A DAY of folk music, dance and song will be held at the buzzing local hub Hoole Community Centre.

Organised by the people who run the Chester Folk Festival each May, the annual Folk Day at the centre in Westminster Road on Saturday, February 29, will bring together the best in local and national musicians.

Proceedings begin at midday with a chance for anyone who wishes to sing or play a tune in the music and song session.

This is followed in the afternoon by the main concert where the headline act is Sherburn Bartley Sanders. Chris Sherburn (concertina) and Denny Bartley (vocals and guitar) have been favourites in Chester for some years both as a duo and with their much-loved trio, Last Night’s Fun, delighting audiences with their soul-stirring songs, exhilarating tunes and quick-witted banter. Joining forces with Emily Sanders (fiddle/viola and vocals) in 2016 has allowed them to blend vocal harmonies and strings to underpin Chris and Denny’s unique sound.

Also appearing will be Virginia Kettle, familiar to many as joint lead singer with the very popular folk rock band Merry Hell. Virginia adds an essential dimension to the band, both vocally and creatively, having contributed some of their most distinctive and popular songs. With two solo albums under her belt, Virginia is already a well-respected singer-songwriter in her own right so this is a welcome and rare chance to see Virginia performing some of her own solo material.

Completing the concert line up will be The Time Bandits, a Chester-based folk band whose repertoire mixes Renaissance and early dance music with traditional folk tunes and songs, and The Love Music Trust Young Folk Ensemble, a group of talented young musicians from Cheshire, led by folk musician extraordinaire Claire ‘Fluff’ Smith.

The Time Bandits will turn themselves into The Time Bandits Ceilidh Band to provide some energetic, toe-tapping tunes to dance to, while Martyn Harvey, one of the best callers around, will be on hand to guide the dancers, whether beginner or expert, through the proceedings.

For the less energetically inclined there will be the alternative of an evening folk club, hosted by Nick Mitchell, offering another chance to see some of the afternoon’s guest artists with the addition of a set by the award-winning singer and guitarist Greg Russell.

Advance booking is advised through the Folk Festival website http://www.chesterfolk.org.uk/folkday.html