Singer, harpist and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Musician of the Year 2017, Rachel Newton, will visit Collingbourne Kingston, near Marlborough (May 10) to perform tracks from her latest release WEST, with new material and favourites from her back catalogue.
Rachel’s fourth solo album WEST, recorded in her late grandparents’ old croft house in Achnahaird, Wester Ross, has been met with great critical acclaim.
Rachel told marlborough.news: “This album was a very personal and intimate project for me, and I can’t wait to tour it and share this music with my fans live. I’m looking forward to playing Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall for the first time and to let the audience hear what I’ve been working on. I can’t wait to see them all there!”
Rachel’s grandparents’ house, where she spent all her school holidays as a child and the characters who passed through it over the years have had a profound impact on her as a person and a musician.
Always striving to achieve something different with each release, this solo album simply features her voice and acoustic and electro harps, with no guest musicians.
The album was arranged and recorded on a beautifully sunny week in 2018 with trips to the beach and out to sea on Rachel’s father’s boat in between takes. Rachel’s longtime collaborator and sound engineer Mattie Foulds travelled north to record it.
The spectacular views of the landscape from the house have influenced the music, with short improvisations named after the mountains threading their way through the album.
Audiences at Collingbourne Kingston will hear stunning vocals accompanied by acoustic and electro harps to create a memorable and fresh sound.
Rachel’s third album Here’s My Heart Come Take It was shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award 2017. She was awarded Instrumentalist of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards 2016 and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Musician of the Year in 2017.
As well as voice and harp, Rachel also plays fiddle and viola and has worked across a range of performance platforms including theatre and storytelling.
A skilled collaborator in addition to her solo work, Rachel is a member of The Furrow Collective and The Shee as well as projects such as The Lost Words Spell Songs. Her work promoting women in music led to her curating the recent festival Trad. Reclaimed: Women in Folk at Kings Place, London.
Rachel Newton will play Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall, Marlborough on Friday, 10 May. Tickets can be bought via this link: www.poundarts.org.uk/touring/EventDetails.aspx?artid=10876