SHOCC Extra: Bal Massif!

A wonderful afternoon of balfolk dancing and music at The Hilt, near Winchester, SO53 5NP.

You will be treated to not just one, but four fantastic balfolk bands: Confluence, Helen Gentile & Lewis Wood, Sawney White Bird and Shivelight, with folk dance tunes from across Europe. A real Bal Massif!

The afternoon will start with a dance workshop led by members of the bands, where you can learn traditional European balfolk dances such as mazurka, bourree, hanter dro and slangpolska (or refresh your dance steps for the more experienced amongst you). No prior knowledge is needed as all instruction will be given on the day. But we do suggest you bring some comfy shoes!

Dance workshop 3pm - 4pm; Dance 4pm - 8pm

Tea/coffee/biscuits available for a donation. No bar at the venue so bring your own drinks if you would like other beverages.

There will be live music from start to finish. More info about the bands below.

Confluence

Confluence are an instrumental meeting of cello and accordion based in the New Forest. They join traditional music from the UK with beautiful dance tunes from France, Belgium and the Nordic countries, as well as self-penned tunes inspired by those traditions. They love improvising around tunes and finding new ways to interpret them, whether for dancing or for listening.Gill and Alasdair founded the Eurobal Wessex dance club in the New Forest and Dorset to enable groups to play for French/balfolk dancing, and play frequently at other similar clubs in London, Brighton, Oxford, Reading, Exeter and Bristol. They have played regularly at Chippenham festival and also at Bridport, Swanage, Priddy and Sidmouth, as well as folk clubs around the south coast.

Alasdair Paton - Accordion

Gill Redmond - Cello

Facebook: www.facebook.com/confluence.duo

Y ouTube: www.youtube.com/@confluenceduo5163

Helen Gentile & Lewis Wood

Helen Gentile & Lewis Wood (Threepenny Bit and Granny’s Attic respectively), perform an evocative set of tunes from the balfolk canon on clarinet and fiddle. The duo combines the talent of two musicians who are firmly embedded into the folk music community in England. Their material comprises traditional, contemporary and original European folk dance music, with loose, ever-evolving arrangements creating space for improvisation and showcasing the interplay between the instruments.

In 2024, Gentile and Wood released their first studio album, Violet Sky, produced by Tarren’s Alex Garden. Described by Songlines as ‘folk dance at its finest’, it was also nominated for Album of the Year by Bright Young Folk. Whether playing for dance or in concert, the duo are sure to leave dancers and listeners spellbound.

Helen Gentile - Clarinet and Whistle
Lewis Wood - Fiddle and Guitar

“Absolutely superb” - James Fagan

Bandcamp: gentileandwood.bandcamp.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@gentile_wood

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gentileandwood

Instagram: www.instagram.com/gentile_and_wood

Sawney White Bird

Sawney White Bird plays joyful and exciting balfolk music which is crafted for dancing. They have provided music at Cecil Sharp House, Chippenham Folk Festival, D’Accord, On Bouge, Pied à Terre, Les Batons, Chirk, Hadleigh French Dance Weekend, Dansez Français, Weedon Balfolk and The Bagpipe Society’s annual festival The Blowout.

They provide music for a varied mix of dances from all over France: traditional and new. They have a great love for dance and a passion for making music. Ravi also leads balfolk, traditional French and Breton dance workshops.

Ravi Swaney - Diatonic accordion, Fiddle

Heather White -Saxophones and Whistles

Jane Bird - Mouth Organ, Concertina and Bagpipes

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SawneyWhiteBird

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sawneywhitebird4993

Shivelight

Shivelight are a balfolk duo who play a mixture of traditional, contemporary and self-penned tunes for dancing. Based near Reading, they’re made up of Sam Doolin on fiddle and Harriet Power on melodeon. Shivelight bring their music to life with a thoughtful and captivating style that allows their expression and creativity to shine out.

Sam Doolin - Fiddle

Harriet Power - Melodeon

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shivelightduo