50-STRONG BAND BACK ON THE ROAD

IT’S no exaggeration to call the Conservatoire Folk Ensemble the UK’s biggest folk band.

With a stage-challenging 50 members in its touring lineup, and nearly twice that rehearsing each week, the most immediate distinguishing feature of the ensemble is its sheer size.

Among them are 15 horns, four cellos, five percussionists, five electric guitarists, plus fiddles, flutes, clarinets, electric bass, acoustic guitars, an accordion... and they sing, too.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the last two years have been particularly challenging for a band that is a ‘mass gathering’ before it even leaves the rehearsal room.

Yet thanks to the dedication and ingenuity of the young people involved, the band managed to rehearse online every week whilst its HQ, at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, was shut down.

What’s more, they even managed to host two online festivals, streamed to their fans around the world, with each member providing content filmed from home to form an epic digital concert experience.

Formed at Birmingham Conservatoire in 1997 by fiddle player and arranger Joe Broughton, 2022 marks the super-sized group’s 25th anniversary.

With membership coming from across Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s courses, the personal influences of each member shapes the set-list, as traditional English and Celtic reels slide into full-on rock grooves, funk, jazz, hip hop, ska and reggae.

Latin, Eastern European and Asian flourishes can also be heard, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the group.

Recorded in early March 2020, the group’s latest release is Not Leaving Quietly. And a 25th Anniversary Tour begins with a huge Reunion Concert at their Brum base on May 14.

See folkensemble.co.uk for tickets and more information.