Emily Portman
Schedule
Sat Jun 13 2026 at 07:45 pm to 09:35 pm
UTC+01:00Location
The Courtyard, Edgar Street, HR4 9JR Hereford, United Kingdom | Hereford, EN
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Emily Portman is an award-winning singer and songwriter with a passion for traditional songs, hailed as ‘one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences’ (Uncut).She has toured widely for over 15 years as a band leader, with The Furrow Collective, in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron and with the UK Folk chart-topping album project ‘Sea Song Sessions’, featuring Jon Boden and Seth Lakeman. Emily was previously awarded a BBC Folk award for ‘Best Original Song’ and has released three critically acclaimed albums of original songs that recast old ballads and fairytales into new shapes.
Now, with Dominion of Spells, her first solo album in a decade set for release, 2026 promises to be an exciting year for the Glastonbury-raised and Sheffield-based singer.
Central to the album are themes of midlife metamorphosis and magic. Emily, who was raised in Glastonbury, has a lifelong fascination with folk stories and has been writing otherworldly songs since she was a child.
Her new album tells tales of women encountering challenges and transformations in midlife and embarking on quests to find wonder in a jaded age. Shape-shifting selkies and owl goddesses intertwine with relatable stories of female experience. The songs chronicle Emily’s own midlife experiences, with reflections on motherhood, burnout, the redemptive power of music…and shapeshifting into a werewolf!
The album debuts Emily’s dreamy piano accompaniments alongside rippling banjo-led songs, a perfect backdrop to Emily’s crystalline, disquieting vocals. A stellar cast of guests provides beautiful three-part harmonies, lush strings, and guitar accompaniment.
This vividly imagined and courageous album is Emily Portman at her finest.
‘Entrancing and unsettling. A marvellous, original work’ – Observer
‘A tribute to her powerful imagination’ – Living Tradition
‘Spooky and surreal’ – Guardian
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Where is it happening?
The Courtyard, Edgar Street, HR4 9JR Hereford, United Kingdom, 101 Edgar Street, Hereford, HR4 9JR, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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