The Black Feathers
On Friday, August 19, The Mainstay in Rock Hall presents The Black Feathers, an award-winning acoustic music duo from Gloucestershire in England. The perfectly paired voices of Sian Chandler and Ray Hughes intertwine effortlessly to create a genre-crossing sound, combining elements of folk, roots, and Americana. The show at the Mainstay is scheduled between their featured appearance at this year’s Philadelphia Folk Festival, and an appearance on the nationally syndicated World Café Live radio program.
The husband-and-wife team were married in 2012 at about the same time that they developed their unique sound and started playing major stages throughout Great Britain. This visit marks one of only a few tours they have made in the United States, where they have played some of the most venerable listening rooms in the country, including Club Passim, Caffe Lena, and a sold-out show at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
The two of them have been recognized for their seamless, partnered harmonies – a marriage that challenges the listener to identify which harmony part belongs to which partner. Their stage rapport recalls the special chemistry of other married musical performers such as Ian and Sylvia, Mimi and Ricard Farina, and more recently, the Civil Wars. Their original material is crafted by both modern and timeless inspirations, resulting in songs that have both a current and traditional quality about them.
This event is scheduled for the Mainstay’s new outdoor concert stage, weather permitting. Showtime is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door).
The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres. The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.
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