Songs of Martin Carthy — tour update and full performer listings
Over the coming months a group of musicians will be out on the road performing songs associated with Martin Carthy — songs that have shaped how we approach English folk music. I’m genuinely delighted to have been asked to be part of The Songs of Martin Carthy tour. Those of you who see me play regularly will know what Martin means to me, and I’m always keen to help out where I can. He’s given me a huge amount over the years.
This tour was already planned before Martin Carthy’s recent diagnosis of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. While Martin himself won’t now be performing, the shows are going ahead under the guidance of his daughter, Eliza Carthy, with family, friends and long-time collaborators coming together to sing his songs. From the inside, it feels like a generous and thoughtful thing — a way of honouring Martin’s work and the community that has grown up around it over many decades, rather than a simple replacement or reworking of plans.
The family have shared the following statement:
“A month ago, Martin, at 84, was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. While his doctor initially suggested that Dad would and should be able to tour in the Spring, and we were hoping to use the tour to say goodbye to Dad’s many fans, it now appears that this won’t be possible or advisable for his health.
Dad sends his love and regrets to everyone hoping to see him one more time. I will fulfil these shows, and will try to honour his legacy as much as possible. Our family thanks you for your patience and love.”
Each night of the tour brings together a slightly different line-up, drawn from people who’ve been influenced by, learned from, or simply love Martin’s songs. I’ll be appearing on a number of dates, and I feel very lucky to be included.
Alongside this, I’m also out playing solo shows over the coming months, plus a one-off full-band date in Sheffield with The Grizzly Folk. Details of all of those are over on my gigs page if you’re curious.
For anyone interested, here’s the full performer listing by date and town. Tickets are available from Martin’s website.
Who will be performing on the Songs of Martin Carthy tour?
| Date | Town | Performers |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Glasgow | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Kate Young |
| 14 Feb | Kendal | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart |
| 15 Feb | Edinburgh | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Kate Young |
| 20 Feb | Durham | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken |
| 21 Feb | Scarborough | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken |
| 22 Feb | Sheffield | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Martin Simpson |
| 25 Feb | London | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Graham Coxon, Jon Wilks, Angeline Morrison, Gwena Harman, Rowan Gatherer |
| 26 Feb | Southampton | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Graham Coxon, Jon Wilks, Angeline Morrison |
| 28 Feb | York | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Jon Wilks |
| 01 Mar | Barnoldswick | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Patakas |
| 05 Mar | Oxford | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Jon Wilks, Sheema Mukherjee |
| 06 Mar | New Mills | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Will Sartin |
| 07 Mar | Isle of Man | Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken |
| 14 Mar | Birmingham | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Jon Wilks, Angeline Morrison |
| 15 Mar | Walton-on-Thames | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Jon Wilks, Angeline Morrison |
| 20 Mar | Laugharne | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Angeline Morrison |
| 28 Mar | Alnwick | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Patakas |
| 29 Mar | Leeds | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Patakas |
| 03 Apr | Bradford-upon-Avon | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Tim Eriksen, Jon Wilks |
| 04 Apr | Bristol | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Graham Coxon, Jon Wilks, Tim Eriksen |
| 05 Apr | Cardiff | Finn Curran-Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Nick Hart, Tim Van Eyken, Graham Coxon, Jon Wilks, Tim Eriksen |
| 09 Apr | Letterkenny | Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Tim Eriksen, Jennifer Reid |
| 10 Apr | Greystones | Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Tim Eriksen, Jennifer Reid |
| 12 Apr | Dublin | Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Tim Eriksen, Jennifer Reid |
