Chance to explore Devon heathland. Free family-friendly open day.

Devon Wildlife Trust is running a free open day this month giving people the chance to explore a rare and wonderful heathland nature reserve. The family-friendly open day is being held at Bovey Heathfield Local Nature Reserve, close to Bovey Tracey. It takes place on Saturday 15 September and runs from 11am until 4pm. The event celebrates 10 years of Devon Wildlife management of this precious place. The event offers a 'behind the scenes' look at a lowland heath - a landscape which has disappeared from much of the countryside in recent decades. A series of guided wildlife walks will be led by Devon Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers. Mini-beast hunting, storytelling, pond dipping and other children's activities will also feature. A tea and cake stall will be on hand to feed hungry visitors! Jo Pullin from Devon Wildlife Trust said: "This wonderful nature reserve looks stunning at this time of year, with heather and gorse in full bloom. Open days make great introductions to our county's amazing wildlife. The day will be great chance to visit a special piece of Devon's countryside and learn about the animals which call it home." Those wishing to go on one of the walks should book in advance with Devon Wildlife Trust on 01392 279244. For all other activities people are welcome to just come along and take part. Bovey Heathfield Local Nature Reserve is located in Heathfield Industrial Estate. From Battle Road turn into Cavalier road. The entrance lies close to the entrance of Dragoon Close (postcode TQ12 6TU). And for anyone who can't make the open day, a longer self-guided wildlife walk links Bovey Heathfield to the Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves of Little Bradley Ponds and Chudleigh Knighton Heath. A leaflet download is available for the walk at www.devonwildlifetrust.org/wild-walks/

