Bibi Redford and DeeDee Redford, two sisters from Devon, are both pianists studying at the Royal College of Music. Bibi has just finished her second year at Senior RCM studying with Gordon Fergus-Thompson. Previously a piano specialist at Wells Cathedral School, she attended many prestigious masterclasses, and won prizes at competitions in the UK and abroad. Bibi enjoys playing all genres of music, particularly Debussy and Chopin. DeeDee has just finished her first year at Junior Department RCM studying with Katya Lebedeva, and has also been performing at primary schools around Devon, hoping to improve awareness of classical piano. She is very excited to be playing with her big sister in concert for the first time. Together they offer a varied programme of solo and duet repertoire which can be seen as a reflection of their individual characters.

Featuring solo works by Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Debussy, and duets by Bizet, Dvorak and Lennox Berkley.

The highly acclaimed Plymouth born classical guitarist Alison Smith has been described as one of the most exciting and lyrical guitarists to emerge in recent years. She delights audiences with her fluid technique and expressive playing, performing nationwide and in Europe at concert halls, festivals and has broadcast on national radio including BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Scotland. Alison has played eight times at the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, where her performance was described as “enthralling.....demonstrated sheer virtuosity....superb technique and sensitivity”. After a concert in Germany, “the audience broke into tumultuous applause and gave another standing ovation to the young guitarist who had played her way into their hearts” Nortorfer Zeitung Germany, (Trans Fiona Bubbers). Alison gave the World Premiere of ‘Rame Head’, a stunning new work written for her by the celebrated guitarist and composer William Lovelady, inspired by the beautiful headland on the Rame Peninsula and the sea. She will be including this work in her concert.

Her CD Albums titled Recuerdos and Incandescent have been highly successful. She has recently been engaged by Willowhayne Records, to become one of their artists and has recorded a new album titled Poético, under their label which was released in 2019. Alison's CDs are distributed physically and digitally worldwide. In 1995 Alison graduated with honours from Trinity College of Music, London. She was awarded the Grace Wylie Thesis Prize, a college scholarship and a scholarship from the Mary Datchelor Trust to enable her to pursue her Post-Graduate studies. She studied the Guitar with Gilbert Biberian and Nicola Hall and Piano with Raymond Banning. During her time at college Alison also performed on the violin. In July 1997 she was awarded a Distinction in the Post-Graduate Performance Certificate. Alison taught guitar and coached chamber music at the The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) from 2002 – 2008 and lectured on Techniques of Teaching for the B Mus Course. Alison has given performances and talks as guest artist at Plymouth University and is currently the appointed University Classical Guitar tutor for the BA Hons music course. She is Director of the Cawsand Bay Guitarfest an exciting classical guitar weekend with Alison Smith, Craig Ogden & the Vida Guitar Quartet (Mark Eden, Mark Ashford, Amanda Cook, Chris Stell)

Violinist Teagan Craggs is currently studying with Natalia Lomeiko at the Royal College of Music, where she holds a full scholarship, having begun her undergraduate studies in September. She previously completed the final year of a full music scholarship at Wells Cathedral School, studying violin with Ani Batikian and Robert Salter, alongside second-study piano with Sophia McKett. Teagan performs regularly as a soloist, with recent appearances including Drapers’ Hall, Princess Alexandra Hall, and the Evaristo Valle Museum Foundation in Gijón, Spain. She made her concerto debut with St Woolos Sinfonia, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and has performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 with Brecknock Sinfonia.

In 2024, Teagan won both the Thelma King Instrumentalist Award (1st Prize) and the Domey Cup (1st Prize) for advanced solo violin repertoire at the Mid-Somerset Festival Young Musician Competition. She is also the recipient of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Junior Artist Award 2023, receiving mentorship from LPO co-leader Kate Oswin, as well as the Coombs Award 2024. She won the Two Moors Competition 2023 and has received multiple prizes at the Sussex Springboard Festival of Performing Arts in previous years.

Teagan has held leadership positions with Chineke Orchestra, the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra, Wells Symphony Orchestra, Future Talent’s orchestra debut at the Roundhouse, and the Nicola Benedetti Foundation Orchestra, appearing in concert on several occasions and receiving individual masterclass tuition with Nicola Benedetti. During five consecutive years with the National Youth Orchestra, she performed in major venues including Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, collaborating with famous composers such as Gabriela Ortiz and Danny Elfman, premiering his original orchestral work Wunderkammer. An active chamber musician, Teagan has received full scholarships through Music Works and Beares. She has appeared on numerous BBC radio and television broadcasts and was recently featured on Scala Radio’s One to Watch with YolanDa Brown.

