PERFORMERS 2023
TRIP
Performing at Session & Mart Concert
TRIP, a Glasgow-based folk band, unites Celtic traditions from Scotland, Ireland, Northumbria, and the Isle of Man.
Their powerful sound combines accordion, fiddle, flute/whistle, piano, guitar, and bodhran.
Blending traditional and original tunes, their debut album “A Drop for Neptune” reflects their roots and contemporary influences. With a talented lineup, including award-winning musicians, TRIP has performed at renowned festivals like Celtic Connections.
Since their album release in 2022, TRIP continue to captivate audiences with their powerful sound and compelling performances.
Sam Carter
Outdoor Stage & Mart Concert
Sam Carter, a Midlands-born songwriter and guitarist, is a highly-regarded instrumentalist and a BBC Folk Award winner.
Sam’s captivating live performances and vivid songwriting have garnered great acclaim. His most recent album “Home Waters” was recorded in nearby Thropton before lockdown and we’re delighted to welcome him back to the area.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience Sam Carter’s exceptional live performances at our festival.
Esko Jarvela
Performing at Outdoor Stage, Scandinvian Session, Mart Concert & Welcome to Scandinavia
Esko Järvelä, an innovative and acclaimed fiddler from Kaustinen, Finland, brings his powerful and boundary-breaking style to the Rothbury Traditional Music Festival. Hailing from the renowned Järvelä fiddling family, Esko’s unique approach to folk music transcends conventions, captivating audiences worldwide. With his solo performances and collaborations with esteemed Scandinavian folk bands like Frigg and Baltic Crossing, Esko showcases the rich musical heritage of Kaustinen, a town recognized for its fiddle playing tradition and recently honored by UNESCO. Don’t miss the chance to experience Esko Järvelä’s extraordinary talent at our festival.
Katie MacNally & Neil Pearlman
Performing at Church Concert, Outdoor Stage & Mart Concert
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Ape House
Performing at Church Concert & Mart Concert
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Di Henderson
Performing at The Mart
Chance plays a big part in the world of music, a brief encounter at last year’s Rothbury festival led to Di Henderson being invited to perform at this year’s event. We couldn’t be more delighted.
A stalwart of the traditional music world, Henderson was barely in her teens when she went to the famed Marsden Inn for a charity do. “Loads of local musicians from the folk tradition were appearing, it was a great event. At one point Jimmy Bainbridge played a song I knew really well and I sang along. He must have heard me for when he finished he commented on my voice and asked if I’d ever sung on stage before. Never, I said.”
Bainbridge invited her up and that day in 1965 Di began her career. She credits the generosity of performers like Bainbridge for her enduring success, “everyone is so helpful and giving,” she said.
She made her first visit to Rothbury Traditional Music Festival eleven years later and has sung at the Mart many times over the years; what keeps her coming back?
“At heart it’s the tradition. If you love the song then you learn the song easily, and the song loves you back.”
We couldn’t have put it better.
The Bremers
Performing at Outdoor Stage, Scandinavian Sessions, The Mart & Welcome to Scandinavia
“We are a family from Sweden who all perform music in different constellations. Cecilia and Edith play strings whilst Johan and Elias perform on winds. We all have roots in different genres and instruments but singing is something we all do, as well as living and breathing Swedish folk music.”
“It all started in the mid 70’s when Johan purchased a “näverlur”, an instrument used in the old times to call on animals and friends across the hills.”
Cecilia found her love for Swedish traditional tunes through her violin, the most common instrument in the genre. Their children Edith and Elias were introduced to folk music at a young age and they loved it. “We are all excited to come to Rothbury and show our culture as well as take part in yours.”
“The defining attributes of the Swedish traditional music that we want to present are about how music together with dance coalesce into something that can not exist without the other, as well as how music was used as a function to tell stories, herd animals and send messages. We want to show the breadth and diversity as well as the details of our rhythm, tonality and maybe some dance.”
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