Sidmouth Folk Festival

The sounds of the Sidmouth Folk Festival arrive long before you reach the seafront. They drift through the streets on the summer air, inviting you to follow them around corners and into squares where music seems to appear from every direction. No two moments are ever quite the same. A lone fiddle may be leading a tune in one street while, only a few yards away, the rich harmony of a choir fills the space between the old buildings.

Walking through the town, you hear guitars, concertinas, melodeons, whistles, accordions and fiddles weaving together in an ever-changing tapestry of sound. Somewhere a bodhrán provides a steady heartbeat, while dancers in colourful costumes punctuate the music with the rhythmic clash of sticks, the ringing of bells strapped to their legs, and the measured stamp of feet on the pavement. Applause breaks out as a tune ends, only to be followed by laughter and the opening notes of another.

Along the Esplanade, the sea contributes its own accompaniment. Waves fold gently onto the beach, gulls call overhead, and a fresh breeze carries music across the promenade, blending melodies from performances taking place hundreds of yards apart. The result is a remarkable soundscape where one tune fades naturally into the next without ever seeming out of place.

As evening approaches, the atmosphere changes but never grows quiet. Voices rise from pubs and marquees where singers gather around tables, sharing songs that have travelled across generations. Some are lively and full of humour; others are gentle enough to hold a room in complete silence until the final note hangs in the air. Then comes the warm applause, the scrape of chairs, the clink of glasses, and, almost inevitably, someone begins another song. At Sidmouth, music is never far away. It is the heartbeat of the festival, echoing through the town from morning until long after the sun has disappeared beyond the sea.

We wish this year’s folk festival goers well. If you suddenly realise that you have difficulty hearing the sounds and excitement at Sidmouth, just pick up the ‘phone and give us a call!