VOCAL and instrumental trio, Kerr Fagan Harbron, are kicking off the St Albans Folk at the Festival weekend next Friday, June 26. Long-established duo Nancy Kerr and James Fagan joined forces with multi-instrumentalist and composer Robert Harbron in a new

VOCAL and instrumental trio, Kerr Fagan Harbron, are kicking off the St Albans Folk at the Festival weekend next Friday, June 26.

Long-established duo Nancy Kerr and James Fagan joined forces with multi-instrumentalist and composer Robert Harbron in a new super-trio in 2007.

Both their debut CD Station House and live performances have won them considerable acclaim for their fresh take on traditional material alongside new writing.

As a duo, fiddle and viola player Nancy Kerr and guitar-bouzouki player James Fagan won the BBC Radio Two Folk Award 2003. The couple, who both sing and write, divide their time between England and James' native Australia where they tour both as a duo and with members of James' family band The Fagans.

Robert Harbron is considered to be the finest concertina player of his generation and is much in demand both as a soloist and in his many partnerships with other musicians.

James and Nancy are visiting St Albans for the second time this year - in April they were two of the judges in the New Roots competition for young musicians. From the finalists they chose Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell to perform as support to them in the concert. Jonny sings, plays guitar and piano and performs his own material while Lucy sings and plays fiddle, viola and occasionally the saw.

The concert is being held at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. Tickets are �12 with concessions �10 and they can be obtained from the festival box office on 01727 844488 or on line at www.abbeytheatre2. org.uk or 01727 857861.