LEADING acoustic roots duo Show of Hands, and Britain’s most famous folk family, The Watersons, are among the big attractions at this year’s Bromyard Folk Festival.

A lively weekend of music, song and dance runs from September 10 to 12.

The multi-award winning Show of Hands features singer and writer of powerful songs Steve Knightley and superb multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. They have played three sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall and will be appearing in Bromyard with double bass player Miranda Sykes.

The weekend offers a rare chance to see the full line-up of The Waterson Family, ambassadors for British folk music for almost half a century.

The familiar core members of Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy are joined by Mike Waterson, Mike’s daughters Rachel and Eleanor, his wife Ann, and Oliver Knight and Maria Gilhooley, son and daughter of the much-missed Lal Waterson.

Other Bromyard guests include a lively blend of music and step dancing from The Doonans, a comic blend of classical and music hall from Belshazzar’s Feast, powerfully arranged music on squeezebox and fiddle from the dynamic Damien Barber and Mike Wilson and the welcome return of one of the country’s top ceilidh bands Whapweasel.

Sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery, the festival features hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers from across the UK. Although the main festival site is just outside Bromyard town centre, there will also be plenty of music and dancing in the streets and pubs of the town.

“This is one of the longest running folk festivals in the country and it’s great to see new generations of fans turning up each year,” says festival director, Dick Dixon.

“Some of the best young singers on the circuit today are former winners of the Fred Jordan Memorial Competition which we hold every year as part of the festival.”

Weekend and day tickets are available with discounts for families, NUS card holders, juniors and young adults. For more information, call 07935 747904 or visit bromyardfolk festival.co.uk