Strong Irish presence at Crossover Festival in England, 4-7 May 2018

Following the BIB posts of 5 and 20 Feb., thanks to the organising team of the Crossover Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival in England for their March newsletter. With the Festival just forty days away (4-7 May) and tickets going on sale on 1 April, the newsletter answers FAQ on buying tickets, camping facilities, arrival and leaving, dogs, alcohol, and more, and gives a programme for the three main days (see above).

Both in the lineup and in the video of entrants for the showcase competition, the names and/or faces of prominent members of the Irish bluegrass community will be visible. The BIB congratulates the Ophelia Trio (Lily Sheehan, Luke Coffey, and Gabriel Faure) on their place among the showcase competition winners.

The festival will be held in the Clonter Opera Theatre, Congleton, Cheshire, England (fairly accessible from Ireland). On Saturday 5 May Molly Tuttle (USA; IBMA Guitarist of the Year, 2017) will give a guitar workshop, while Rachel Baiman (USA), touring with her, will give a fiddle workshop; both will subsequently be playing in Ireland.

Thanks again to T.J. Screene (co-organiser of Bluegrass Camp Ireland and resident bassist at the weekly Dublin Bluegrass jam session) for making the BIB aware of the Crossover Festival.