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Winner of two BBC Folk Awards 2017:

The Horizon Award for best newcomer and Best Traditional Track

Three times nominee for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2019

ALSR Celtic Music Awards for 2020: Male Vocalist of the Year

‘Daoirí is one of the most important traditional singers to emerge in the last decade’

Dónal Lunny

‘I’ve been listening to Daoirí’s emerging sounds since first hearing him at the Góilin Singers Club in Dublin when he was a young lad….always a treat to hear him sing.’

Christy Moore

‘It doesn’t get much better than that. The real deal. What a voice.’

Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show

‘Daoirí played for ninety minutes. Watching, caught in the enthralling flow of the music, it felt like twenty.’  Live review by From the Margins

Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (pronounced ‘Derry’) Farrell has been described by some of the biggest names in Irish folk music as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years.

After a promising debut album, The First Turn, back in 2009; Daoirí spent several years studying traditional music and performance across Ireland. While at The University of Limerick Fintan Vallely introduced him to the singing of the late Liam Weldon, an encounter that was to prove formative to his sound and his approach to folk song.

Daoirí had cut his teeth as a singer in Dublin’s famous Góilin Singers Club and at other sessions across the city, many of which he still visits regularly.  Following his studies he quickly found work accompanying artists including Christy Moore, as well as a list of names that sounds like a who’s who of folk music: Dónal Lunny, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Alan Doherty, Danú, Dervish, Julie Fowlis, Arty McGlynn, The John Carty Big Band, Kíla, Sean Keane, Gerry O’Connor (Banjo), Gerry O’Connor (Fiddle), Lynched and more.  In 2013 he won the All Ireland Champion Singer award at the Fleadh in Co. Derry, and in 2015 won the prestigious Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections in Glasgow with the line-up FourWinds.

Daoirí finally stepped into the limelight launched his own solo live career at the 2016 Celtic Connections.

His determination not to put out another album until he was sure it was the best he could produce, means the long-awaited release of True Born Irishman in October 2016 was hugely anticipated.  As the final touches were being made to the album, and as a relative unknown to the UK audience, in May 2016 he was invited to fly to Manchester to do a live session on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe. Two UK tours and UK festival dates followed in 2016 including Moseley Folk Festival, Broadstairs Folk Week and FolkEast.

Calls were coming in from across the world and dates were put in place in Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark and more for 2017 alongside a co-headline tour with 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Damien O’Kane, who contacted Daoirí online after seeing a video of him on Youtube.  The video which Damien O’Kane spotted was of Daoirí’s live performance of Creggan White Hare from The First Turn which has quietly reached over 1m hits (now standing at 2.2m as of Sept ’20).

What the press said about True Born Irishman:

‘On only his second solo album this former electrician surely steps into Irish folk legend….Put his ferocious and dramatic version of Van Diemen’s Land against the pitiful U2 Rattle And Hum rendition and the depth and intensity of Farrell’s art is clear.  Bold and Undeniable.’ **** Daily Mirror

‘It’s not hard to understand why the mighty Donal Lunny has championed him…An album that could yet prove to be one of the most significant Irish releases of recent years.’ **** Songlines

‘True Born Irishman is definitely one of the year’s outstanding Irish music albums; you owe it to yourself to hear it.’ Fatea

‘Farrell has created quite a buzz in Ireland…it’s easy to hear why.  His powerfully unadorned vocals might be from any era, variously recalling Paul Brady and Andy Irvine…it’s a powerful statement.’ **** Mojo

In February 2017 the BBC announced that Daoirí Farrell had received three BBC Radio 2 Folk Award 2017 nominations – more than any other artist that year.  He was subsequently asked to perform at the awards ceremony on 5^th April at The Royal Albert Hall – broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 with highlights on BBC4 TV and went on to win the Horizon Award for best newcomer and Best Traditional Track Award for Van Diemen’s Land from the album True Born Irishman.

In 2017 and 2018 he appeared at festivals including the National Folk Festival (Australia), Fairbridge Festival (Australia), Cambridge Folk Festival, Dranouter Festival (Belgium), Tønder Festival (Denmark), Sidmouth FolkWeek, Electric Picnic (Ireland), Vancouver Island Folk Festival (Canada), Celtic Colours Festival (Canada), and more.  In February 2018 he toured as part of the line-up for The Transatlantic Sessions playing major UK venues of up to 2,000 capacity.

