Poppy Folk Day 2025

The day will start with an early-afternoon singing workshop with JESS & RICHARD ARROWSMITH, before moving on to a concert featuring Poppy regulars PHIL SMEETON & HAZEL ATKINSON and Leicestershire-based acoustic band LOOMA; before JESS & RICHARD return to the stage to give us an hour of songs and tunes.

Our evening concert brings to the club the brilliant and very popular Nottingham band KELLYS HEROES with their repertoire of fast and furious Celtic songs and tunes, gentle ballads and contemporary and original material.

And if that's not enough, there will be a free music session in the downstairs bar at teatime, and a singaround at the end of the night following the evening concert.
Don't miss out!

Poppy Folk Day Schedule HERE

KELLYS HEROES  

JESS & RICHARD ARROWSMITH (INCLUDING SINGING WORKSHOP)

LOOMA

PHIL SMEETON & HAZEL ATKINSON

BAR SESSION

SINGAROUND

 Kellys Heroes ... this East Midlands based band are one of the most sought after on the circuit.The richness provided by the accordion, powerful rhythm guitar and bodhran give a fullness of sound that belies the number of people on stage. Their repertoire encompasses fast and furious Celtic songs and tunes, gentle ballads and quality contemporary numbers by the likes of Christy Moore and Ewan MacColl as well as some original material. 

Kellys are our our evening guests at THE POPPY FOLK DAY - lots of opportunities to listen and to participate. Tickets available for individual concerts/workshop, all afternoon and all day. Schedule HERE

Jess and Richard Arrowsmith are singers and musicians (fiddle & melodeon) and well established in the traditional English music scene.

They bring you powerful vocals, subtle accompaniments, lively tunes and a broad range of material that will have you laughing, weeping, tapping your feet and joining in the choruses. Jess's self-penned songs have been performed and recorded by a range of other artists and are

entering the tradition in their own right. Jess & Richard's latest project in conjunction with James Fagan & Nancy Kerr as the Melrose Quartet has earned them a nomination for “Best Group” at the 2014 BBC Folk Awards. Other projects include Hekety, Glorystrokes, Crucible and

Pecsaetan.

Jess and Richard are our Afternoon Concert headliners at THE POPPY FOLK DAY - lots of opportunities to listen and to participate. Tickets available for individual concerts/workshop, all afternoon and all day. Schedule HERE

Looma are an acoustic band based in the East Midlands. They play tunes and songs from a wide range of folk and roots traditions, as well as self-penned material. Expect  Folk, Celtic, Cajun, Country, Blues, Old Time and more. Guaranteed to be a foot-tapping, stirring afternoon!  

Looma are: 

Liz Logie (Piano Accordion) is an Orcadian who has played the accordion since she was ten, being inspired to play by her father who was a well-known Orkney accordion player.  

Mark Theobald  (Harmonica, Ukelele, Vocals)  was a National Harmonica League 'Player of the Year' in 2013 and 2014, playing Irish and blues music.

Bob Gilmour-Evans (Guitar, Vocals) has been performing and writing songs since he was a teenager. He has recorded his own album and guested on several others. Many artists have covered his songs. 

Tim Garland (Cittern, Fiddle, Vocals) has been performing traditional and self penned material for over thirty years, both as a founder member of Midlands based radical folk group FIELDWORK and with KASUTIMA Ceilidh band, playing nationally at clubs, festivals and on national and local radio. He has also performed regularly as a solo artist and in a duo with Indian percussionist Nitin Odedra. He has made five albums with FIELDWORK and two solo albums. 

Looma are one of the artists performing in our Afternoon Concert at the POPPY FOLK DAY - lots of opportunities to listen and to participate. Tickets available for individual concerts/workshop, all afternoon and all day. Schedule HERE

Phil and Hazel are Poppy regulars who play original songs spanning a wide emotional range from heartbreak to happiness, with a couple of seafaring tales and outlaw tunes thrown in. As heard on BBC radio 1, radio 2 and radio 3. Phil wrestles with the accordion, Hazel tickles the ukulele, and harmonies abound! 

Phil and Hazel are performing in our Afternoon Concert at the POPPY FOLK DAY - lots of opportunities to listen and to participate. Tickets available for individual concerts/workshop, all afternoon and all day. Schedule HERE

Our round-the-room format is a relaxed and friendly affair. You can sing a song or play a tune, but  if you dance or are a story teller then that adds nicely to the mix. There's also plenty of room for those who just want to listen, or maybe join in a chorus or an occasional session tune.

We have a half-time break for the re-charging of glasses, general chit-chat, and- of course- a raffle.

No need to book in advance.

Siobhan Miller will be joined by two of Scotland's finest musicians, Innes White on guitar and Charlie Stewart on fiddle. 

From Siobhan-

'The trio is back! This spring, I’m hitting the road with Innes White and Charlie Stewart for a trio tour of the UK. We’ll be sharing a brand-new show, exploring the acoustic roots of some of my songs and revisiting some folky favorites.

