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:
Joshua Burnell – Misty Mountain Tour – Sunday 8th March 2026 – 7.00pm start – Black Horse Function Room
Tickets available online (£14 plus processing fee) from : https://wegottickets.com/event/680536
Not everyone pauses a ten-year teaching career to sing songs around the country, but that’s exactly what singer-songwriter, occasional digestive piano player and accidental Come Dine With Me co-star is doing. After a 12-year journey to re-record the album that started it all off in a student bedroom, Joshua Burnell is sharing those songs and his story on tour. His songs have been described as “extravagantly inventive” (The Guardian), like “vignettes that look to other stories, myths and fairytales” (Financial Times) and fit somewhere between alt-folk and retro-pop. Expect expressive piano, lush strings and immersive lyrics.
Accompanied by his band, Joshua invites you to join him on his Misty Mountain Tour, named as a loving nod to the Tolkien-influenced songs on his new album, Lend An Ear [Revisited]. Having toured internationally and headlined festivals, Joshua is unearthing how these songs led him down the path he is on and how those songs can serve others. The music is eclectic and constantly keeps you guessing but is consistently grounded in emotive storytelling and genuine human connection.
Joshua loves what he does and it is infectious; he left the stage with his band at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention to a standing ovation, received the thumbs up from Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 2, landed on RnR’s ‘Best Albums of The Year’ and has sold out headline concerts both in his home town, York and London; “definitely a young artist worth watching.” (Morning Star).
https://www.joshuaburnell.co.uk/
Holly Clarke (with Anna Hughes) – Saturday 21st March 2026 – 8.00pm start – Horse & Farrier
Tickets available online (£14 plus processing fee) from : https://wegottickets.com/event/683452
Holly Clarke, a singer who draws from the old ballads and stories, conjures a performance that immediately captivates any listener.
As a performer, Holly transports the listener into the heart of ballads, immersing them in the narratives that have shaped humanities experience through time. From songs of the supernatural and folklore, to the tales of love and loss, Holly Clarke sings with an infectious energy and passion for traditional song.
Rising in popularity among folk audiences and performing with the likes of Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Daoiri Farrell and Queer Folk, Holly Clarke has made a name for herself as a powerful singer and accomplished guitar player. Performing at festivals and venues such as The Glasshouse International Centre For Music, Sidmouth Folk Festival, Bromyard Folk Festival, Tiree Music Festival, The Fire Station Sunderland and many, many more.
Alongside Holly’s affinity for traditional ballads, she is a strong composer in her own right, with her tune compositions being performed by Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle legend Annbjørg Lien and Shetland’s very own Catriona Macdonald. Outside of performing, between 2019 to 2020 Holly was The Glasshouse International Centre for music’s Artist in Residence specialising in Traditional Folk Song and Ballads.
As well as performing solo, Holly has a duo with George Sansome (Granny’s Attic), The powerhouse band RE:VULVA (Amy Thatcher, Janice Burns, Cathy Geldard) and also gigs with the trio ‘Holly and the Reivers’, featuring Newcastle based musicians Bertie Armstrong (Banjo and Voice) and Merle Harbron (Fiddle and Voice), with whom she supported the legendary Billy Bragg at Folk on the Tyne Festival.
Holly is an artist not to be missed, who brings the best of traditional song and contemporary composition into every performance.
QUOTES
“Man, she can sing.”
Martin Carthy
“Holly is the possessor of a seemingly effortless and transporting folk voice which is perfectly suited to her broad and deeply thought-out repertoire, and is an enviably confident and skilled instrumentalist.”
Nancy Kerr
“Holly Clarke has a captivating voice, sweet and sure, it draws you in until you’ve got no option but surrender. She absolutely blew me away – I genuinely can’t remember the last time I was this impressed with a new artist.”
Cat McGill, Live to your Living Room
“Holly is a rising star in the folk firmament.”
James Fagan
“The powerful voice of Holly Clarke breaks through like an inveiigling siren, holding your attention and never letting go.”
RnR Magazine
LINKS
facebook.com/hollyclarkesolo
instagram.com/hollyclarkemusic
x.com/hollyclarkemus
youtube.com/@hollyclarkemusic
tiktok.com/@holly_clarke_folk
Sam Carter – Friday 17th April 2026 – 7.30pm start – Horse & Farrier
Tickets available online (£12 plus processing fee) from : https://wegottickets.com/event/681928
More details to follow.
Otley Music Festival 