Music & Theatre / Festivals / Heritage / Arts & Culture Lichfield Festival of Folk - Saturday Guildhall Sessions

Join us for the Saturday Guildhall sessions as part of The Lichfield Festival of Folk!

Saturday afternoon session

Painted Sky have only recently emerged onto the UK folk scene, but they have already made a lasting impression with their progressive acoustic sound. Siblings George Brandon (guitar/vocal) and Holly Brandon (fiddle/vocal) have been making music together for as long as they can remember. Both have worked on independent projects, with George performing solo and Holly, perhaps best known as part of transatlantic folk band, The Magpies.

Lichfield Festival of Folk is proud to present Granny's Attic, as they mark their 15th anniversary. Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (melodeon, anglo concertina, vocals), George Sansome (guitar, vocals) and Lewis Wood (violin, vocals) have honed their skills touring the UK and Europe since 2009. They are much loved by audiences up and down the country, with bookings everywhere from Cambridge Folk Festival to Cecil Sharp House. The trio have been heralded for their lively performances and skilled delivery of traditional material, playing with verve, energy and their own inimitable style.

Saturday evening session

‘Winner of the Liverpool Acoustic Judges Award, Danny Bradley is a fingerstyle-folk guitarist and songwriter who has opened for Martin Carthy, Tony McManus, Jon Gomm, and Jeffrey Foucault. Born in the USA, but having grown up in the UK, Danny Bradley “is less a one man band, and more a one man orchestra... A poetic soul, and a sublime vocal range, reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley”. (Americana U.K.)

All under 30, The Magpies are one of the most exciting acts on the roots scene, combining first class musicianship with sublime harmonies and increasingly impressive song and tune writing. They’re a breath of fresh air peddling engaging, bright and breezy transatlantic folk and making it seem as easy as breathing. A fervent thread of feminism runs through their music and indeed the three are champions of gender equality in the music industry. Here are themes of sisterhood and solidarity , tricky relationships and rueful reflection as they seamlessly switch between Anglo and American roots – traversing traditional folk, bluegrass , Celtic and Appalachian trails.