Chester Folk Festival takes over Kelsall

May 23 2008 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

Music of the highest calibre will be on the bill when this year’s Chester Folk Festival takes place over the Spring Bank Holiday.

Based in the village of Kelsall, proceedings at the festival begin at around 8pm on Friday, May 23 and run through until late on Bank Holiday Monday.

The festival, which has been running for more than 30 years, goes from strength to strength and this year’s guest list is one of the strongest yet, reflecting and showcasing the huge talent and diversity that is around on the current folk music scene.

Each of the three main days has a double supply of headline acts. On Saturday these are Tanglefoot and Chris While & Julie Matthews.

Canadian band Tanglefoot have been popular festival guests a number of times since their first visit; the huge impact of their adept song writing, spectacular vocal harmonies and strong instrumental accompaniment is hard to resist.

While & Matthews are two superb singers and songwriters at the peak of their powers; nationally and internationally acclaimed, their performances have been described as ‘breathtaking’ and ‘unrivalled’.

Sunday sees the return of John Spiers and Jon Boden who, since their first appearance at the festival as relative unknowns in 2003, have achieved huge success with their new and vibrant interpretations of English folk music and song, being nominated in the best duo category of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for four consecutive years and winning it twice.

They will be joined by Brittany-based band The Churchfitters who wowed audiences at last year’s festival by their energetic uniting of the rhythms of rock and pop with the universal appeal of traditional music.

Monday sees the first solo Chester appearance of Chris Wood. Chris has been a well respected singer, guitarist and fiddle player for more than 20 years.

In 2006 the song One in a Million he co-wrote with Hugh Lupton won Best New Song at the BBC Folk Awards and the same year he was nominated for three other performing awards.

He will share the limelight with Australian duo Cloudstreet who have taken the UK folk music scene by storm in the last few years.

Other highlights of the weekend include folk music comedian Sid Kipper and former That’s Life present Grant Baynham as well as popular bands Cock & Bull Band, Gloworms, Shake a Leg and English Rebellion plus local stars Full House, The Time Bandits, Roy Clinging & Neil Brookes and mother and daughters harmony group The Waite Collective.

Along with the usual mix of concerts, there will be workshops, a craft fair, displays of morris dancing and street theatre and children’s entertainment from Panic Circus who will be providing a non-stop programme of circus workshops, puppet shows, stories and games for younger festival-goers.

There will also be a specially-devised show as a tribute to the late Sandy Denny, of Fairport Convention fame, to mark the 30th anniversary of her death. This will feature the aforementioned Full House together with guest appearances from Chris While and Katrina Turner.

Day and evening tickets as well as full weekend tickets are available and can be purchased on site by going to the festival office which is located near the Morris Dancer pub.

Take a look at the festival website http://www.chesterfolk.org.uk/ for more information.