As the Summer Solstice twilight nears, join us for a haunting evening of stories told through music, words and art by Soft Lap. Author and historian Amy Jeffs, artist Gwen Burns and musician Natalie Brice join in mesmerising harmony to sing these timeless tales of love and death kept alive through generations of telling.
Saints legends suffused medieval European culture. Their heroes wonder-working and suffering shaped landscapes, rituals and folk beliefs. Their tales spoke of women communing with flocks of birds, men raised by wolves and severed heads calling from between bristling paws. In Saints, Amy Jeffs retells legends of the medieval saints alongside their histories, drawing on in-depth research from 4th to 16th century cultural sources, illustrated throughout with beautiful paper cutout art.
Across cultures and centuries, trees have stood as guardians of life, inspiring stories that connect us to nature, spirituality and tradition. In The Folklore of Trees, Aidan Meighan brings these tales together with rich cultural context and intricate illustrations, sharing the myths, legends and secrets of the world's most iconic trees, and the seasonal customs, protective charms and superstitions associated with them.
Explore the folklore of trees on the Pickering Beck and Castle route! During the approximately two mile circular walk, arboreal devotee and author of The Folklore of Trees will talk about the legends, secrets and myths of the trees on our doorstep. Optional add-on: we'll end the walk with a sandwich buffet in The Forest and Vale Hotel garden, home to a 300+ year old sweet chestnut tree.
Join us in welcoming acclaimed Canadian artists Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen when they tour the UK. Their blend of Celtic traditional and contemporary folk tunes take us on a journey with “emotional depth and technical prowess … a standout in the folk music genre” (Independent Music). Their first album as a duo, Home, won the Music Nova Scotia Award Roots Traditional Recording of the Year, and has been nominated for the East Coast Music Award Traditional Release of the Year. Rachel and Darren have also been nominated for the Canadian Folk Music Award Ensemble of the Year and New/Emerging Artist(s) of the Year.
