Ripon International Festival

10/09/2025

Beautiful harmonies from the Furrow Collective, tonight at North Stanley Village Hall.

https://youtu.be/jAC8ndeO1To?si=wC7Fu_PYw_DdKADw

https://riponinternationalfestival.org/events/the-furrow-collective/

Lucy Farrell viola, saw Rachel Newton harp, fiddle Emily Portman banjo, concertina Alistair Roberts guitars BBC R2 Folk award-winning vocal quartet tours extensively throughout the UK as well as in mainland Europe. ‘A bravely sparse and compelling take on traditional songs… A quietly classy folk...

08/09/2025

The FURROW COLLECTIVE play fo RIPON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Alasdair Roberts | Emily Portman | Rachel Newton | Lucy Farrell

Wednesday 10th September 7.30 pm
North Stainley Village
Tickets £22 ( student/ child£5)
BOX OFFICE 01765605508
ENQUIRIES [email protected]

Tichttps://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/events/the-furrow-collective/ket links

".....They are simply one of the most formidable combinations of musicians in today’s folk music scene, and in We Know by the Moon, they have created one of the year’s outstanding albums."
Thomas Blake folk radio UK
BBC Radio 2 Folk award winners of *Best Group* 2017
'A rare band of distinctively individual singers and musicians who knit perfectly' *****fROOTS
‘A bravely sparse and compelling new take on traditional songs... A quietly classy folk band’- The Guardian

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We Know by the Moon is the latest album from award-winning English/Scottish group The Furrow Collective (Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts). Recorded with long-time producer Andy Bell between Glasgow and Sheffield in early 2023, ten years after the band’s formation, the album has a lunar theme:

"The moon, the stars, darkness and night are threads woven through these songs. Songs to be listened to after dark, by candlelight, firelight, or under the cold, steady light of our constant lunar companion." The Furrow Collective

A wintry album of moonlit serenades and starlit balladry, We Know by the Moon showcases the group’s characteristic array of musical talents and ability to source and transform the quirkiest of folk songs, honed over a full decade of playing and singing together. The band’s voices blend in harmony singing at its rawest, with understated and sensitive instrumental accompaniment, featuring harp, guitars, piano and viola.

The 11 tracks feature songs from England, Scotland and beyond; from 's Fhada Leam an Oidhche Gheamhraidh’, the homesick Gaelic lament of an Isle of Lewis emigrant, to Robert Burns’ ‘O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast’, as well as a foray into the German language with Schubert’s ‘Der Leiermann (The Hurdy-Gurdy Man)‘ and an unaccompanied vocal version of ‘Oh Watch the Stars’, learnt from a record by The Seeger Sisters. The record features spellbinding illustrations by May Farrell (Lucy’s mum) to accompany each song.

The Furrow Collective formed in 2013, its four individually distinctive members drawn together by a shared love of traditional song and balladry of England, Scotland and beyond and an open, intuitive approach to collaboration. In recognition of their innovative approach, The Furrow Collective were awarded the accolade of 'Best Group' at the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, hot on the heels of the release in late 2016 of their second album, Wild Hog. Their fourth album, We Know by the Moon is the follow up to Fathoms (2018) and was sparked as an idea after their 2022 winter EP The Longest Night.

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'If the future of folk music sounds like Fathoms we are in safe hands indeed.'
FRUK
'Something of a delicacy to be savoured'
**** Northern Sky
'Like The Unthanks, The Furrow Collective are adventurous in their interpretation of the traditional songbook of the British Isles'
Scotsman
'Innovative arrangements, yet never losing the essence of their roots'
FATEA
'One of the most refreshing interpreters of traditional song in the UK**** Songlines

'Close-knit harmonies hit home' Observer ****

'A rare band of distinctively individual singers and musicians who knit perfectly' *****fROOTS

***** i newspaper

14/08/2025

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Ondřej Hás, Joanne Harrison, Chris Dyson

07/08/2025

THE OFTEN HERD play for RIPON INTENATIONAL FESTIVAL
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH @19.30
FEWSTON CHURCH at WASHBURN HERITAGE CENTRE
LS21 2NX
TICKETS £22 (STUDENT/CHILD £5)
Box Office 01765 605508
Enquiries [email protected]
“The band’s sound is influenced by a range of styles, from bluegrass and folk to pop melodies and psychedelia, and the result is fresh, musically layered and absorbing” – Americana UK
Bluegrass band The Often Herd transcend the traditional boundaries of the genre. Although they might resemble an American string band, complete with driving energy, tight vocal harmonies and dazzling instrumental interplay, their vibrant, transatlantic sound is deeply coloured by their surroundings; the striking natural and industrial landscapes of Northern England.
Since the release of their acclaimed debut album ‘Where the Big Lamp Shines’ in 2022, they’ve graced the stages of major festivals including Cambridge Folk, Underneath the Stars, Wickham, Moseley Folk, Folk By The Oak, The Long Road, and many more, with international appearances from Portugal to the USA.
Their latest single, “Cool Summer Rain” (released May 30, 2025), showcases an evolution in their sound – blending their trademark bluegrass precision with lush West Coast harmonies, folk-pop hooks, and the addition of drums and keyboards. Penned by guitarist Rupert Hughes and inspired by their journey to La Roche, the track has been described as “Billy Strings meets Crosby, Stills and Nash – with a healthy dose of Lindisfarne.” It’s a heartfelt nod to the Tyneside roots scene where the band cut their teeth.
With two new singles planned for release this year and a packed summer ahead – including their debut at Glastonbury Festival, a return to La Roche’s 20th Anniversary, and their first appearance at IBMA in Chattanooga, Tennessee as recipients of the International Band Performance Grant – 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for The Often Herd.
“An assured debut that should indeed be often heard – let them illuminate your lives.” – KLOF
“A winning combination of virtuosity, enthusiasm, willingness to push boundaries and above all, great songs and playing.” – Maverick Magazine
“Traditional, inventive, tight and sharp… for those who think they don’t like bluegrass this could be the point they change their minds.” – Tom Franks, FolkWords
“A study in virtuosity from a supremely talented group of musicians.” Claire Dupree, NARC
“It’s fabulous, really exciting to listen to. Tight, virtuosic and the kind of thing you just know would be even better live!” Sam Sweeney – Bellowhead/Leveret
https://youtu.be/6pkr6UsfQ5s?si=3bo_3d-mnRY2V9Je

05/06/2024

2024 Ripon International Festival brochure - just arrived!

08/10/2023

A wonderful concert finale last night to the 25th Ripon International Festival, with the ever inspired and energetic entertainment of Red Priest.

07/10/2023

Final concert of the 25th RIF tonight!

A few tickets available on the door.

30/09/2023

What a truly wonderful day I’ve had performing at Ripon International Festival. Beautiful venue and such a fantastic audience. Including some very wonderful friends Julia Weber, Sarah and Peter whom I hadn’t seen in far, far too long. What an absolute treat. ❤️

30/09/2023

A capacity audience (again) for the 25th Ripon International Festival’s orchestral concert in Ripon Cathedral, with the Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Janusz.