A BRAND-new music festival is coming to Crediton this spring, promising three weeks of incredible live performances in venues across the town.

Crediton Arts Centre and the Crediton Heart Project present the Spring Awakening Music Festival, running from Thursday, March 13 to Sunday, April 6, bringing together a diverse mix of rock, folk, jazz, classical, opera, bluegrass and more.

This exciting new festival aims to celebrate the town’s vibrant musical talent while welcoming outstanding artists from across the UK and beyond.

Highlights include:

Blackheart Orchestra will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on March 15.
Blackheart Orchestra will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on March 15. (The Blackheart Orchestra)

Ashley Hutchings and Blair Dunlop will appear in Crediton Parish Church on March 29.
Ashley Hutchings and Blair Dunlop will appear in Crediton Parish Church on March 29. (Ashley Hutchings and Blair Dunlop)

• Friday, March 14 – Lady Maisery (Holy Cross Church, Crediton)

• Saturday, March 15 – Blackheart Orchestra (Crediton Arts Centre)

• Friday, March 21 – Acoustic by Candlelight (St Lawrence Chapel)

• Saturday, March 22 – Crediton Youth Orchestra Rising Stars (Congregational Church)

• Thursday, March 27 – Exeter Opera Company – Orfeo ed Euridice (Crediton Arts Centre)

• Friday, March 28 – Four Choirs Concert (Crediton Methodist Church)

• Saturday, March 29 – Ashley Hutchings and Blair Dunlop (Holy Cross Church)

• Sunday, March 30 – Xogara / The Owl Light Trio (Crediton Arts Centre)

• Friday, April 4 – Eduardo Martin and Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas (Crediton Arts Centre)

• Sunday, April 6 – Revival: The Music of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (Crediton Arts Centre).

Owl Light Trio by Ian Wallman
The Owl Light Trio will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on March 30. (Ian Wallman)

Tickets are available from: www.ticketsource.co.uk/creditonartscentre

Beyond the main concerts, music lovers can enjoy music workshops, scratch performances, busking and open-air gigs, creating a festival atmosphere throughout Crediton.

The festival kicks off with an exciting launch event on Thursday, March 13 at 7pm at Crediton Arts Centre.

The evening will feature a special screening of the Coen Brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”.

Tickets are £5, and a bar will be open throughout the evening.

Xogara Galicia will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on March 30.
Xogara Galicia will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on March 30. (Xogara Galicia)

The festival continues on Friday, March 14 with a stunning performance by Lady Maisery, a trio of multi-award-winning artists - Hannah James, Rowan Rheingans, and Hazel Askew - whose music offers a powerful blend of tradition and innovation.

Known for their mesmerising harmonies and storytelling, they bring tales of sisterhood, resilience, and the joy of song to life.

Their collaboration has been widely praised, with The Guardian calling them “exquisite and thrilling” and Folk Radio UK celebrating their “freshest possible take on traditional music.”

Their fifth studio album, Tender (2022), received high acclaim for its exploration of vulnerability and strength, described as “both nurturing and raw, a sensitive response to the times we are living in” (Daily Info).

Expect an evening of spellbinding music and a heartfelt celebration of folk traditions all in the magnificent setting of the Holy Cross Church, Crediton.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on April 6.
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will appear at Crediton Arts Centre on April 6. (Gillian Welch and David Rawlings)

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this exciting new chapter in Crediton’s cultural life.

Explore the full programme in the Spring Awakening brochure or visit the Crediton Arts Centre website at: www.creditonartscentre.org .