Description

Last year's Christmas Downend Folk Club concert will live long in the memory, and our 2019 festive event will be no different as we welcome folk superstar Jackie Oates and her band to South Gloucestershire for a special Christmas concert in the majestic surroundings of Christ Church Downend.

Jackie first performed at the club with Mike Cosgrave as long ago as July 2015, so when we heard that she was doing a Christmas Tour with a full band lineup, our minds were made up instantly! Jackie's is a name synonymous with the reinvigoration of English folk music, beguiling audiences with a delicate balance of tradition and reinvention.

Her mellifluous voice and imaginatively plaintive fiddle style has won her several BBC Folk Awards during a 10-year recording career that began as a member of the nascent Unthanks and has continued with six acclaimed solo albums. To quote the illustrious Mojo magazine, Jackie Oates enthrals. She will get everyone in the Christmas spirit by performing a selection of Christmas and winter carols and songs as well as songs from her new album The Joy of Living.

Opening the evening with some equally festive songs will be the acoustic bass-wielding Thom Ashworth to add to the festive feel.

An acoustic bass guitar may not seem like an obvious choice as an accompaniment instrument, but Thom shows that this distinctive instrumental voice can find a home in folk music, and that four strings are enough to delve into the canon of British folk music. Equal parts interpreter of traditional song and insightful political songwriter, the press has repeatedly compared him to Martin Carthy, Chris Wood, and Billy Bragg. This selection of luminaries doesn't tell the whole story though as Thom's inventive musicality and powerful tenor voice shine through. Thom's debut album Head Canon was released in earlier this year.

Tickets for the event, which takes place at Christ Church Downend on Friday 20th December 2019, are available from Melanie's Kitchen or online from www.downendfolkclub.co.uk. They are priced at £14 each in advance (£12 for members), or £16 on the door. There will be a full bar, stocking mulled wine (for this month only) as well as soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and locally-brewed real ale from Hambrook-based Great Western Brewing Co., and also locally-made Naughty Brownies. There will be a raffle with prizes including CDs, gift boxes of beer and sweet treats. You are encouraged to bring your own glass/mug/tankard/bucket, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the club's drive to be more environmentally aware. There is now a 50p reduction on the bar prices for those that bring their own vessels!

For further information, please visit the club's website, find them on Facebook or Twitter or email downendfolkclub@live.com. We again expects a bumper audience, so make sure you book early!

Downend Road Downend,
Bristol,
Gloucestershire.
BS16 5UE
07837881941

Details for this event are provided by We Got Tickets