Folk by the Oak is a one-day festival, set in rolling parkland at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. The line up this year includes Richard Thompson, Beth Orton and Seth Lakeman.
Acorn Stage
EFDSS’ Folk Rising programme – a national showcase platform for a new generation of folk music artists – has three artists appearing on the Acorn Stage. They are Maz O’Connor, The Jaywalkers and the London Youth Folk Ensemble.
The ensemble, for young people aged 12 to 18, is part of EFDSS’s London-wide youth programme and was formed in autumn 2013. This will be the ensemble’s highlight gig of the year, so far!
Maz O’Connor is a young singer of traditional and self-written songs who has recently completed a creative fellowship with EFDSS, funded by the BBC Performing Arts Fund.
The Jaywalkers are a Cheshire-based bluegrass trio, taking part in our Aspire Programme, supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
The Elizabethan Session
Folk by the Oak will host the only festival performance from The Elizabethan Session, a joint EFDSS and Folk by the Oak commission.
The project saw eight artists living and working together for a week to create new music inspired by the myths, stories, songs and poetry of the Elizabethan era.
The artists were Nancy Kerr, Martin Simpson, Jim Moray, Bella Hardy, John Smith, Hannah James, Rachel Newton and Emily Askew.
The shows and the music produced during the project have received glowing reviews across the board, so it’s a performance not to be missed.
"Alchemy yielded gold from the very beginning... A stunning and unforgettable evening."
Clive Davis, The Times *****
Read the review
"This was an evening of unexpected songs... I look forward to the album."
Robin Denselow, The Guardian ****
Read the review
"An exciting project... It promises to be, to borrow another phrase from the Bard, a 'concord of sweet sounds'."
Martin Chilton, The Telegraph
Read the feature
Folk by the Oak will also be the chance to buy the album before its official release on 8 September.
Follow the project on Twitter @elizabethansess
