“Focused and accomplished, this is dignified Anglo Celtic music of the first order”
Since their successful first album five years ago, Blackthorn have gone from strength to strength with appearances at high profile venues such as the Royal Albert Hall “Ignite” series, Sidmouth Folkweek and other folk and arts venues and festivals.
Blackthorn is generally available during 2011. The current line-up of Alex Percy, Sarah Mooney, Mannie Mcclelland and Fergus (Pete) McClelland offers your event concert performances, ceilidhs, instrument workshops and also Music with Mannie, workshops for children up to 6 years. (Kat Hurdley -flute/fiddle – is standing in for Sarah during the second half of 2011)
The band has released two albums on Hobgoblin Records, Far From Home (2003) and The River That Runs Below (2008). Both have received much acclaim in the music press. fROOTS said of the latest release “Focused and accomplished, this is dignified Anglo Celtic music of the first order” while Irish Music magazine described it as “This lovely album”. The original album was “Album of the week” on BBC Radio Scotland’s Reel Blend and Album of the month in Irish Dancing Magazine, and fROOTS described the band as “A commendable musical collective”.
Blackthorn plays tunes from all over the British Isles, and songs mostly from East Anglia and Sussex, led by strong flute and fiddle melodies, backed by guitar and bouzouki rhythms, and contrasted with the sounds of concertina and their many other instruments. Hobgoblin’s founders Fergus (Pete) and Mannie McClelland have been active in the traditional music scene for over 30 years and their work took them to many hundreds of folk festivals over the following decades where they absorbed a wide range of influences into their music and songs. They have now gathered around them a small group of highly talented young musicians bringing this music to life together as Blackthorn.
Seered.co.uk wrote about Sidmouth Folkweek ceilidhs “Blackthorn were one of the best bands on offer during the whole week. ..Have them back next year!” In 2007 Sarah McQuaid wrote about Blackthorn’s Sidmouth concert “Do send me a copy of your new CD when it’s out and I’ll be delighted to review it for Hot Press. If it’s anything like as good as the live act I’m sure it’ll be favourable!”
www.blackthornband.org/
www.myspace.com/blackthornband
http://www.youtube.com/TheBlackthornBand
Friday 16th September 2011
At The Laverton
8:00 – 10:30pm (bar opens at 7:00pm)
Tickets £15 available from “Town and Country Estate Agents” in Westbury High Street.
You can buy tickets by mail too. Send stamped self addressed envelope and a cheque made payable to Westbury Music and Arts Festival. Please put on the reverse side of cheque the number of tickets and event required.
WMAF,
10 Meadow lane,
Westbury,
BA13-3AE
Finally you can buy tickets at the door before event.
Please call 01373 825039 for further information
