Lauren is a young musician from Burwell, Cambridgeshire. She started to learn the piano when she was around 6 years old, however was keen to learn the saxophone after hearing one played in a primary school music assembly when she was in year 4. She also plays clarinet and flute. Lauren is a member of Aldeburgh Young Musicians, a progressive artist development programme for young musicians, based at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk.

Originally from Norfolk Leila is a freelance flautist/piccolo player, and teacher. She is currently studying, as the Fishmonger’s Company Beckwith Scholar, for her Masters in Instrumental Performance at The Royal College of Music. More info on Leila’s website.

“My X box crashed and I picked up a guitar . That was over a year ago now. I am self taught and found I could sing and write songs.
My roots are in Scottish folk music as my dad used to play and sing in Glasgow.
I joined the Young visionaries in Norwich which gave me opportunities to perform . Since then,I have played at local open mics, had a spot on local radio and been selected for the Vaughan Williams project.
I play acoustic guitar,electric guitar and mouth organ. I am experimenting with different genres and enjoy a range of styles music.”

Anna is a talented singer and multi instrumentalist, former member of Aldeburgh Young Musicians and part of the duo Twisted Willow.

“Hi, I’m Ollie and from Suffolk and I play the whistle. I’ve been a big lover of Folk and traditional music since I became a teenager. I now work as a groundsman and do a bit of smallholding in my spare time, so It’s nice to be working on something very local but yet quite different to what I do day to day.”

Sarah is a London-based singer and songwriter from Suffolk who performs a mix of traditional and self-penned songs. Sarah’s music reflects today’s political climate and often tells stories of inequality. When not making music, she’s a PhD student in Epidemiology at UCL and a member of the events team at English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Hi, my name is Heather and I play the flute. I am from Ipswich and have been involved the folk world my whole life. I am currently in my last year of studying A levels.

Diatonic accordion player, Elye, is passionate about bringing folk music to new audiences and I have participated in schools concerts with the National Youth Folk Ensemble and as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall, after which he was crowned Future Makers 2022 champion. Find out more from Elye’s website.

Growing up in the far corner of Cornwall, Abbey Thomas had to travel far and wide to find the music she loved. She soon bought a mandolin and began to focus on American folk genres including bluegrass and old-time music, developing a confident rich tone and a style heavily inspired by players like John Reischman and Joe K Walsh. She performs regularly with multiple bluegrass bands including Flats and Sharps, Old Baby Mackerel, and Blue Lass. Abbey also loves British instrumental folk music, and enjoys learning new tunes and styles on the mandolin. She has also loves to sing unaccompanied ballads, and has recently taken up the melodeon. Abbey’s performances are dynamic and varied, including a mixture of traditional and contemporary music alongside original pieces inspired by the nature where she grew up.