Local artist Kirsty Almeida plays two intimate festive shows at the Trades Club
Thursday, 16 December 2021
Now settled in Hebden Bridge singer/songwriter Kirsty Almeida is playing two very different festive shows at the Trades Club.
On Sunday 19 December, Kirsty and her band will be sharing from their Wintersongs album as well as lots of new songs and unexpected musical treats. Kirsty who has just been chosen for Manchester's Jazz Festival's artist development programme Hothouse will share some of her new material, and lots of her winter magical Christmassy songs in a very intimate and relaxed show.
Those who came last year to what is becoming an annual event can attest to it being a perfect warm up for Christmas full of deep love of the chilled beauty of Winter. As she prepares for the festive shows Kirsty is clear that living in the countryside around Hebden Bridge has really changed the way she approaches songwriting.
"It's so beautiful it's harder to be creative here as I feel so satisfied and at peace where I live so there's a completely different type of creativity than living in a city," says Kirsty.
"When you live in the city you create to survive, and you're surrounded by other artists who are creating to survive because that environment is so intense, whereas here I create in a completely different way. My writing is more in batches as when I lived in Manchester I was writing all the time, but in a quite prolific way that was fairly exhausting for me and everyone around me. I was really creative in a chaotic way but here it's way more thought out."
The second event, On A Winter's Night, is the first in a series of songwriter's nights curated by Kirsty where anyone can bring their instruments and play round the musician's table. There's also a chance on Tuesday 28 December to enjoy Kirsty's songs as well as hearing from other musicians.
Each of the 'On A Winter's Night' concerts will feature a songwriter picked from around the huge amount of talent from across the North of England, and any artist interested in performing can contact Kirsty via the Trades Club.
Kirsty's new home has also meant she is creating new work directly inspired by her surroundings.
"I am writing songs around Hardcastle Craggs and the river. That feels like I want it to be a body of work rather than I went to the forest and here is another random song I have written, so it has a narrative. I live directly above the Craggs, and I know the forest inside out, so every time I go to the forest for a walk I come back with a new melody."
Booking
To book tickets go to www.thetradesclub.com.
Kirsty is also running a songwriting weekend in the Lake District in February 2022 and details can be found via www.kirstyalmeida.co.uk