Sam Sweeney & Grace Smith

Sam Sweeney and Grace Smith are two of the most exciting and sought-after fiddle players on the English folk scene today.

Deeply rooted in tradition yet constantly pushing musical boundaries, they bring together a shared passion for reimagining archive material, championing new compositions, and creating music that is both authentic and forward-looking.

Sam Sweeney – “one of the defining English fiddle players of his generation” (Mark Radcliffe) – is a multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner, a founding member of Leveret, former artistic director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, and a veteran of the iconic Bellowhead. His solo work, including the acclaimed Made In The Great War, has cemented his reputation as “Britain’s Premier Fiddler” (Songlines). With a career spanning collaborations with The Full English, Eliza Carthy, Fay Hield, Jon Boden, and more, Sam’s influence on the English folk revival is profound.

Grace Smith is a compelling fiddle and viola player whose distinctive sound draws from English tradition while embracing innovation. With her trio – featuring Sam Partridge and Bevan Morris – she released the acclaimed album Overleaf in 2023, hailed by Klof Mag as “the exciting future of instrumental folk music.” Grace also performs with French dance band Cri du Canard and Katie Doherty & the Navigators. A passionate educator, she is the 2025 Musical Director of the Folkworks Summer School and teaches regularly for the National Youth Folk Ensemble, Newcastle University, and Halsway Manor.

Together, Sam and Grace form a dynamic musical partnership, offering audiences an intricate blend of tradition and creativity, shaped by deep expertise, mutual respect, and an infectious love for English traditional music.