LOVERS of folk music from Bolton, Bury and across the world are gearing up for an annual festival.

The third Homegrown Festival of English folk is returning to Bury for a weekend of inspiring and entertaining music.

Show Of Hands and Fisherman’s Friends will headline the event, being held from Thursday, October 16 to Saturday, October 18.

David Agnew, director of The Met in Bury which organises the event, said: “Homegrown is a unique festival which this year will attract over 100 music industry delegates from all over the world.

“We're especially delighted to welcome shanty legends Fisherman's Friends on the Friday night for our very special pop-up venue in the Castle Armoury Drill Hall.”

Partnered with the English Folk Expo, the event features a who’s who of folk artists from across the country, including Faustus, Nizlopi — famed for the JCB Song — and Bella Hardy, as well as more than two-dozen more talented acts including BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson, Jon Spiers and the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.

Since the late 1990s English folk music has experienced a dramatic revival, matched by a rise in public and media interest, and fuelled by a significant increase in the number of UK festivals, the establishment of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the launch of a folk and traditional music degree at Newcastle University.

Celebrating the breadth and diversity of English music, Homegrown 2014 also features Cocos Lovers, Spiro, Melrose Quartet, Keston Cobblers’ Club, Fabian Holland, Will Pound, The Hut People, Lisa Knapp, Luke Daniels, Sean Lakeman and Kathryn Roberts, Lucy Ward, Philip Henry and Hannah Martin, The Old Dance School, new trio Leveret (Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron), Winter Mountain, local heroes Harp and a Monkey and a special late-morning Family Folk Show from Megson.

Now in its third year, Homegrown runs in partnership with EFDSS (English Folk Dance and Song Society) and the English Folk Expo, bringing more than 100 music industry delegates to Bury to witness the high quality of folk music England has to offer.

Tickets for all Homegrown performances are on sale now and are individually priced.

English folk enthusiasts benefit from 20% off when buying tickets for four Homegrown events in one booking, which will take place at The Met and the Castle Armoury Drill Hall in Bury town centre.

For more information, phone The Met’s Box Office on 0161 761 2216 or visit homegrownfolk.co.uk.

Show of Hands 

Show Of Hands are one of England's most successful acoustic roots duos — Steve Knightley and Phil Beer. Their widespread appeal is based on the combined power of Steve's original songs, the quality of their vocals and harmonies and their multi-instrumental virtuosity.


Fisherman’s Friends

Fisherman’s Friends are Cornish harmony singers from Port Issac who have sky-rocketed from singing in their local pub to playing the main stage at Glastonbury. Each and every member of the band is, or has actually been, a fisherman and they have known each other since childhood.

Faustus

Faustus brings to the stage three of the leading lights of their generation of folk musicians; Saul Rose (Waterson:Carthy, Whapweazel, War Horse), Benji Kirkpatrick (Seth Lakeman Band, Bellowhead) and Paul Sartin (Bellowhead, Belshazzar's Feast).

Nizlopi

Most widely known for being the underground independent act that topped the UK and Irish charts with The JCB song in 2005, Nizlopi have a fierce reputation for unforgettable live shows.

Bella Hardy

BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy’s captivating voice inhabits her characters and spins her stories with an equal balance of strength and sensitivity. For this performance she has paired up with Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Cara Luft to perform new material created through the Crossing Borders project.

The Young’Uns

Teeside trio The Young’Uns have established their fast-growing reputation in the folk world with sublime a cappella harmonies. An unlikely force of nature on stage — beguiling audiences with irrepressible humour, bold vocals, gripping storylines and innate musicality.

Sean Lakeman and Kathryn Roberts

Two of the British folk scene's most accomplished performers, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman have graced stages the world over. the pair returned to the fray with their highly acclaimed album, Hidden People in 2012.

Lucy Ward

24-year-old Lucy Ward won the Horizon Award for Best Newcomer at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2012. Since then she has established herself as one of the hottest performers on the UK folk scene, pulling a full capacity audience for her Cambridge Folk Festival debut.

Keston Cobblers’ Club

With beautiful harmonies, an oom-pah tuba line and a mish-mash of accordion, guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica and mandolin, Keston Cobblers’ Club make music that will make you dance until your shoes wear out.

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson first came to fame in the 1970s with acoustic trio Cafe Society, the Tom Robinson Band (who enjoyed chart success with 2-4-6-8 Motorway and Glad To Be Gay) and Sector 27 before being offered his own show as a BBC radio presenter in the 1980s.