Brass Monkey, Dick Gaughan, Gilmore and Roberts to play at Stainsby Festival

Folk superstars arelining up to play at a boutique festival in the Derbyshire countryside.

Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick will front a chunk of the brass section from the Royal Philharmonic at Stainsby this month, playing under the moniker of Brass Monkey.

Festival chairman Tony Trafford said: “I think Brass Monkey has to be our top catch. They agreed to come for what we could afford because of our not-for-profit volunteer status and because we run an ethical pay policy.”

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Musical highlights over the Stainsby Festival weekend of July 17-19 will include Skinny Lister, one of the cutting edge bands on the circuit, Gilmore and Roberts, Robin Williamson, Dick Gaughan and Enda Kenny.

A ceilidh, poetry readings and festival vice-chairman Hugh Ellis launching his new book, Rebuilding Britain, will be among attractions at the weekend of music and merry-making.

A £50,000 fundraising drive to buy the festival’s greenfield site at Brunt’s Farm, Stainsby, will gather pace this year.

Visitors will be encouraged to support the llama karma lottery with the chance to win a lifetime’s weekend ticket for two at Stainsby or a thousand pounds in cash.

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Lottery chiefs have gridded up the field into 4,000 squares and each lottery ticket represents a square. When the lottery closes, a llama will round the field aand when karma strikes the llama, GPs will track which grid square it’s landed in. The prize will go to whoever holds the ticket for that square.

The Dream of Fields appeal will get an added boost from Paul Dear, who runs the festival’s drum circle. He has set out with a vanload of drums from John O’Groats and will be running 26 drum circles over 26 days as he makes his way to Lands End. He is hoping to hand over a big cheque when he arrives at Stainsby.

This year marks the 47th volunteer-run festival. “Unlike Glastonbury we’ve never missed a year yet,” said Tony, who has chaired the festival for nearly half its lifespan.

An army of 250 volunteers keep the event running like clockwork.

For more information on the festival and ticket prices, contact 01246 851337 or www.stainsbyfestival.org.uk

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