Sidmouth 2024 - Ham Daytime Concerts
Sat 3 Aug 2024 12:00 - Fri 9 Aug 2024 17:30
The Ham Marquee, EX10 8XR
Description
Sidmouth Folk Festival - daytimes out at the Ham Marquee
The festival’s centrepiece concert venue, The Ham Marquee provides a comfortable seated venue for three first class concerts each day. Close to Port Royal at the eastern end of the Esplanade, where the River Sid meets the sea, you’ll also find a tasty range of street food and The Ham festival bar, a great area to soak up the festival atmosphere!
Advance Rate ticket prices vary for each event, with a limited number of £10 tickets also available for under 25s.
If you fancy coming along every day, you can book Season tickets here or All-in-One Tickets (which include Ham evenings) here
Event tickets for all 8 Ham Evening Concerts are available here and Bulverton Evenings here.
Alternatively, if you fancy joining us for longer, click here to explore our full range of season tickets, Ham concerts, pre-festival concerts and camping.
Here are all the great days out at the Ham this year - hope to see you there!
Note - The Spooky's Men's Chorale (Tue 6 August, 3.15pm) is covered by All-in-One Week Tickets, Week Season & Tuesday Day Season Tickets. Buy here.
Tuesday 6th August
12 noon - Paul Downes & Phil Beer
Talented guitarist and singer of songs, Paul Downes and multi-instrumentalist, Phil Beer, are two hugely experienced and highly respected folk musicians. Join them as they celebrate 50 years of performing together.
3.15pm The Spooky Men’s Chorale + Janice Burns and Jon Doran
(This event is covered by All-in-One Tickets, Week & Tuesday Season Tickets. Event tickets available on the door, subject to availability).
Expect Georgian table songs, pin drop beautiful ballads, highly inappropriate covers and, as always, expect the unexpected.
Wednesday 7th August
12 noon - Blowzabella + James Delarre
A unique band with an inimitable sound, Blowzabella compose their own music, influenced by English & European traditional folk music and song. Band members Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion); Jo Freya (vocals, saxophone, clarinet); Paul James (vocals, bagpipes, saxophones); David Shepherd (violin); Barn Stradling (bass guitar) and Jon Swayne (bagpipes and saxophone) are much loved and respected. There is no-one quite like them.
3.15pm Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham + Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail
Aly and Phil have toured together since 1986, charming audiences with their stunning music and on-stage charisma. Witty and humorous banter sit alongside tunes that tug the heartstrings and joyous reels and melodies that will have you tapping your feet. Aly and Phil have won numerous awards, including BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Best Duo Award’ and have been nominated for ‘live act of the year’ in the Scottish Traditional Music Awards.
Thursday 8th August
12 noon - Jo Freya with Fi Fraser, Andy Cutting, Mary Macmaster, Tim Edey and friends.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble (2023-2026), Jo Freya is no stranger to Sidmouth Folk Festival. A singer, saxophonist, clarinet and whistle-blowing pianist, Jo has been described as the chameleon of Folk, playing in many bands and with completely different styles.
2.45pm Martin Simpson + The Breath
Universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players, and a fine banjo-picker to boot, Martin Simpson shows bear witness to an artist at the very top of his game. Whether interpreting material from tradition or singing his own potent self-penned songs, Simpson is a remarkable storyteller: captivating and profoundly moving. Martin's latest album 'Skydancers' is a real thing of beauty. Not to be missed!
The Breath are Manchester based guitar-whizz, Stuart McCallum and singer/ flautist Rioghnach Connolly. Connolly is a folk singer with a larger-than-life personality and a powerful stop-you-in-your-tracks voice to match. Together they perform honest, personal, heartfelt songs as likely to touch on childhood summers as cultural dislocation and grief.
Friday 9th August
12 noon - Festival Workshop Showcase - A chance to see the fruits of some of the week’s workshops. Free Entry.
3.15pm Chris Wood & Andy Cutting + National Youth Folk Ensemble
Dynamic duo Chris Wood and Andy Cutting are back in Sidmouth where it all started. Forming a partnership 35 years ago, after meeting here, they are now considered to be one of the most influential acts on the British folk music scene. Chris Wood, known as one of folk’s most original singer-songwriters, is also a skilled multi-instrumentalist, while Andy’s consummate melodeon playing has been described as ‘glorious, joyful, moving, subtle, emotionally charged’, and ‘totally spell-binding’ (June Tabor)
The National Youth Folk Ensemble brings together talented young folk musicians from across England. They create their own contemporary takes on traditional tunes from Britain and beyond, with a sound that is distinctive, joyful, and diverse. The Ensemble aims to nurture their talents, aspirations, and creativity, enabling them to develop into folk performers, educators and leaders of the future. These exceptional 14-19 year olds meet four times a year for intensive weeks of music-making, led by Artistic Director Jo Freya with other top folk musicians and educators. Join us to hear these rising stars!
Personal Assistant Ticket
· This is available to a ticket buying person requiring assistance to attend the festival.
· Tickets can be booked online and in order to qualify you will need to provide the box office/door staff at the festival with one of the following when collecting your season tickets or using your e-tickets:
- Front page of DLA / PIP award letter (no specific rate)
- Front page of Attendance Allowance letter (no specific rate)
- Evidence that registered severely sight impaired (blind)
- Recognised Assistance Dog ID card
· The qualifying documentation must be an original and current as of the dates of the festival.
· All Personal Assistants should be aged 18+ years.
· If special requirements exist, such as positioning of a wheelchair, it is the ticket holder’s responsibility to contact the venue management early to make sure that their requirements are known. Venue stewards will do their best to accommodate all such requests.
· Please address any accessibility enquiries to access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.
Love Sidmouth? The Friends of The Sidmouth Folk Festival are passionate about the festival and its long-term future.
Whatever your interest – whether it’s the big concerts, the dances, the late-night parties, the dance displays, the smaller-scale events, the special events for children or young people or the extensive workshop programme – you can help ensure the festival’s future by joining the Friends.
Find out more about the Friends of Sidmouth Folk Festival
Location
The Ham Marquee, EX10 8XR