Teagan plays a bespoke Melvin Goldsmith Guarneri “del Gesù” model, generously loaned by the maker.

Jade Gall (flute) Sarah Dean (clarinet) Carol Galton (piano) The Torside Trio came together through a shared passion for chamber music. With two members based in Exeter and one in Tavistock, the trio spans both sides of Dartmoor – the inspiration behind their name. Featuring flute, clarinet, and piano, the ensemble draws on a wealth of musical experience to create performances that are both evocative and intimate. Jade Gall is a versatile UK-based multi-instrumentalist, saxophonist, and flautist, known for her rich tone and stylistic range across jazz, classical, and pop. She holds a BA (Hons) from Dartington College of Arts, a Master of Music from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and a Fellowship Diploma (FTCL) from Trinity College London. Jade performs across the UK and Europe, and has performed in the orchestra for the UK touring production of Matilda the Musical. She currently tours with DS:UK – A Tribute to Dire Straits. She has featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune with Superlocrian, and has appeared on major stages including Glastonbury and the Welsh Millennium Centre.

Sarah Dean is a clarinet and saxophone player with a wide-ranging career across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. A graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Sarah is Principal Clarinet of the Devon Philharmonic Orchestra and a member of the Mike Westbrook Uncommon Orchestra, with whom she has toured the UK (Ronnie Scott’s, Kings Place) and Italy (Teatro Rossini). An Associate of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sarah works with community groups, fostering engagement and accessibility through music. She is also an experienced educator, teaching individuals and coaching youth ensembles across the South West. Carol Galton has lived and worked in Devon for the past 35 years. She was born in South Africa where she completed a Masters in Philosophy before coming to the UK to continue as a postgraduate student. At the same time, she continued piano and cello studies, and received a teaching diploma from the Royal College of Music. She then spent 20 years as a primary schoolteacher in Exeter where in her role as music co-ordinator she was involved with children’s music making at all levels. She now teaches piano, accompanies instrumentalists and singers, and performs regularly. Carol also plays cello in the Devon Philharmonic Orchestra and enjoys vegetable-growing and playing chamber music with local musicians in her spare time.

Basil Bunelik (accordion) Lisa Rowe (voice/fiddle) Rupert McDonald (guitar) Basil Bunelik was born in the UK surrounded by music. His Ukrainian mother played piano and sang, and his father of Irish descent played harmonica, but it was not until the family moved to Ukraine for a couple of years that the 9-year-old boy was given the chance to have piano lessons with a gifted Armenian piano teacher. Inspired by his teacher and the mainly Russian and Ukrainian folk songs used for teaching, Basil made rapid progress until his return to the UK at age 11. Unfortunately, the family was not financially in a position to continue tuition, but when a teenage school friend with a piano showed him how to play Rock & Roll, soon enough Basil was in a band, enthused by the musical opportunities in 1960s London. He played in a soul band with the yet undiscovered Billy Ocean for a few years before realizing a Hammond organ was not the ideal instrument for his first love - folk music. Basil joined the Balalaika Russian dance group in London in the 1970s and played accordion with them, having taught himself how to play. He also played with the Society for International Folk Dance where he was introduced to music from several different cultures, which accounts for many of the tunes incorporated in this book World Music for Accordion Made Easy.

In the 1980s Basil moved to Devon where, employed by Dartington College of Arts, he was again surrounded by music of many cultures. During that time, he formed a band of music students to perform Eastern European folk music at arts centers and festivals throughout the UK. In the 1990s Basil formed a ceilidh band which performed English, Irish and Scottish folk music for weddings and festivals; during that time, he became a school teacher and realised how versatile an instrument the accordion is.

Lisa has been immersed in East European and Balkan music for over 25 years. Her love of this music began with hearing Hungarian singer Marta Sebastyen and Muzsikas, some of whose tunes she learned and took out busking onto the streets of Bath. Later, whilst living in London, she joined a group of fiddlers dedicated to learning Klezmer music; after returning to her home county of Devon she joined a Klezmer street band and dedicated herself to learning the repertoire. Lisa lived in Greece for a time during the 90’s – her time there has left her with a passion for all things Greek, including the wonderful music, dance and song. Lisa lives here in Chagford where she is a much-loved music teacher. Rupert McDonald graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA hons in Creative Music Technology, He now lives and teaches in Moreteonhampstead. Rupert plays in various bands, and creates online guitar tutorials. His particular loves are teaching electric blues, finger style acoustic guitar, and lap style slide. He’s been playing professionally for some 20 years, and teaching for 15, having delivered over 50,000 guitar lessons!

