DOWNEND FOLK & ROOTS PREVIEW:
A WINTER UNION + HEARTWOOD CHORUS
FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER 2024
The Downend Folk & Roots festive concert has seen some incredible lineups take to the stage, but the one that local music lovers have kept talking about is A Winter Union, and the Christmas folk supergroup return to South Gloucestershire on Friday 13 December, for a concert that will also be live-streamed around the world in partnership with Live to your Living Room.
Five leading lights of the British roots scene join forces to create a festive folk band like no other. Expect soaring harmonies and exquisite musicianship as the five-piece blast through a repertoire of brand new, specially written songs, fresh arrangements of traditional carols both well-loved and little-known, and seasonal classics from both sides of the Atlantic.
Originally formed in 2015 for a one-off yuletide concert, A Winter Union are now fast becoming thought of as the pre-Christmas knees-up for folk & roots lovers all over the country. The band, which features members of The Willows, Gilmore & Roberts and Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, have gone on to play the likes of the Great British Folk Festival, Cecil Sharp House and were invited for a live session on BBC Radio 3’s inTune. Opening the evening, in what has recently become another Downend Christmas tradition, will be Heartwood Chorus, the Bristol-based folk choir that have changed the local choir seen beyond recognition with their quality.
A mix of professional and amateur musicians, Heartwood Chorus have been wowing audiences since they got together in 2020, quietly building a reputation on the Bristol folk scene for high-class performances. They sing original arrangements of traditional songs, as well as their own versions of contemporary classics, sometimes with pathos, sometimes with humour and all in beautiful harmony. After opening for Lady Maisery at the Bristol Folk Festival, Lady Maisery’s Rowan Rheingans called them “brilliant.”
Tickets are available online from downendfolkandroots.com and from Melanie’s Kitchen in Downend (cash only). They are £18 each in advance or £20 on the door. Doors open at 7pm and the music starts around 7.45pm.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from locally-based Hop Union Brewery. There will also be mulled wine on offer. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of the Radstock-based Great Cake Company, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.
For those that can’t make it to Downend, or miss out on tickets, this concert will be live-streamed. Head to livetoyourlivingroom.com for more information.
For further information, please email info@downendfolkandroots.com or find them on social media. This concert is expected to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.