Each night, Innes and Charlie will kick things off with their own set before we all take the stage together. It’s going to be something really special, and I can’t wait to share it with you—and to visit some amazing venues all over the UK.'

One of Scotland’s most celebrated folk singer-songwriters, Siobhan's musical prowess has earned her numerous accolades, including four BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards' Scots Singer of the Year titles and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Traditional Track. Her discography boasts five solo releases, all of which have been shortlisted for BBC Alba STMA Album of the Year.  Her latest album, Bloom, is a freewheeling celebration of much-loved Scottish songs which deftly balances a love of traditional song with modern influences.

Having grown up in Scotland's rich folk scene, Siobhan has been a regular performer at Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival, where she was Artistic Director for the 2016 Opening Concert and featured amidst the star-studded Transatlantic Sessions line-up in 2022, duetting with Paul Brady and Sarah Jarosz.

Siobhan's unique vocal style has been honed through collaborations with many of Scotland's top musicians, including Eddi Reader, Kris Drever & Phil Cunningham. She has also made guest appearances with the National Theatre of Scotland, and spent a season on Broadway and a month-long residency in Boston's Majestic Theatre for Brian O'Donovan's Celtic Christmas. 

Siobhan Miller website here

Our round-the-room format is a relaxed and friendly affair. You can sing a song or play a tune, but  if you dance or are a story teller then that adds nicely to the mix. There's also plenty of room for those who just want to listen, or maybe join in a chorus or an occasional session tune.

We have a half-time break for the re-charging of glasses, general chit-chat, and- of course- a raffle.

No need to book in advance.

 Described by Bright Young Folk as "experienced storytellers" who bring "timeless quality" to their music, award-winning duo Farefeld (Chris Elliott, Caitlin Jones) have been playing music together since they met in 2014. Previously performing alongside Bella Gaffney (Magpies) and Heather Sirrell (Pilgrim's Way) in the four-piece 'Bric-a-Brac,' they formed as a duo in 2017.  

In 2019, they released their debut album "Carry Me Home," which takes listeners to "an area of diverse landscapes, history and traditions, a patchwork of Staffordshire and beyond." Since then, they have become well-known faces on the folk circuit, and have won several accolades, including the Shrewsbury Folk Festival open mic competition in 2018, and the 2022 Downend Folk & Roots Cliff Woolley Award. They were a featured artist at the 2021 Folk Expo in Manchester, and released their most recent album "Game of Halves" in 2023, described by folking as "an album that underscores their well-established status in contemporary traditional-influenced folk."

The duo regularly perform live alongside bassist Mike Seal and melodeon player Craig Simmonds.

Farefeld website here

Our round-the-room format is a relaxed and friendly affair. You can sing a song or play a tune, but  if you dance or are a story teller then that adds nicely to the mix. There's also plenty of room for those who just want to listen, or maybe join in a chorus or an occasional session tune.

We have a half-time break for the re-charging of glasses, general chit-chat, and- of course- a raffle.

No need to book in advance.

Blurb coming soon...

Ranagri is an award winning folk band from Ireland and England. With a unique

blend of instruments that includes voices, guitar, bouzouki, flutes, whistles, harp/

electric harp, and bodhrán/drums, they create a sound that is both mesmerising and

unforgettable.

Ranagri has established themselves as a standout act, drawing in crowds from around

the world with their captivating live performances and exceptional musicianship.

They have performed at some of the most prestigious venues & festivals across the

UK and Europe, including Cambridge Folk Festival, Bloom festival (Dublin),

Montelago festival (Italy),Towersey Festival, a headline slot at Costa Festival Ibiza

2023, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Union Chapel, Kings Place London along

with regular tours of Scotland and Europe.

The band has recorded five studio albums to date, with their latest release,

"TRADITION II," receiving critical acclaim upon its release in July 2022. Folk Radio

UK placed the album in their top 10 albums of 2022, cementing the band's status as

one of the most exciting and innovative folk bands in the UK today.

Previous critically acclaimed albums, "Playing For Luck," "Fort of the Hare," and

"The Great Irish Songbook" (with pop legend Tony Christie), were recorded at the

Grammy Award-winning Stockfisch Records label. The band's third album,

"VOICES" - recorded at Real World Studios and produced by Grammy-nominated

producer Graeme Pleeth- and the album "Tradition" were released on

GoatsKin Records.

Fatea Magazine - Band of the Year 2022

Louder Than War - ‘You're unlikely to hear anything more irresistible and more folky

this year’

RTE - ‘Echoes of Pentangle, Jethro Tull and new Celtic folk sounds cemented

by strong contemporary songwriting’

Folk Radio UK - ‘Joyous and thoughtful, with a depth that repays careful listening in

spades. Makes for enthralling listening’

coming soon...