7pm-7.30pm: The Last Inklings (1st support)
7.50pm-8.20pm: Pengetos Trio (2nd support)
8.45pm-10pm: Kathryn Tickell & the Darkening
Live Stream Tickets: £12
Manchester Folk Bundle*: £20
*Bundle grants access to Manchester Folk Festival concerts on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd October
Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening
Kathryn Tickell – Northumbrian pipes, fiddle, voice
Amy Thatcher – accordion, voice, clog dancing
Stef Connor – voice, lyres
Kieran Szifris – octave mandolin
Joe Truswell – drums, percussion
Musicians from Northumberland, Scotland and England invoke the dark, powerful, shamanic sounds of Ancient Northumbria and broadcast them to the modern world. Their inspiration comes from the wild, dramatic, weather-bitten countryside along Hadrian’s Wall, which seems so quintessentially Northumbrian…and yet, almost 2000 years ago that same landscape was inhabited by people from around the world, worshipping different gods and following different customs.
Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening embrace that global perspective, bringing some of the oldest Northumbrian tunes and songs throbbing to life, intermingling them with new material and binding it all together with contemporary resonance and attitude. Fresh sounds merge with ancient influences. Expansive sonic textures are created. Dazzling duets from Kathryn’s pipes and Amy’s accordion contrast with the dark and dirty riffs and rhythms of Kieran’s octave mandolin. Intrepid world-traveller Kate adds her fearless explorations and the inventive use of drums and percussion unites the ensemble.
Band members are also known for their work with: Sting, Soumik Datta, The Shee, Monster Ceilidh Band, Songs of Separation, Carthy, Oates, Farrell & Young, Tarras, the Kathryn Tickell Band and many more.
The Last Inklings (Support)
The Last Inklings are Leonardo MacKenzie and David Hoyland, formerly of Kadia; both are accomplished multi-instrumentalists with a solid folk background.
The band's innovative sound crosses genres, centred around cello, mandolin and vocal harmony, layered with guitar, piano, strings, synths and percussion. With vibrant backstories and creative musicianship, their songs have a modern flavour that is rich with imagery and narrative, exploring at their core what it is to be human.
Their name is a nod to the mid 20th century literary group which included Tolkein and CS Lewis, although their inspiration is drawn from wider sources than just these authors, ranging from Carl Jung to Terry Pratchett. Thoughtful depth is handled with a light touch, balanced with playfulness, metaphor and humour. Musically their influences are equally diverse, including artists such as Moulettes, Punch Brothers, and the cinematic soundscapes of composers like Max Richter to the traditional songs and tunes of the British Isles.
The Last Inklings debut album 'The Impossible Wild' is out now and available to order here.
Pengetos Trio (Support)
Three long-lost cousins - the zither, the tambura and the cobza – meet in the music of the Pengetős (Plunking) Trio and they have a lot to discuss. The instruments are related to each other and are each well-known in their own right, however, the Trio’s repertoire is absolutely unique in that it offers a previously unknown consonance of the three. The basis of Trio’s repertoire is authentic folk music, but they do not reject unusual instrumentation or other musical innovations either.
In addition to their exceptional talent and professional skills, their musical creativity rooted in their respect for traditions which allows for the creation of mature, unique sounds, have also played an important role in their success. Poetry, virtuosity, innovation and tradition are all characteristics of Pengetős Trio’s programmes.
The members of the band are all committed to authentic Hungarian folk music. They regularly perform on stage in Hungary and abroad and they also teach music. Alexandra Berta is a Junior Prima Award holding artist, folkmusic education professional at the Hungarian Heritage House; Zalán Csenki is a teacher at Béla Bartók Conservatoire as well as at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest; Bálint Horváth is a student of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest.
The Trio represented Hungary and Hungarian folk music at Euroradio Folk Festival (CZ, 2017), at Festa Ungherese (IT, 2017), at Musik der Völker Festival (A, 2018), Czech Music Crossroads – International Showcase Festival (CZ, 2019) and at Bratislava World Music Festival (SK, 2019)