Asylum Welcome and Donnington Doorstep Benefit Concert

Event Information

Sam Twigg and the Sometimes Band sing original songs of love, apocalypse, and wine-soaked compromise. Soulful and thoughtful vocals glide over a vivid and reassuring instrumental foundation, drawing on folk traditions from around the North Atlantic. With Josh Robson-Hemmings on guitar, Hannah Gray on flute, Colin Fletcher on bass, and Jane Griffiths on fiddle. // samtwigg.net

Lou Lyne and the Blue Almond Project perform original instrumental works, at turns poignant and beguiling. Drawing on Lou’s eclectic musical taste - which ranges from Debussy to New Orleans jazz, Arabic tango, 70s funk and folk music - her compositions are all her own. Playing cello, she joins forces with Jane Griffiths on violin, Venessa McNaught on viola, and Ashton Gray on piano. // loulyne.com

Claire LeMaster is an Oxford-based singer-songwriter. Her rich voice packs a sumptuous punch, and her original songs are as moving as they are memorable. She has been involved in various commissioned singing and composition projects, most notably with BFI, Jimmy Hetherington, and CBeebies, as well as playing with keys and percussion with Moogieman and the Masochists. // clairelemaster.com

Sam Taplin might be best known as a children’s author, emcee, and curator of magical musical evenings, but he is also a superb songwriter in his own right. In the tradition of Jake Thackray and Georges Brassens, his work for voice and piano is rollicking and action-packed, deeply insightful and sometimes utterly heartbreaking. In a good way. // samtaplin.bandcamp.com

Spoken Folk is a collaborative project based around the poetry of George Roberts, with Tobias Sturmer on percussion and Samantha Twigg Johnson on mountain dulcimer. Both political and heartfelt, it draws on the tradition of chautauquas and nineteenth-century North American medicine shows, as well as contemporary spoken word and Green activism. // spokenfolk.net

Asylum Welcome offers information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire. They help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community. //. www.asylum-welcome.org

Donnington Doorstep provides family drop-in sessions for children up to five years old with their carers. Their beautiful and funky space is filled with opportunities for messy and sensory play, both indoors and out. Celebrating their 40th birthday this summer, they have managed to stay open in spite of drastic funding cuts, which have forced many family centres to close. // donnington-doorstep.org.uk