Identical twin sisters Charlotte and Laura Carrivick have grown up playing and writing music together. Their unique style shows their strong bluegrass influences without obscuring their English roots. With tight harmonies that only siblings can achieve, they perform their original songs on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro and clawhammer banjo. They have performed both in the UK and internationally.

Both sisters have had varied musical influences. Laura started out with Classical violin at 10 but was soon more interested in folk music, playing along to Chieftains CD’s. Charlotte also started out classically, but in her case with guitar. Charlotte picked up the mandolin a few years later and in 2003 they attended the ‘Sore Fingers’ bluegrass course. This was where Laura first heard the dobro, which she started playing a year later. In recent months Charlotte has taken up the clawhammer banjo, sometimes bringing a more old timey feel to their sound.

www.duntonfolk.co.uk

‘A Victorian Christmas’ is a festive exploration of the Yuletide our ancestors would have known. Acclaimed historical theatre company Blast From The Past invite you to join them for an evening of music, song, stories and drama from the time of Dickens and Hardy. All cast members perform in full Victorian dress with authentic musical instruments and props.

Featuring the musical talents of Chris Green and Jude Rees (formerly of Isambarde), as well as Sophie Matthews (The Oxford Waits), the show includes all of the well-known Victorian carols such as ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ and ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. Song-sheets are provided for the audience to join in and there are also some more obscure but no less beautiful festive songs from the English folk tradition, some of which have not been heard in over 100 years and have been painstakingly researched by the cast.

The show also contains a Christmas Mummer’s Play (one of the forerunners of pantomime) featuring a battle between St George and the villanous Turkish Knight, presided over by Father Christmas himself (dressed in green robes, as would have been the case in Victorian England!)

Finally, internationally-acclaimed storyteller Andy Jennings unfolds the mediaeval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Written by an anonymous poet in the 14th century, it was lost for centuries before its rediscovery in a private library at the start of the Victorian era. Set at the court of King Arthur over Christmas, its themes of quest and romance proved a hit with Victorian audiences and in Andy’s hands it will thrill and delight modern audiences as well!

‘A Victorian Christmas’ is a fast-moving, warm-hearted show that will appeal to audiences of all ages looking to recapture the true spirit of Christmas.

Kristy Gallacher is a guitarist, poet and songwriter from Coventry, England. Being somewhat disillusioned and fiercely independent, in 2008 at the age of 21, Kristy decided to join the D.I.Y ethos. She formed her own independent record label Broken Player Records (www.brokenplayerrecords.com), signed herself and has been self sufficient ever since. Each subsequent release has been on the label. A prolific songwriter, she is continually songwriting her way through life and regularly tours on the acoustic circuit to audiences across the UK. With a strong live presence of carefully crafted songs and exciting fresh guitar work Kristy continues to grow and expand her loyal fan base.

In addition to her own shows she has supported Ed Sheeran, Micheal Chapman, Scott Matthews, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Mr Big, I Am Kloot's John Bramwell, Miles and Erica (Wonderstuff) Mark Morriss (Bluetones) and Nerina Pallot. Kristy has just finished recording her second full album called 'Spinning Plates' which is due for release on 31st March 2012. The title track of Kristy’ s 2008 debut album ‘Emotional Gun’ has been selected for the British Library Project which archives significant new music.

Luke is a rising 19 year old Roots singer/songwriter from Canterbury, Kent , and 2013 sees him nominated for both the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Talent and the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.

With a bold, show stopping voice and honed guitar skills, Luke is a confident and captivating performer demonstrating an astonishing maturity. He has been making ripples on the live acoustic scene supporting such luminaries as Show of Hands, Paul Brady, Chris Wood, Steve Knightley, Lucy Ward and Boo Hewerdine and playing Sidmouth, Bristol and Trowbridge festivals.

More than Boys, produced by the acclaimed Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, launched at the Shrewsbury Festival, has been receiving plaudits from critics and airplay on numerous radio stations.

£8 on the door / £6 advance
Tickets on sale here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/201922
Or like our page to be on the £6 list: http://www.facebook.com/shindiggig

New years SHINDIG promising a wealth of quasi-acoustic loveliness in a beautiful setting, welcoming Anglo-American husband-wife duo (& clear DIY geniuses) Rue Royale to Cambridge. Welcome guys :)

Joining them will be four-piece instrumentalists Subzar, encompassing in their number guitars, cello and a violin, performing works from their narrative concept EP 'I am Not Here Yet'. Encompassing members of the late & great band The Dawn Chorus, the Retrospective Soundtrack Players "may not be the world's greatest punk/rock/folk/pop concept band, but are in the top one" - writing albums soundtracking their favourite old films and books.

As the latent theme seems to be narrative, the door is open for some of Cambridge's secret enclave of storytellers to get up to the mic. At present date of writing, this includes Allographic and Hammer and Tongue's Fay Roberts, author J.S. Watts, and recently self-published Emily Scialom. It'll be grand :)

Rue Royale:
http://rueroyalemusic.com/

Subzar:
http://subzar.bandcamp.com/

The Retrospective Soundtrack Players:
http://retrospectivesoundtrackplayers.blogspot.co.uk/

Dunton Folk is very excited to present a Christmas Celtic concert from Tim Edey

At just 32 years old, Tim Edey is the current BBC Radio Two Folk Musician of the Year and one half of the Best Duo 2012 award with harmonica guru Brendan Power.

Tim's own solo albums (of which there are five) have been popular in Ireland and the UK as well as Europe. Touring in Austria to standing ovations with his Collective trio in 2011 was one career highlight, another was playing the legendary Celtic Colours festival in Canada in 2011 - where he also recorded a duo album with multi-award winning Canadian artist JP Cormier (due out late 2012).

Playing more than eight instruments to a virtuoso standard, Tim mainly uses the Melodeon and button accordeon and nylon strung guitar. He now also adds being a rather shy but fine voiced singer to the stage.

Tickets are £10 each and can be reserved in advance by e mailing duntonfolk@hotmail.co.uk or telephoning Simon (01767 310 424) or Andy (01767 316 124)

Please also check out our web site www.duntonfolk.co.uk.

Affectionately referred to by Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet” and praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. He is the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright, but Rufus has achieved his success by carving out his own singular sound in the worlds of rock, opera, theatre, dance and film.

Incredible trumpeter Arve Henriksen and the Grammy nominated vocalists Trio Mediæval come together with a mix of Norwegian folk and mediaeval music, commissioned contemporary music and improvisation.

Arve’s distinctive playing transforms his trumpet sounds, morphing them into other exotic instruments from Mongolian overtone singing, Balinese gamelan to the shakuhachi. He weaves subtle electronics into his performances and sings with an astounding stylistic range. OCM is thrilled to bring Arve back to Oxford following his sell-out gig with Dhafer Youssef for us in 2004.

Trio Mediæval are a vocal trio with stunningly pure voices and an exceptionally beautiful sound. They push the boundaries of their repertoire, giving folk and mediaeval music a contemporary edge through their interpretations and improvisations, whilst paying respect to the tradition of the music.