Gate To Southwell Festival attracts 5,000 with acts including Ian Siegal,Le Vent Du Nord, Dervish and The Spooky Men’s Chorale
More than 5,000 festival-goers enjoyed over 50 high quality folk roots and acoustic music acts over four days at the latest Gate To Southwell Festival.
In soaring temperatures, there were also craft tents, community spirit in abundance and plenty of fresh water, cider, beer and much-needed ice-cream.
“It’s definitely been one of our best yet,” declared festival director Mike Kirrage.
“Amazing performers, great support from festival goers from Nottinghamshire and far beyond, and such brilliant weather.
“Seeing people enjoy the music and everything else on offer makes it all worthwhile.
“A tremendous amount of hard work throughout the year culminates in a successful event like this.
“We would like to thank all our stewards, site crew, traders, contractors, first aid and security as well as so many talented artists. And particularly our landowners, the good people of Kirklington, and our main sponsors Lowdhams.
“We’re already looking forward to the 16th festival in July 2023.”
The action started on Thursday with a well-attended Blues Night that saw star British guitarist Ian Siegal perform alongside the powerful and impressive Manchester blues vocalist Kyla Brox and the highly-entertaining boogie woogie maestro Daniel Smith & His Blues Band.
As the temperature kept rising, Friday provided wild entertainment with Hebridean headliners Peat & Diesel bringing their rousing, Celtic, sell-out guitar, drums and accordion stage show to Southwell.
Southwell’s favourite Canadians, Quebec folk heroes Le Vent Du Nord went down a storm headlining on Saturday night; their joyous third return celebrated their 20th anniversary by delivering bouncy dance tunes, five-part vocals and boundless joie de vivre.
The festival has always had a reputation for promoting youthful roots and acoustic talent and some of the acts on Saturday definitely delivered the goods.
Birmingham’s Filkin’s Ensemble performed in various formations across the weekend, as did Helian.
Following the upbeat, colourful and fiesta-filled activities of Saturday — with morris sides dancing and processing on the streets of Southwell, well-received pub gigs, top comedy from the likes of The Young’uns David Eagle and Andrew Bird, interactive storytelling from Mark Frazer and top-quality kids entertainment from James The Jester (from Chester), Paul Carbuncle and Keith Donnelly — Sunday felt like a much more laid back day at the festival site.
Irish legends Dervish showcased some of the classic traditional songs from their ‘Great Irish Songbook’ with Cathy Jordan again proving an entertaining and powerful frontwoman.
Together the united front of Jez Lowe & Steve Tilston felt like a special treat.
Nearly last but definitely not least The Spooky Men’s Chorale must be one of the most extraordinary acts to visit Southwell during the festival’s 15-year history.
Their funny and moving performance stretched from the totally ridiculous Queen cover Rhapsody in Bluegrass through to beautiful renditions of Tom Waits’ Picture In A Frame and Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem Crossing The Bar.
