Ashburton Arts Centre

If you're a fan of country music, this is the real deal – visiting us here in Devon for the third time from Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Even if you're not that into country music, these guys are great musicians and put on a fantastic show. Come along – you'll love it!...

The Spotlite Trio is a young London-based jazz ensemble breathing fresh life into the classic piano trio tradition. Formed during a six-week residency at China's prestigious JZ Club in Hangzhou, the group quickly developed a distinctive musical chemistry through performing together night after night. Their debut recording, Live at the Mildmay, captures the spirit of those early performances: jazz standards reimagined with elegance, spontaneity, and infectious swing....

Miyah (featuring Ash Goulden on bass)
The Juliettes: original music, indie rock & pop classics
Dam: 7 piece pop, funk & soul

Miyah is a rising r&b and dance-pop artist carving out a sound that is raw and soulful. With a voice rich in character and emotion, she creates music that connects as powerfully on the dance floor as it does on a personal, emotional level. Born and raised in Marlow, Miyah grew up between small-town calm and a deep instinct for rhythm and self-expression....

We're delighted to welcome back Orlando Dibelo, the Argentine maestro of the Bandoneon, to play in concert with his protégée, Ruth Rozelaar plus some guest musicians. Orlando has now visited Ashburton several times. It's always an absolute joy to watch and hear him play – very few musicians are as at one with their instrument as he is, and his bandoneon makes a truly gorgeous sound....

The SOAS Ceilidh Band began at the School of Oriental and African Studies (part of London University). Led by Ed Emery (who these days can sometimes be found farming oysters on the River Teign) it's great to have the band back again for a night of fun and revelry! There'll be some called dancing, plus time to do your own thing, or sit and have a drink and a chat, and listen to the music....

The last Monday of every month here is Not Only But also The Blues where we feature some of the finest exponents in the south west, and beyond, of music whose roots are in the blues. Alex Voysey Trio
“Outstanding, energetic, breathtaking” Swanage Blues Festival 2024
Alex's playing owes much to the influences of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa, coupled with a refreshing and high-octane personal style. The trio’s original material is engaging, complex and memorable with virtuosic funk bass player Ben Hands’ monster 6 string Dingwall and the talents of drum maestro Paul Arthurs this is a band that is constantly evolving and which continues to excite audiences....

Two Authors & Five Fruits: Perspectives On A Century of Conflict In Palestine, with Ian Wellens and Yaara Lahav
 
How do we make sense of an issue that is never out of the news, and which affects us all?  Join writers Ian Wellens and Yaara Lahav for an evening of conversation centred on a land where war seems ever-present. Ian is the author of newly published A History Of Palestine In Five Fruits, and Yaara’s novel Night Swimming in the Jordan is set in a kibbutz in 1970s Israel. Together, they will discuss the background and history of the conflict, share their experiences of learning about it and living with it, and consider what the future holds. 
 
Chaired by Sophie Pierce. Co-presented with First Draft Books
 
Watch Ian Wellens talk about A History Of Palestine In Five Fruits here on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/1117321295/e8621ac215
 
Reviews of A History of Palestine in Five Fruits 
 
“A unique introduction … even if your library were full of books on Palestine, it would be remiss to be without this extraordinary and original book” Professor Ilan Pappé
 
“This book offers a powerful and comprehensive history of Palestine, told through the stories of five fruits that have endured and resisted colonial violence.”   Nadia Naser-Najjab, Co-Director of European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter 
 
Reviews of Night Swimming in the Jordan
 
“A special, unusual book....

Michael Prewitt is a mandolinist, singer-songwriter, and bluegrass troubadour from the Cumberland Mountain foothills of southeast Kentucky. He began playing fiddle at age six before switching to mandolin at twelve, developing a spirited, hard-driving style rooted in the tradition of Bill Monroe while embracing adventurous improvisation.

Prewitt gained national recognition touring with the Grammy-nominated, IBMA award-winning band Special Consensus, earning two IBMA Awards as part of the band, and two IBMA Momentum Award nominations himself for Instrumentalist of the Year. In 2024 he released two acclaimed solo albums: The Peerless Mountain Sessions and Something He Can Handle, praised by Bluegrass Today, Bluegrass Unlimited, and SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction....

Some of the best loved songs of our movie-musical lives. The Wizard of Oz to Wicked, West Side Story to La La Land -  and many many more

The Hollywood musical feels like it’s been with us forever. Starting with the Jazz Singer in 1927, almost 100 years later audiences are still flocking to the box-office to watch the big screen come alive with singing, dancing, comedy and romance.  Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe’s combined love and exhaustive movie knowledge is on technicolour display here as they bring some of these great movie-musical songs to life on the stage....

Holly Clarke, a singer who draws from the old ballads and stories, conjures a performance that immediately captivates any listener. As a performer, Holly transports the listener into the heart of ballads, immersing them in the narratives that have shaped humanities experience through time. From songs of the supernatural and folklore, to the tales of love and loss, Holly Clarke sings with an infectious energy and passion for traditional song....

