STAINDROP GIG: Katie Spencer is bringing her timeless music to The Scarth Memorial Hall on December 7
STAINDROP GIG: Katie Spencer is bringing her timeless music to The Scarth Memorial Hall on December 7

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist Katie Spencer is making her Highlights Rural Touring debut at The Scarth Memorial Hall, Staindrop, on Thursday, December 7.

She has previously performed at the world-renowned Celtic Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival, where audience members were in awe of her confidence and craftsmanship.

Highlights director, Kate Lynch is delighted to have secured a booking with the East Yorkshire singer-songwriter.

She said: “We are dedicated to bringing the best emerging, musical talent to our programme of events and Katie certainly fits this bill.

Over the last few years she has performed all over the UK and at some of the country’s biggest and most respected festivals. The audience in The Scarth Memorial Hall, Staindrop, are in for a truly wonderful show.”

Katie’s widely celebrated album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity.

The ten songs on The Edge of the Land are delicate and unrushed, and drift by with intimacy and introspection.

The album gained her nationwide critical acclaim and brought her to the attention of legendary BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Ralph McTell.

He said: “Katie’s guitar playing has echoes of my dear friend the late great Bert Jansch. Like a musical weaver, she threads her poetic lyrics through the guitar’s strings and produces little tapestries of song.”

Other comparisons have been made with artists from that golden period of folk in the early 70s, including Joni Mitchell, Linda Thompson and Sandy Denny.

This event is one of many live shows taking place in village halls and community venues across the region as part of the Highlights Rural Touring Autumn 2023 programme.

See the website highlightsnorth.co.uk for full details of the programme.

Doors open at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12 (£8 for U18s) and are available from ticket

source.co.uk or Staindrop Post Office. Call 07881248478 for any enquiries.