and beguiling, ultimately rendering genres irrelevant. Getting us underway will be FLY YETI FLY, an alt-folk duo whose enchanting harmonies, warm instrumentation and heartfelt storytelling weave songs about connection and community. Blending folk, roots and Americana influences, their music is both uplifting and deeply moving. This concert will be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.

Our December concert is always a highlight of the musical year, and this one should be no exception as we welcome a duo who stole the show at our 10th Anniversary Celebration last Summer. BRYONY GRIFFITH & ALICE JONES return with their sensational seasonal tour Wesselbobs on Friday 19 December. Following the success of their 2023 album of the same name, they present a unique collection of winter songs and tunes sourced from their beloved native county. Together they have unearthed a treasure trove of traditional gems, featuring uniquely local versions of more classic seasonal songs and showcasing the traditions, tales and winter rituals of the richly diverse musical culture in which they are immersed. As is now traditional, DF&R favourites HEARTWOOD CHORUSwill open the evening. Leader Neil Johnson creates masterful arrangements of traditional songs and new interpretations of future classics from the contemporary folk scene. What started as a community project has evolved into a quality folk act in its own right. This is not a choir that sings folk music… this is a bonafide folk choir, and one that's been called the “finest in the UK”. This concert is another that will be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.

All four concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND as usual, and seating is unreserved. Tickets are £14 in advance (£16 on the door) and are available online HERE, and from MELANIE’S KITCHEN in Downend. Please note that Melanie's Kitchen can only take cash payments. There is also the option to buy a season ticket for all four concerts for £50, which saves a few pounds as well as booking fees. All tickets are non-refundable. There will be a full bar at all concerts, as well as a prize draw, all proceeds of which go towards booking our support artists. Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.45pm start. 

We're really excited about this season, and we hope you will be too. Keep supporting live music, it’s never been more important! For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, BLUESKY, YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.

BUY TICKETS

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A story broke on the folkier corners of social media today. It's a story about the brilliant folk singer Emily Portman and her 'new' album. You see, some… um… nasty piece of work has put out some music, claiming that it's her new album. It's not. You can tell it's not her, 'cos it's rubbish. It's an AI version of Portman. It's not real. It's a figment of the internet's imagination. It's a fake.
 
Folk music, of course, is at its best when it's real. When real musicians play real music in a real venue and things don't get much more 'real' than tonight. LIZZY HARDINGHAM is the real deal.
 
She's in possession of a voice of quite remarkable power; when she sings a song, it stays sung. There's not a missed note, not a single uncertain wobble, not even the merest hint of weakness. She is jaw-dropping.
 
 
And, in truth, it takes something pretty special to distract from her band. With Katriona Gilmore on fiddle, Jonny Wickham on double bass and Lukas Drinkwater on electric guitar, Hardingham has assembled some of the finest folk musicians in the country. 
 
There's no point in having a great band and an incredible voice if you're not going to put it all to good use, of course. Hardingham sings of love and loss, of bees and small boats, of identity and heartbreak, she sings of all of the big things but has that fabulous knack of making the political personal. 
 
Harvester of Gold packs a serious punch. For a song about the threat to bees, there's no gentle thrum here. This is a fat bumblebee of a song, a powerful shout. Drinkwater's filigree electric guitar and Gilmore's fizzing fiddle buzz across Wickham's fluid bass as Hardingham simply opens her heart, opens her lungs and pins the audience to the wall.
 
 
She might have an intense power but Hardingham knows her way around an old-fashioned folk song too. Lord Donald's Wife references folk-y classic, Matty Groves (Fairport Convention et al), purposefully declining to name the wife. Her voice is, again, awesome but it's buoyed by Gilmore's harmonies, both telling the tale, edging the whole thing towards “classic” status. 
 
Such is Hardingham's ability with a folk song that there are several times when you're quite sure that these songs must hark back centuries. They don't. Mary and Anne, taken from the recent Ginger Beer EP, is about gay pirates, it is sea-splashed and rolls on a double-bass driven wave while Let Me Swim has echoes of Nancy Kerr in its selkie tale. 
 
It is, however, Singing Together that is the massive highlight of her set. It's an end-of-the-night song to rival The Parting Glass, it's joyful and celebratory, a song made for singing. More than anything it's a song that brings real voices together, in a real place.
 
 
DAN SEALEY used to be the bass player in Britpop mod-botherers, Ocean Colour Scene, but that's easily forgiven. His short support set was packed with hummable indie-folk songs; just his fantastic, rough-round-the-edges voice and an acoustic guitar. There's the heartfelt sentimentality of In the Blink of an Eye and the simmering fury of Keep on Reading - both are master classes in indie-folk song writing.
 
Sealey exudes honesty as pin-sharp observations tumble from his strummed guitar and snippets of urban England are laid bare. A snatch of musical hall, a nod to his dad, a welcoming way with a story and Sealey is, immediately, someone you want to listen to. His version of The Riverboat Song even makes you re-appraise his old band. It's a cracking song and, stripped of the Chris-Evans-in-a-bucket-hat memories, the perfect start to the evening. 
 
Those people that put that AI Emily Portman thing up should be strung up by their thumbs and pelted with old Steeleye Span records. They are dreadful human beings. They de-base everything that Hardingham, Drinkwater, Gilmore, Wickham and Sealey hold dear. They make our lives poorer, whereas those real musicians make everything better. AI versions? Folk 'em!
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell
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  1. NEXT AT DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS: LIZZY HARDINGHAM + DAN SEALEY
  2. REVIEW: "THERE IS TENDERNESS AND ENORMOUS FUN AMONGST ALL THE LOVELINESS"
  3. NEXT AT DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS: CARA DILLON + HERON ISLAND
  4. AUTUMN/WINTER 2025 PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED