Folk Unplugged:
Alistair Anderson & Grace Smith

Master of the English Concertina, Alistair Anderson features in a unique concert with outstanding young fiddle player, Grace Smith.

As a touring soloist, with no less than 37 tours of the USA, 5 trips to Australia and countless European tours to his credit, Alistair Anderson is internationally acknowledged as the master of the English Concertina and a fine exponent of the Northumbrian Pipes. He delights audiences with traditional music from Northumberland and beyond, as well as his own music, which has grown out of his love of these traditions.

Anderson’s passionate belief that traditional music had an important place in contemporary society led him to find ways to excite a new generation of young musicians and draw them into playing, singing, dancing and making the tradition their own.

“He is a treat to watch… His involvement and delight in the music are infectious… Beautiful music, played with skill, taste and affection.”
– fRoots

Grace Smith is a fiddle and viola player. An experienced performer, playing with several bands as well as solo, she was awarded a Seed Funding bursary in 2018 from the English Folk Dance and Song Society as part of the PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development Partnership; this project led to the formation of the Grace Smith Trio, featuring Sam Partridge and Bevan Morris. Since spring 2022, she has also been playing fiddle for Katie Doherty & the Navigators, including performances at Sage Gateshead, Festival on the Edge, and Warwick Folk Festival. She can also be seen performing with Cri du Canard, a band inspired by French dancing traditions.

“Grace Smith always brings her many musical facets together in an innovative and creative way- expect a real gem!”
– Catriona Macdonald, Shetland Fiddler