FOLKROOM PRESENTS: Rachel Newton

“Haunting and compelling”- The Guardian

“A beauty” – Observer

Singer, harpist and composer Rachel Newton draws on poems, ballads and stories that are hundreds of years old, working them into her contemporary compositional style to create a rich sound that is ambitious, original and unique. Rachel has performed and created work across a wide range of disciplines, including theatre, dance, storytelling and visual art.

In addition to her solo work, Rachel is a skilled collaborator and has toured internationally with various bands and projects, including, most recently, the Lost Words: Spell Songs. Together with long-time friend and colleague Lauren MacColl, she co-produces Heal & Harrow, a multi-disciplinary project based on the Scottish Witch Trials.

Rachel was named Musician of the Year at both the Scots Trad Music Awards and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Her albums To The Awe and Here’s My Heart Come Take It were shortlisted as one of Scotland’s top 10 outstanding albums in the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. She was awarded a PRS Composer of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards alongside Heal & Harrow collaborator Lauren MacColl and a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) for Best Music and Sound for her work with the Rowantree Theatre Company.

Support comes from Catch the Sparrow, the project of Dutch musician Suze Terwisscha van Scheltinga. Brought to the UK by her love for folk music, she has become a vital part of both the Newcastle and London folk scene. Her 2025 album, No Sweeter Sorrow, is a rich and evocative folk album that also finds time to remind us of Fiona Apple, Anais Mitchell and Alanis Morissette.