Only Danish appearance in 2026
Kathryn Tickell is a multi-instrumentalist from the north of England who masters the Northumbrian pipes, the small northeast English bagpipes, known for their particular construction and their unique tone.
Starting to play the pipes at age nine, Kathryn released her first album aged 16, has had a long and illustrious career, reaching from traditional music to jazz and world music to orchestral compositions, while never forgetting her Northumbrian heritage.
Kathryn Tickell has worked with artists such as Jacob Collier, Sting and Penguin Café Orchestra, was the first folk musician at the BBC Proms and has been honoured with an OBE and the Queen’s Medal for Music.
Now she leads the band The Darkening, named after the old Northumbrian word for dusk. Together they are examining the relationships between music, the countryside and people over almost 2000 years and creating a musical world where ancient traditions find contemporary expression.
As well as Kathryn Tickell (small pipes, violin, song), The Darkening numbers Amy Thatcher (accordion, synth, clogs, song), Heather Cartwright (guitar, song), Joe Truswell (drums, percussion) and Stef Conner (lyre, song). Together they play rhythmic tunes, grand harmonies, and virtuoso instrumental work, in a kind of Ancient Northumbrian Futurism.
Their album Cloud Horizons (2023) has been critically praised for its energy and originality, and on stage the ensemble is famous for hypnotising audiences with a meld of modern folk music and centuries-old traditions.
Tønder Festival is Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening's only Danish appearance in 2026.
