"New Beginnings" visits MMC Venue Mountsorrel

Saturday 11th of April brings an afternoon of fabulous entertainment with a brilliant lineup celebrating 'New Beginnings' A time of fresh starts, different journeys, to engage in new beginnings and reflection.

All here at The MMC Venue, Mountsorrel. Starting with a full afternoon of family, friendly entertainment to include Artistic expression, Music and Spoken word. With Homefield College, The Rainbow Acoustic duo, Abbi Jinks, Alastair Russell and the headliner 'GAELFORCE'. From local to afar, this line up will muster up a high energy vibe, we can all treasure fondly, forever in our memories.. There will also be a raffle in support of the charity 'Papyrus' Prevention of Young Suicide.

First off will be students from the local Homefield College, who are eagerly ready to demonstrate their interpretation of 'New Beginnings'. The students have been working hard to prepare for this event, so please give them a warm welcome.

Next up is an acoustic duo who have travelled from Cannock to be with us all today. Keith Forest and Jamie Duddy 'The Acoustic Rainbow' create uplifting, harmony-driven folk-pop, blending rich harmonised vocals with saxophone for a distinctive twist on the acoustic sound. Their songs explore themes of renewal, healing, and love, drawing inspiration from artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY, The Byrds, and The Beatles. The band has self-released two albums and built a reputation for heartfelt, engaging live performances at venues and events across the UK. With their mix of warmth, energy, and timeless songwriting, The Acoustic Rainbow bring a festival-friendly sound that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Abbi Jinks gives her delivery next... Jinks is a spoken word poet of bravery, daring and charm! She writes about some of life’s deepest transformations in a loving, positive and inspiring way. And she rhymes! She sometimes raps and occasionally creates poems on the spot, freestyle! Although, she lives in Northamptonshire, she loves the community in Leicester, has headlined at Get Mouthy, and won the Leicester Some-Antics Poetry Slam in December 2024 with an improvised poem. Abbi speaks from a place of love, healing and courage, to the people who want more out of life. She speaks to the soul that seeks freedom, fun, joy and adventure. In a world that appears darker than ever, Abbi offers a ray of sunshine and energy that sparkles. Regularly performing at events and festivals, she also runs workshops, writes commissions and creates bespoke poems as gifts and speeches. Her poem 'In the Darkness' was published in a German magazine "Stimmen der Rebellion" (Voices of Rebellion), earlier this year and has a poem about Mother's Day being published in an anthology in the coming months. Also, Abbi is a Confidence coach, helping her to step up, be seen both in public speaking and in social situations.

Now for the penultimate solo performance.. Alistair Russell is an accomplished and renowned performer of mainly Scottish and Irish songs on vocals/guitar, with a history of some 16 albums and video releases, chiefly from touring worldwide with Scotland's Battlefield Band; a reviewer summed him up admirably, writing "He is singing from the heart because he believes in the words". Alistair will be performing a solo performance for this event and will also provide tech & sound engineering for everyone involved.

An exciting headliner closes our afternoon of 'live' entertainment. Gaelforce are an award winning Celtic Folk Rock band playing traditional music & songs in a folk rock style with fiddle, Uillian pipes, flute, electric guitar, bass & drums. Gaelforce originated as an idea in the late 1980s, evolving from a popular Yorkshire folk rock band known as Cocky—a name reflecting the region’s term for confidence. Several members of Cocky sought a rockier sound, leading to the formation of Gaelforce, with Chris Dyson on fiddle and mandola.

Saturday 11th of April, 2026. Gaelforce will be: Geoff Taylor - electric guitars Sam Dowgill - bass Jim Brierley - drums/vocals Chris Dyson - fiddle/main vocal Brian Aylward - Uillian pipes/flute/whistles.

Thank you everyone and we hope you can join us for this very special Spring event! Help us support 'LIVE' entertainment held in this marvellous venue itself, MMC Venue Mountsorrel!

Mary & Bruno (Event organizers)

'All Arts as a Whole'