Festival organiser Paul Briscoe is on a mission to bring to Otley some of the finest exponents of acoustic roots and folk music from across the country. In particular, he’s keen to give a stepping stone to younger and emerging talent. At his regular venue – the intimate and excellent-sounding upstairs room at the Horse & Farrier Public House – Paul has booked outstanding nationally-acclaimed acts: Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Jacob& Drinkwater, Ben Walker & Kirsty Merryn and Ellie Gowers. However, some events will take place in the rather larger function room at the Black Horse. Paul hopes to continue bringing the very best in acoustic music to North Leeds in the year ahead.
Upcoming acts – please scroll down the page for further details and ticket info for each gig:
Janice Burns & Jon Doran (Christmas Show) – Sunday 14th December (7.00pm start) – Horse & Farrier
Tickets available online (£14 plus processing fee) from: https://wegottickets.com/event/671790
We are delighted to welcome Janice Burns & Jon Doran back to Folk at the Farrier as part of their highly regarded Winter tour. They are an award-winning Anglo-Scottish duo who came together after discovering a shared love of traditional music. Their songs tell vivid stories about the nature of life and our place in the world.
Janice & Jon’s ‘clever and uncluttered musical storytelling’ (Songlines) comes alive through tight vocal harmonies and sensitive interplay between mandolin, bouzouki and guitar. Their arrangements have a spellbinding presence and an understated energy that transports songs from the pages of books and manuscripts into the imagination of the listener.
Following the success of their self-titled EP in 2020, Janice & Jon released their debut album, No More the Green Hills, in Autumn 2022. The album had overwhelmingly positive feedback, finding its place in the Official UK Folk Albums Chart, as well as gaining airplay on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Scotland.
With their relaxed and personable approach to performance, Janice & Jon are renowned for the warmth of their connection with audiences. From opening Stage 2 at Cambridge Folk Festival, to playing at the likes of Celtic Connections, Ceòl Cholasa, Edinburgh Tradfest, Sidmouth Folk Festival and Cecil Sharp House, the duo are highly sought after across the UK and beyond.
The duo’s winter gigs have become something of a tradition over the last few years, and now they’re heading out on tour with their brand-new festive album, Great Joy to the New. People have always forged customs to survive the winter, with rituals that bring people together and bring light to the dark nights. These rituals have often been born of necessity.
Beautiful, colourful, musical traditions, linked by the common cause of sustaining people spiritually, mentally, or financially through a harsh winter. Janice and Jon’s new album and live show explores these themes through a collection of traditional folk songs about Christmas, winter, and optimism for the new year.
**** “Clever and uncluttered musical storytelling” – Songlines Magazine
***** “Five stars for this duo that have made an album destined for repeated listening.” – Irish Music Magazine
“They’re a revelation – crystal clear voices, great musicianship and an obvious deep love of the tradition.” – Mike Harding
“Really nicely done” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show
“They play lovely strings, they have gorgeous harmony arrangements. Really well crafted, intimate, beautifully understated.” – Karine Polwart
janandjon.com
facebook.com/janandjon
twitter.com/janiceandjon1
instagram.com/janandjonmusic
https://www.youtube.com/@janiceandjon7003
NB. Tickets for this gig can now be purchased in cash from the Horse & Farrier, Bridge Street, Otley.
Louise Rogan, “Give Me a Day” Tour – Friday 6th February 2026 – 8.00pm start – Horse & Farrier
Tickets available online (£12 plus processing fee) from : https://wegottickets.com/event/682900/
Manchester based Louise Rogan blends her love of songwriting and traditional music to create “lilting melodies, like a breath of fresh air-simply captivating.” (Folk and Honey).
Described as having “a voice blessed with a rare beauty and power” (Damien Liptrop, at The Barrier) Louise brings a fresh yet timeless quality to the U.K Folk scene. Audiences enjoy her arrangements of tradtional favourites as well as self-penned songs, often requesting Evie’s Lullaby, a song written to the tune of Jessica’s Lullaby by John McCusker.
Louise is excited to be releasing her début solo album, Give Me A Day, produced by Michael McGoldrick. Comprising of 11 tracks, Give Me A Day offers a rich blend of traditional and contemporary folk music with deeply personal storytelling, showcasing Louise’s evocative vocals and songwriting supported by Michael mcGoldrick’s instrumental expertise.
In January 2024, Louise headlined at the UK West Coast Folk Festival, a last minute replacement for an unavailable Cara Dillon, performing between music legends Kiki Dee and Richard Thompson. That same month, she was delighted to be selected to perform on the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections. In 2023, she won the Great British Folk Festival’s Audience Vote. In the Spring of that same year, she was invited to sing with McCusker, McGoldrick and Doyle on two of their UK Tour dates.
Louise has regularly performed as a duo with Chris Rogan, the pair being known as “flawless performers” by FATEA’s Tim Fox. Their album “Things that Matter”, released in 2023, was described as “the best release in the traditional genre I’ve heard” by Bob Leslie of Celtic music Radio.
Otley Music Festival 