Musical Mondays Cumbria

25 September, 2pm – 2.45pm
Ela Ray

Ela Rey are group who perform as both a trio and quartet, drawing their inspiration from Greek Traditional Mediterranean and Balkan music. Although they usually perform this style, depending on the performance location they like to adapt and play jazz or pop in the Greek style and instrumentation.

16 October, 2pm – 2.45pm
Ste Forshaw 

Ste Forshaw is a singer/songwriter originally from Merseyside. He draws on indie, folk and soul influences to bring to life an incredible array of original songs, both as a solo performer and more recently with a full band, travelling nation wide performing a huge catalogue of music from across the ages. Having spent the better part of a decade honing his musical skills on the streets of London, Ste is now settled back in the North West and enjoying a full time musical career working alongside his wife/business partner. Never one to shy away from adventure, Ste’s musical journey has seen him perform everywhere from The BBC’s children in need to beachside weddings in The Gambia!

20 November, 2pm – 2.45pm
Boubakiki

Boubakiki is a duo of saxophone (Joe Steele) and handpan (Rosie Bergonzi) formed in 2017. For their unusual combination of instruments, Joe and Rosie mostly play material which they have devised themselves through improvisation and collaborative composition. Utilising the full colour palette of their unique soundworld, Boubakiki create highly varied music: from atmospheric, serene textures to upbeat earworms, drawing influence from classical, jazz, folk and non-Western musical traditions. Boubakiki are passionate about bringing music to everyone and therefore see workshops and participatory concerts as an essential part of their practice.

11 December, 2pm-2:45pm
Chroma Harp

Award winning contemporary UK duo, breaking the harp out of the concert hall.

Lucy Nolan and Becki Luff formed The Chroma Harp Duo in 2016. The duo’s eclectic style defies the traditional harp sound and stereotype and they are constantly on a quest for new and exciting sounds, regularly commissioning new works from composers and incorporating unusual techniques and objects into their performances to achieve this (from chopsticks to bluetack to castanets!).

They were finalists in the Wales International Harp Festival and were awarded first prize in the London Camac Harp Ensemble Competition as well as the UK Harp Association’s prize for the best performance of a British work. In her spare time Lucy loves hanging out with her animal pals-so far she has a dog, tortoise and chickens and is hoping to keep expanding the gang! Becki is also a keen plant lover and you will be hard pushed to find her amongst the many many pots in her house!

22 January, 2pm – 2.45pm
Edward Robinson & Rachel Fright

Manchester based duo, Edward Robinson (baritone) and Rachel Fright (piano) have been performing together for 6 years after meeting while studying at The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. They love to perform a really varied programme of music from musical theatre to folk songs, opera to pop! In a typical concert, they include songs that our audience can sing along with as well as introduce some more unusual works. They recently toured the country performing the comedy songs of Edward Lear too, so they always hope to leave our audiences uplifted and with a smile!

26 February, 2pm – 2.45pm
Fernleaf

Jo, Mikey and Emily bring joy, fun, energy and a deep sense of connection through their music. From swing and music hall songs to traditional folk songs and tunes from the European folk dance and ceilidh scenes, their music covers a range of different genres. Clarinet, guitar, fiddle and voices combine, often using improvisation, giving each performance a unique feeling.

18 March, 2pm – 2.45pm 
Small Town Jones: Jim Jones & Dave Little

Small Town Jones and Dave Little have played together as musicians since their early college days. As a solo artist, duo and as a band Small Town Jones deliver emotional and heartfelt songs that can silence a room as well as transport the listener to other places. Described as Acoustic, folk – Americana Small Town Jones have released 4 albums all to much acclaim. Playing Radio 2’s Dermot O Learys Saturday session twice and receiving numerous 4 & 5 star reviews in the top music press. As well as touring the UK & Ireland with his band Small Town Jones have also played numerous support slots with the likes of The Kinks legend Ray Davies, Ethan Johns, Damien Jurado and Sara Watkins to name a few. “Jim and Dave gauged the audience brilliantly and the outcome was just magical, with each and every pupil fully engaged for the full 45 minutes” Flo Witcombe, Southbrook School.

22 April, 2pm – 2.45pm
The Dovetail Trio

Performing traditional folk songs with a new energy, The Dovetail Trio combines the distinctive voices and acclaimed instrumental talents of Rosie Hood (vocals & fiddle), Jamie Roberts (guitar & vocals), and Matt Quinn (duet concertina & vocals). The Dovetail Trio have been exploring folk narratives with musical skill and a passion for their heritage since forming in 2014. Their debut album Wing of Evening was released in 2015, followed by Bold Champions in 2019. The Dovetail Trio have toured folk clubs across the UK and Canada and played at leading festivals around the country including Cambridge Folk Festival and Sidmouth Folk Week, as well as performing live on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3.

3 June, 2pm – 2.45pm
Dean Yhnell (Beatboxer)  

Dean breaks down the processes involved and will show you that anyone can be a beatboxer as well as discussing his route into Beatboxing and how it has helped him manage Tourettes Syndrome. Dean Yhnell a.k.a. Beat Technique After making the leap into professional beatboxing in 2010 Dean’s career and repertoire have blossomed. He has forged a unique performance style and stage presence, which were built on the stages and events of Glastonbury, the O2, Royal Ascot and Silverstone to name a few.

Dean became heavily involved in the beatbox battle scene, competing in the UK championships in 2014 before participating in the first ever Welsh Beatbox Championships in 2015 where he lost narrowly to the eventual winner in the semi-final stages. Dean now spends the majority of his time teaching young people in schools and youth organisations the art of beatbox, rap, dj-ing and music production, improving their communication, literacy and confidence levels through his teaching style. He has achieved much success with disaffected young people who find school a challenge, enabling them to improve attendance, behaviour and motivation in all areas of the curriculum.

17 June, 2pm – 2.45pm
Elliot Morris & Henry Webster

Henry and Elliott are award-winning musicians pushing the boundaries of traditional folk with their electrifying live performances. Their solo music has been heard on BBC Radio 6 Music and they regularly perform across London, the UK and Europe. Singer-songwriter Elliott’s compositions marry intricate guitar lines and honest vocals with diverse influences including roots, jazz and country, as seen in his albums Lost & Found and The Way Is Clear. Fiddle player and composer Henry Webster uses a range of electronics alongside his lyrical style to create subtle, cinematic and symphonic sounds, and has been praised for his ‘highly inventive playing’ by the English Acoustic

8 July, 2pm-2:45pm
Josh Doughty & Alain Rouamba (Kora and Ngoni)

Josh Doughty and Alain Rouamba bring together two very different musical backgrounds, combining the beautiful melodies and rhythms of the West African Kora and Ngoni

Alain grew up in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, learning his craft from a Griot family, where he was always surrounded by music. Josh was inspired by the powerful kora music of Mali from an early age and developed his own unique style on the instrument, meshing traditional rhythms with modern western influences.

These two accomplished and distinctive musical voices join forces to create a captivating afternoon of music.