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McGoldrick, McCusker, & Doyle

Does Folk Music arguably get better than when these 3 luminaries get together onstage ?
Michael McGoldrick – the English master of flutes, whistles, and Uillean pipes – is joined by his mates the renowned Scottish fiddler John McCusker and exceptional Irish guitarist/vocalist John Doyle to play blistering tunes, tear-jerking slow airs, and they add a liberal dose of humour – 3 mates on stage with awesome empathy in a room perfect for their music. They may look sombre but their music certainly isn’t !

McGoldrick, McCusker, & Doyle
Thursday 4th March
Chichester Assembly Rooms, The Council House, North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
Licensed bar serving Langham Brewery

Tickets on sale now at Bookends and Harbour Records in Emsworth village, at The Westbourne Cafe in Westbourne Village, & online at www.WeGotTickets.com/WemsFest

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“Traditional music at it’s most graceful, ingenious and jaw dropping” – The Guardian

McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle are one of the most important and sought-after collaborations in contemporary Celtic music … a true folk supergroup whose influence reaches far beyond the tradition.

Individually, they are world-renowned artists; together, they form a trio whose instinctive interplay, decades-deep friendship and effortless command of their craft have made them a benchmark for modern folk musicianship.

Between them, Michael McGoldrick (flute, uilleann pipes, whistles), John McCusker (fiddle, whistles, harmonium) and John Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandola) have helped shape the sound of the genre for more than three decades. Their collective CV tells its own story: founding members of era-defining bands, vital members of the Transatlantic Sessions house band, BBC Folk Award winners, composers, producers, and solo artists whose fingerprints can be found across the most influential traditional and roots recordings of the last generation.

What elevates the trio even further is the extraordinary regard they command from their peers. As a collective, they are highly sought after for guest appearances and studio collaborations, bringing their unmistakable musical intelligence to projects across genres. Their playing features on work by artists such as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, Steve Martin, Joan Baez, David Gilmour, Eddi Reader, Julie Folwis to name but a few – testament to the respect they hold at the highest levels of the music world. When McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle appear on a record, it signals authenticity, mastery, and a deep-rooted connection to the heart of the tradition.

Their own trio work is equally acclaimed. From the instinctive brilliance of their first studio album The Wishing Tree to the electrifying spontaneity of their live concerts, they create music that feels both timeless and urgently alive. Sets unfold like conversations … tunes and songs passed back and forth with ease, humour, precision and playfulness … the kind of musical telepathy that can only come from growing up, travelling and playing together for most of their lives.

Bridging the Irish and Scottish traditions with grace and innovation, McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle have become a defining ensemble of their generation. Their performances are celebrated as masterclasses in ensemble playing, rich in tradition yet always forward-looking. Audiences and critics alike praise their shows as moments of musical alchemy: spontaneous, moving, and thrillingly alive.

As individuals they are exceptional; as a trio, they are iconic.

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As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, & soft drinks

WemsFest is an entirely volunteer-run community interest company.

All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested into our local community, delivering musical workshops in local schools each October in celebration of Black History Month

This year our charity bucket on the bar is supporting relationships & sex education in local schools, delivered by Options Chichester – please do help us support this important work

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance at adwemsfest@gmail.com or 07802 500 050 and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.

Ímar

A welcome back to one of the most exciting bands on the Celtic Music scene. The 5 band members of Ímar hold a plethora of All-Ireland and All-Britain music titles, not to mention BBC Folk Awards, BBC Radio Scotland Awards, and more. Boasting members of Mec Lir, Mànran, Talisk, and RURA, this band are a joyful powerhouse of music who never rest on their laurels !

Ímar
Tuesday 3rd November
St James Church, Church Path, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7DP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
Licensed bar serving Langham Brewery

Tickets on sale now at Bookends and Harbour Records in Emsworth village, at The Westbourne Cafe in Westbourne Village, & online at www.WeGotTickets.com/WemsFest

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Adam Brown (bodhrán), Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), Mohsen Amini (concertina), Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes) and Tomás Callister (fiddle) share a strong background in Irish music – although only Murphy actually hails from Ireland; Rhodes and Callister are from the Isle of Man, whilst Amini is a Glasgow native, and Brown originally from Suffolk – and it is these foundations which underpin many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material.

