Exploring the power of place, and the author’s ‘one square mile of Cheshire’ the piece combines oral recordings of Alan Garner with folk tales, folk music, playground rhymes and oral archive as the source material.

These are interwoven with original compositions by John, played on the 14 string Viola d’Amore, inspired by Alan Garner’s work and by the landscape of Alderley Edge itself.

The show is a collaboration between storyteller Nick Hennessey and musician and composer John Dipper - with behind-the-scenes script development support from Alan’s daughter Elizabeth, novelist and editor.

With resources and support from the Blackden Trust.

All images courtesy of David Heke

Show less

John Dipper: viola d'amore
Dave Malkin: guitar, voice

Their debut album 'Tricks of the Trade'...

"John Dipper's duets with the guitarist Dave Malkin are perfectly judged, the latter's occasional unassuming vocals adding just the right measure of grit. Exquisite…" The Sunday Times

"Tricks Of The Trade is an album of stunning musicianship without a single dull note.” Folking.com

"Distinctively English, albeit with an exotic twist… that little bit different from anything else out there.” Living Tradition Magazine

"An album of sublime elegance, of rapture and loyalty; the pairing of John Dipper and Dave Malkin works superbly." Liverpool Sound & Vision

          

Show less

Formed to fuse Emily's passions for Medieval and Renaissance melodies/songs and modern folk styles.

Emily has had a successful career in both Folk (Askew Sisters, Alma, Ceilidh Factor and the Elizabethan Session) and Early Music (The Artisans, Shakespeare's Globe, Glyndebourne, The Dufay Collective, Joglaresa, Mediva and the Medieval Babes). Being an multi-instrumentalist playing vielle, shawm, bagpipes, recorders and medieval harp, Emily wanted to explore the possibilities of mixing these unusual sounds with modern instruments.

The band bring together singer/guitarist/fiddler Jamie Roberts (Gilmore Roberts, The Dovetail Trio), fiddler/viola d'amore playing John Dipper (English Acoustic Collective, Methera, Dipper Malkin, and Alma) and percussionist Louise Duggan (National Theatre, Regents Park Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe).

 

Show less

John Dipper: viola d'amore, concertina
Vicki Swan: nyckelharpa, oktavharpa, flageolet
Jonny Dyer: spinet, accordion, gandola

Find out what would happens when some of his more distant friends from rural Sweden and beyond gatecrash with their instruments…

A light hearted programme of music seemlessly blending folk with baroque, Swedish and British and more. Prepare for a humorous fusion featuring the spinet, nyckelharpa, viola d'amore (and a light sprinkling of accordion, gandola and flageolet).

  

Show less

"Never a dull tune, never repetitive, constantly interesting and most melodious, Methera is to be celebrated in both folk and classical music worlds.” fRoots

"The invention and interplay throughout is breathtaking, and sets Methera beside the very best instrumental groups of the decade." Songlines

Their national tours, BBC Radio 3 broadcasts and collaborations have helped them establish a reputation as a scintillating live act, blazing a trail through the uncharted territory that lies between folk and chamber music.

Lucy Deakin (cello), John Dipper and Emma Reid (fiddles) and Miranda Rutter (viola) combine a deep knowledge of traditional music with a wide range of other influences and expertise and a deep sense of musical interaction.

Newly composed pieces sit alongside timeless traditional material; their music is both sophisticated and earthy, groundbreaking and familiar, enchanting and thrilling.

   

Show less

James has been singing and playing folk music for over 40 years. A long-time collaborator with the late Ralph Jordan (Silas, Crows and Patterson, Jordan, Dipper), he now works in this duo with John Dipper.

James and john recently worked with Hugh Lupton and Nick Hennessey on the Barbed Wire for Kisses project, which reveals the first expression of their growing interest in the adaptation of art song to the folk style.

James is also a Film Archive Director and Senior Academic at the University of Lincoln.

Show less

“Ethereal and seductive...their repertoire continually springs surprises. The playing is spry, intelligent and joyous too!"
The Sunday Times

Inspired by fiddle traditions from England and across the world, at the heart of Alma's music is the joyful sound of fiddles playing in harmony.

Each member of Alma brings their own individual style and influences to the band, which they weave together into a bright and vibrant sound. This includes John’s work with Chris Wood in the English Acoustic Collective and groundbreaking string quartet Methera, Emily’s extensive experience in early music (playing with The Dufay Collective, Shakespeare’s Globe and at Glyndebourne), and Adrian’s knowledge of Eastern European music developed through his highly acclaimed work with Arhai and Horses Brawl.

Alma’s unique approach to the gems of each tradition result in beautiful and exciting new arrangements, that tantalise and excite the audience.

      

Show less

The A3 Ceilidh Band is one of the most exciting dance bands emerging in the UK today.

Formed by a small collective of professional folk musicians, their ceilidhs are always fun, energetic & accessible.

The band plays a range of music from across Britain and Ireland on a dynamic selection of instruments, including fiddles, accordion, flute, melodeon, guitar and drum-kit.

    

Show less

John Dipper - viola d’amore
Tom Moore - violin (Moore Moss Rutter, False Lights, deputy and session work for artists including Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Alex Heffes for BBC Films, Bellowhead, Antonio Forcione, and Robert Mitchell)
Nick Hart - duet concertina and voice (Stage Musician in Shakespeare in Love on the west End, Trad Acedemy and Ceilidh Liberation Front)

"A fine cast of England’s new generation of tradition bearers give thrilling performances of the gems and forgotten songs that they have unearthed from manuscripts and honed to perfection!"

"A classy and very sophisticated take on English folk music, bringing fresh new sounds to the scene - captivating arrangements, played  by masters of their craft!"

"This trio is the benchmark of refinement and finesse, while at the same time keeping the grit and fidelity of the source material alive and well. The Tradition is safe in their very capable Hands."

   

Show less

Storytellers: Hugh Lupton and Nick Hennessey.
Musicians: John Dipper and James Patterson

In this spell-binding performance the narratives of families in one small community tell the bigger story of the First World War. Lives and deaths on several fronts are played out without leaving the boundaries of an English parish.

The trials, tragedies and triumphs at home open a human window onto the trauma that shaped the twentieth century.

Using material from the Lincolnshire County Archive including letters from the Front and songs composed by men who lived through the war (George Butterworth, Ivor Gurney, Gerald Finzi) alongside traditional and original material, musicians and storytellers invoke an English rural world in crisis, a world that is both remote and familiar.

    

Show less

They have been part of several different arts council funded projects including JUNCTIONS - collaborating with Peter Weigold, the Tacet Ensemble and The Copper Family. They also took part in the Scottish Arts Council funded DISTIL project studying composition with Judith Weir, Paul Dunmall and the Sibelius Accademy's Timo Alakotilla. When the Distil model transferred to England they were again invited to take part.

They have received individual awards from the PRS Foundation as well as a collective award to compose new music for contemporary Morris dance for the Sidmouth International Festival of Folk Arts. Their ability to mix freely with world class Jazz and Contemporary composers whilst at all times maintaining a rare and genuine understanding of the beauty of England's tradition enables them to add to it in a compelling and contemporary way.

"One sunny afternoon in August about 25 people stood squashed in a church porch. Others stood outside in the churchyard, their faces pressed up against the stained glass. Inside something beautiful was happening. The launch concert at Towersey Village Festival for 'Ghosts', the first CD by the EAC, was a remarkable moment of tranquillity in the middle of a colourful, vibrant weekend. For an hour or so it felt like the entire audience in the packed church was holding its breath." Sara Barnard - fROOTS

Show less