The programme for this year’s Tønder Festival is taking shape, and eight more names have been added to the roster, among them the critics’ darling, songwriter Mary Gauthier, blues hero Cedric Burnside, the Saint Sister duo and the popular Danish Leonard Cohen tribute show.
First, the bad news. Arlo Guthrie has cancelled his visit to Tønder Festival 2020, so that’s one American songwriter we won’t be seeing this time. Tønder Festival apologises, and hopes that Arlo Guthrie will be back at a later date.
Festivalgoers can nonetheless look forward to a unique cavalcade of music from home and abroad on stage in Tønder in August.
Clear Messages
The American songwriter Mary Gauthier has appeared at Tønder Festival
several times before. She is back this year with her new album Rifles
& Rosary Beads, which has won awards and nominations. Back too is
songwriter Irish Mythen, a singer who, like Mary Gauthier, reaches to
the depths of the soul to create intense contact from the stage to the
audience.
A Feast of Bagpipes
This is the famous Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Scotland’s iconoclastic,
kilt-clad converters of familiar rock and pop hits to hair-raising
bagpipe and rock backline music – bagrock – that leaves no turn
unstoned. When they played the Open Air stage at Tønder Festival in
2017, the whole field partied.
Blues and Roots Traditions
Blues lovers have a treat in store. Singer and blues guitarist Cedric
Burnside from Memphis USA is one of the hot names on today’s
international blues scene. From Cape Breton in Canada we have the Còig
quartet, and from Scotland come Blazin’ Fiddles, a band who have been
taking fine care of the Scots music tradition for over twenty years now.
Irish Duo and Homage to a Master
Saint Sister from Ireland are Morgan MacIntyre and Gemma Doherty, two
talented women who have worked their way to the upper reaches of the
Irish music scene in just a few years. From Denmark, an impressive
gathering of singers and musicians who have toured the land in recent
years to great acclaim with their concert tribute to Leonard Cohen.
Among the soloists are Steen Jørgensen, Mike Andersen and Signe
Svendsen.
The Days up to Tønder Festival
For the sixth successive year, Tønder and its surroundings will be
a-buzz with activities in the days leading up to Tønder Festival. The
concept is called 4+ and is a shower of events from 23rd until 26th
August. It all begins with an opening concert on the Tønder town square
on Sunday 23rd August, and the following days offer a bunker trip out
into the Wadden Sea National Park, a town tour visiting sites relating
to the world-famous Danish furniture designer Hans J.Wegner, a pub quiz,
a bird-watching outing and a whisky nosing. This year’s 4+ programme
will naturally also mark the centenary of the return of southern Jutland
from German to Danish rule. Read more about 4+ and ticket sales for the
individual events on tf.dk.
Tønder Festival 2020 Musicians – so far:
John Prine (USA), Keb’ Mo’ (USA), Ryan Bingham (USA), Lars Lilholt Band (DK), Blind Boy Paxton (USA), The Secret Sisters (USA), Michael McGoldrick: Fused 20th (UK), Teitur (FO), Christopher Paul Stelling (USA), The Henry Girls (IRL), Lula Wiles (USA), Cara Dillon (IRL), Claus Hempler (DK), Hans Theessink & Knud Møller (NL, DK), Amythyst Kiah (USA), The Once (CAN), Sean Rowe (USA), Blue Rose Code (SCO), Friel Sisters (SCO), Mo Kenney (CAN), Mike Elrington (AUS), Jeffrey Martin (USA), The Small Glories (CAN), Ida Gard (DK), Birds of Chicago (USA), Del Barber (CAN), Hogslop String Band (USA), Kira Skov (DK), Red Hot Chilli Pipers (SCO), Mary Gauthier (USA), Irish Mythen (IRL), Saint Sister (IRL), Cedric Burnside (USA), Còig (CAN), Cohen Hyldestkoncert (DK), Blazin’ Fiddles (SCO).
Tønder Festival 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th August 2020
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Tickets: www.tf.dk