His third album ‘A Lifetime Of Happiness’ produced by Dónal Lunny was launched on 15^th February 2019 with a sold out show at Dublin’s legendary An Goilin Club. Reviews confirm that this is yet another leap forward for Daoirí:

‘Direct vocals of persuasive clarity, instrumental arrangements of real verve, an appealing openness in his performance and a clear passion and understanding of a song’s narrative. It’s been said before but it’s difficult not to evoke some of the great names of Irish music…when discussing his work.’ Colin Irwin, fRoots

‘Daoirí Farrell is singlehandedly spearheading a resurgence of the authentic in Irish folk music…he is rightly in demand all over the world.  A truly timeless album.’ Irish Music

‘Daoirí’s singing is outstanding by any standards; stylish and absolutely riveting… this album is nothing less than a quintessential Irish folk album, the heartfelt, pride-and-passion expression of a collection of classic songs, and as such is unlikely to be bettered this year.’ FATEA

‘Just occasionally you come across a singer so talented, so natural, that you feel you might as well give it all up and just listen in awe. Such a one is Daoirí Farrell….You may notice there’s no criticism in this review.’ Living Tradition

Daoirí received three nominations in the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2019 for best singer, best traditional track and best album for ‘A Lifetime Of Happiness’.

As Lockdown hit Ireland in March 2020, Daoirí responded with one of the earliest live streams, performing from the ‘Covid Corner’ of his kitchen on St. Patrick’s Day.  The response to the broadcast was overwhelming with more than 15,000 views and many, many requests to repeat the concert.  What followed were twenty-five consecutive concerts, every Sunday night at 10pm, live streamed across the world and attracting audiences from Australia, the USA, Canada, Europe and more with 5,000-9,000 views each week.  His shows made the news around the world and as a result he was invited to co-host the BBC’s Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe and on 4^th May 2020 he performed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. The Today programme has an average weekly listening audience of 7 million listeners.

Daoirí is currently recording a new album with Trevor Hutchinson from the Waterboys with the support of the Arts Council of Ireland.

A TV special featuring Daoirí and Seamie O’Dowd aired on Irish TV station TG4 in early 2022 as part of the Session sa Black Gate series.  The programme can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3oRUqBV

www.daoiri.com

Video links:

The Breakers Go Back On Full-Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GZuvh-v09U

The Foggy Dew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lw1T-M_FNc

Van Dieman’s Land at The Royal Albert Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQGI5-ZCmo

If You Ever Go To Dublin Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBLq5NTCsE

The Creggan White Hare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPI_tHNjS78

Daoirí’s video of his video of him playing to delayed passengers in Newcastle Airport in 2017 has now had over 24 million views on Youtube.

Tickets – £15.00 available here

Daoiri Farrell – Friday 7th October 2022 – The Coniston Institute

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***** TO BE RESCHEDULED****

Nancy Kerr – Nominated ‘Best Original Track’ with ‘Fragile Water’ – BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017

Twice winners “Best Duo” BBC RADIO 2 FOLK AWARDS (2003, 2011)

Nancy Kerr is the 2015 “Folk Singer of the Year” (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards)

Nancy Kerr and James Fagan are one of the best-known and most experienced folk duos on the British circuit today. Outstanding musicianship, a lifelong grounding in traditional singing and instrumental playing, acclaimed original compositions but most noticeably a visceral chemistry between these two make Kerr and Fagan a perennial favourite at festivals, venues and clubs across the country. They met in December 1995, and formed the duo and life partnership that has become the backbone of their professional career in music ever since. They won the inaugural Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2000, and were also the first ever recipients of the “Best Duo” Award, which they won in 2003, and again in 2011. They are one of only two acts ever to receive this honour twice (along with Spiers and Boden).

Nancy Kerr is the daughter of London singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott. Nancy is a simply outstanding writer of songs, one of England’s best-known folk fiddle players and in 2015 won “Folk Singer of the Year” at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She is in constant demand as a songwriter, performer and teacher. As well as the duo with James, her recent work has included the multi-award-winning “The Full English” band, “The Elizabethan Session”, Melrose Quartet and the trio Simpson Cutting Kerr (with Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting). She is co-director of the Soundpost fiddle and singing workshop weekends in Sheffield. Her duo in the 1990s with Eliza Carthy saw her shoot to international prominence on the folk scene in her teens and she hasn’t looked back.

James Fagan was born in Australia and raised in a folk-singing family The Fagans. He is a multi-instrumentalist and singer, specialising in bouzouki, guitar and mandolin. As well as working side by side with Nancy for nearly two decades, James is part of Melrose Quartet and The James Brothers. James is constantly in demand as a session player and appears on albums by Cara Dillon, Martin Simpson, Brian Finnegan, Eliza Carthy and Spiers & Boden. He was part of Bellowhead for their Hedonism tour in 2010 and has been a regular member of the Cara Dillon Band, having played bouzouki on her latest two CDs. He is a core vocal tutor on the Newcastle University Folk Music Degree Course.

