The Glitter Ball
Come along to a Retro Dance Evening at the Assembly Rooms, your favourite party music from through the years on the Mid Border Arts dance floor.
Y Llyn
Y Llyn is a 60 minute storytelling, dance and music performance inspired by the legend of Llyn y Fan Fach, told in both Welsh AND English at the same time.
Following in the Footsteps of the Welsh drovers
Delving into the history and practices of droving, Mark will identify the legacy that is still with us and explore the routes used by Welsh drovers to reach lucrative English markets.
Will Barnes Quartet
Presenting songs from their acclaimed album, which is an exploration of the rugged landscape of Mid Wales and the Marches. They will be joined by skilled landscape artist Erin Hughes, providing a captivating live visual show to accompany the quartet’s performance.
Hannah Reed, Vera Van Heeringen & Michael Starkey
Three unique musical voices unite to deliver a powerful yet intimate blend of Appalachian old-time songs and tunes, alongside a collection of beautifully crafted soulful originals.
Martin Harley
Martin Harley has been making music and touring the world for over two decades. His sound has never been more down to earth. Exploring roots, blues and slide guitar in a style The Guardian referred to as ‘Spellbinding’
Touki
Amadou Diagne has centuries of West African music at his fingertips. Cory Seznec is a musical wanderer and uncertified ethnomusicologist. A chance encounter while busking in Bath planted the seeds of a collaboration that’s been fermenting now for over a decade.
Beth Porter Trio
A master collaborator, songwriter, cellist and artist in her own right, Beth Porter has integrated herself into many areas of the music world. She has been likened to Cat Power, The Beatles, REM, This Is The Kit, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Radiohead, Sandy Denny, The Incredible String Band and The Kinks. With a classical background, a venture into folk music, and a love of simple pop songs, there’s nothing quite like Beth’s songwriting. It is quintessentially English yet understated and original.
The Gin Bowlers
We're getting the Assembly Rooms dance floor out for a pre-Christmas knees up with the rowdy swing sounds of The Gin Bowlers.
Ranju Roy
Ranju will present an overview of his most recent book ‘Yoga as Pilgrimage’. There will also be a Q&A session and a yoga session before the talk for a limited number of attendees.
Pagliacci
In Leoncavallo’s legendary operatic thriller ‘Pagliacci’, or ‘Clowns’, the leader of a touring troupe of comedy actors, discovers his wife is having an affair. Before he finds out who it is, he must go on stage in the role of a despairing husband with a cheating wife.
Guy Davis
Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles.
Cahalen Morrison
Equally at home on guitar, banjo, mandolin, singing three part harmony or unaccompanied, he has carved out a place for himself as a unique voice in American music. An insightful and poetic wordsmith and songwriter, a subtle and accomplished roots multi-instrumentalist and a captivating singer.
Promoted by RADMAD
London Afrobeat Collective
London Afrobeat Collective are a tight-knit family of musicians from around the world, living in London and united by a love of afrobeat and a desire to take original music to new places.
Supported by Ffredi Blino and Iris Rei.
Borderless: East Meets West
With Ahmed Mukhtar, oud, Ruba Hillawi, oud, Sonia Hammond, cello, Camilla Saunders piano
Gigspanner
Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Trio have established their reputation as one of the most genuinely ground-breaking forces on the British folk scene.
Luke Wright's Silver Jubilee
Edinburgh Fringe Smash Hit. Wright tries to celebrate but ends up taking a deep dive into himself and the England that raised him. New poems on class, love and adoption.
Liz Ikamba
British-Congolese (DRC) singer and multi-instrumentalist creating her own brand of Afro-soul-folk.
Home of the Free presents…
Presteigne residents Alex Valentine and Dave Luke, delivering original songs and classy interpretations in the country-folk genre. WIth support from Jakey Boy Hughes and Jessica Rising
Francesca Ramsay
Francesca talks to Jo King about her first book PINCH ME: Trying to Feel Real in the 21st Century
Andy Skellam
Andy is a Bristol based, alt-folk musician his poetic and highly visual lyrics and warm unaffected voice are accompanied by Bill Frampton on bass and Pete Warner on drums. Supported by Presteigne’s own Iris Rei.
Keith James performs the songs of Leonard Cohen
With a lifetime of performing and an undying love of the ‘pure song’ Keith James gives you a concert of Cohen’s amazing material in the most intimate and sensitive way.
VELVET VIOLIN present LITTLE RUMBA & LA GRINGA NEGRA
The Velvet Violin is back with music from Little Rumba, La Gringa Negra plus another pop quiz.
