Fest Noz and Bal with Les Wizards of Noz

Featuring Yannick Minvielle-Debat (song) and Michael Beeke (bagpipes), Sian  Phillips (accordian) and Paul Sherwood (hurdy-gurdy, clarinet).

 We will dance some of the simple and fun dances from Brittany and central France. Most of the dances are easy for beginners to join in with, and involve dancing in lines and circles as well as couples.

With support from Salt Pie Lane, wonderful folk ensemble based at Queen Elizabeth School, led by experienced Lancaster-based musician Jane Lawrence. The band are equally at home playing music from the British Isles to Klezmer music, from France and Brittany to Scandinavia. "Not your average school band!"

Saturday 20th May at 8.30 pm
The Gregson Centre, Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 3PY

Singing for Dancing workshop from 7.00-8.15pm. This session will introduce some of songs used to accompany Breton dances, they will be sung in French with translation and advice on pronunciation. Some of the songs will feature in the evening dance and  you will will be able to join in and sing while dancing! An introduction to the steps for some of the dances will also be provided.

Tickets: Full price £7 bal, £3 workshop, £8 combined

Concessions £5 bal, £2 workshop, £6 combined

Open tunes session afterwards

Any questions - get in touch using the contact form

More information on our guest artists!

Yannick Minvielle-Debat

Yannick’s involvement in traditional French and Breton music ranges from singing for dancing in a duo with an accordionist, organising an annual French music festival (Le Festival des Panards, Otley and more recently Hebden Bridge), teaching Breton call and response songs to running dance workshops for school children in schools all around the country. Born in France, Yannick now lives in Keighley, Yorkshire with her three children.

Michael Beeke

Michael is one of Britain’s most innovative and original bagpipers. He is a European dance music specialist and plays english border pipes and recorder with the exciting and most entertaining trio Hérétique (http://www.heretique.co.uk/). He is an expert in early music studying in particular the development of bagpipe repertoire from the medieval period to its present day place in modern folk traditions. A gifted composer of contemporary traditional tunes, he was a member of the John Dipper Band and has worked with a huge variety of performers across the folk and early music worlds. He is currently developing his skills as a bagpipe maker.