Dorset’s folk duo Ninebarrow to perform at Marston

After their explosion onto the national folk roots scene over the past few years, duo Ninebarrow will be performing on Wednesday 12 July at Marston Church as part of this year’s Frome Festival. Dorset-based Ninebarrow are set to mesmerize audiences with their enchanting harmonies and captivating melodies

Comprised of Jon Whiteley and Jay LaBouchardiere, the duo has established themselves as prominent figures in the folk roots scene, gaining recognition for their outstanding vocals, delicate instrumentation, and engaging songwriting.

Award-winning sounds

Their talent has not gone unnoticed – Ninebarrow were nominated for a BBC2 folk award and won Best Duo in the 2019 Folking.com awards.

With a strong online presence and a string of successful concerts across the UK, Ninebarrow has garnered widespread acclaim. Their most recent album, A Pocket Full of Acorns, skyrocketed to Number 1 on Amazon’s Folk Best Selling Chart within days of its release.

The duo’s music is deeply intertwined with the Dorset landscape, which led to an invitation to record a segment for BBC1’s Countryfile in March 2021. The exposure resulted in all four of their albums immediately climbing into Amazon’s Top 40 chart, further solidifying their status in the folk music realm. Prepare to be swept away by spellbinding melodies and harmonies as Ninebarrow take to the stage at Marston Church. Immerse yourself in the beauty of their music, inspired by the landscapes and history of the British Isles, and experience an unforgettable evening of folk music at its finest.

The event will commence at 7:30pm on Wednesday, July 12th, at Marston Church, conveniently located just south of the A361, a mile west of Frome.

Attendees can indulge in a preconcert drink in the serene and picturesque rural setting of the church, with a bar open from 6:30pm. Tickets are £16 and can be purchased online from fromefestival.co.uk .

Shaftesbury looks forward to record-breaking Fringe

The 2023 Shaftesbury Fringe Festival is set to be the biggest ever, with a record 212 performances over three days. Notable acts this year include Fiona Allen, a double Emmy Award winner known for her work on Smack the Pony and various TV series. She will debut her stand-up show, On the Run. The Great Baldini, an illusionist, returns for the third consecutive year with his new show, Illusionati. Glam punk and funk band SOCK, led by Vince Venus, will bring highenergy performances to the festival. David Mamet’s play, Duck Variations, presented by Benchmark Theatre, promises to be witty and poignant. The festival covers various genres such as spoken word, theatre, dance, and live music, with performances at 36 locations throughout the town. A new addition is the Salcombe Brewery Stage, hosting acoustic performances.

The organisers believe that the open-access nature of Shaftesbury Fringe is one of its greatest strengths. ‘There’s no element of curation or selection whatsoever,’ says Rob Neely, ‘Anybody who wants to perform can. It gives an element of discovery and a sense of the unexpected. You never know what you’re going to get.’ To find out more, go to shaftesburyfringe.co.uk