Sat 7 Mar
MARY HAMPTON
+ Caroline Weeks
+ The Henningham Family Press & Jon Bilbrough

Exploring the world of balladry in music, poetry and print, two contemporary roots stars folk-up classic English poetry whilst we host get-your-hands-dirty printmaking that delves into the fascinating legacy of the ‘broadsheet ballad’.

A munificent musical bill is led by superb Sussex folk siren Mary Hampton. Equivocal, ephemeral and infused with hints of Housman, Yeats and Browning, Mary’s exquisite fiddle arrangements, astonishingly haunting vocals and rich poetic language lay bear music as immersive gothic mystery. Maurice Sendak in songs and poems, or as close as you would ever want to get.

Also on board is the enchantingly minimal off-kilter folk of Caroline Weeks. A classically trained flautist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Caroline, a band member of Bat For Lashes for three years, is emerging from under their wings to establish herself as a solo artist in her own right. A modern-day Edna St. Vincent Millay, this show marks the release of Caroline’s debut album Songs for Edna.

Eastern explorer and musical nomad Jon Bilbrough brings his rich experience of Indian musical tradition and his own folk musings to the table.

Inspired by the 16th Century function of the ballad as a precursor of modern newsprint, bespoke live screen-printers The Henningham Family Press will set to work with Jon to create on paper and in song a unique ballad. A live creative process, it will be a hands-on chance for the audience to create a handsome artefact via traditional printing techniques and the musings of the young folk set.

“coffee-table-shattering purity…these are songs of unnerving delicacy, elemental and acoustic simplicity…potent and enchanting” - Uncut on Mary Hampton