Dr. Ralph in Bath

Ralph StanleyRalph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys are scheduled to feature as the highlight act at the Bath (England) International Music Festival on Friday, May 29.

Stanley’s appearance at the Pavilion, Bath, during the five-day event will be accompanied by several other interesting bluegrass-related including the showing of the films That High Lonesome Sound, an historic music documentary of rural Appalachia, the remarkable three hour PBS film The Appalachians and the Coen Brothers comedy, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, with T-Bone Burnett’s bluegrass, gospel and country blues soundtrack.

Also appearing are storyteller, banjo player and singer Jerry Harmon; and Will Kaufman (accompanying himself on guitar, fiddle and banjo), who will talk about and perform the songs of Woody Guthrie.

The Festival has a fringe element that will feature the Handsome Family, a Chicago based husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks, who blend traditional country, bluegrass and murder ballads.

Details and booking arrangements can be found at the festival website.

Footnote: While in the UK, Ralph Stanley will make an appearance at the Barbican Hall, in London, May 27.

Other dates may be added in due course.

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About the Author

Richard Thompson

Richard F. Thompson is a long-standing free-lance writer specialising in bluegrass music topics. A two-time Editor of British Bluegrass News, he has been seriously interested in bluegrass music since about 1970. As well as contributing to that magazine, he has, in the past 30 plus years, had articles published by Country Music World, International Country Music News, Country Music People, Bluegrass Unlimited, MoonShiner (the Japanese bluegrass music journal) and Bluegrass Europe. He wrote the annotated series I'm On My Way Back To Old Kentucky, a daily memorial to Bill Monroe that culminated with an acknowledgement of what would have been his 100th birthday, on September 13, 2011.