We are still planning to go ahead with our next free concert featuring fiddle and guitar duo Mitchell and Vincent on Sunday 30 January 2022, 3.00 pm in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. Unless things change , of course.
We are putting additional Covid-safety measures in place, including the wearing of face-coverings and restriction on number- more details below, after further information about the performers.
West Country-based David Mitchell and Graham Vincent are in great demand throughout the UK and abroad, playing a lively mix of traditional tunes, arranged by them for fiddle and classical guitar, covers of popular songs and original compositions.
They have performed at a whole variety of festivals, events and concerts around the UK, and as far afield as The Netherlands, which have included supporting Tim Edey, Archie Fisher MBE and Kate Rusby along the way – and this will be the forth time they have played at a Music on the Levels concerts.
David plays guitar (one he has made himself) while Graham provides the vocal as well as playing fiddle. In an unusual coincidence they both trained as luthiers after they left school.
‘Yep, both of us wanted to spend our time making guitars’, says Graham, ‘Life, of course, always gets in the way somewhat and by the time our paths crossed we’d both retrained. I’d been designing furniture, then houses, got qualified and started running my own architectural practice. Dave had been to University and trained as a teacher.
‘Once music has a hold of you it doesn’t let go easily and Dave and I found ourselves playing together in a ceilidh band called Fiddlestix. ‘We realised we had very similar musical tastes and both wanted to spend a lot more time playing music, so we started a duo …’
Mitchell and Vincent have been described as:
‘Musicians who tell stories with their melodies’ (Wessex Folk Festival)
’At all times, the interplay between David Mitchell’s guitar and Graham Vincent’s fiddle is quite stunning.’ (Acoustic magazine)
‘A breath of fresh air . . . . . breath-taking music and performance.’ (CIC, Taunton)
‘Bringing the crowd to tears one moment and to their feet the next.’ (Lyme Folk Weekend).
As with the last concert, in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, there will be no interval to avoid too much milling about.
Again, refreshments will not be provided on this occasion.
Face coverings must be worn unless exempt for medical reasons in line with current government regulations.
There will be a QR code for checking in.
There will be no raffle but donations are welcome to help with the artists’ and other costs – it costs an average of about £300 to put on a concert!
There will be a restriction on numbers so that social distancing can be observed.
Importantly, if you want to come to the concert, contact me, Frank Challenger, on 01278 699071 or email f.challenger@icloud.com so that we can control numbers if necessary. As soon as possible please so we can gauge the interest.
If anything changes, we’ll let you know.
Future concerts:
Frome Consort, Baroque music, 27 February 2022
Wildwood Jack, folk duo, 20 March 2022
Sally Jenkins, harp solo, 24 April 2022
Tango Seranados, music from Cuba, 29 May
Rough Round The Edges, folk group, 26 June