Somerset festival back in 12 weeks with recession-beating ticket prices for winter weekend of top acoustic music 

More award nominees O’Hooley & Tidow and Luke Jackson also Frome-bound

Jim Moray, one of folk music’s greatest innovators, has been announced as Sunday headliner of the second Frome Folk Festival which will return to the picturesque Somerset market town next February (16 and 17).

Bristol-based Jim was last week revealed as a triple nominee in the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album for his much acclaimed Skulk and Best Traditional Track for his performance of the song Lord Douglas. 

Widely regarded as one of the most startling and inventive artists working in traditional folk music today, Moray has released four ground-breaking and award-winning albums and now finds himself at the forefront of a new folk revival in the UK ,hailed as a pivotal influence by a new generation of folk performers. 

See Jim singing Lord Douglas Here...

Frome’s winter weekend event became the West Country’s newest folk festival in February and proved an instant hit –bringing thousands of festival-goers, Morris dancers and the cream of the British folk music world flocking to the historic town. Situated at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the perfect festival town is close to the cities of Bath, Wells and Salisbury and boasts steep cobbled streets, old weavers’ cottages and historic Georgian buildings. 

The festival will return to the former 19th century market hall of Frome’s popular Cheese & Grain, characterful pubs and venues around the town and award-winning Irish songstress Cara Dillon, who lives in Frome, is festival patron. 

“Recession-busting” tickets are expected to be some of the best value tickets on offer in the 2013 festival season, offering buyers an amazing line-up and 22 hours of music, plus workshops, storytelling and one of the biggest Morris dance meets in the region including members of the University Of Bristol’s Rag Morris (above), who took part in the spectacular closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

What they said about the first FROME FOLK FESTIVAL “Simply breathtaking! The standard and variety of music and entertainment on offer at Frome was incredible; there was without doubt something for everyone and I didn’t see one performance that didn’t impress me - UK Festival Guides

“The Frome venues and town were buzzing with multi-generational crowds and the festival left a lasting impression. To assemble a bill made up of the cream of the folk world for its inaugural event is a testament to the team behind Frome. The West Country wins again.” -Spiral Earth.

One of the first festivals out of the box in the new year, tickets are just £58 for a weekend ticket (£48 concessions) and £190 for a family weekend ticket (2 adults and 2 children under 15).

Festival organisers have also clinched performances from more nominees in the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards - the acclaimed Yorkshire-based pair of Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow (shortlisted for Best Duo) with their irresistible blend of striking arrangements, sublime harmonies and Northern banter - and Kent’s extraordinary 18 year-old singer songwriter Luke Jackson who has a rare double nomination in both the Young Folk Award and the Horizon Award for best emerging act. Jackson, who has supported Show of Hands, Martyn Joseph and Paul Brady among others, released his debut album More Than Boys this summer and critics have praised his mature songwriting, strong voice and dextrous guitar skills.

Also appearing will be Lucy Ward, who won the Horizon (Best Emerging Act) Award at the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Derbyshire’s Lucy, with her blue hair and big personality, is one of the most in-demand young artists on the acoustic roots scene. Sublime genre-hopping musicianship will be on offer in the shape of Peter Knight’s Gigspanner. The legendary fiddler from Steeleye Span will be joined by guitar virtuoso Roger Flack and Vincent Salzfaas on congas and djembe. Interweaving British traditional and world music in a feelgood set, Songlines Magazine said the band represents “another milestone in folk’s rebirth of cool”.

Also heading for Somerset will be two of England’s top singer songwriters -Gloucestershire’s Johnny Coppin and Cornwall’s Mike Silver. Coppin is the former frontman of cult 70s band Decameron and known for his collaborations with the late author and poet Laurie Lee, whilst Silver penned the widely playlisted song Not a Matter of Pride. Together as the duo Coppin Silver they have formed a winning combination which has been described as “a match made in folk heaven” and have recorded the album Breaking the Silence.

From the North East will come Hartlepool’s The Young ‘Uns - Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes - who are rapidly making their mark on the folk scene – and some of Newcastle’s finest young musicians in the shape of The Monster Ceilidh Band.

They have entertained all over the world with their cross-genre ceilidh music -before 8,000 people at Glastonbury and at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo. They will be whipping up a storm with both a ceilidh and a concert on the Saturday. 

From the South West will come two contrasting, up and coming duos. Captivating and inventive Devon duo Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin recently won Best Folk Act in the South West Music Awards. Henry is considered one of the country’s finest slide guitarists and they create a mesmerising and other-worldly sound drawn from a wellspring of English folk music, Indian classical melodies, gospel and American blues.

Also heading up from Exeter/Bristol are the unique folktronica pairing of Solarference (Sarah Owen and Nick Janaway) whose haunting debut album Lips of Clay is currently causing a stir.

A genre‐defying mix of electronics and traditional folk, the duo's sound combines time honoured folk songs with sounds sampled on their laptops – anything from pebbles to music boxes and tin foil and no two performances are ever the same. 

Representing Wales will be Allan Yn Y Fan - a Celtic music quintet gaining a reputation for their “beautiful vocals” and “fiery instrumentals” and singer songwriter and Ed Sheeran collaborator Amy Wadge (right). 

Other artists include Sam Kelly, whose stunning contemporary folk original songs and covers made him one of the stars of TV’s Britain’s Got Talent this year; Bristol singer songwriter Phil King and acapella band The Longest Johns, Dave Garner and Alan Doyle, rising Cambridge five piece The Willows and Somerset’s own Reg Meuross (right) - “one of the finest singer-songwriters this country has produced” according to Radio 2’s Mike Harding. 

Keeping the Frome flame burning will be Frome Story Circle and Frome Poets and a bumper range of workshops including a “bodhran for beginners” workshop hosted by German-born Gerhard Krees, a Pontypridd-based instrument maker. Other workshops will include songwriting with Reg Meuross, shanty singing with The Longest Johns, Hammer Dulcimer for beginners; mini melodeon for beginners (including children) and longsword dancing with Ray Langdon. 

Frome Folk Festival will run from 10am-11pm both days. Tickets are now available HERE

For those wishing to camp, there will be provision locally for tents and camper vans and indoor camping will return to the town’s United Reformed Church. There are also numerous campsites, hotels and B & B’s in the area.