The Glasshouse

Newcastle University’s Folk and Traditional Music BA presents their 2019 finalists. These popular recitals are a fantastic opportunity to hear emerging folk artists at the start of their careers.

11am-11.25am – Anna Hughes (Minor Voice)
This recital is an attempt to connect with the beauty in folk song. Anna has been searching for songs which she has a deep personal connection to. This celebration of nostalgia and human connection will include songs of love, hope, family and home. She will be accompanied by Maisie Cowburn-Bannister and Bertie Armstrong to bring these poetic songs to life.

11.45am-12.10pm – Bertie Armstrong (Minor Banjo)
Bertie Armstrong is a banjo player from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Bertie’s banjo playing is firmly grounded in American old time traditions, and makes use of a number of Appalachian styles. Bertie has also been influenced by the traditional music of Britain and contemporary artists of many genres. He will playing a mixture of traditional Appalachian mountain music and contemporary tunes and songs.

12.30pm–12.55pm – Maisie Cowburn-Bannister (Minor Concertina)

5.30pm–6.10pm- Robin Song (Ensemble)
Robin Song are a three piece band based in Newcastle, who connected through the folk degree and found that we all love playing music together! Violet Denniff (Violet Hour) plays bouzouki and sings, with Fiona Finden (Whapweasel, Big Blue) on fiddle, sax and vocals and Penny Kempson (Out Of Hand, Random) on violin and viola. Our interests and backgrounds bring together a broad range of influences, from ceilidh music to jazz to political feminist ballads – we hope you enjoy our recital!

6.30pm -7.10pm – Anna Hughes (Major Fiddle)
Anna Hughes is a fiddle player, bringing her time on the folk degree to a close by stripping back and rediscovering the roots of traditional musics; linking Nordic and British traditional music with newly composed music. This year has consisted of a lot of research in to the older layers of traditional music, endeavoring to show that the ancient melodies have their place amongst the new. Playing with repetition, tone, space, momentum and exploring modal harmonies, Anna will be joined by three musicians with backgrounds in Norwegian folk music and jazz, to create a concert which explores what it is about these melodies that makes them feel hypnotic and powerful, working to intensify this feeling to create an atmosphere.

7.30pm–8.10pm – Violet Denniff (Major Voice)