New festival in England, 30 Apr.-1 May

Thanks to FOAOTMAD, the UK old-time music association, for passing on this news, which should be of particular interest to autoharp players:

Sue Edwards of UK Autoharps informs of a new music festival: the 2010 Bordergrass Music Festival, held Friday 30 April-Saturday 1 May. This is at Hopelands Hall in the village of Weobley, Herefordshire, famous for its picturesque setting, and the centre of the ‘Black and White’ villages in the area.

There are evening concerts both days, and also free workshops on the Saturday afternoon with Mike Fenton, who is bringing 35 autoharps for new players to try. There are also workshops from Sarah McQuaid on DADGAD (Irish) Guitar and Old Time Band from the New Prohibition Band.

The Friday concert line up is the New Essex Bluegrass Band, Sarah McQuaid, the New Prohibition Band, Mike Fenton, and the Toy Hearts. The Saturday concert is the same lineup apart from the Toy Hearts, but also includes Hilary James & Simon Mayor, and the Carrivick Sisters.

Details re camping and caravans, ticket prices, etc., are on this website, or phone +44 (0)1544 327936.

This new festival is a varied one, a blend of old-time, bluegrass, and folk, with a great lineup for the concerts, so do have a look at the website for full information.