Charles Avison Concerto in A minor
John Garth Cello Concerto No.4 in Bb major
J.S Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.6 in Bb major
Interval
William Boyce Concerto Grosso in E minor
John Eccles ‘ The Mad Lover’
Handel Concerto Grosso Opus 6 No.11 in A major

Conductor Keith Marshall
Musical Director Trish Calnan
Soloist Jeremy Capey

This is a new group founded by violinist Trish Calnan who writes:
“Lyric Baroque Ensemble is a newly formed string ensemble dedicated to bringing the vibrant sound world of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to modern audiences. Inspired by historically informed performance practice, the ensemble seeks to capture the expressive depth, elegance, and vitality of Baroque music through stylistically informed playing, with particular attention to rhythmic vitality, tonal colour, and rhetorical expression. “Making its concert debut in September 2026, Lyric Baroque Ensemble presents programmes that celebrate both well-loved masterpieces and lesser-known gems from the Baroque repertoire....

The first Monday of each month starting at 7.30pm. Each session will open with a couple numbers from the house rhythm section before they invite guests to join them, and the jam session begins. Admission is £8 or £5 or £3 (or free if you need it to be)....

One of the UK’s most accomplished  jazz singers and outstanding pianist Liane Carroll performs jazz classics and original compositions. Well-known for her powerful, highly emotional voice and superlative improvising skills, Liane has enjoyed a long career across multiple genres. A 30 year career has taken her from Hastings to Glastonbury via Ronnie Scott’s and New York....

Led by flamboyant singer, songwriter, guitar-slinger Paul-Ronney Angel, The Urban Voodoo Machine's brand of bourbon soaked Gypsy Blues Bop 'n' Stroll has been swaying audiences across UK, US and Europe. Come and catch the group live in actions - you are not likely to forget them! It's the six piece version of the band that is appearing here on Saturday....

Linus Fenton – see linusfenton.com
Latest album: Books, Pioctures on Bandcamp https://linusfenton.bandcamp.com/album/books-pictures

“This music gives that fresh breeze with sea air and the cry of seagulls that calms the soul in difficult times.” indiedockmusicblog.co.uk Full review of Hedgehog,/i>
https://indiedockmusicblog.co.uk/?p=3310

Jon Fazal – see jonfazal.com
“Exquisitely melancholic and full of poetic perceptions” Sarah Gosling, BBC Introducing

Troubadour Joe Martin has brought together a body of work in his second studio album Alone In Valentine that takes inspiration from the golden years of Americana. Not only does the music draw heavily on 70's American country/folk, but the album itself was recorded with Cal Campbell and Cornelius Webb, sons of the legendary Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb at the Campbell residence in Nashville, Tennessee. This album has songs reminiscent of Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and more contemporary artists such as Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, John, Paul White and Colter Wall who make up the core of Martin's musical influences....

Rightly regarded as one of the finest sax players in the country, Simon Spillett is touring the south west this year with by the Ronnie Jones Trio to mark the 30th anniversary of his professional debut. Watch the Simon Spillett Quartet on YouTube

Bursting on to the jazz scene as an effervescent – and fully-formed – talent in his early 20s, Simon has gone on to forge a white hot, stellar career, with numerous sold out headline shows at the UK’s premier jazz clubs: Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express (Soho); plus appearances at major UK jazz festivals –including the ESG London jazz festival – winning a handful of top jazz industry awards along the way. Simon is also a highly-regarded band leader, whose all-star Tubby Hayes Big Band released a critically-acclaimed album, and recently recorded a second, at London’s world-famous Abbey Road studios....

The John Hackett Band

The John Hackett Band embodies the spirit of progressive rock. From John’s pastoral flute textures, through the funky interplay between drummer Duncan Parsons and bassist Jeremy Richardson to the intricacies of Nick Fletcher’s lead guitar the group embrace pop, rock, jazz, classical, funk and all stops in-between, from the tenderest of ballads to hair-raising instrumental workouts! John Hackett has been a much-loved and admired figure in the progressive rock scene since the mid-70’s; best-known for his flute work with his brother, former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett on albums such as Voyage of The Acolyte, Please Don’t Touch and Spectral Mornings alongside his own solo albums Checking Out Of London, Another Life and The Piper Plays His Tune

2025 saw the release of their acclaimed second album, Red Institution and a tour taking the band from Glasgow to Penzance, Colchester to Oswestry; thrilling audiences with brand new tracks alongside classic Hackett material from the heyday of progressive rock....

Experience the passion and power of Buenos Aires in a breathtaking evening of tango, folk music, and unforgettable song. Internationally acclaimed vocalist Martín Alvarado joins forces with the exceptional guitar quartet Gerardo  Villar y Los Aguirre to deliver an authentic musical journey from the heart of Argentina. From the revolutionary works of Astor Piazzolla to haunting zambas and original ballads, every performance is rich with emotion, artistry, and atmosphere. 
Celebrated worldwide for his mesmerising voice, Alvarado brings tango alive with intensity, elegance, and passion in a concert that promises to captivate audiences from beginning to end....

The project is described here: https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/wilder-east-dartmoor

More information will appear here soon about the format of the evening, who is speaking, etc. It's being organised by the Devon Wildlife Trust in collaboration with Ashburton Arts Centre. You're welcome to book a free ticket or a to choose to make a donation of the one of the amounts listed here, or anything else on the night....