Chris Roberts – guitar
Seth Bye – fiddle and accordion

This concert will last approximately 50 minutes.

Birmingham-based contemporary folk duo Filkin’s Drift deftly combine original tunes and traditional songs, with a wide pool of musical influence.

Whilst rooted in their native folk traditions of Wales and England, the duo draw on Electronic Dance Music, Jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Expect toe-tapping tunes and thoughtful songs with plenty to dance and sing along to!

Relaxed Performances allow members of the audience to move around freely, leave or enter the auditorium as needed, lights never go completely dark and sound effects are softened. These performances are open to all and are designed to welcome people with an autistic spectrum condition, learning disability, dementia or sensory and communication disorder.

Meeting in the multicultural city of Birmingham, Filkin’s Drift weave together intricate melodies from the folklore of its homes, Wales and Gloucestershire. The ensembles music combines the traditional and the contemporary, blending fiddle, guitar, harmonium and mandolin with its close vocal harmonies.

Ornate interplay between two fretted instruments conjures up a Baroque soundworld, while the ensembles foot-stomping fiddle and guitar tunes have been igniting audiences across the UK.

Chris Roberts’ training in classical guitar means he soars effortlessly through jigs and reels with an unrivalled purity in his steel string playing. Chris’ performances have been praised for their “beautifully varied timbres, real virtuosity” and for being “simply mesmerising” (The British and International Federation of Festivals).

Seth Bye has been long established on the folk scene, performing with The Destroyers, Joe Broughton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble and Gathering Tides. His “fantastic fiddle-driven energy” (BBC Radio Glos) and multi-instrumental abilities combine with a showmanship that could only be gained from touring with Giffords Circus.