How a chance encounter led to an ACE music gig in Newbury

A musician considered one of the mainstays of the English traditional music scene lives just across the county border in Oxfordshire.

That person is fiddler, singer songwriter and craftswoman Jackie Oates and she's coming to play ACE Space, a gig secured under fortuitous circumstances, as Stephen Ottner explains:

"Jackie turned up at ACE Space in the audience for their first post-lockdown gig with Emily Baker & Lukas Drinkwater. Having been spotted by the ACE Space team, Jackie was asked if she would consider performing at the St Nicholas' Road music venue. The answer was “yes” and the date of February 19 was agreed."

Jackie’s talent gained wider recognition as a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2003, and was one of the nominees for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Horizon Award in 2008, going on to win that award in 2009. In 2012 the Guardian called her “the new face of folk”. Although a compelling solo performer Jackie is most at home as a collaborator. She was a member of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset between 2003 and 2007 and a member of the folk 'super group' Imagined Village.

Other collaborations include Belinda O’Hooley, Megan Henwood and, most recently, with former Bellowhead founder John Spiers. Their album Needle Pin, Needle Pin was handmade, including production of the sleeves. The album includes songs from Jackie’s radio ballad Lace Tellings.

Jackie spent 18 months as Artist In Residence at Reading’s Museum Of Rural Arts. This encompassed educational sessions on agricultural work songs, songwriting workshops with PhD students, performing themed concerts, speaking at the annual EFDSS conference, and many hours in the museum’s library researching the seldom explored area of English waulking songs. Another Reading connection was collaboration with BBC Radio 3’s Fiona Talkington on an hour long piece for the Reading Fringe Festival, also including dancer/musician Hannah James and Norwegian percussionist/composer Thomas Strønen. Hannah James will be appearing at ACE space in March.

For Jackie Oates gig at ACE Space on Saturday, February 19, she will be joined by long time friend and collaborator Mike Cosgrave (accordion, guitar, whistle) from Devon. In support will be Malcom MacWatt whose recent debut album Settler has been receiving much critical acclaim.

Tickets are £14 and available from www.WeGotTicket.com and also direct on 078911 76940 or events@acespace.org.uk.