Back after summer break!

/ musiconthelevels / Leave a comment

The first concert after our summer break is with Thunderbridge on Sunday 20 September 2026 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. The concert starts at 3pm and refreshments are available at modest charge from 2.15pm.

For 20 years Thunderbridge toured the UK and beyond, playing arts centres, festivals, bars and front rooms, to packed and happy audiences, meanwhile recording six albums of original material mixed with some bluegrass classics and crowd-pleasers. These days the band consists of Nick Girone-Maddocks (guitar and voice), Jules Bushell (double bass and voice), Paul Hill (banjo, mandolin and voice) and Clare Mactaggart (violin and voice).

‘We formed in Wellington, Somerset, in 2015’, says Jules, ‘Two brothers discovered bluegrass music and decided they wanted to form a new band to play that style. It’s the joy of fully acoustic instrumentation and close harmony singing that continues to appeal.

‘Bluegrass is an American form of acoustic country music, stemming from Bill Monroe in the 1940s. A lot of what we play is original compositions, but also some that people might recognise from the film ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou’, or from the songbook of the Carter Family.’

The close-harmony singing is backed by all-acoustic music with banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and double bass.

Arrangements for this concert

Since the 2026 Music on the Levels leaflet was printed, it no longer has the use of The Old School car park.

However, there is parking on most of the roads in the village but we ask people not to park in Church Lane. 

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

In order to help with the artists’ and other costs a raffle is held. In addition, donations are encouraged. It costs well over £400 to put on a concert.

The Performing Rights Society supports these events with their Charity discount.

Music on the Levels completes its 2006 season with Rosafresca, music from Renaissance courts recreated on period instruments, on 25 October and a return of Joyful Spirit on 29 November with their combination of Gospel and standard covers.

Harp and flute for May

/ musiconthelevels / Leave a comment

The next free concert is with Sally Jenkins and Kath Sugden on Sunday 31 May 2026 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. The concert starts at 3pm and refreshments are available at modest charge from 2.15pm.

Sally, a well-loved regular-on harp, is joined by Kath Sugden – on flute, in works from Argentina, Spain, France, UK – including the suite from The Victorian Kitchen Garden.

‘Kath and I are very much looking forward to presenting a concert for you’, says Sally.

‘We are looking at an international programme featuring Latin American composer – Piazzola, French composers -Faure and Debussy-, Spanish composer – Granados and English composer Bax, plus some arrangements of more familiar works from the British Isles.’

When Kath Sugden plays flute, it gives her a means of expression unlike any other. She is essentially a collaborative musician, relishing opportunities to work on chamber music. She gained an MA as a flautist and also teaches a few pupils, specialising in intermediate and advanced students. 
Based in Chard, Somerset, Kath enjoys performing a wide variety of classical styles and also folk and world music
She established the ensemble Speranza while based in Moscow as part of a Christian outreach.

Sally Jenkins has appeared in many prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

She is an experienced pedal and early triple harpist, and has also presented lecture-recitals on the history of the instrument including to the Royal Musicological Society. In developing her musical skills, she has worked with some of the UK’s preeminent harpists including Jeanette Bevan in the Royal Ballet Orchestra, Meinir Heulyn from the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Frances Kelly of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Arrangements for this concert

Since the 2026 Music on the Levels leaflet was printed, it no longer has the use of The Old School car park.

However, there is parking on most of the roads in the village but we ask people not to park in Church Lane. 

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

In order to help with the artists’ and other costs a raffle is held. In addition, donations are encouraged. It costs well over £400 to put on a concert.

The Performing Rights Society supports our events with their Charity discount.

Music on the Levels is a registered charity, number 1214857

Coming soon . . The Kahunas!

/ musiconthelevels / Leave a comment

The next Music on the Levels free concert is with The Kahuhas on Sunday 26 April 2026 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. The concert starts at 3pm and refreshments are available at modest charge from 2.15pm.

Indie folk rock duo, The Kahunas bring emotive violin riffs, melodic harmonies and vocals, original lyrical content & digeridoo loops. The pair, Tash and Brian, have been writing, recording and performing together for nearly 4 years. Their musical pendulum swings between upbeat dance folk rock and heart felt love songs. The Kahunas sound has been likened to bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Fotheringay and The Levellers.

