TIMETABLE AMSERLEN

For all those who like to come early, start the weekend here. Full details at newportfolkclub.co.uk.
(NB: this event is separate from the festival and is the only event NOT included in the weekend ticket.)

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In the Marcus Music Marquee. Kick off the festival early with this FREE feast of music from some of South Wales’s finest talent. This is a concert other festivals would charge you to see. We aim to make this particular event a rewarding experience for those who might normally be overwhelmed by crowds or a festival experience and would feel more comfortable dipping in and out. It is, of course, open to all, but please be accepting of those who might need understanding to make the most of the day. It will feature (in order of appearance) the sensational bluegrass wizardry of stunning guitarist Chris Moreton with wife Wendy on bass, world-class songwriter and guitarist Phil Millichip, UK festival favourites Ned Clamp and Patty Smith, and amazing shanty choir Bois y Bryn.

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In our Dawnsio.Cymru Marquee. With the utterly brilliant twmpath band O-Gam I-Gam. This twmpath (which is Welsh for barndance but - as we say - better because it’s Welsher) will be conducted through the medium of Welsh but dance is a universal language so, just as in any barndance, you’ll easily pick up the moves as you go. This twmpath is run by our friends at Menter Iaith Newport and the earlier start time is to encourage family with children to take part. The night will also feature some Welsh exhibition dancing.

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In our Main Concert Marquee, a ticketed performance with (in order of appearance): Welsh fiddle geniuses Angharad Jenkins & Patrick Rimes, Irish superband The Haar, our songwriting competition winner Hermione Wild, folk royalty Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, and folk’s great living legend Phil Beer.

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In the festival site’s Community Centre led by Ann Parsons. Accompanied and unaccompanied songs equally welcome. Fill your lungs with good Welsh air then let it all out!

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In the Marcus Music Marquee. A night of great tunes, many instruments and lots of joining in! If you have a traditional tune to play, bring your instrument and share the joy of making music with others. It’s also an opportunity to immerse yourself in some of the great Welsh heritage tunes. Run by friends of Marcus Music, including Dave Cox, Sue Cleaves, Greg and Pat Morgan, Lol Lutman and many others, this is a sized-up version of our beloved Old Friends Session celebrating the memory of the great Marcus Butler, founder member of this festival and creator of Marcus Music.

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In the main festival parkland. Run by Cotelydon, experts in local farmers’ markets, with loads and loads of yummy food stalls.

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In the Morgan Room. Led by Phil Millichip whose beautiful songs are folk club favourites across the country, covered by many including the late, great Vin Garbutt.

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In the Dawnsio.Cymru Marquee, led by the brilliant Geraint and Tracy Roberts.

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In the Marcus Music Marquee. A mini-festival within a festival, featuring dance exhibitions performed by local schools. A treat for those who applaud keeping our folk traditions alive down the generations.

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In the Morgan Room, led by expert Pattie Smith. Welsh tunes on any instrument. Does Wales have the best tunes of all the UK nations? Of course it does!

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In the Community Centre. Another concert that other festivals would charge you to see! With (in order of appearance) the great singer Greg Rowlands, brilliant duo Wynford Jones & Geoff Cripps (both former members of folk-rock giants The Chartists), stunning Welsh singer Mair Thomas and UK festival hits The Rob Lear Band. Get in early for this as all seats are quickly taken and then it’s standing room only.

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Starting at the Victorian front of Tredegar House itself (facing the lake, see map in our printed programme) and wending its way through the gardens and then to our Marcus Music Marquee, this is the grand parade of all our Saturday dance teams and their bands in costume. Unquestionably, one of the greatest sights of all British folk dancing festivals. Make sure your camera-phones are charged up!

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Look out for loads of fun for younger ones with Mr Big on Saturday afternoon. As soon as we have more info, it’ll go here.

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In the Marcus Music Marquee and (until about 4.45pm) in our Dawnsio.Cymru marquee. Detailed timings for each team are in our printed programme available on site. Look out too, in a break from the dancing, a special performance by the brilliant Blackwood Ceilidh Band. Besides these two venues, expect to see extra dancing just about anywhere outside as weather permits.

