14/15th April, Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band. “Chapel & Tavern” at Borough Theatre, Abergavenny

Having spent their long and distinguished career of collaboration exploring Christmas and timeless religious music, Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band’s new tour Chapel and Tavern sees them celebrate the lives and culture of ordinary folk. The first half of the concert takes place in the chapel, featuring the vigorous and enthusiastic music of the church gallery bands in an era when hymn writers happily took their inspiration from theatre music and popular song. After the interval we’re in the tavern for rousing performances of catches, ballads, theatre songs and dance tunes. Both take the audience back to the chaotic London of Hogarth’s Gin Lane and the riotous world of Swift, Smollett and Thackeray, the enthusiastic singing of early Methodists and the village bands fondly remembered by Thomas Hardy. Cherish your soul before you let the old Adam and Eve run riot….

“I love working with the chaps,” Maddy muses, “it’s just so different and they’re so off the wall. Coming from a folk background I can relate to a lot of their dances and early music, but anything less like serious academic concerts when we tour you can’t imagine. When we go out at Christmas, it’s all streamers, balloons and lunacy.”

“Maddy’s voice is clear as a bell. It actually sounds as if there’s a celebration going on” THE GUARDIAN

“A truly superb pack of musicians” DIRTY LINEN (USA)

“If you haven’t seen them before you’re in for a treat” OXFORD MAIL

Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band Chapel & Tavern 2023 Tour Dates