There are some wonderful performers who came to Woodworks! in 2008. Get the 2009 dates in your diary now!

Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th September 2008

Saturday

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.

"Strangeworld play such beautiful music that takes you to places well beyond any earthly location. Straight to the heart ! Great musicians, wonderful tunes" 

Pete Morton

"Strangeworld encompasses the best of every musical era, creating a new entity which is addictive to the listener and player. Bryan Causton has brought together four talented musicians with a unique combination of instruments and styles to produce a really great sound - a sound that is both stimulating and addictive"

Keiron Jones (Hitchin Folk Club)

www.strangeworldmusic.com

Saturday

"For my money Megson are amongst the most exciting trailblazers of British Contemporary Folk."
Seth Lakeman

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.

Their new album ‘Smoke of Home’ promises to be an impressive follow up and is due for release in early summer. It will coincide with a live session on the BBC 2 Radio Bob Harris show before Megson take to the road to appear at clubs and festivals throughout the UK. Festival appearances will include Wimborne, Saul, Cambridge, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury and, of course, Woodworks!

www.megsonmusic.co.uk

Saturday

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.

Suntrap play all over the UK and Europe at major folk festivals, folk clubs and arts centres.  When not headlining, Suntrap have supported such major artists as Kate Rusby, Kathryn Tickell, Waterson Carthy, The Albion Band, The Oyster Band and Vin Garbett.  Suntrap have been privileged to open Cambridge Folk Festival, Skagen Folk Festival and Warwick Folk Festival.  Radio features have included the Mike Harding Show and a live performance on Radio 4’s Loose Ends.

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

www.suntrap.org

Saturday

Back for a fourth year, 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.

With the emphasis firmly on fun and self expression, Chris will lead the group into simple rhythm patterns using Djembe, Darabuka, Bongos and Conga drums as well as tuned percussion and hand held instruments, all of which are provided.

www.chrispuleston.org

Sunday - workshop and concert

English, African and Indian music & dance.

We are delighted to welcome the musicians of Boka Halat to Woodworks 2008.

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.

Roger Watson - Melodeon, Concertina, Vocal: Known nationally and in Europe as a long-serving and well respected player, singer, songwriter and dance caller, Roger has more than a decade of inter-cultural project experience in performance and also education.

Musa Mboob - Sabars, Djembe, Tama, Bongo,Vocal: Ex-member of Ifang Bondi and a major touring and recording artist in the Gambia, Musa has also worked with Youssou N'Dour and has been drum teacher to many famous European artists, including Mari Boine. He is a Master drummer from a long line of griots, a songwriter and an expert on West African traditions.

Boka Halat's highlights have included top spots at Sidmouth International, and Towersey Festivals, national touring, which included prime venues such as the Spitz in London and MAC in Birmingham, live appearances on BBC Radio 3 programmes and spots in the BBC ‘World on Your Streets' stage at the Reading WOMAD Festival.

“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.htm

Sunday

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