New Greenham For Folk’s sake

The folk renaissance that has taken over our fair isle in recent years riding on the crest of the Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons wave is still going as strong as ever. Now a new monthly session in Newbury will be showcasing the best folk around.

A brand new season of acoustic and folk gigs was launched at New Greenham Arts in September, adding a little bit of festival chic to Newbury’s live music offering.

Dubbed New Greenham New Folk, the intimate 125-capacity arts venue based at Greenham Business Park, just outside of Newbury town centre, is hosting a monthly gig featuring some of the very best folk musicians in the UK.

Exploring the renaissance of New British folk music, the debut season features BBC Radio 2 Folk Award favourites Tim Edey & Brendan Power, O'Hooley & Tidow, Megan Henwood and a good old Ceilidh with The Ship Band. And where better than on the site of the former Greenham Common Airbase, with its rich tradition of protest music, to host such a set of concerts?

New Greenham Arts Centre Manager, Julie ann Jones said “We are looking to bring New Greenham Arts back to the forefront of Berkshire’s gig-going psyche this autumn. With New Greenham New Folk we have hand-picked some of the finest, award-winning performers in UK folk music and cannot wait for them to perform at our delightful little venue.”

The season kicked off in style with the winner of Best Duo and Musician of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2012, Tim Edey, alongside Kiwi harmonica player and composer, Brendan Power on Thursday 20 September.

This month they’ve got The Guardian’s pick as Best Act at Cambridge Folk Festival, O’Hooley and Tidow. Formerly part of The Unthanks, this duos thought-provoking blend of chamber folk has seen them win friends across the UK, along with having one of MOJO’s top 10 albums. They perform at New Greenham Arts on Saturday 13 October.

A fortnight later, Henley’s BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner, Megan Henwood, comes to Newbury following a busy summer of festivals. Having supported the likes of Cara Dillon and Ray Davies, her timeless radio-friendly appeal is sure to delight the hardened English folk music lover, as-well-as the new breed whose idols sit more closely with Laura Marling or Dry The River.

The debut season finishes in style with a traditional Scottish Ceilidh on Saturday 24 November as the UK’s premiere professional ceilidh band, The Ship Band come to town for a pre-festive season stomp.

As studio space to the Corn Exchange, New Greenham Arts already has a strong audience for comedy, contemporary theatre along with regular shows by Barb Jungr and The Mandolinquents and a buzzing visual arts programme of exhibitions and workshops.

Tickets are just £12 each (£10 concessions) from the Corn Exchange box office on 0845 5218 218 or http://www.cornexchangenew.com. For more info check out the New Greenham New Folk Facebook Page, where you can hear songs from all of the performers, as well as watch videos, read news and more.