A bit about our festival

We always hankered after the idea of bringing top-quality folk and world music to our Gloucestershire village.
 
The visit in 2014 of a band of lederhosen-clad musicians from Bavaria gave us the opportunity we'd been waiting for and the Rockhampton Folk Festival was born.  Now in 2018 we're celebrating our fifth festival.  It's been quite an adventure.

The festival has grown to have a loyal following of visitors who tell us they love the friendly relaxed atmosphere, the top-quality music and the local venue.  These are the things that make our festival special and that we don't ever plan to change.

It's really important to us that our festival contributes to the community in which we live.  Our growing outreach programme brings live music to young, old and disadvantaged groups who might otherwise not experience live performance.  

It's not for profit and we're proud that since 2014 the festival has donated thousands of pounds to charities and good causes locally and further afield.

​Do come and join the fun in June ! 

Chris & Nicki

Nicki Barnes

Nicki studied joint flute and piano at the Royal College of Music.  She went on to perform at the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Rooms and on Classic FM and with the London Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras. Nicki has a keen interest in folk music, has toured with a folk orchestra in South America, played Flamenco with Juan Martin and been a member of Irish band ‘Penradin’.  She is the artistic inspiration behind the Rockhampton Folk Festival. 

Chris White-Horne

The Rockhampton Folk Festival began in 2014 when Chris brought his Bavarian band on tour to the UK.  He is the "Let's Play Trombone" tutor with Thornbury Area Youth Music and has played bass trombone with big bands, orchestras and wind bands while living in Germany, USA and closer to home.  He is now musical director of the Thornbury Swing Band and started the Cotswold Edge Brass Festival.