The duo is now flying high on the festival circuit, playing at the likes of Boomtown, Beautiful Days and Sidmouth Folk Festival to name a few, this Autumn also embarking on their first UK headline Tour as well as having featured on BBC Introducing and playing live on BBC radio’.

Indie Folk duo, The Kahunas blew me away- E-festival Magazine

Man, that’s so good – Tom Williams, BBC Introducing

Arrangements for this concert

Since the 2026 Music on the Levels leaflet was printed, it no longer has the use of The Old School car park.

However, there is parking on most of the roads in the village but we ask people not to park in Church Lane. 

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

In order to help with the artists’ and other costs a raffle is held. In addition, donations are encouraged. It costs well over £400 to put on a concert.

The Performing Rights Society is supporting this event with their Charity discount.

https://linktr.ee/thekahunasfolkrock

Music on the Levels is a registered charity, number 1214857

Foot-tapping Grace

/ musiconthelevels / Leave a comment

The next concert is with Katie Grace Harris on Sunday 29 March in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. The concert starts at 3pm and refreshments are available at modest charge from 2.15pm.

Katie Grace Harris is a multi-tasking, foot tapping, piano, dulcimer and accordion-playing singer and story-weaver. Inspired by real stories of social injustice and with a fast-growing reputation in the UK Folk world, her sound has been described as ‘boot-thumping, heart-filling acoustic/folk music’. 

‘Does your life not just feel better after listening to a little bit of Katie Grace Harris?’

Patrick Kielty – BBC 5 Live 

Katie’s Debut album The Toledo Sessions was released in late summer 2022. It includes two songs developed in collaboration with Reg Meuross and features musical contributions from Phil Beer, Odette Mitchell and Lukas Drinkwater

Katie’s first ‘instrument’ is her distinctive pure voice – she uses it to draw her audiences into the story she is telling with ‘spine-tingling’ results. Her engaging live performances usually feature her playing a range of instruments including Piano, Piano Accordion and Shruti and she can often be seen toting a home-made chess board stomp box and a pair of sturdy boots for a full one-woman-band experience!

Katie traces her folk roots to singing along as a girl with her father as they drove around in the rusty family Triumph Toledo. ‘We would sing songs from Joni Mitchell, The Spinners, Ralph McTell and James Taylor,’ says Katie. These early experiences clearly influenced her own musical sound.  Her repertoire ranges from gentle new arrangements of traditional songs alongside raw and exposed original compositions. Her well-crafted live sets combine historic legends and stories with a smattering of social justice to temper the mix.

The last three years have proved a turning point in Katie’s career. As live gigs moved online, Katie took the opportunity to bring her music to audiences around the UK and has built on this as live performances have re-emerged supporting artists such as Katherine Priddy, Hannah James and Toby Kuhn and Jim Causley as well as headlining at various Folk Clubs and festivals. Her talent for writing original material attracted the attention Reg Meuross, festival favourite and one of the UK’s Folk singer/songwriter lynchpins. This resulted in a collaborative song-writing and recording project which features as part of Katie’s debut album ‘The Toledo Sessions’.

Katie Grace Harris brings passion to her music and is more than a talented performer. When not-gigging she uses music to empower and develop young people. ‘I’m currently working for Oxfordshire County Music Service with a remit for developing their folk music provision as well as developing their brand new Music for Wellbeing offer which supports vulnerable children using music.’ 

Currently based on a rural farm in Oxfordshire, Katie can mostly be spotted playing solo or with various musicians around the folk clubs of the UK.   

Arrangements for this concert

Since the 2026 Music on the Levels leaflet was printed, it no longer has the use of The Old School car park.

However, there is parking on most of the roads in the village, including Liney Road and Cheer Lane, TA7 0EX – a short walk from the church, but we ask people not to park in Church Lane. 

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

In order to help with the artists’ and other costs a raffle is held. In addition, donations are encouraged. It costs over £400 to put on a concert.

The Performing Rights Society is supporting this event with their Charity discount.

https://www.katiegraceharris.com

Music on the Levels is a registered charity, number 1214857

https://musiconthelevels.com