Their collective elan has a forceful presence unmatched in British folk. A faultless cavalcade 4 The Guardian
Turnstone is enthralling. Its a serious piece of work which will leave your head and critical conscience in a spin 5 Spiral Earth
"The kind of re-enchantment which only comes from top-class musicians with a deep understanding of their material. Simply remarkable" 5 R2 Magazine

We welcome back to the Priory in 2026,The Gigspanner Big Band, a unique force in British folk music...and now Finalists for the'Folk Album of the Year 2025'with their new album'Turnstone'

Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre

Beginning life as a trio - with legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack - the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.

While Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Spans classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today, John Spiers, has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the last two decades.

2025 has been a highlight year for the Band, marked by the release of their album Turnstone, which has been nominated for Folk Album of the Year 2025, and has featured in several Album of the Year lists

Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach.

A group of musicians intent on making some of the most important and exhilarating art ever to sit under the banner of folk music. Together producing a startlingly new musical form with few, if any, antecedents even within the hallowed worlds of prog and folk-rock. The flights of musical fancy are staggering in their natural invention.