Leading local performers will be joined by guests with a national reputation at the St Albans Folk Festival next Saturday, June 21.

Finalists from the New Roots event for young musicians and singers will also be appearing during a day of free live music in the Old Town Hall and a Day of Dance in the city centre.

It will be followed by a festival concert at 7.30pm featuring Jim Moray, a top name on the folk scene, and Haddo, a duo with a growing reputation.

Jim Moray’s approach to folk music has been ground-breaking since his debut album Sweet England in 2003, which won a BBC Folk award. He deploys beatboxes and melodeons, electric guitars and thumb pianos, mandolins and rappers.

Haddo are an instrumental duo, Will Pound and his wife Nicky. Combining melodeon harmonies with the viola, they have an individual take on popular traditional songs and tunes as well as performing self-penned compositions

Support for the concert will come from Emma Scarr, winner of Watford Folk Club’s song writing competition, and New Roots 2014 finalists, Speldosa, who met at university in Newcastle.

The day of free live music in St Albans Old Town Hall Music will run from 10am to 6.30pm with showcase performances in the court room, by a variety of folk artists. The Ver Players, a local ukulele club, will be giving a performance in the Assembly Room, followed by a workshop.

There will be opportunities to participate in singarounds in the cells and informal sessions of Irish and English and old timey Music in the nearby White Swan in Dagnall Street.

The Day of Dance will start at 10.15am in the Civic Centre and will be followed by dancing outside the Clock Tower, in Christopher Place and at the West front of the Abbey. The day will end with dancing at 4.30pm at the White Hart.

Tickets for the festival concert cost £14, £8 student concessions, and are available from St Albans Tourist and Information Centre, 01727 864511, online at www.allaboutstalbans.com or on the door.