Touring folk duos to reunite

BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy reunites with Juno award-winning singer-songwriter guitarist Cara Luft for an eight-date tour, following their creative residency in Alberta, Canada, in 2013.

Meanwhile Dan Walsh, one of the UK’s top banjo players, and Canadian singer-songwriter Meaghan Blanchard will reprise their partnership for eight dates on the back of a 2013 tour of Canada’s Prince Edward Island.

Both tours will stop-off at Spring Bank Arts Centre, with Hardy and Luft performing on Tuesday October 14 and Walsh and Blanchard appearing on Friday November 14.

Tickets cost £12 and £10 respectively, and the performances start at 7.30pm.

Promoted by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), in partnership with Music PEI (Prince Edward Island) and Folk Music Canada, the tours have been borne out of a developing relationship between England and Canada, which supports artists’ development and collaboration.

As well as performing solo material on the tours, the musicians will showcase new music that they wrote collaboratively during the first leg of their exchanges.

Neil Pearson, EFDSS Artist Development Manager, said the society was proud of its growing links with Canada.

“We are thrilled to welcome both pairings to the UK this autumn, giving audiences an opportunity to see these one-off shows and hear the new music that has been written,” he added.

Tickets are available by visiting www.springbankarts.co.uk, calling 01663 308202 or in person from High Street Books.