FOUR folk acts will be heading to Cookley for the village hall’s first season of professional concerts.

Cookley Village Hall, in association with arts organisation Live and Local, will be hosting the events.

Volunteer Diane Snelling said: “We wanted to try something new at our venue. It is the ideal place for shows and concerts, with a wonderful main hall and stage.

“We want to bring in more people to our hall and when Live and Local contacted us, we thought this was a great opportunity to put on a different type of entertainment.

The April Verch Band will be performing on Sunday, October 13 and promises to be a lively night of fiery fiddling, electric step dancing and sweet singing.

Canadian fiddler April Verch has recently released her ninth album Bright Like Gold and will be performing with bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters and guitarist Hayes Griffin.

Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies will offer an upbeat night of humour and song from award-winning songwriter Jez and his Celtic-style band on Wednesday November 13.

Ashley Hutchings, formerly of Fairport Convention and The Albion Band, will team up with his son Blair Dunlop for an night of music on Sunday January 26 next year.

James Hickman and Dan Cassidy bring British and American folk together. James’ emotive, soaring vocals and driving guitar is complemented by Cassidy’s ingenious and virtuosic fiddling on Wednesday March 5 next year.

For more information visit cookleyvillagehall.co.uk/forthcoming-events