BEWDLEY folk enthusiasts are invited to the opening night of an annual festival featuring an acclaimed duo.

The Bewdley Festival will open proceedings with a special performance by legendary folk artist Martin Carthy and his daughter Eliza, alongside some their musical friends, at the Festival Theatre in the Mercure Bewdley Heath Hotel on Friday October 11.

The duo will be performing their new musical work “East” for only the second time since its premier.

“East” is an new project, originally commissioned by Norfolk and Norwich Festival, featuring Martin and Eliza Carthy with long-time collaborators Duotone and Sheema Mukherjee (Imagined Village, Transglobal Underground), and dancer and choreographer Ewan Wardop (Matthew Bourne, Formby, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, The Bo Diddlers).

For over 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music's key figures, and is known for his ballad singing, and traditional acoustic and electric-guitarist playing, influencing folk artists around the world.

Eliza Carthy has been twice nominated for the Mercury Prize and is the winner of other accolades over a 20 year career.

She has performed and recorded with an array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth.

Tickets for the concert cost £20 and are available online at bewdleyfestival.org.uk or from St Georges Hall.