Carolyn Francis

Lakeland Fiddler Carolyn Francis is renowned for her research, performance and teaching of Cumbrian fiddle and border bagpipe tunes. Over the past 25 years she has made a career of producing a living, inclusive, culture of traditional music rooted in Cumbria, in particular with Striding Edge band and The Lakeland Fiddlers. She is a prolific tune writer; In 2023 her composition, “Cissy Middleton”, was published by Faber in “Tunes from the Women”, a compilation edited by Kathryn Tickell. She will be leading a session on traditional Cumbrian folk tunes.

• All Along The Watchtower

• Bright Lights Big City

• Can’t You See

• Dancing in the Moonlight

• Fisherman’s Blues

• High Heel Sneakers

Good Fridays

A group of musicians playing wide a variety of well-known tunes from 60s and 70s pop to folk and blues. If you want to join in, we’ll probably be singing some or all of these:

• Keep Your Hands to Yourself

• Sit Down

• Stand By Me

• Why Get Up?

• You Ain’t Going Nowhere

Jane Hartwell

Join us for some traditional singing. We are hoping to raise the roof with some chorus songs. No theme just bring along a song or two and let us raise our voices.

Returning Leopards

Join Keith, Cathy and Matt for an open session - all instruments welcome. Come and bring a song, a tune, a story, or just your ears and join in.

Ryan Wood

Dedicated to organising sessions in curious, beautiful out-of-the-way locations. Ryan has played in barns, bothies, longhouses, tipis, fields, festivals, and even the occasional pub, throughout Cumbria. All abilities and styles are welcome: expect raucous tunes and singalong choruses. Making up the fiddle playing third of the Mowdies, playing on Saturday, Ryan is looking forward to warming up in the Sawmill Shack on Friday night.

Shanty Lads

This local group of enthusiastic singers formed during Covid with a core of individuals who had basically done little previous singing. Over the past 4 years the crew have come along leaps and bounds with their confidence and bring a wide breadth of songs and voices to any gathering. The Shanty Lads encourage any and all to join in and have a go at chorus’s so bring along your voice and join in the pure joy of singing for singing’s sake!

Wierdstring

3 men, numerous strings, all the weirdness. Festival session hosts extraordinaire, Wierdstring know how to get the (folk) party started and keep it going, with a welcoming vibe for all forms of musical expression. As they enter their twentieth year, some ask whether they can go on forever? On some evenings, yes, they can.