Music For Midwinter

Sounds St Leonards Presents.... Music for Midwinter! Across 3 consecutive evenings, there's music to warm the deepest of hearts in the depths of Winter - Lisa Knapp & Gerry Diver (29th Jan) at Studio 27 White Rock Theatre, Mikey Kenney & Tarek Elazhary at The Crown House St Leonards (30th Jan), and headliners The Idrîsî Ensemble at Christchurch St Leonards (31st Jan).

Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver -Thursday 29th Jan Studio 27 White Rock Theatre, Hastings Doors 7pm/Music 8pm

Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver, a dynamic duo, fuse their deep-seated love for English and Irish folk traditions into a vibrant project that's as grounded in tradition as it is daring in innovation. With Knapp's distinctive voice and her skill in weaving the ancient with the contemporary, alongside Diver's fiddle virtuosity and trailblazing production, they're crafting an auditory journey that honours the past while boldly stepping into new musical territories. This partnership is poised to enchant traditional folk purists and new seekers alike, promising a fresh, exhilarating spin on folk music's timeless tales.

Mikey Kenney, Tarek Elazhary & Anna Rheingans - Friday 30th Jan - The Crown House, St Leonards Doors 7pm/Music 8pm

Mikey Kenney is primarily a respected fiddle player, singer, songwriter and composer from Liverpool, but he is also a multi-instrumentalist. Embracing duality, Kenney is very much the musical outsider artist; he is hailed by many as an important conduit of learning, conserving and handing down both English and Irish traditional fiddle music in England's Northwest and yet he is constantly composing alternative and progressive music of his own with his latest release, Tiny Little Light (****Songlines Magazine).

Tarek Elazhary, an Egyptian oud player and composer, graduated from the Arab Oud House in 2014 under the mentorship of the renowned Iraqi oud player, Nasser Shamma. He has participated in numerous local and international festivals with the Arab Oud Orchestra. Currently, Tarek is focused on projects that aim to both preserve and contemporize Middle Eastern music heritage. In 2016, he founded the band Dokkan, which explores instrumental music by blending Eastern Egyptian music essence with Western influences. Tarek, along with English multi-instrumentalist and composer Tamsin Elliott, released their debut album, "So Far We Have Come"; which brilliantly explores similarities and unique aspects of Egyptian and English folk traditions, to foster cross-cultural connections.

Anna Rheingans is an award-winning musician, composer, songwriter and textile artist from the Peak District. Based in the UK and France, Anna performs with various projects, regularly tours across the UK and Europe, teaches privately and does session work. She plays violin, 5-string Banjo, Tambourin à Cordes, Flabuta, and sings. Over the last 15 years, Anna has studied in depth the musical traditions of Sweden, Norway and Southern France. She loves to combine and explore the ways that musical traditions compliment each other but also strongly distinguish themselves.

The Idrîsî Ensemble - Saturday 31st Jan - Christchurch, St Leonards Candelit Concert Doors 7pm/Music 7.30pm

Pioneering a fresh approach to historical performance, the Idrîsî Ensemble performs medieval repertoire from period manuscripts, together with UNESCO-protected and endangered traditions. They sing the Mediterranean, not as a border between distinct identities, but as a space of exchange, communion, and evolution. Through their research in medieval literature, music archaeology, and postcolonial historiography, they aim to complicate modern notions of identity and alterity. Presenting their new programme Trinity & Quadrivium, don't miss out on hearing this ground-breaking ensemble in the magical acoustic of Christchurch, St Leonards.