A special evening of live music is set to take place in celebration of a much-loved acoustic night.
Final rehearsals are underway for the second birthday event of The Blue Lantern Sessions at Storyhouse in Chester on Tuesday, September 15.
The monthly acoustic sessions are curated by Wrexham band Igloo Hearts—husband and wife duo Katie and James McGregor—who have appeared on Channel 4’s The Piano and S4C’s Y Llais (The Voice Wales).
The sessions began in September 2024 in collaboration with Storyhouse and are inspired by the Blue Lantern Open Mic nights where the couple first met.
To mark the anniversary, a live music showcase will take place in the Garret Theatre at Storyhouse, featuring guest performances from Welsh singer-songwriter Georgia Ruth, a Welsh Music Prize winner who has collaborated with the Manic Street Preachers.
Also performing will be Panedeni, a cross-cultural ensemble led by Yasmine Latkowski.
Katie and James McGregor said: "When we founded The Blue Lantern Sessions in 2024, we wanted to create something a little different from a traditional gig. As touring musicians ourselves, we had encountered countless incredible artists on our musical travels and wanted to create opportunities for them to perform in a setting where the audience could experience their music at its most intimate. Our aim was to create a Jools Holland-style setting, where audiences are close to the performers and the atmosphere feels almost like artists are playing in your living room. For us, that is what live music is ultimately about: connection, emotion and feeling part of something."
The monthly sessions have attracted a strong following and a roster of respected artists, including Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers), BBC Radio 2 Folk Show presenter Mark Radcliffe’s band Radco, Boo Hewerdine, and Ian Prowse.
Georgia Ruth’s debut album Week of Pines won the Welsh Music Prize in 2013, and her most recent release is her fourth studio album, Cool Head.
Panedeni, based in North Wales, blend Arabic and Welsh music to create a folk-fusion sound, performing in four languages and incorporating belly dance rhythms and Welsh border pipes.
The couple added: "Over the past two years, the audiences have continued to grow as word has spread about these special monthly nights.
"They are a coming together of musicians and music lovers, with conversations, stories, laughter and shared musical experiences all forming part of the evening."
Tickets and further details are available at www.storyhouse.com.
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