Shrewsbury Festival - Darwin Song Project
In celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, Shrewsbury Festival have created the Darwin Song Project, a unique collaboration from eight of the world’s best folk music writers. The artists - a mix of highly experienced songwriters and younger artists each with a wide range of instrumental skills - will live, breathe, eat, sleep and sing Darwin for one week.
Bringing artists together for this inspiring project is the catalyst for new material that will not only develop within the group, but will find a life outside the confines of the Darwin Song House.
Performances
The first airing of the new songs is the Darwin Song Project Concert at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury on 19th March 2009.
The artists will formally get together again at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival on 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st August 2009, where the songs will be performed live on Saturday evening.
The 8 Songwriters are:
Rachael McShane - Rachael is a member of the UK’s most successful live folk act - Bellowhead - BBC Folk Award winners for Best Live Act in ‘05, ‘07 and ‘08. This year sees the start of her solo career with a debut album and a tour of live performances.
Stu Hanna - Stu is one half of the duo Megson - winners of the PRS Foundation for New Music ATOM award - who are an excellent live act and were deservedly nominated for the BBC Folk Awards Best Duo in 2009. After three successful albums, multi instrumentalist Stu is gaining a reputation as a world-class musician, creative writer and vocalist as well as a sought-after producer for other artists.
Emily Smith - From winning the BBC’s Young Traditional Musician Award in 2002 to picking up the title of Scots Traditional Singer of the Year in 2008, Emily has proven to be one of the most imaginative artists in the UK. She draws inspiration from history and the past and her songs are blended with beautiful traditional Scottish material. Emily’s skills on the piano and accordion are acknowledged throughout the folk world, and added to this are her beautifully clear vocals. Emily Smith is another perfect artist to be part of the Darwin Song Project.
Chris Wood - has been at the centre of English folk music for several years and early 2009 saw him recognised by the BBC Folk Awards for both Folk Singer and Album of the Year. An accomplished musician on both guitar and violin, he has unique experience of working with others on musical projects - including musical commissions from Radio 3’s Late Junction and the Arts Council.
Mark Erelli - Mark is a gifted multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter renown for his solo work, and also as part of Lori McKenna’s tour band. His songs have their roots in American folk music, and many of his lyrics are fuelled by politics and emotion. Mark is one of the finest writers in contemporary folk, winning the International Song Writing Contest in 2005. On a Darwinian note, Mark has a Masters Degree in Evolutionary Biology, which of all the singer/songwriters in the world makes him uniquely qualified to be part of this project.
Krista Detor - American artist Krista Detor is one of the finest contemporary singer/songwriters in the United States. A stellar pianist, accomplished arranger and outstanding singer, her songs are melody-led pieces that are full of lyrical depth. Krista’s ability to write intelligent ‘character’ songs that connect with the listener is well documented over the course of her three solo albums, and her inclusion in the Darwin Song Project will undoubtedly bring her to a whole new UK audience.
Karine Polwart - Scottish borders-based Karine is one of the UK’s highest-profile folk singer/songwriters. She’s a BBC Folk Awards winner - for her debut album in 2005 and for the Best Song Award in 2007 - and her two latest albums saw her nominated again in 2009. One of the country’s most articulate songwriters, Karine has an interest in both contemporary and historical subjects; her degree in Philosophy, alongside her fantastic vocals and guitar work make her the perfect artist to contribute to the Song House.
Jez Lowe - Jez has a formidable reputation as a writer and performer and has gained the respect of audiences and peers with songs that reflect the social history of his native north east of England. Forever touring, Jez takes his songs around the UK, North America and Australia on a regular basis either solo or with his band. He has a human touch to his writing, and conveys situations, characters and feelings exceptionally well.
http://www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk
Music type: Folk
Funding Scheme: New Works
Region: West Midlands
Contact:
Neil Pearson
01743 231522
neil@shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk