Formed in September 2010, the award-winning Bookshop Band write and perform songs inspired by books, and have released 13 albums to date, collaborating with over 100 authors, including Philip Pullman, Louis de Bernieres and Margaret Atwood. This March this acclaimed duo are set to perform three live gigs in Dorset, as part of the spring season by rural arts charity Artsreach.
“Not just good, but achingly good.”
– The New York Times
Beth Porter and Ben Please, aka The Bookshop Band, have toured extensively around the UK, Europe, Canada and America, and are equally at home in a bookshop, an arts centre, in a folk club or on a festival stage. They have been commissioned by the BBC, The Victoria & Albert Museum, and by Aardman Animations to compose the music and songs for the Oscar and BAFTA Nominated musical Robin Robin, with the band picking up an Ivor Novello Award nomination for their score.
“It’s a modern-day Twinkle meets fairytale-land for adults. You’ll be smitten.” – BBC 6Music
Between them Beth and Ben bring a huge variety of books to life on stage with a multitude of instruments, including cello, harmonium, glockenspiel, guitars and ukuleles. Coupled with their distinct voices, The Bookshop Band create a cinematic sound that draws the audience in to a highly intimate performance, at once touching and mesmerizing, heart wrenching and funny. No previous knowledge of the books is required as the band guide the audience through the stories behind each song’s inspiration.
See The Bookshop Band playing live in Chetnole Village Hall (01935 873555) at 7:30pm on Friday 21 March, Burton Bradstock Village Hall (01308 897403) at 7:30pm on Saturday 22 March, and Studland Village Hall (01929 450587) at the earlier time of 4pm on Sunday 23 March. Tickets and further information are available online at artsreach.co.uk