Ted Lunt (recorder) Belinda Gifford-Guy (soprano) Hannah Qian Yi Yap (piano) Ted Lunt says: "I am 13 years old and I go to Wells Cathedral School. I picked up a recorder for the first time in year 2 when I joined the recorder club. I carried on having a passion for it and so in year 4, I wanted to start having music lessons. I took recorder lessons with Sue Weir, she was an awesome teacher who taught me all the foundations I needed to know such as rhythm and metre. Then in year 6 I started having lessons with Annabel Knight and am fortunate enough to still have lessons with her. I love the recorder because I find it is more melodic than any other instrument. I love early music, but I also have a developing passion for jazz. In my spare time I enjoy playing pool and playing with my crazy boxer dog, Charlie. In the future, I hope to go to Birmingham Conservatoire so that I can become a recorder soloist.”

Belinda Gifford-Guy is 15, and on the specialist vocal programme at Wells Cathedral School, studying with Elizabeth Donovan. She has performed all over the country as a soloist and has recorded and performed for BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4, and BBC 1. She won BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2023 and has since gone on to win Taunton Junior Young Singer as well as being one of the four winners at the Two Moors Festival. She passed her ARSM level 4 diploma in singing with distinction and is now preparing for her LRSM diploma. When not singing, Belinda loves to play the piano, currently preparing for her ARSM diploma, as well as painting, sketching and indoor sky diving!

Hannah Qian Yi Yap began her musical training at the age of four in violin and piano, later adding vocal studies. By age ten, she had achieved ABRSM Grade 8 in both piano and violin with High Distinction, alongside Grade 8 Music Theory. In 2021, she was awarded a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School as a joint specialist in violin and piano, with voice as a second study. Since September 2024, she has been a Music Scholar at Millfield School, where she received the Musician of the Year 2025 award. Hannah holds ATCL Level 4 Diplomas and LTCL Level 6 Diplomas in violin and piano, all with Distinction. She has also achieved ABRSM Grade 8 Singing with Distinction and the AMusTCL Music Theory Diploma (2025). An active prizewinner, Hannah has been invited to perform at prestigious venues including the Mozarteum (Salzburg), Beethoven House (Bonn), Vienna, Carnegie Hall, and most recently the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore (2025). In 2025–2026, she achieved multiple major successes, including winning both the Violin Concerto and Piano Recital classes at the Mid-Somerset Festival, and performing a Mozart Piano Concerto with the Southern Sinfonia Orchestra following her success at the Taunton Young Musician Competition (2025). In 2026, she won the Bristol Rotary Young Musician Competition, progressing from heats to the final and advancing to the District, Cluster, and National rounds. She also won the EPTA UK Competition (Under 15), advancing to the Grand Final at Steinway & Sons Hall, London, and was awarded 2nd Prize (Violin) at the Taunton Young Musician Competition 2026.

Susan Legg (mezzo-soprano) Lisa Timbs (square piano) Annemarie Rhys-Jones (harp) ‘The Square Pianist’, Lisa Timbs, with Regency harpist Annemarie Rhys-Jones, and soprano will take you on a romp through the Austen music books to discover what this contemporary playlist tells us about Jane Austen. Lisa will share music and insights gained from years of studying Jane’s original manuscript books, and these rarely heard pieces will speak of patriotism and passion, highlight Jane’s love of nature and laughter, and provide clues in her novels that warn us about the rogues! For more details of their work, biographies and past performances please visit: https://thesquarepianist.co.uk

Katy Marchant (bagpipes, whistles) Steve Tyler (hurdy gurdy, cittern) Nick Wiseman-Ellis (diatonic button accordions) Woodwose was formed by Katy and Steve in 2012 as an offshoot of medieval/theatrical band Daughters of Elvin to play music for the French bal. After some changes the name now encompasses a variable lineup and includes medieval music and more, all with the core sound of bagpipes and hurdy gurdy. Steve Tyler is well known as a hurdy gurdy player, renowned for his rhythmic and inventive playing, and is equally at home with early music, traditional melodies or modern compositions. He has performed with such diverse artists as English folk singer Jackie Oates, German industrial/electronic musician F.M.Einheit and South African puppeteer John Roberts, and has played for theatrical productions (such as The Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), historical and traditional dances, and mixed media performances (An English Journey Reimagined, PlayStation Concert tour…). He is currently playing medieval music concerts with Marco Cannavò and accompanying a puppet version of Beowulf by Dave Oliver of Rattlebox Theatre. Katy Marchant is a player of bagpipes and recorders and was the founder, mask maker and director of Daughters of Elvin: Medieval Music and Dance Theatre Company, here in Chagford, which Steve joined in 2001. With Steve, Katy has performed throughout Britain, Ireland, Europe and Scandinavia. Most recent performances include Zona da Zanfona (Galicia), MIRA Art Gallery (Porto, Portugal) and Nuremburg Borduntagen (Germany). Nick Wiseman-Ellis studied music on the folk degree course at Newcastle University. He has performed for many years with accordionist Karen Tweed and played Irish music with Iontach. He has just returned to the UK after a decade living in Germany so hopes to play with Woodwose much more often.