As a duo, Nancy and James have toured internationally, most notably in the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They have thousands of fans and despite now having two children continue to work and tour constantly from their home base in Sheffield. Starting a family has reduced the amount of time they can spend on the road together, so their duo shows are now special and sought-after events.

“Stunning – Five Stars”. R2

“A songwriter steeped in the tradition, but casting it anew.” Songlines

“Quite breathtakingly beautiful.” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2.

“The sheer abundance of distilled poetry on display is inspiring. And when it unravels in such a moving lyrical way, such as this, it will remain in the audience’s minds for a long time.” Spiral Earth

“Quite simply the most refreshing, impressive and compelling combo I’ve seen for ages”. John Kirkpatrick

“A real example of virtuosity being put to the service of the music.” Living Tradition

“The telepathic and sympathetic interplay of Kerr and Fagan never fails to amaze.” Pay the Reckoning

“Kerr and Fagan have that magic quality of stage presence… they are consummate professionals and a joy to deal with.”
Warren Robinson, director, Goderich Celtic Festival, Ontario

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SOLD OUT!!! 

Jack Rutter

is a highly respected folk singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist from West Yorkshire. His second solo album Gold of Scar & Shale is available CD/DL from October 4th 2019.

Produced by Joe Rusby and recorded as live, the new album continues the stripped back approach of its critically acclaimed predecessor, Jack’s debut solo outing Hills. The songs are unearthed gems from the folk canon – almost all of them rare and many previously unrecorded – gathered from old books and source singers as Rutter uncovered material for this major new release of traditional song.

Jack’s soaring vocal takes centre stage on the album, delivering each folk tale in a fresh and current way; his masterful playing and arrangements providing the perfect accompaniment. Jack contributes guitar, bouzouki, duet concertina and harmonium to the album with featured guest musicians Sam Sweeney on fiddle, Alice Robinson on Northumbrian pipes and Sam Fisher on flugelhorn.

There is a strong sense of place on the new record too, with over half of the songs having some sort of Yorkshire connection. The album title itself Gold of Scar & Shale comes from a line in one such track, ‘The Hills of Longdendale’, with words written by ‘The Moorland Poet’ Ammon Wrigley (1861-1946).

Says Jack “to me Ammon Wrigley is describing the rough and bleak parts of the moorland with this line, the scar and the shale that is always nevertheless gold to him. I love this line and realised that for me it’s also a great metaphor for traditional songs; rough, stark and honest things that contain such riches. I found then that I’d stumbled upon the perfect title for this album, or at least one that I really loved anyhow.”

Jack Rutter grew up in the Holme Valley area of West Yorkshire, a place steeped in a wealth of traditional song, and following a BSc degree in Countryside Management at Newcastle University has forged a highly successful career playing music across the UK and Europe. In addition to his acclaimed solo work, he has become a highly sought after collaborator for a host of the biggest names in folk music such as Seth Lakeman, Sam Sweeney and Jackie Oates as well as playing in the celebrated instrumental trio Moore Moss Rutter.

The release of Gold of Scar & Shale is set to confirm Jack Rutter’s place as a solo artist, singer and performer of traditional songs first and foremost, marking him as one of the standout voices of the folk, roots and acoustic music scene.

Janice Burns & Jon Doran are an Anglo-Scottish duo who formed in 2017, after
discovering a shared love of traditional music. They find their songs in archives that
span the depths of our history; songs that, regardless of age, tell vivid stories about the
nature of life, from the ethereal landscapes of ancient ballads to the urban rhythms of
work songs. Their compelling storytelling comes alive through tight vocal harmonies and
sensitive interplay between mandolin and bouzouki, with arrangements that balance
intricacy with energy. Their dynamic performances are a celebration of their own
musical and geographic backgrounds, embracing the differences that connect them.
The duo met whilst studying folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, spending
one year at the University of South-East Norway together. These experiences allowed
them to hone their craft whilst expanding their audiences further beyond the UK. After
three years of working together and performing in notable venues such as Sage
Gateshead and Folklub Newcastle, they decided to record their debut EP. It was
released in September 2020 to overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Tickets £12.00 available here

Double Bill – Jack Rutter and Janice Burns & Jon Doran – Saturday 19th February 2022 – The Coniston Institute

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