KATE RUSBY NEW ALBUM ‘20’ TO MARK 20 YEARS OF MUSIC MAKING

The Barnsley nightingale Kate Rusby will release a new album on October 22nd ’12 to celebrate 20 years of making music. Entitled ‘20’ the album features new recordings of Kate’s favourite songs from throughout her illustrious career. From the trad folk of ‘Jolly Plough Boys’ and ‘Annan Waters’ from her solo debut ‘Hourglass’ (’98) to the seasonal beauty of ‘Home’ from her 2011 Christmas album ‘While Mortals Sleep’ via ‘Unquiet Grave’, ‘Sho Heen’ and ‘Wild Goose’ from her Mercury nominated ’99 album ‘Sleepless’, the title tracks from ‘Underneath The Stars’ (2004) and ‘Awkward Annie’ (2007) and many more, Kate dips into every corner of her catalogue to create a set that is a wonderful introduction for the uninitiated and a fabulous reinterpretation of her ‘greatest hits’ for the committed fan. In addition Kate has written and recorded a beautiful new song for this album called ‘Sun Grazers’, on which she duets with Paul Weller, who has never sounded in finer voice. Other collaborators on the album include folk giants Richard Thompson, Nic Jones, Paul Brady and Dick Gaughan, Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, bluegrass upstarts Chris Thile and Sarah Jarosz, American folk & country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eddi Reader and many more. ‘20’ will be released on the Rusby family’s Pure Records label via Island Records. For this release Island has resurrected the legendary ‘Island Pink’ label on which albums by Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, John Martyn, Sandy Denny, and Richard & Linda Thompson were released during the 70s. ‘20’ will be available on double CD and digital download. The full tracklisting is:
DISC 1
1. Awkward Annie (feat. Chris Thile)
2. Unquiet Grave (feat. Aoife O’Donovan)
3. Sun Grazers (feat. Paul Weller)
4. The Lark (feat. Nic Jones)
5. Planets (feat. Sarah Jarosz)
6. Wandering Soul (feat. Eddi Reader & Dick Gaughan)
7. Who Will Sing me Lullabies (feat. Richard Thompson & Philip Selway)
8. Jolly Plough Boys (feat. Dick Gaughan)
9. Sho Heen (feat. Eddi Reader, Phillip Selway & Jerry Douglas)
10.Bitter Boy (feat. Damien O’Kane)
DISC 2
1. I Courted a Sailor (feat. Jim Causley)
2. Mocking Bird (feat. Sara Watkins)
3. The Good Man (feat. Joe Rusby & Jerry Douglas)
4. Annan Waters (feat. Bob Fox)
5. All God’s Angels (feat. Paul Brady)
6. Elfin Knight (feat. Dave Burland)
7. Wild Goose (feat. Stephen Fretwell)
8. Home (feat. Mary Chapin Carpenter)
9. Underneath the Stars (feat. Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
10.Bring me a Boat (feat. Declan O’Rourke)
Words and music on all songs are by Kate Rusby except ‘Jolly Plough Boys’ and ‘Annan Waters’, which are traditional songs arranged by Kate, ‘The Good Man’ whose words are a combination of trad and Kate with the tune written by Kate, and ‘Bring Me A Boat’, which has lyrics by Kate and melody by Phil Cunningham. Kate Rusby was born into a musical family in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Her parents had a ceilidh band which Kate and her sister Emma joined at a very early age. Kate’s musical world is still very much a family affair – her parents, along with Emma and her brother Joe manage her, run her label, record her albums and book her tours, while her husband Damien O’Kane co-produces her records and plays guitar in her band. Kate’s first album release was a collaboration with another young singer – ‘Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts’ (’95). She has since released 9 solo albums: ‘Hourglass’ (’98), ‘Sleepless’ (’99), ‘Little Lights’ (2001), ‘Underneath The Stars’ (2004), ‘The Girl Who Couldn’t Fly’ (2005), ‘Awkward Annie’ (2007), ‘Sweet Bells’ (2008), ‘Make The Light’ (2010), and ‘While Mortals Sleep’ (2011). She was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in ’99 and has won Folk singer of the year (2000), Best album (2000), Best song twice (2002 for “Who Will Sing Me Lullabies” and 2006 for “No Names”) and Best Live Act (2006) at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Proof that the cottage industry approach can pay off in the 21st century, Kate has quietly sold over a million records on the family-run independent label Pure Records and regularly plays sell-out tours around the country. Kate’s 20th year anniversary celebrations continue this year with live shows all over the UK, and there will be some very special guests appearing with Kate and her band at the Sheffield and London shows in October. The full list of shows is:
SEPT
7 BARNSTABLE Queens Theatre
8 ST IVES September Festival
14 HALIFAX Victoria Theatre
19 LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
20 ST ALBANS Alban Arena
22 OXFORD Playhouse
23 NORWICH Theatre Royal
OCT
21 SHEFFIELD City Hall
23 LONDON Royal Festival Hall
24 GUILDFORD G-Live
26 NEW BRIGHTON Floral Pavilion
27 GATESHEAD Sage
NOV
9 NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate
10 DERBY Assembly Rooms
16 BASINGSTOKE Anvil Arts
17 SOUTHSEA Kings Theatre
18 CRAWLEY The Hawth
20 SALFORD QUAYS The Lowry
DEC
1 HUDDERSFIELD Town Hall
2 CARDIFF St David’s Hall
7 MIDDLESBROUGH Town Hall
8 HARROGATE Royal Hall
9 CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
12 MALVERN Theatre
13 BRISTOL Colston Hall
14 YORK Barbican
16 NOTTINGHAM Playhouse
18 WARRINGTON Parr Hall
19 BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall
Tickets are available from box offices and usual agents. Further info at www.katerusby.com
KATE RUSBY NEW ALBUM ‘20’ TO MARK 20 YEARS OF MUSIC MAKING *FEATURING COLLABORATIONS WITH THE CREAM OF ROCK, FOLK & BLUEGRASS ARTISTS INCLUDING PAUL WELLER, RICHARD THOMPSON, NIC JONES, DICK GAUGHAN, PHIL SELWAY, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, CHRIS THILE, EDDI READER AND MORE…
*RELEASE DATE 22nd OCT ‘12

"I Will Wait" for Mumford & Sons new single and second album Babel

Mumford & Sons release their new single, ‘I Will Wait’ on the 24th September 2012. It is the first single to be taken from their second album, Babel, released on the same day. The story of Mumford & Sons has been written and mapped out on the road. Since before the release of 2009’s debut album Sigh No More, the band has rarely been off tour, but the recording of Babel brought them off the road and back into the studio. Many of the songs on the new record found their dynamic through years of tested live performance. ‘Whispers In The Dark’, ‘Lover Of The Light’, ‘Below My Feet’, ‘Lovers’ Eyes’ and ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ might be familiar to fans that have seen the band perform live over the past eighteen months across the world. Babel was produced by Marcus Dravs, a man whom the band trusts to replicate and to understand the importance of live energy as much as they do. In a similar fashion to its predecessor, it is a record that marries the upbeat with the intimate, and the unrestrained with the raw. It is an album the band are justifiably proud of, and follows a series of studio sessions in Devon, Somerset, Northamptonshire, and London. First single “I Will Wait” is a jubilant introduction to the music on Babel. It is a song which has evolved alongside the band, and encapsulates the very essence of what they do so well. Following their successful Gentlemen of the Road Stopover shows earlier this Summer in the UK and Ireland, and while currently touring to sold-out crowds in the US, Mumford & Sons will continue to map their journey on the road throughout 2012 and beyond. Listen to the single here: 

Mumford & Sons Single: ‘I Will Wait’ - UK Release Date: 24th September 2012
UK Label: Gentlemen of the Road/Island Records www.mumfordandsons.com