Lola Frisby Williams (clarinet) Tara Spencer (violin) Elsa Chung (violin), Polly Almond (viola) Ola Kiezun (cello) Lola Frisby Williams is from Devon and first started playing the clarinet when her parents found one in a shed. She is currently in her final year reading Music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and has lessons with Christopher Richards at the Royal Academy of Music. She set up the Tarka Ensemble last year as a way to bring the high-quality chamber music she enjoys in Cambridge home to Devon. The group is made up of Tara Spencer (violin), Elsa Chung (violin), Polly Almond (viola) and Ola Kiezun (cello), some of Cambridge’s finest student instrumentalists. Many have been in the National Youth Orchestra and other leading national ensembles, and all play together in Cambridge University Orchestra. Expect a varied programme, with more traditional clarinet quintet works alongside ones you certainly won’t have heard before!

Elizabeth-Jane Baldry fell in love with the harp as a little girl whilst reading fairytales in which the harp had magical powers! Born in Hampshire, she studied music at Exeter University and harp at the Royal College, and has been freelancing as a professional harpist for thirty years. Her uniquely rich tone on the harp has graced many film and television soundtracks screened in over thirty countries including America, Canada, Iceland, Kenya, Iran, South Africa, Poland and Cyprus. She is the only specialist silent movie harpist in the UK, composing and performing live accompaniment to cinema screenings of early film. This exciting work takes her to film festivals around Europe and beyond.

Elizabeth-Jane’s compositions have been used by ITV, the BBC and by Irish, Japanese, Danish and Canadian film, radio and television. A particular favourite was a commission by the Army Benevolent Fund to compose a work for a special concert in Exeter Cathedral commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Her unique research into Victorian Fairy Harp Music has led to a CD with worldwide distribution, multiple radio and TV broadcasts, and a more than a few quirky gigs including the unveiling of the restored Elfin Oak Tree in Kensington Gardens by Prince Charles (now His Majesty the King). Elizabeth-Jane lives here in Chagford and is the artistic director for Chagford Summer Music series of lunchtime concerts.

David Harbottle and Freya Jonas (folk duo) "They come over like a cosmic, contemporary Fairport Convention” - Jude Rogers, The Guardian Partners in life and in music, dynamic Devon-based folk duo Harbottle & Jonas are one of the most exciting acts on the UK circuit today, combining a love of the richness of traditional folk with their own original and powerful songwriting. Dave and Freya have developed a distinct and compelling signature sound, blending concertina, harmonium, banjo, stomp box, acoustic guitar and cittern with their beautiful and closely intertwined vocal harmonies.

Subject matter covers the historical as well as the more personal, with their engaging live shows full of stories as well as beautiful songs. People, places and events are brought to life through their intimate, timeless music. Their sixth studio album The Beacon entered the top 25 of the Official UK Folk Chart, whilst Songs Of Love and Death (collaboration with Reg Meuross) achieved the same feat. Their video series Saving the Good Stuff has reached over a million people (and counting) on social media.

Louie North (drums) Sam Davies (piano) Asaph Tal (bass) The Spotlite Trio was originally formed for a residency at the JZ Club, Hangzhou, China in January 2025.  The group spent six weeks playing together nightly, and upon their return to London, decided to record live album at the famous Mildmay club. 'Live at the Mildmay' is their first album. It is a collection of standard songs, displaying spontaneous and communicative playing, all infused with unique sensitivity and swing. They have since been performing together in London and are delighted to embark on a summer tour of Devon. Louis grew up in Chagford where his parents still live. His father Sam is a writer, and his mother, Abigail is a ceramicist. His remarkable grandmother was a traditional Dartmoor sheep farmer and harpist.