The band’s unmistakable synergy centers on the overlapping cultural heritage between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. All three places once shared the same Gaelic language and a similar kinship endures between their musical traditions.

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As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, & soft drinks

All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested into our local community, delivering musical workshops in local schools each October in celebration of Black History Month

This year our charity bucket on the bar is supporting relationships & sex education in local schools, delivered by Options Chichester – please do help us support this important work

Rum Ragged

JUNO Award Nominees, Rum Ragged, take a bold approach to the distinct folk music of their home, the Eastern Canadian island of Newfoundland. With a reverence for their roots and a creative, contemporary edge, this young band has quickly become known as the finest performers of their great, living, musical tradition.

Boasting bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar, and button accordion, these new champions of East Coast music enliven and enlighten audiences with their signature brand of Newfoundland folk. Always honest, thought-provoking, and often humorous, it’s Rum Ragged’s live show that makes them a fast favourite with any audience. Their combination of striking vocal harmonies, staggering musicianship, and captivating storytelling gives concert-goers an experience they won’t soon forget.

Since their inception in 2016, Rum Ragged has maintained a rigorous tour schedule, performing at some of the world’s premier folk, celtic and roots venues all while managing to record four acclaimed, award-winning studio albums. Rum Ragged is not your run-of-the-mill folk band, they are the genuine article.

Rum Ragged will play The Old Malthouse (AKA Chidham Village Hall, Main Road, Chidham, West Sussex, PO18 8TP) on Saturday 24th January

Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Unreserved seating

As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks

Tickets on sale now at Bookends and Harbour Records in Emsworth village, at The Westbourne Cafe in Westbourne Village, and online at www.WeGotTickets.com/WemsFest

This year our charity bucket on the bar is fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young , and all profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested into our local community

Fairport Convention

A welcome return to our friends who have pushed the term ‘folk-rock’ to the edge of the universe over several decades – too many to mention.

Expect consummate musicianship, and a liberal amount of corny jokes, and you won’t be disappointed !

Whether you are a long-time fan, a dedicated Cropredy festivalgoer, or a newcomer to their music, an evening with Fairport Convention is sure to surprise and delight you 🎶❤️🎵

As usual we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious Langham Brewery beer🍻 , alongside wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start
Unreserved seating

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Le Vent du Nord

Le Vent du Nord are firm friends of WemsFest, and their local audience continues to grow despite the likelihood that many listeners won’t understand a word that’s being sung – it doesn’t matter! If you’ve seen them before, you know. If you haven’t, take a chance on something different – you will not regret it!

The multi-award-winning and highly acclaimed Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Québec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music with a broad range of global influences.

Since its inception in August 2002, Le Vent du Nord has enjoyed meteoric success, performing well over 2,500 concerts over 4 continents and racking up several prestigious awards, including a SONGLINES MUSIC AWARD -Americas (UK, 2023) Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros (France), two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), three FÉLIX at ADISQ (Québec), a Canadian Folk Music Award, and been awarded Artist of the Year at the Folk Alliance annual gala.

The group exhibits great finesse and flexibility, appearing regularly on Canadian, American, French, and UK television and radio, and participating in a wide variety of special musical projects. They’ve collaborated and performed with a diverse range of artists including: Väsen, Sharon Shannon, Harry Manx, singer Julie Fowlis, Dervish, The Chieftains, Yann-Fañch Kemener, Québécois roots legend and master storyteller Michel Faubert, Apiary fiddle band, Breabach and many more. Not content with standard approaches to tradition, Le Vent du Nord has also created since 2007 a symphonic concert that, according to Voir Montreal, “puts all traditional folk naysayers to shame.”

As an amazing live performance quintet, Le Vent du Nord continues to explore new sounds with stunning vocal arrangements. On stage these 5 friends create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking directions.

THE BAND
Nicolas Boulerice – vocals, electro acoustic hurdy-gurdy, piano
André Brunet – fiddle, foot-tapping, vocals
Réjean Brunet – basses, diatonic accordion, jaw harp, piano, vocals
Olivier Demers – fiddle, guitar, foot-tapping, mandolin, vocals
André Gagné – vocals, bouzouki, guitar

On stage these 5 musicians create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. This is the modern sound of tradition, a music of the here and now.

Unreserved seating
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here