Okehampton College Choir to join international performers for Chagford folk concert

Okehampton College Choir is set to share the stage with leading folk and classical performers at a special candlelit concert celebrating Celtic and Westcountry music at St Michael’s Church in Chagford next month.

The one-off event, titled Breath Upon The Flame, will take place at 7.30pm on Monday 16 March 2026 at Saint Michael the Archangel Church. The concert will feature the choir alongside Irish ensemble Dublin Brass, Eurovision Song Contest winner Eimear Quinn, and Devon-based folk artist Jim Causley.

Conductor Joanne Teixeira described the performance as a major opportunity for students. “This is a tremendous opportunity for local students who belong to Okehampton College Choir to perform at a very special candlelit concert in Chagford. It’s a rare privilege to share the stage with a renowned brass quintet, an international singer-songwriter and an international folk artist. It’s also been an exciting challenge to plan for the event and rehearse from a distance!” she said.

The church venue was chosen for its atmosphere and acoustics, helping to highlight the combination of brass, voices and traditional instruments.

Teixeira, Academic Director of Creative Arts at Okehampton College, added that the school prioritises providing broad musical experiences for pupils. “The Music department at Okehampton College has always sought to provide wide musical experiences that our young people may not encounter otherwise. Head of Music Mr Felix Mercer and I are looking forward to seeing our students share the stage with these international artists, a memory that will stay with the children forever.”

Will Palmer, founder and artistic director of Dublin Brass, said audiences could expect a distinctive musical evening. “We’re delighted to be performing together,” he said. “This concert is going to be a real treat; a chance for people to see the high standard of the local College’s Choir, to experience a rare combination of talent and to enjoy a candlelit evening of traditional Irish music specially reimagined for voice and brass.”

Dublin Brass includes members of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and leading freelance musicians from across Ireland. Additional performers on percussion, harp, violin and viola will join the ensemble, bringing traditional Irish sounds to the programme. The repertoire will include My Lagan Love, The Voice, and music from the Oscar-nominated film Room.

Singer and composer Eimear Quinn, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996 and has since toured internationally, said she is looking forward to the collaboration. “It is a true pleasure for me to sing with the Dublin Brass Ensemble,” she said. “Performing these beautiful folk songs in the unique context of traditional instruments and classical brass in the glorious setting of Saint Michael the Archangel’s Church – I'm in my element!”

Devon folk musician Jim Causley is an award-winning songwriter, singer and entertainer known for championing the musical traditions of his home county. Raised in a wassailing village near the Sidmouth Folk Festival, he sang with local choirs before studying Folk and Traditional Music at Newcastle University. In recent years, his work has included musical settings of poems by his relative Charles Causley, alongside original compositions and revived traditional songs from Devon.

The Chagford concert is one of three Breath Upon The Flame performances scheduled across south-west England this spring, each featuring a local choir. The others will be held at Bristol Cathedral on 14 March and Truro Cathedral on 17 March, Saint Patrick’s Day.

Tickets for the Chagford event are available via Eventbrite, with a limited-time offer of four tickets for the price of three.

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/breath-upon-the-flame-chagford-tickets-1976323919043?aff=oddtdtcreator