Strangeworld

Bryan Causton, from 'Shave the Monkey' is the talented leader of Strangeworld playing guitar, mandocello, mandolin & cittern and generally providing the percussive underpinning of the group. Anna Ardley plays whistles, oboe, bombard & bassoon alongside cellist Ginette Davis, who also plays fiddle, provides many interesting harmonic twists to the tunes. The youngest member of the band is piano accordionist Andrew Thompson, who provides the wonderfully atmospheric harmonies for the band’s very varied collection of tunes.

www.strangeworldmusic.com

The Old Dance School Band

The Old Dance School thrilled audiences at last year’s festival and so it is with great pleasure that we welcome them back to Woodworks 2008.

 This Birmingham based 8-piece group brings youthful, vital energy to traditional music. As a ceilidh band with caller, they will bring fire to the feet of the Woodworks audience, with favourite set dances and the ability to break down into smaller combinations. Drawing members from Joe Broughton's outrageous Folk Orchestra Extravaganza, the Old Dance School features fiddle, whistle and accordian with guitar, bass and Cajon rhythm section to bring life to an exciting and varied repertoire.

www.theolddanceschool.com

Megson

The combined talents of northerners Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer make the upcoming duo ‘Megson’. With a debut album ‘On the Side’ under their belts and a self titled EP, they are fast making waves amongst the British folk/roots scene with their captivating songs, poignant lyrics, beautiful harmonies and impeccable musicianship.

www.megsonmusic.co.uk

Life and Time

Every region and area has its chroniclers of local history and in Bedfordshire we are fortunate to have Barry Goodman and Graeme Meek. These two are responsible for bringing Bedfordshire history to life by uncovering long forgotten local songs – and writing their own. Veterans of International Festivals such as Sidmouth, and familiar figures in the landscape of our county they play and sing and accompany the Morris in the May Day celebrations in Ampthill and can be seen outside (and occasionally inside) a wide range of local hostelries. They have also written a song especially for the Forest of Marston Vale – thus ensuring the centre’s immortality!

www.lifeandtimes.org.uk

www.myspace.com/broadsidesrevisited

www.redbornstoke.com

Suntrap

Suntrap perform a mesmerizing array of music including their own material and the best of the traditional and contemporary folk repertoire.  The songwriters (Sara Byers and Paul Hoad) create original, innovative works drawing on English song tradition and American Folk & Country. This is handcrafted music played by a double fiddle section, guitars, accordion, bohdran, whistles and harmonica, carefully woven around shimmering, slipsliding vocal harmonies.

If you want to be wooed, thrilled, moved and above all entertained then you must see this band!  

www.suntrap.org        

Boka Halat (Workshop)

Boka Halat is a dance and concert band originally created by Roger Watson of TAPS and Musa Mboob from the Gambia in 1999. The name means ‘Mutual Inspiration' in the Wolof language of  Gambia / Senegal. The band has developed to include UK-resident musicians from other cultural backgrounds.

www.tradarts.org/boka

Doudoumba

Back, by very popular demand, Chris Puleston will bring his incredible energy to the Woodworks! stage. With drums, didgeridoos and percussion of all sorts, Chris will draw you into the performance allowing you the opportunity to play West African Djembes amongst other drums. This is a chance to see Bedfordshire's own percussion master at work and have a go yourself.

www.chrispuleston.org

Isambarde

Isambarde’s music is a powerful blend of traditional and contemporary folk songs, taking the English tradition forward into the 21st century. A power trio, consisting Chris Green, Jude Rees and Emily Sanders, Isambarde hail from the Coventry area and are making quite an impact on the folk scene.  The unusual and winning combination of Chris's driving guitar, Emily's incisive fiddle playing and Jude's lyrical oboe coupled with great full on vocal harmonies look set to delight all at Woodworks.

www.isambarde.co.uk

Boka Halat (Concert)

“Hand-on-heart I swear they were the most inspiring, exciting, fun thing I saw all week"
Ian Anderson, fRoots, on Boka Halat at Sidmouth Festival

"The audience were ecstatic and the organisers delighted!"
Steve Heap, Towersey Festival

"Friends are still talking about it and people danced who have never danced before"
Beaty Jenkyns, Hitchin

www.tradarts.org/boka