Magic, Myth and Mystery in British Folk Music – Moonrakers

A group of four people, back left a lady with dark hair and a red dress stands smiling next to a harp, back right a white man with a hat on and a blue shirt stands smiling with a guitar over his shoulder, in front of him a lady in a black and white patterned dress sits with sunglasses on and to the left of her is a lady wit long dark hair and a navy and white spotted dress who sits smiling and holding a cello.

Illustrated by traditional and contemporary songs and tunes, Moonrakers examine the hidden world of myth and superstition in British folklore. Folk song has always been a powerful medium of transmission for these, allowing skilled storytellers and songwriters to weave the trials and tribulations of daily life into tales of wonder. Moonrakers’ repertoire includes devils, ghosts, witches, selkies, elves, fairies, and more.

This is a narrated show that takes the audience on a journey through the often weird and wonderful stories behind the music. It includes a quick dip into songs collected in the Folk Song Revival at the turn of the 20th century, some of which were already 500 years old.

About Moonrakers

Moonrakers (Celtic harp, cello, stringed instruments, whistles, female/male vocals), pride themselves on having brought traditional and contemporary folk music to new audiences in village halls, churches, arts centres and festivals across the UK. With songs and tunes from the English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish tradition as well as their own compositions, they’ve been described as “startlingly talented” (Oxford Times), with five albums of "exquisite music "(BBC) and "truly wonderful" (Wycombe Festival) performances. 2026 sees the launch of their latest album ‘I Am The Mountain’ which has received glowing reviews in the music press (“The real deal”, The Living Tradition; “Uplifting, sensitively crafted songs and tunes” FATEA magazine). Their music also featured in the BBC television drama ‘Beyond Paradise’. To see and hear more, go to www.moonrakers.net

Friday 17 August - Doors open 6.30pm performance 7pm – 9pm with a 30-minute interval at 7.45pm.

The performance will be in the Coach House at the Oxfordshire Museum. Seating will be available, but tickets are limited.

Tickets

Please follow the link for tickets: wegottickets.com/event/686116/

Address

The Oxfordshire Museum
Fletcher's House
Park Street
Woodstock
OX20 1SN

Dates

Friday 14 Aug 2026, 7pm-9pm

Price

£20

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