Theatre comes to Ropery Hall

The musical partnership between the world-renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. For the last 20 years, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music – and continue to thrill audiences at festivals and concert tours internationally with their virtuosic playing, a near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

A 2011 inductee into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning more than 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought-after cellists in traditional music today and has performed and recorded with a who’s who of the fiddle world. Together, the duo blend a profound understanding of Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations, and, in addition to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

Dan started his career with folk rock band ‘Ocean Colour Scene’ and toured the world, played headline slots at major festivals for over a decade and co-founded the band Merrymouth with Simon Fowler. Merrymouth featured award-winning musicians, John McCusker, Andy Cutting and even a guest appearance from Chas Hodges (Chas and Dave).

Dan also re-formed the legendary Music Hall double act ‘Cosmotheka’ with his father Dave who were huge on the folk scene throughout the 80’s and 90’s until Dan’s uncle, ‘Al’ sadly passed away. Cosmotheka toured the world with Chas and Dave, had several of their own Radio Two programmes and made multiple TV appearances. Dan and father, Dave (one half of the original duo) decided to take the band back out on the road and had great fun headlining Folk Festivals in Bromyard, Whitby, Towersey, Sidmouth, Broadstairs and Upton to name but a few.

Dan now takes his own show on the road, featuring music from all the bands he’s played in, along with the often-hilarious stories he’s amassed along the way – plus material from his forthcoming album.

 “A particular highlight of this year’s festival was the excellent and amusing Dan Sealey” – Beardy Folk Festival

“The highlight of the entire week!” – Broadstairs Folk Week Attendees

“If you ever need a masterclass in songwriting, Dan Sealey is a good place to start. Oozing class on record and live, Dan wraps his reflections on the passing of time in beautiful, lilting musical constructions that work perfectly alongside his silky, easy on the ear vocals.” Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition

Snake is one of the most in-demand rock soul and jazz sax players in the world, widely known for his solos on tracks such as Lisa Stansfield’s “Change”, M-People’s “Search For A Hero” and “Moving On Up” and Take That “A Million Love Songs”. He has played and recorded with artists ranging from James Brown to Tina Turner to Paul McCartney, The Eurythmics to Amy Winehouse. 

With his catchy sax riffs on Klingande’s ‘Jubel’ and Faul’s ‘Changes’ he helped launch careers for many players in the ‘Sax/DJ’ field.

As a session player to the stars he plays arenas and stadiums, but his greatest love is to play intimate venues as himself. Playing the saxophone family as well as flutes, whistles and the ancient Japanese wind instrument, the Shakuhachi, and vocals, it is his total passion and commitment to sound, to every single note, that draws people in. Ropery Hall is the ‘hometown gig’, a very favourite venue. It’s a couple of years since the Snake Davis Band were here though. Guitar, drums, bass guitar and a sensational boundary-blurring mix including Soul, Northern Soul, Jazz, R+B, Ambient and classy pop.

www.snakedavis.rocks

“A virtuoso saxophonist” DAILY TELEGRAPH

“Snake Davis has one of the most passionate sax styles and simple bluesy approaches a-la-Sanborn heard in these isles for a while”  TIME OUT

“Snake is a joy to work alongside.  His musical skills have no limit, in fact he is as free as a bird”  DAVE STEWART (Eurythmics)

“Snake has been friend and inspiration for many years because of his exceptional talent, dedication and sheer joy of making music. Long may it continue.”  HEATHER SMALL

“He doesn’t mess about” THE GUARDIAN

Jade Rhiannon – Vocals, Shruti Box. Katriona Gilmore – Vocals, Mandolin, Fiddle. Jamie Roberts – Vocals, Guitar. Hannah Sanders – Vocals, Guitar, Dulcimer. Ben Savage – Vocals, Dobro, Guitar

Five leading lights of the British roots scene join forces to create a festive folk band like no other. Expect soaring harmonies and exquisite musicianship as the 5-piece blast through a repertoire of brand new, specially written songs, fresh arrangements of traditional carols both well-loved and little-known, and seasonal classics from both sides of the Atlantic. Originally formed in 2015 for a one-off yuletide concert, A Winter Union have gone from strength to strength in the following 5 tours and now are fast becoming thought of as the pre-Christmas knees up for folk & roots lovers all over the country. The band, that features members of The Willows, Gilmore & Roberts and Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage have gone on to play the likes of the Great British Folk Festival, Cecil Sharp House were invited for a live session on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. The band released their 3rd full length album in December 2022. Put on your glad rags and come and raise your voices with A Winter Union!

2023 saw the lifelong friends and Americana, Roots,  Rock’n’Roll duo from Bristol take their songs further afield than ever before. Armed with their crowd funded debut album Heart of the Matter and latest release Live from White Noise, they toured the UK, supported Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, rocked the Joe Bonamassa Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruise alongside the man himself, and completed their first tour of Sweden all whilst paying the bills with their day jobs.

James Cameron and Joseph James (a primary school teacher and roofer by day) who met in a sand pit in rural Wiltshire aged around five years, have supported bands as diverse as My Baby, Cam Cole, Holy Moly and the Crackers, Elles Bailey, Wille and the Bandits, Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra, Black Water County and Mad Dog Mcrea, been jump started by Keith Allen, had radio support from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 4 and Planet Rock, played in Europe and Scandinavia, survived 100 plus festival shows at prestigious festivals like Black Deer, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues, Green Man, Boom Town, Larmer Tree, Glastonbury and Shambala, featured on the Spotify’s Nu-Blue and Modern Blues Rock playlists, performed for Bob Harris’ Under The Apple Tree Sessions and showcased at the prestigious UK AmericanaFest and the UK Blues Federation’s Blues Challenge.

Their songs focus on the dirt that life throws at you and how struggle can be transformed into something better. The prolific songwriting duo draw influences from classic sounds such as Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Fleetwood Mac and modern retro inspired acts like Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr and the Black Keys.

This performance is part of our Members’ 241 Offer. Please ask for details.

“Didn’t you see it? A thing like a man? Hair all over him? And two great eyes to it?

You’re telling me you didn’t see that? Well you count yourself lucky, lad. You count yourself lucky…”

Cathedrals are seats of terror in these two thrilling tales by M R James, the master of the English ghost story. In The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral an ambitious cleric falls prey to an ancient curse built into the very fabric of the building he serves.

In An Episode of Cathedral History ill-advised restorations lead to the discovery of an ancient tomb. But what lies within? And is it only sleeping?

M R James’s wrote many of his best tales to read aloud to friends by candlelight in Kings College, Cambridge in the early 20th century; since early in the 21st, Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Theatre Company has been keeping the flame lit.

“The perfect mix of humour, warmth, apprehension and profound unease. A most pleasing terror…” The Sunday Times