History
Each year the Ensemble performs to thousands of young people and adults, and encourages them to discover folk music. The Ensemble’s high quality performances and learning projects raise the profile of folk music in England.
Longer term, we aim to enable lifelong engagement with folk music – progressing from earliest grassroots activity in schools and community settings on to professional passions and careers.
The National Youth Folk Ensemble is an English Folk Dance and Song Society programme, funded by Arts Council England. Additional funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
2019/20
The fourth year the National Youth Folk Ensemble is our inaugural cohort under the Artistic Direction of Sam Partridge. It is destined to be known as our Covid-19 Ensemble.
2018/19
Congratulations to cohort 3 on a fantastic year!
These talented young folk musicians from across England were the third cohort of the Ensemble, and the final year-group to work with the Ensemble’s inaugural Artistic Director, Sam Sweeney.
National Youth Folk Ensemble live in 2019
- Richard Whiteley Theatre, Settle: 21 February and live online at connectresound.live
- Cecil Sharp House, London: 11 April
- Festival Place, Basingstoke: 1 August
- Wickham Festival: 2 August
- Sidmouth Folk Festival: 4 August gig at The Ham and 5 August workshop
The standard was excellent – their musicianship, stage presence, performance skills and enthusiasm made it an evening to remember for a long time Songlines, June 2018
2017/18
Many talented musicians applied for the second cohort of the National Youth Folk Ensemble and 18 players were selected to form the 2017–18 Ensemble.
The Ensemble met for residential courses in different parts of England (Somerset, Northumberland, Kent and Norfolk) and they gave performances at Sage Gateshead, Cecil Sharp House, Cambridge Folk Festival, Sidmouth Folk Week, and on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.
The future of folk music could look a lot like them
Folking.com
National Youth Folk Ensemble members talk about their love of the folk world as they get set to play Cambridge Folk Festival
Big Issue North
The National Youth Folk Ensemble were a joy, a hugely talented bunch of musicians... it was intoxicating stuff
walkerwords.com
2016/17
The first cohort of the National Youth Folk Ensemble was made up of 17 talented young folk musicians who play fiddle, flute, accordion, melodeon, cello, viola, guitar, harp and uilleann pipes.
Between October 2016 and August they took part in four intensive residential courses, led by Artistic Director Sam Sweeney, and gave public performances at The Met in Bury, Cecil Sharp House in London, Guildhall Theatre in Derby, Whitby Folk Week and Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
