We are pleased to be able to present an exciting concert featuring the talented melodeon players: Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Katie Howson and Dave Grey; currently appearing as tutors as part of the Melodeons in Ribblesdale tuition weekend based in Settle, which is running from 24th to 26th April 2026.
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne
Described in The Living Tradition as ‘captivating, bold and striking’, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is at the forefront of his generation of English folk musicians as both a powerful and commanding singer and a masterful player of the Anglo concertina and melodeon.
Cohen’s music is rooted in the English folk tradition, celebrating the age-old musical heritage of this broad and diverse land. Traditional ballads, songs and tunes form the basis of Cohen’s material, but with a smattering of early music, ragtime, and music hall thrown in for good measure along with regular forays into the music of the Caribbean.
https://cohenbk.com/
Katie Howson
Katie Howson is best known as a driving force in a number of significant English ceilidh bands including the Old Hat Dance Band and PolkaWorks, playing melodeon and harmonica. She grew up in the East Anglian tradition, playing alongside legendary musicians such as Oscar Woods, Dolly Curtis and Billy Bennington, but all along has had a very eclectic wider repertoire stretching from south west Ireland to the south west states of America and north east England to north east Australia! In addition to band work, Katie also performs with various musical partners including Roger Digby and Martin Brinsford. While often thought of as a one-row player she actually plays mainly D/G, with a side-line on the C one-row. She has tutored at most of the main UK melodeon events and for many years also ran regular evening classes, although these days she has semi-retired from teaching. As well as being a musician and educator, Katie is also a researcher, historian and writer on various aspects of traditional music, song and dance, with several books and websites to her name. Together with her late husband John Howson, she founded and ran the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust from 2000 to 2017. In 2010, both were recipients of the EFDSS Gold Badge Award.
https://katiehowson.co.uk/
Dave Grey
Hailed the smiliest man in folk by Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe, Dave Gray is an enthusiastic and experienced melodeon player. He is also a highly skilled and committed educator – recently being appointed Artistic Director of Folkworks Adults Summer School at the Glasshouse, Gateshead.
A graduate of the Newcastle University Music Degree, Dave has returned as a tutor from Autumn 2022. In addition to regular private teaching, he continues his work as mentor for Ethno music camps, the international programme for young musicians playing folk, world and traditional music. He has taught for EFDSS, National Youth Folk Ensemble and also the Glasshouse Folkworks summer schools.
https://www.instagram.com/davegraymusician
Vicky Cooper
Vicky is relatively new to all things folk, but has played a variety of instruments in other genres for many years. She has previously taught at North East Playgroup, Derbyshire Playgroup, Whitby Folk Festival and Melodeons in Wensleydale, and is an active morris musician for Silkstone Greens North West Morris. She also co-hosts a Slow and Steady Session in her home town of Sheffield. Vicky primarily plays D/G and G/C melodeons, with a particular soft spot for European tunes, and would like nothing better than to encourage others to take up the melodeon in the hope they love it as much as she does!
Helena Painting
Helena is a keen advocate for adults beginning their musical journey, teaching Absolute Beginner melodeon workshops at melodeon events and folk festivals since 2018. Helena is a regular tutor at Melodeon Playgroup, and has taught at folk festivals including Towersey, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury and Chippenham, working solo and alongside Ed Rennie as part of their Squeezebox from Scratch project. A lover of folk dance and music, Helena runs supportive steady-speed sessions, with a particular focus on English tunes.
Tickets £18, under 18s free
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Most of our shows use ‘cabaret-style’ seating. This means that your seats will be unreserved, which allows you to decide where to sit when you arrive.
The stalls (downstairs) are set up informally, with chairs around small tables, for a sociable, relaxed atmosphere, and somewhere to put your drink. Cabaret seating also allows space for dancing, which is highly encouraged at Victoria Hall!
For those who prefer a more ‘traditional’ theatre experience, the balcony seats are laid out in rows and raked, ensuring all seats have an excellent view.
For parties of six or more, tables in the stalls can be reserved- contact us to reserve a table. If you have reserved a table, we ask that at least one of your party turn up at least 30 minutes before the performance start time, in order to secure your table.
We can always reserve seating or wheelchair spaces in the stalls for those unable to use the stairs- just let us know when you book your tickets.
Please note, online bookings are subject to a booking fee. Tickets can also be bought by phone on 01729 825718, or in person at our box office. Opening hours are 10am-2pm, Monday-Friday.
Show end times given are an estimate only. Doors open 45 minutes before show start times.
Settle Victoria Hall reserves the right to turn away any customers not adhering to social-distancing laws, government guidelines, and/ or venue safeguarding policies.
Tickets are non-refundable, except in the case that the event or date has been changed by Settle Victoria Hall.
Accessibility
We want to make sure that we are open and welcoming to all, and that everyone can access and enjoy Victoria Hall.
If you require a wheelchair space or have other accessibility needs, we recommend that you call us on 01729 825718 to book tickets, and we will find you the best seats for your requirements. If you’re unable to call during our opening hours, please email us before booking with any seating or accessibility requirements that you may have.
Please note, due to the age and size of our building, not all of our seats can be made accessible.We will always do everything in our power to help you access and enjoy our events, but we cannot guarantee to meet your needs unless we are made aware of any requirements at or before time of booking.
For more information, see our access page.
