Jon Doran and The Northern Assembly

About

New collaboration breathes new life into traditional folk music

A ground-breaking new collaboration seeks to capture the excitement that lies within traditional song. Jon Doran and The Northern Assembly is at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts on Wednesday 27 May at 8pm. Tickets are £16.50.

The trio aim to breathe new life into old stories from across the British Isles, injecting the energy they feel these narratives deserve. After starting out performing at festivals, they played their first headline tour before stepping into the recording studio.

With striking vocals from Jon Doran, combined with the virtuosic playing of Jordan Aikin and Heather Ferrier, the trio perform songs that create ‘a cohesive musical framework with intricately layered arrangements, each song from the traditional folk canon unfolding a vivid drama’ (Folk London).

Jon Doran is a Newcastle-based folk singer and multi-instrumentalist from Gloucestershire. He was a 2019 finalist on BBC Radio 2’s Young Folk Awards and a recent winner of Bromyard Folk Festival’s Future of Folk competition. His sensitive approach to arranging and performing traditional songs on guitar and Irish bouzouki is often said to draw a likeness with revivalists Nic Jones and Andy Irvine. His stories focus on human experiences throughout history - whether that be humorous tales, or woeful retellings of tragic events, Jon never fails to capture the beauty and excitement that lies within traditional music.

Jordan Aikin is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Newcastle Upon Tyne and he is mostly heard performing on the Great Highland Bagpipes and Whistle. Specialising in traditional music, Jordan plays in a wide-ranging variety of ensembles and has toured and played with a variety of bands and projects over the years. He is a highly skilled educator and has led many youth and adult folk music learning projects across the UK.

With captivating musicianship and a sound that is unapologetically her own, Heather Ferrier is a force to be reckoned with. The Stockport born accordionist, clog dancer and composer is changing the perceptions of alt-folk on her own terms. Heather stands for using powerful melodies and jazz-influenced harmony. Bold, passionate and enthralling, her latest EP has been played on BBC Radio 6 music as well as being favourably reviewed in local and national publications.

Together, this trio blur the lines between two contrasting sides of the folk genre – the bright, vibrant energy of contemporary instrumental folk music and the intensity of traditional storytelling songs.