Award-winning fiddle player Sam Sweeney is back on home turf

Derbyshire's own Sam Sweeney, who won BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year 2015, takes his Made in the Great War tour on the road for a final run.
Sam Sweeney, Made in the Great War tour. Photo by Elly Lucas.Sam Sweeney, Made in the Great War tour. Photo by Elly Lucas.
Sam Sweeney, Made in the Great War tour. Photo by Elly Lucas.

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year 2015 will be performing in Derby Theatre on June 9.
A decade ago Sam bought a violin in Oxford which was dated 1915, had the name Richard S. Howard and the words ‘Violin No. 6 Made in The Great War’. Research revealed that the violin had been made, but never finished, by a luthier and music hall performer from Leeds called Richard Spencer Howard. He had joined the Army in 1915 at the age of 35 and less than two years later fought and was killed at the Battle of Messines near Ypres. A hundred years later his unfinished violin was auctioned and finished by luthier Roger Claridge whose shop is where Sam bought the violin. 
The violin’s history prompted Sam to set its life story to music which will be aired in this concert.

Sam performs the show with the actual fiddle, alongside Paul Sartin, Rob Harbron and award winning storyteller Hugh Lupton.

For more details, visit www.derbylive.co.uk or call 01332 255800.
Photo Elly Lucas

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