what ENGLISH FOLK EXPO expect in 2023

English Folk Expo (EFE) 2023)

Norman Warwick shares their news

2023 is just around the corner so why not start planning the shape of your year now and getting English Folk Expo 2023 – Thu 19th-Sun 22nd October – in your diary? Super-Early bird passes are now on sale!

Delegate passes lowest rate of £168 including VAT can be purchased using the button below.

In 2023 your delegate pass will give you access to all Manchester Folk Festival performances, the late night festival club, all private delegate events, all conference events – including the European Folk Network conference – delegate networking sessions, as well as access to artist and delegate contact information, the trade fair and the EFEx app.  And of course an EFEx delegate goodie bag on arrival.

For delegates travelling from outside the UK we have a limited number of free delegate passes and support to help you attend EFEx in Manchester.  Please contact Terry at terry@englishfolkexpo.com if you are interested in being with us, or for any potential delegates, contact Terry with any questions about the event.

In case you haven’t heard, in 2023 we’re moving English Folk Expo to Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the vibrant musical heart of Manchester, where you’ll find some of the most well established and iconic music venues in the city

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photo night and day Our 2023 venues will include the famous Band On The Wall plus New Century Hall, Hallé St Peter’s, Night and Day, (right) Soup Kitchen and Hallé at St Michael’s.

Artist applications for English Folk Expo 2023 are now open and are accepted until midnight on Sunday 15th January so be quick!

We accept applications from folk, roots and acoustic artists who are either English or resident in England. Showcasing artists will receive a fee and a free conference pass for the daytime conference events. They will also be able to attend the Friday morning trade fair and nightly festival club. Showcasing artists are also listed on the delegates’ app, with most also appearing in the public programme for Manchester Folk Festival, while remaining showcasing artists will appear at private delegate events.

The Official Folk Albums Chart for November 2022 is announced today and is once again packed with new entries including six in the top ten .

The boundary-pushing Geordie singer-guitarist Richard Dawson lands straight in at No.1 with The Ruby Chord (Weird World), the final part of a trilogy that began with the pre-medieval world of ‘Peasant’ (2017) and ‘2020’ (2019), with this album bearing Dawson’s uniquely unsettling, off-kilter, esoteric brand of English folk (right).

At No.3 is Tender (Lady Maisery) from Lady Maisery combinines the talents of three of the most accomplished modern folk artists, Hazel Askew, Hannah James and Rowan Rheingans. Comprising original songs as well as personal interpretations of other works, songs examine femaleness from many sides, while their voices unite in strength, harmony and message. 

One of folk’s great innovators, Eliza Carthy celebrates thirty years as a professional musician with Queen Of The Whirl (Hem Hem), straight in at No.6. Loved by staunch traditionalists and iconoclasts alike, Eliza’s music effortlessly crosses boundaries of genre and style. The collection includes some of her most loved career-spanning songs as chosen by her fans on Twitter. 

New in at No. 7 is Aoife Nessa Francis with Protector (Partisan), of which Pitchfolk says, ‘Inspired by the rugged yet serene beauty of Ireland’s west coast, the singer-songwriter’s tranquil psych-folk explores communion with nature, family, and ourselves.’

The Mary Wallopers (BC Recordings) is the first debut recording to enter this month’s chart, arriving in at No. 9. Led by Dundalk-based brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy with Seán McKenna, The Mary Wallopers exude raw energy, powerful guitar chords and riotous choruses. The collection of 11 sing-along songs are filled with warmth and intimacy, bringing excitement to traditional ballad singing.

Glamour In The Grey (Collective Perspective) is the first album from folk-rock band The Magpie Arc, featuring Nancy Kerr, Martin Simpson, Findlay Napier, Tom A Wright and  Alex Hunter. In at No.10, the album combines original material with Nancy Kerr adaptations of traditional songs and echoes the classic folk-rock sound of the early 1970s.

 
Other new entries include A Tarot Of The Green Wood (Mavis Recordings) by Burd Ellen at No.18, All Are Safely Gathered In (Talking Elephant) at No.25 by The Albion Christmas Band and No More The Green Hills (Wylam) at No.32 by Janice Burns & Jon Doran.

Congratulations to all charting artists.

***To receive chart graphics to celebrate your success please contact info@englishfolkexpo.com.