Martin Simpson, Musician: “Phenomenal” Sidmouth Folk Festival: “Engaging and powerful, beautiful singing and playing”. GreenBelt Festival: "Wonderful, unique and really moving"
Standing ovations; full houses; tears and joy have been the Summer Festival responses to the stage version of the Grace Will Lead Me Home Folk Album of the year, which is touring the country this October – Black History Month.
Angeline Morrison, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne and Jon Bickley are joined by narrator John Palmer, who has written a script to enhance their songs of enslavement and salvation on the critically-acclaimed CD.
The show, which was performed at Sidmouth, Broadstairs, Penzance and Greenbelt Festivals this summer, explores the contrasting but intertwined story of two significant abolitionists, through their original writings, old songs and new ones written for the show.
John Newton was the captain of a slave trading ship who “saw the light” and became a preacher. He wrote many hymns, including Amazing Grace, and later became a prominent abolitionist, mentoring William Wilberforce.
Equiano was a kidnapped African slave, shipped to America. He bought his freedom, came to London where he was a vocal leader of the Sons of Africa abolition movement, which brought him into the same influential circles as Newton and William Wilberforce.
The tensions and contradictions in their stories, and how much or little we know about them both in 2025 has surprised, engaged and entertained audiences in equal measure.
Sarah McQuaid: Musician “A privilege to be in the audience. Go see it"
Sidmouth Folk Festival: “Engaging and powerful, beautiful singing and playing”.
Rachel Viney, Penzance Literary Festival: " Gripping. I was on the edge of my seat".
