Village concert series hailed as ‘the best yet’
ORGANISERS of series of music concerts in a village near Ashbourne say 2018 has been its most successful year yet.
The Staffordshire Moorlands village of Alstonefield has been hosting a string of musicians in its village hall for over three years to help raise money for village hall funds.
The acts who have visited in the last year have included some of the UK’S top musicians in the world of blues, folk and roots music, including a Grammy award-winner and several who have won BBC Folk Awards.
The hall’s Committee began putting on concerts back in 2015 and has since been able to make a range of improvements to the facilities, such as installing professional stage lighting and the purchase of cabaret tables.
The team have now has a dedicated team of helpers, including sound engineers, to ensure the quality of sound matches the professionalism of the musicians performing.
Spokesman and Village Hall chairman Martin Snodin said: “We’re fortunate to have two people on the committee who have experience of promoting live music in various types of venues and festivals.
“Although its capacity is only about 100, the hall is a great space for concerts and we have a fabulous team of helpers to run the bar and make sure everyone has a great time.
“We generally host one concert a month, and fans come from far and wide to see their favourite acts, often staying in local B&BS or holiday lets.
“So as well as helping the Hall’s finances and providing something for the community, there’s a definite wider economic benefit, too. We’ve gone from strength to strength, with concerts now regularly selling out well in advance.
“In fact, we’ve already sold out for a concert in March 2019. So we do recommend people check what’s coming up and perhaps join our mailing list.”
The hall’s programme for 2019 is filling fast with acts including Irish singer Eleanor Mcevoy and Peter Knight of Steeleye Span fame with his trio Gigspanner.
To see the current programme, or to book tickets for the performances, visit www. alstonefield.org