BELINDA O’HOOLEY + GREN BARTLEY
FRIDAY 19 JUNE 2026
A familiar face returns to headline Downend Folk & Roots’ June concert.
Belinda O’Hooley is an acclaimed pianist, singer, songwriter and composer celebrated for her expressive and distinctive musicality. Best known as one half of O’Hooley & Tidow, with her wife Heidi Tidow, she has been nominated four times for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. The duo’s song Gentleman Jack found international recognition as the theme for the BBC/HBO drama of the same name.
Her piano playing – elegant, inventive, and emotionally charged has made her a sought-after collaborator with artists including Rufus Wainwright, Nic Jones, Sophie B Hawkins, Jackie Oates, and Rachel Unthank & The Winterset, with whom she received a Mercury Prize nomination.
Belinda’s artistry also extends to acting, most recently in her role as DCS Liz Thornton in the BAFTA-winning drama Happy Valley.
Opening the evening will be an artist who has been hailed as part of the future of melodic songwriting. Forever evolving and adapting, and with unmatched guitar work, Gren Bartley is a modern day troubadour, using his influences from older folk and world music traditions, to create truly astounding records. He brings something new and unique to his audience. He is an artist not to be missed.
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at Christ Church Downend on Friday 19 June 2026, are available online via downendfolkandroots.com or from Downend Cards and Gifts (cash only). They are priced at £15 each in advance or £17 on the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts at around 7.45pm.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s Hop Union Brewery. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based The Great Cake Company, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.
For further information, please email info@downendfolkandroots.com or find them on social media.