Host: Sam Lee
Guest musicians: Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary
Tamsin is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and filmmaker with roots in the traditional dance tunes of the British Isles. Her debut solo album FREY (Penny Fiddle Records, 2022) established her as a rising star on the folk scene, with The Guardian praising her "beautiful, filmic compositions for accordion, harp, whistle and voice”. Exploring themes of chronic illness and environmental grief, FREY offers a poignant reflection on the human experience, whilst her forthcoming album The Meeting Tree celebrates connection, nature and the joy of sharing tunes with friends. Tamsin’s trio features long-term collaborators Sid Goldsmith on cittern and concertina and Rowan Elliott on fiddle.
Tarek Elazhary, an Egyptian oud player and composer, graduated from the Arab Oud House in 2014 under the mentorship of the renowned Iraqi oud player, Nasser Shamma. He has participated in numerous local and international festivals with the Arab Oud Orchestra.
The Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a small, brown, unremarkable-looking bird, but they possess one of nature’s finest singing voices. The English population winters in Sub-Saharan Africa in the western countries like Sierra Leon and Senegal, returning to the very same thicket they were born in arriving in early to mid-April. They spend April to the end of May mating and nesting where we can encounter the extraordinary display of the males’ courtship song, famous for his all-night broadcast.
Sam is a folksinger, song collector, activist, nature conservationist, guide, and presenter. With three critically acclaimed albums - his debut receiving a Mercury Music Prize nomination - he works holistically in challenging the sound and purpose of our indigenous music in the 21st Century.