📅 Saturday 1st December 2025*
🕗 7.30pm
📍Tickets from £15 or included in your subscription
Known to many as ‘The Aggies’ or ‘The Christmas Band’, St. Agnes Fountain will stream live on 1 December 2025 on Folkscape.Live. The concert, organised by https://www.blackswanfolkclub.org.uk/, will be broadcast from the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM), York, bringing festive folk magic into homes everywhere. You will hear both new studio songs and cherished Christmas classics, and St. Agnes Fountain will remind us all that Christmas begins with them, expect carols enriched with fresh surprises.
Formed in 2001 around David Hughes, Chris Leslie and the duo Chris While & Julie Matthews, the band established a reputation for blending musical creativity, warm humour and seasonal spirit into every performance. After David’s departure in 2020 and his unfortunate passing in 2023, Chris, Chris and Julie continue the legacy as a trio, honouring over two decades of December tradition in an evolved digital format.
While their albums have underscored the lighting of thousands of Christmas trees across Britain and beyond, it is their live performances that truly resonate with audiences. In this special livestream event they will present a concert that fuses brand new material, beloved Aggie favourites and heartfelt tributes to David.
Lineup & instrumentation
Chris While: vocals, guitar, bodhrán, dulcimer, banjo, darbuka, percussion
Julie Matthews: vocals, piano, guitar, accordion, gazouki
Chris Leslie: fiddle, mandolin, tenor guitar, bouzouki, ukulele, banjo, whistle, native flute and more
Chris While and Julie Matthews have earned multiple BBC Folk Awards nominations in categories such as Best Song, Best Duo and Best Live Act, and they won Best Duo in 2009. Their musical partnership remains as strong and inspired as ever. Chris Leslie, celebrated for his work with Fairport Convention and many folk collaborations, continues to rank among the most versatile instrumentalists in the folk scene.
This event promises to be a warm, joyous evening of festive folk, bringing hearts together no matter where you are.
In Person Tickets
In-person tickets are still available, so if you’d rather be there live than just watching online, now’s the time to grab one. We’re pleased to present St Agnes Fountain at NCEM, in partnership with Black Swan Folk Club as the promoter.