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Thursday 13th March 2025 at 7.30 p.m.

John Kirkpatrick: The Victorian Farmers Year
(in conjunction with Arts Alive)

Following his appearances on the massively popular TV series “Victorian Farm”, John Kirkpatrick presents a programme of traditional songs to take us through a year in the countryside, reflecting the highs and lows of each season, and giving an authentic voice to the old way of life. Although agricultural working conditions in the later nineteenth century were as bad as any in the country, the songs that have been handed down from this time choose to embody hope and optimism, and a great delight in the processes of nature - songs designed to keep the spirits high and buoyant, rather than dwell on the gloomier side of a life that most of us today would find quite impossible. So here we have The Victorian Farmer’s Year In Song – songs about farmers, and songs sung by farmers; songs about the work on the farm, and songs to make that work easier; songs celebrating particular days in the country calendar, and songs celebrating the daily miracle of life, death, and renewal. And the world we are shown here is not a romantic pastoral idyll viewed through rose-tinted spectacles – this is a world full of sweat and muck, a world with dirt under the finger nails, a world full of snorting, and grunting, and heaving.

Tickets are available from Arts Alive www.artsalive.co.uk

Where is Whitchurch Leisure Centre? Click here

Friday 16th May 2025 at 8 p.m.

Gnoss’ signature sound is a rich tapestry of acoustic layers; outstanding musicianship, deep traditional roots and contemporary compositional flair combine to create songs and tunes brimming with character.

Triple Scots Trad Music Awards nominees, the band have built an invested following through their forward-thinking take on traditional music and the unique warmth of their live shows. This has been proven through three consecutive sell-out appearances at Glasgow’s world-famous Celtic Connections festival.

Gnoss combines the talents of:

Aidan Moodie (Guitar/Vocals),  Graham Rorie (Fiddle/Mandolin/Electric Tenor Guitar), Connor Sinclair (Flute/Whistles/Vocals),Craig Baxter (Bodhran/Percussion

Ainsley is one of the UK’s most distinctive and versatile singers, known for her remarkable voice, storytelling, and emotive style. Hailing from the West Coast of Scotland, Ainsley has built a career celebrated for its authenticity, merging traditional Scottish folk with a modern touch.

Sam Kelly is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winning singer, song-writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Sam's debut EP - entitled Your Way Home was released in March 2013, which swiftly created a buzz of interest in the folk scene for Sam's music. He followed this up with the release of the widely acclaimed Spokes  EP.

Toby Shaer is an up and coming folk musician from Leigh on Sea, Essex. He is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who has worked and shared stages with some of the finest musicians in the folk/country music scenes.

Where is Whitchurch Leisure Centre? Click here

The Haar introduces the formidable singing talent of All-Ireland Scór na nÓg winner Molly Donnery combined with three of the most exciting instrumentalists on the folk and traditional music circuit: Cormac Byrne (BBC Folk Award/Show of Hands/Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes, and Murray Grainger (both of the FATEA award-winning Ciderhouse Rebellion).

This is music that is not afraid to transcend borders, whilst recognisably born of the traditional music that all members have grown up with. The Haar pushes the boundaries to create a unique and compelling sound.

The origins of the band go back to a chance meeting between Adam, Cormac and Molly at a session at the Craiceann Bodhrán Festival. This resulted in an improvised performance recorded by the shipwreck of the Plassey on the west coast of Ireland. It was to become typical of the unique live reactive composition that characterises their music. With the addition of master accordionist Grainger, they entered the studio at the end of 2019 to record their first album.

Their self-titled debut, released in June 2020, is a collection of traditional Irish songs tackling love, poverty and oppression. It was heralded as a splendid balance of swirling instrumental magic and beautifully sung narratives by Folk Radio UK and garnered attention from Mike Harding who described it as absolutely amazing.

Sunday November 23rd 2025 at 7.30 p.m.

Ranagri is an award winning indie folk band with a unique blend of instruments that includes guitar, flutes, whistles,harp, piano, hammered dulcimer, bouzouki, bodhrán, orchestral percussion and voices. 'They create a sound that is both mesmerising and unforgettable' KLOF MAG.

Ranagri have recorded five studio albums to date, with their latest release, Tradition II receiving critical acclaim upon its release in July 2022. Folk Radio UK placed the album in their top 10 albums of 2022, cementing the band's status as one of the most exciting and innovative folk bands in the UK today.
Ranagri has established themselves as a standout act, drawing in crowds from around the world with their captivating live performances and exceptional musicianship. They have performed at some of the most prestigious venues & festivals across the UK and Europe, including Cambridge Folk Festival, Bloom festival (Dublin), Montelago  festival (Italy),Towersey Festival, a headline slot at Costa Festival Ibiza 2023, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Union Chapel, SHREWSBURY folk festival in 2024, Kings Place London along with regular tours of Scotland and Europe.

Where is Whitchurch Leisure Centre? Click here