We are thrilled to announce that we are back to our old home of Regent Street and our team are busy preparing a full and fun packed programme of music and events.
The theme for this year’s festival will be ‘Accessibility’. We’re focussing our efforts into creating an inclusive festival for all and will be incorporating lots of new ideas and activities into our programme as well as welcoming back some of our much loved events throughout the weekend. The ‘Festival Fringe’ will also be running in the week leading up to the festival itself, with lots of live music events happening.
The ‘Festival Fringe’ will be running in the weeks leading up to the Festival, including a Chapel Allerton Artists Trail, Electronica Fringe, Folk Roots Fringe, Jazz Fringe, Children’s Activities, Picnic in the Park, Library Events, and Cafe Run. The Festival culminates in the ‘Festival Weekend’ (2-4 September). The stage, bar, food, community stalls and children’s events are all back! We have an amazing eclectic line up of local bands and DJs to help us party into the evening. Sunday sees the return of the popular Jazz Sunday.
Chapel Allerton Arts Festival Celebrating 25 Years Folk Roots Fringe presents Leah McFall. Leah McFall from Northern Ireland wowed millions on The Voice BBC talent show which was watched on Saturday nights by an audience of over nine million people. Joining Team Will.i.am, she quickly became the star of the season. Will.i.am once quoted Leah as “An amazing singer. She’s a superstar. Seriously. I’ve never seen anybody like that in a very, very, very, very long time. She’s so freakin’ good. Unique good. She’s a potential Adele – her voice is phenomenal.”
The quirky Ulster popstar sings like a goddess of soul-pop, as well as her singles duetting with her former mentor DJ Will.i.am, and touring with the inimitable Jessie J, she has worked with top songwriters in LA like John Legend and Toby Gad, and performed at the Grammy’s on stage with some of her idols including Lady Gaga, Pink and Alicia Keys. Her vocal capability is simply massive. All this together gives us one huge amount of talent in a little five foot package that is very easy on the eye. But shortly afterwards Leah went from being a top 10 singer on a hit television show to being a product that people would fight over.
“I would be sat in meetings where my body type was discussed or my vocal ability. You were told not to take it personally, but it was very, very personal. It was me. In many ways, though, I don’t think I was prepared for how political the industry is. I was scared of letting myself and others down, but the other predominant fear was loneliness. I lived in a hotel room in LA by myself for the best part of a year.”
“In many ways, though, I don’t think I was prepared for how political the industry is. I suddenly went from being a singer on a show to being a product that people would fight over. I would be sat in meetings where my body type was discussed or my vocal ability. You were told not to take it personally, but it was very, very personal. It was you. I was scared of letting myself and others down, but the other predominant fear was loneliness. I lived in a hotel room in LA by myself for the best part of a year.”
So, despite the success of “Home”, the video for which has amassed over two million views on YouTube, Lisa’s debut album “Weird to Wonderful” was eventually shelved by the record label. Then came high-production videos and singles like ‘Happy Human’, ‘Bottle It’ and ‘Wolf Den’. She then explored a more experimental indie sound with the release of her mini-album INK, for which she completed a sold out five-city UK tour including London.
This vocal powerhouse from Belfast has really caught the attention of thousands of avid music lovers over the past years. From a massive landslide win at the Coca-Cola all Ireland music finals in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall with her powerful rendition of Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman; to winning the title of Best Vocal Talent at the ITS international talent showcase event in Paris. This bombshell has earned the right to be taken seriously as genuine talent. She has been recognized as a truly awesome singer/songwriter. Her vocal capability is simply massive. All this together gives us one huge amount of talent in a little five foot package that is very easy on the eye.
What a privilege it is to have Leah McFall perform at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival. A concert not to be missed! Buy your tickets to hear Leah McFall’s “phenomenal” voice at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival at: www.ticketsource.co.uk The support artist will be Astraluna who co wrote and toured the world with Corinne Bailey Rae.
The festival is a registered charity and is made possible through donations, grants and sponsorship. It does not receive any regular council funding. This year we are giving festival goers the opportunity to donate in advance. This helps us with costs leading up to the festival. Your donation gets you a festival wrist band and donation free access to the festival all weekend. Additional donations come with a range of unique festival rewards including drinks, art work, discount at local independent retailers, and a backstage tour.
Check out details of what is on and how to become a Festival Volunteer on the website www.chapelallerton.org.uk
