St Agnes Fountain

21Nov 23: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. To go on the list for returns, please email events@threlkeld.org with the  number of tickets you are looking for, a phone number and the latest date/time we could contact you in the event of a ticket being available. 

Christmas starts with St. Agnes Fountain: Carols with a curve! Since their first get together, to record the eponymous St Agnes Fountain album in 2001, the quartet; David Hughes, Fairport Convention's Chris Leslie and multi award winning duo Chris While and Julie Matthews, have brought musical invention and laughter to the star-dust atmosphere of the season.

In 2020, David decided to leave the band and very sadly died earlier this year. There will never been another quite like him, he was simply a one off. His vision to create traditional Christmas carols with a curve led to the creation of St Agnes Fountain, he was our founding father but he was so much more than that. His unique style of rhythm, of hearing and playing a groove, his satirical wit and sartorial style, his dead pan presence on stage, his beautiful turn of a lyrical phrase.

One thing we can say without any doubt is that David wouldn’t have wanted to rest in peace, he would want to be putting on his fedora, tapping his foot out to some insane syncopated rhythm and leading us all in a celebration of a life of love, laughter and mirth.

Chris, Chris and Julie will be keeping the Christmas Aggie spirit alive and touring as a trio celebrating 22 years together with some new material, those old Aggie classics and a doff of the fedora to David.

Although the albums accompany the putting up of a thousand Christmas trees throughout Britain and around the globe as their reputation reaches further afield, it is, without question, their magical live performances that have endeared them to an ever-growing audience (tickets were again being sold for this year's tour as the curtain fell last year).

Chris While and Julie Matthew both provide vocals. Chris plays guitar, bodhran, dulcimer, banjo, darbuka and percussion, whilst Julie plays piano, guitar, accordion and gazouki. As a duo they have been nominated ten times in the BBC Folk Awards in the 'Best Song' 'Best Duo' and 'Best Live Act' categories and winning Best Duo in 2009. In 2019 year they celebrated 25 years the longest lasting female duo in the country with a brand new album and an extensive tour of the UK.

Chris Leslie is a multi instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Oxfordshire UK. Primarily known for the past 20 years for his work with Fairport Convention, he has toured and recorded with many others. Chris plays: Fiddle, Mandolin, Tenor Guitar, Bouzouki, Ukulele, Banjo, Oud, Whistle and Native American Flute and anything else he can lay his hands on!!

They are appearing at Threlkeld Village Hall, CA12 4RX on Saturday 2nd December at 8pm. Bar and Box Office from 7:15pm. Tickets £22 (£11 under 18s) from Threlkeld PO, Coffee Shop and on-line here. Sure to be a sell-out, so don’t delay!