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In the Morgan Room. Our 2.30-3.30pm session is led by the brilliant dancers of Al Rakas who have been delighting audiences for a decade or more. Then, after a half-hour break, we’ll have another bellydance session from 4pm-5pm led bythe wonderful dancers of Topaz Tribal who specialise in a unique style called Global Caravan Tribal Bellydance. All are welcome at either session…or both. Go on, you know you’ve always wanted to!

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In the Community Centre and run jointly by the Lyceum Folk Club of Newport and Llantrisant Folk Club.

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In the Dawnsio.Cymru Marquee. A unique concert by the Bagad Grwndi Welsh Fiddle Orchestra - a community orchestra led by the great Welsh cellist Jordan Price Williams (of VRï and Pendevig fame). We hear tell that a few of Jordan’s illustrious friends might be popping in to join him on stage. Make space in your in diaries for this one.

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In our Main Concert Marquee with (in order of appearance) Welsh supergroup Avanc (featuring a special appearance by India Dance Wales), stunning singer/guitarist Lowri Evans, powerhouse duo Sam Kelly & Jamie Francis, and Ranagri, one of the hottest bands on the UK folk festival scene.

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In the Marcus Music Marquee. Bring your dancing shoes for an amazing night in the company of ceilidh dance band Juice and caller extraordinaire Ned Clamp.

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In the main festival parkland, once again with loads of yummy food stalls.

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In the Marcus Music Marquee run by one of the greats - Pattie ‘Spoons’ Smith. Fear not, spoons provided. Or bring your own (clearly, not plastic ones!) For those who fancy it (and who wouldn’t!) Pattie will be rehearsing a special piece for a one-off group performance in our Main Music Marquee during the interval at this afternoon’s ticketed Final Grand Concert. Youll be part of what we’re calling ‘The National Spoons Orchestra of Wales’. This is going to be unmissable.

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In the Dawnsio.Cymru Marquee. Lots of fun and high energy. Blow away the cobwebs from Saturday night!

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In the Morgan Room. Run by Newport Folk Club. Another great chance to hear, and play, some, fine music in good company (and still finish in time for our grand concert).

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Once again, starting at the Victorian front of Tredegar House itself (facing the lake, see map in our printed programme) and wending its way through the gardens and then to our Marcus Music Marquee, this is the grand parade of all our Sunday dance teams and their bands in costume. A truly magnificent pageant of huge sound and colour.

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Look out for loads more fun for younger ones with Mr Big on Sunday afternoon. As soon as we have more info, it’ll go here.

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In the Community Centre. A very special concert headlined by Brooks Williams, one of the world’s greatest acoustic guitarists. Supported by two of Wales’s finest singer-songwriters, first Ron Savory (who stunned our audience last year as part of The Eclectic Shed Experience), then the incomparable Paul Lloyd Nicholas. Once again, get in early. Seats are limited and, once they’re gone, it’s limited standing room only.

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In the Dawnsio.Cymru Marquee and Marcus Music Marquee. Once again, detailed timings for each team are in our printed programme available on site. Besides these two venues, expect to see extra dancing just about anywhere outside as weather permits.

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In the Community Centre. Run by experts Bernie Kilbride and Imogen Flute, this is a freewheeling Irish-themed session starring…well, anyone who wants to join in.

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In our Main Concert Marquee, this is the big one with (in order of appearance) The Luke Jackson Trio, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies, Heron Valley, and - to top it all off - one of the true greats of UK and world folk music: Steve Knightley. And don’t forget that interval performance on the spoons from ‘The National Spoons Orchestra of Wales’ (see 10.30am Spoons Workshop above).

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In our Marcus Music Marquee for those who still have some energy left, a workshop and display by the experts of the Horo Balkan Group. Introduced to us by our friends at the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, these wonderful dancers bring the movement and sound of Central Europe to our festival. A small hint…they’re always looking for enthusiastic new members to join them at their rehearsals in Cardiff and here at Duffryn. So, if the dancing moves your soul, speak to one of the team.

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In our dawnsio.cymru marquee, a final hour of down-home bluegrass from one of South Wales’s finest exponents of southern-States good-time music. If you’re not at our giant ticketed concert (see above) this is just the thing to send you home with joy in your heart.

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