Read all about Eddi at festival

Last year’s festival saw all available tickets sold, the best results yet achieved by the long-running event.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the main events and thousands more enjoyed many of the free fringe events that took place throughout the Cathedral Quarter and St Peter’s Quarter. From dance displays to ceilidhs and workshops, folk fans - old and new - and members of the public were able to enjoy the events for free and soak up some of the fantastic festival atmosphere.

The ninth Derby Folk Festival will feature concerts and events due to take place in the City Marquee on the Market Place, the Guildhall Theatre, The Old Bell Hotel and, new for this year, Derby Cathedral.

The festival will once again take to the city’s streets, with dance teams performing on the Saturday and Sunday, as the festival team work with Folk 3D to put together a fabulous display of traditional dance.

Free music events will take place in The Old Bell Hotel on Saturday, and Derby Cathedral on Sunday, which will be available to be enjoyed by both festival ticket holders and the general public alike. The Market Place will host more fringe activities including The Arts & Crafts Fair, Flashmob Ceilidh dancing and more.

Cllr Alison Martin, Derby City Council’s cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “2014 saw our most successful folk festival ever. We’re now looking ahead with excitement to this autumn and the ninth outing of the Derby Folk Festival. The acts announced today are a brilliant taster of what’s to come in the full line-up, including a great offering from Derby’s own thriving folk scene which is very much the backbone of the festival. With all this to look forward to, it’s no wonder Derby Folk Festival not only draws audiences from far and wide, but draws them back time and time again.”

Derby Folk Festival is jointly produced by Derby City Council’s Derby LIVE and Derbyshire-based PR Promotions and they have yet another strong line-up for this year’s festival. Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman will headline the Friday evening, with the ever popular Eddi Reader performing on the Saturday night. Sunday night sees a final concert featuring both Faustus and Melrose Quartet.

Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman are two of the British folk scenes most accomplished performers and have graced stages the world over in a number of guises, however, the intimacy and strength of passion shown as a duo, combined with an eclectic repertoire ensures a rare treat for any listener. With a story that includes music making with the likes of Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillon, Levellers, Kate Rusby and Show of Hands, Kathryn and Sean have consolidated themselves as pillars of modern British folk.

From the traditional to the contemporary, Eddi Reader brings joyous life to all forms of song. The warmly remembered Fairground Attraction really brought her into the limelight and to the attention of a much wider audience, with the single Perfect and parent album First of a Million Kisses both topping the British charts. Whilst the perfection of her technique is widely acknowledged, what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality of the emotional performance; her ability not only to move the listener but to connect her experience to that of her audience. Her passion and instinct move people in a way reminiscent of those who have influenced her work. Her rare blend of meltingly true vocals and towering romanticism combine with an astute and pragmatic nature to make her a unique and powerful figure in contemporary British music. She has effortlessly developed into one of popular music’s most thrilling and affecting performers.

With more names still to be announced, the line-up is already a who’s who from the broad spectrum of folk music. Derby Folk Festival patrons John Tams (the man behind the music of the West-End hit War Horse) and Lucy Ward will both make an appearance at the festival.

Festival tickets are available from www.derbylive.co.uk