24/05/2026
Sad news from Sheffield..
Ian Russell, 1947-2026
We are extremely sad to report that Ian Russell passed away on Saturday 16 May 2026, after several months of very poor health following a heart attack.
Although the Festival of Village Carols is organised by a committee, there has never been any doubt who was in charge. It was Ian Russell. He conceived the festival back in 1994 and every two years since (including online in the 2020 Covid year), Ian has directed the festival. The format of the event, the selection of guest groups, the selection of carols, the musical arrangements, the contents of the printed programme including the notes on each carol (many of which started “central to tradition”), the daytime teaching of the carols and the conducting of the singers and musicians in the evening, and even, perhaps especially, the selection of the beer. Ian did it all.
The festival was based on decades of fieldwork recording the carols, dedicated research on their history, their publication in books and CDs (and before that on cassette) and above all else, a love of the carols, and friendship with and respect for the people who sang them. Ian could not have done all this work without considerable support from his wife Norma, and we express our deepest condolences to Norma and their son Joseph and grandson Tomas.
The next festival is due to take place on Saturday 28 November 2026. The committee will consider how and if the festival can continue without Ian.
The Festival of Village Carols Committee
