The Glasshouse

Join the final year students from Newcastle University’s Folk and Traditional Music BA for their final recitals. The recitals (3-4 June) are a popular opportunity to catch the rising folk stars of the future perform solo and in groups in the intimate setting of Sage Two.

Wednesday 3 June

2pm: Sophie Hetherington, Fiddle
Growing up in the rich heritage of the Shetland Islands, Sophie has been surrounded by traditional fiddle music her whole life, starting to learn the fiddle from a young age. After recently living in rural Norway for a year, Sophie also began to learn to play the hardanger fiddle. The natural landscapes of both Shetland and Norway inspire Sophie and greatly influence her music. Her love of traditional music is showcased in this performance.

3pm: Janice Burns, Mandolin
Janice Burns is a mandolinist from Glasgow. Coming to traditional music as an adult she has absorbed elements from multiple traditions to create her own unique sound. Her repertoire is varied, having many influences including Scottish, American and Norwegian tunes, from both contemporary and traditional sources. Her playing comes alive in collaboration, showcased by the different musicians she has chosen to perform with.

4pm: Hannah Irwin, Flute
London Irish flute player Hannah Irwin celebrates her rich diasporic heritage through her music. Hannah’s interest in diasporic music and composition, paired with carefully sourced material from field recordings and manuscripts, will be will showcased in her final performance, through an eclectic array of repertory. Hannah’s attention to melodic detail balances intricacy with simplicity, exhibiting the skills and techniques that have helped shape and nurture her style throughout her four years of study on the degree.

5pm: Maisie Cowburn-Bannister, Voice
Maisie May is a dynamic and sensitive performer who explores the boundaries of emotional intensity that traditional and contemporary song narratives bring though the interplay of personal and political stories. As well as studying the voice, Maisie is also a multi-instrumentalist and accomplished accompanist. She has found her own signature sound through an amalgamation of classical, pop, jazz and folk influences.

Maisie strives for a relevance that breathes new life into the nostalgia of folk song. Voicing the complexity of being a performer and a woman, she aims to capture stark contrasts in her music -vulnerability and strength, new and old, light and dark, sensitive to hard-hitting- and topics that are sometimes hard to look at. Maisie welcomes onlookers to come with her as she learns and grows.

Thursday 4 June

2pm: Jake Paterson: Fiddle
Fiddle player, Jake Paterson, will be mixing contemporary Scottish and Irish tunes with more traditional repertoire found from in and around the Central Belt area of Scotland he grew up in. With his own high-energy style encompassing a mixture of traditions, Jake will combine everything that he has learned over his musical career to perform the last concert of his time at Newcastle University.

3pm: Sally Camsell: Voice
Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sally Camsell will be performing a mix of traditional and contemporary folk material interwoven with modal melodies and intricate three-part harmonies. Sally’s performance will also feature some musical theatre singing in order to reflect her original musical background and showcase a wide range of skills. This performance will explore Sally’s journey as a musician and artist both before and during her time at Newcastle University.

4pm: Bertie Armstrong, Voice
Bertie Armstrong is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Newcastle upon Tyne. In his recital he will be exploring the music that has influenced his singing over the years, from the folk songs of North East England to the ballads of the southern Appalachians. Songwriting has been a major part of Bertie’s musical practice during his time at University and he will also be showcasing his original songs in the recital. Bertie’s songwriting draws influence not only from traditional music, but also from folk rock, country and other genres.

5pm: Jon Doran, Voice
Singer and multi instrumentalist from Gloucestershire, Jon Doran is known for his work within the English traditional canon. Press-ganged into a Cotswold Morris side at an early age, he served his time there playing fiddle and dancing. Jon’s interest in traditional music grew from this and led him to discover folk song through singers such as Nic Jones and Andy Irvine. He was a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2019 and a recent winner of Bromyard Folk Festival’s ‘Young Singers Competition’.