Multi award-winning and hugely influential contemporary folk musicians Jackie Oates and John Spiers bring their breadth of experience and shared love of English traditional folk tunes and songs to this finely matched duo.
Their annual tour at Christmas provides a beautiful and heart-warming antidote to the materiality that can be a feature of the festive season, as they perform captivating and unusual traditional Christmas carols and tunes from the UK and far beyond.
Although followers of British folk music will be familiar with Jackie and John from their other high calibre collaborations, their work as a duo began quite innocently and spontaneously when the pair first started playing together for fun during guest spots at a local folk club in Henley-on-Thames. Recognising the potential, they began working together on material from their native county of Oxfordshire. Following their first performances in 2016, they went on to tour and perform at folk festivals in the UK, releasing their first full length studio album, ‘Needle Pin, Needle Pin’ in 2020.
Their second album, a festive release entitled ‘A Midwinter’s Night’ is a joyous celebration of midwinter and all its shades, featuring multi-instrumental arrangements played by the duo on an array of melodeons, recorders and percussion. It is the duo’s aim to inspire audiences through their shared love of Christmas time including the traditions and rituals that have for many years been an important feature of their individual family traditions.
‘Two artists at the peak of their unadulterated skills, and all the better for that.’ - At The Barrier
‘Showcases the artists’ breadth of influence. A glorious collection.’ - Tradfolk.co
‘A Midwinter’s Night is an absolutely perfect Christmas album with quiet moments mixed with joyful songs and tunes. You can go to mass and come home to party all without leaving the house.’ - Folking.com
