Folk trio heading to Buxton twice before end of year

Now performing as a trio, the band will be headlining Fun with Folk, a residential weekend of shows at the Palace Hotel, October 7-9, with support from special guests, and then the Pavilion Arts Centre on Saturday, December 17.

The first date coincides with the release of ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, taken from the album New World in the Morning, out on October 14.

In a statement announcing the release, the band said: “The album has that Weavers comedy element but is brought back down to earth with some beautifully poignant trad folk songs.

“We are dedicating this album to our late Tony Berry who sadly passed away in 2019.”

The single is a traditional Scottish folk song which has been given added poignancy by events over the past few weeks.

The band sad: “To us, this song depicts the love that Queen Elizabeth II had for the beautiful Scottish Highlands. It could almost be a signature to her love and time spent north of the border.

“It’s such a poignant and beautiful traditional song and it seems a perfect track as our tribute to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.”

The band has been working on the album for almost two years, through Covid and into the summer of 2022 with the assistance of session musicians including Ken Nichol of Steeleye Span and the wonderful country folk guitarist Pete Frampton

The result is a mixture of self-penned and traditional songs as well as some well-known folk covers, delivered with all the care and craft the band has honed over the past 47 years and 30-plus albums.

In the flesh, they promise a fun-packed, sing-along family show with great music, audience participation and funny stories galore, living up to the group’s motto: ‘keep folk smiling.’

Weekend tickets for the Palace residency start at £199 including accommodation via houghtonweavers.com.

Tickets for the Christmas special at the Pavilion are selling quickly at £19 from www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk.