Hazel & Emily Askew

Emily and Hazel Askew were regular guests at the Music Institute until the pandemic and their separate musical careers broke the cycle. We are therefore delighted to welcome them back at the club after far too long a break.

The sisters are widely recognised as two of the foremost performers and interpreters of traditional music from England. Their live performances brim with the depth and connection not only of two sisters, but also of two musicians who have been immersed in folk music all their lives. Together, they rework and reinterpret songs and balladry, creating breath-taking arrangements, which allow words that are hundreds of years old to resonate profoundly with contemporary audiences.

Alongside this, both women are also skilled multi-instrumentalists and expert players of dance music, using fiddles, melodeons, concertina and cello in their innate drive to bring old dance music to life.