Summer Festival: Granny's Attic
- Date
- Wednesday 6 July 2022, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
- Doors
- open from 7:00pm
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (melodeon, anglo concertina, vocals) George Sansome (guitar, vocals) Lewis Wood (violin, vocals)
With exceptional musicianship and boundless energy, Granny’s Attic are “one of the most exciting and accomplished English folk acts on the scene right now” (Folk Radio).
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome and Lewis Wood have been heralded for their lively performances and skilled delivery of traditional material, playing with verve, passion and their own inimitable style.
Though grounded in tradition, they are keen to push new boundaries by exploring fresh approaches and writing their own compositions. In October 2021, they released their latest album, The Brickfields, an instrumental collection that sees them reach new heights both as performers and composers.
Graduate Profile
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne
BA Music Performance, graduated 2017
Described in The Living Tradition as ‘captivating, bold and striking’, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is at the forefront of his generation of English folk musicians as both a powerful and commanding singer and a masterful player of the Anglo concertina and melodeon. Cohen burst onto the folk scene in his teens with the energetic and much-loved trio Granny’s Attic, along with schoolmates George Sansome and Lewis Wood, and in recent years has embarked on a solo career alongside this.
Cohen’s solo repertoire is rooted in the English folk tradition, celebrating the age-old musical heritage of this broad and diverse land, with a particular interest in the music of the West Midlands, where Cohen spent many of his formative years. Traditional ballads, songs and tunes form the basis of Cohen’s material, but with a smattering of baroque, renaissance, ragtime, and music hall thrown in for good measure.
Cohen has released two critically acclaimed solo albums, Outway Songster (2017) and Rakes & Misfits (2021), with the former leading to a nomination for the Horizon Award for best newcomer at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2018.Alongside performing solo and with Granny’s Attic, Cohen has been involved in several other collaborations working with musicians such as John Spiers, Damien Barber, Rosie Hood and Stick in the Wheel. Short term projects with the likes of Marks & Spencer, Gobbledegook Theatre and EFDSS have also featured in recent years.
Cohen’s passion for the English folk tradition has also led to work in research, publishing, and teaching. So far Cohen has been involved in publishing two books of English folk songs, has given several talks on the subject, and has worked with hundreds of students across the globe, from school children to pensioners.
Graduate Profile
George Sansome
BA Music Performance, graduated 2016
With a passion for storytelling and a gift for tapping into the human experience, George Sansome is a singer who gets right to the heart of what traditional music is all about. His refreshingly open, expressive and engaging approach places a spotlight on human stories, while his flawless guitar arrangements allow each song the chance to shine. Taking inspiration from the likes of Nic Jones and Martin Carthy, he delivers a sound that appears stripped back and effortless, yet brimming with hidden complexities.
Having honed his craft playing with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees Granny’s Attic for over a decade, George has come into his own as a singer, musician and composer. His solo work is an opportunity to further develop his distinctive voice and pursue new creative directions. His critically acclaimed self-titled debut solo album was listed as one of Songlines magazine’s “Essential 10 Folk Albums of 2020”.