Stephen Hugh-Jones
Anthropologist Stephen Hugh Jones presents his talk - “The Spirit with no anus and the pots that fart. Adventures in the mythology of the Colombian Amazon and why this is of relevance to ourselves.” Probably not one to miss!
The Will Barnes Quartet
The Will Barnes Quartet, in collaboration with skilled landscape artist Erin Hughes, are proud to present their debut album, ‘Source of the Severn’. Will Barnes (guitar) is joined by James Batten (drums), Jack Gonsalez (piano) and Clovis Phillips (bass) - a tight collective of highly experienced jazz instrumentalists.
Home of the Free
Presteigne residents Alex Valentine and Dave Luke, delivering original songs and classy interpretations in the country-folk genre. On this occasion their soaring harmonies presented on a bed of string instruments will be augmented by local maestro John Hymas
Dom Pipkin & The Ikos
One of Europe’s most authentic and spirited blues and jazz piano players “The soul of New Orleans in the UK” Dom Pipkin is at the forefront of musicians keeping the classic New Orleans sound alive. His world-travelled band The Ikos have taken New Orleans funk and blues and created from it their own unique sound and songs.
Lodestar Trio
Lodestar Trio is a unique collaboration between stars of the Scandinavian folk scene Erik Rydvall and Olav Mjelva, and British violin virtuoso Max Baillie. Together they bring a spirit of groove and improvisation into Baroque music by combining traditional nordic string instruments— the Swedish nyckelharpa and the Norwegian hardanger fiddle— with the violin.
Mike Parker
Mike Parker talks about his book All the Wide Border.
Mike records a funny, warm and timely meditation on identity and belonging, following the scenic route along the England–Wales border: Britain’s deepest faultline. His journey is divided into three legs corresponding with the watersheds of the three great border rivers: the Dee in the north, the Severn in the centre, the Wye in the south.
Gail Davies
Award winning singer, songwriter, performer, author, producer and member of Oklahoma's Music Hall Of Fame, Gail Davies will be performing with her trio in Presteigne on Saturday November 18th as part of a short tour of the UK.
Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay
Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay are a duo project between two finger style guitarists, coming together to blend influences and different styles of playing to create a unique sound for guitar based folk music. Their self titled album is out on Topic Records and is their second collaboration after 2018’s The Hawksworth Grove Sessions.
Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn
Take a celebrated musical genius, some sibling rivalry, an unknown manuscript, BAFTA-winning filmmaker Sheila Hayman, and one sensational revelation and what have you got? Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn – a revelatory new feature documentary starring global Decca star, Isata Kanneh-Mason.
Sam Lewis
Sam Lewis has collaborated with everyone from Leon Russell to The Wood Brothers. Chris Stapleton dubbed him “a modern Townes Van Zandt”. Lewis’ style meets at a juncture of many different genres however he’s discovered what most musicians spend lifetimes working for; the place where feel-good music meets vital social commentary.
Jody White
Jody speaks about his debut book Chimera with author Ian Marchant.
Jody White’s eighteenth year of life filled his heart with young love – only to break him apart. Diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Leukaemia, he was given just two weeks to live.
Beatrice and Benedict
Beatrice and Benedict are both determined to stay single. Beatrice is a woman who despises men (especially Benedict) and Benedict can’t abide women (particularly Beatrice). That is until their friends plot to bring them together and they both ‘accidentally’ overhear whispers of each other’s unrequited passion; the spark of love is ignited by gossip and quickly becomes a blazing wildfire.
Ivan Moult
Ivan Moult’s signature sound, combining 1960s/70s folk and blues with a contemporary touch, is on full display as he showcases his strongest album yet. Influenced by artists like J.J. Cale, Nina Simone, and Tim Buckley, Ivan's original and unique voice is at the centre of the soundscape, layered with harmonies and delay-soaked electric guitars.
ICHI
ICHI, from Nagoya in Japan, takes the notion of a one-man band to new limits, combining his quirky handmade instrument inventions (Stilt-bass, Kalilaphone, Balloon-pipes, Hatbox-pedal-drum, Tapumpet, Percussion-shoes & Hattrick-hat) with steel-drum, ping-pong balls, typewriter, toys & everyday objects all in the space of one short set.
ICHI will be supported by Emma Daman from psychedelic supremos Islet, performing some of her new solo work.
PIECE OF WORK by James Rowland
In PIECE OF WORK James explores how the landscapes we exist within effect the way we think and feel; how searching for something is an end in itself, regardless of whether the search is successful. It’s about our sense of home, and the hope that makes our lives liveable.