Soundpost was born in 2011 by folk artists Fay Hield, Sam Sweeney, Andy Bell and Jon Boden to bring music, song and dance into people's lives through participation and performance. Soundpost has evolved over the years to become a flourishing Folk Arts organisation, running popular intensive weekends away, day-long workshops and study days, schools projects and our weekly Folk Factory. At the heart of all our events remains a commitment to develop practical skills with thinking attached whilst firmly recognising the value of entertainment.

resident artists

Nicola Beazley

Nicola Beazley is the founder of the Folk Factory, leading the children and adult groups in Dungworth and now the new group at Carfield. She is a Sheffield based folk musician known for her work as one part of the award-winning English duo with Alex Cumming. Nicola is a regular performer at folk clubs, ceilidh events and festivals across the country, and in America and Canada. Nicola also performs as part of The Rosie Hood Band, notable performing for her debut album launch, including a live session on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. 

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Robyn Wallace

Robyn Wallace is a Sheffield-based melodeon player and percussionist, originally from Rochdale. Along with Nicola, they teach the Folk Factory Junior and Youth groups, in addition to running the sessions at Carfield Primary School. They are known for their performances with The Rosie Hood Band and the Bellamira Ceilidh Band, drawing influences from performing in brass bands as a child, as well as the playing of leading English box-players. However, Robyn is perhaps better known as a dancer, having taught and danced clog since the age of 12 and (more recently) rapper sword dancing with teams across the country.

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Rosie Hodgson

Rosie Hodgson is our singing tutor for Forge & Fledge. With a voice that brings “a ruby-richness to lyrics new and old" (Folk Radio UK), it’s no surprise that Rosie has been a finalist for the BBC Young Folk Award. Aside from her solo album Rise Aurora, she was the singer in London-Irish supergroup Crossharbour, and now records & tours with her award-winning folk trio, The Wilderness Yet. Rosie’s own songs are heavily influenced by the English tradition and her love of literature and the environment.

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Rosie Butler-Hall

Rosie Butler-Hall is the tutor for both our Adult Folk Factory as well as the instrumental side of Forge & Fledge. She has a wealth of experience as a performer, appearing at festivals across the UK with The Rosie Hood Band. She is also part of The English Fiddle Ensemble, a four piece quartet of fiddle players bringing joyus harmonies and striking rhythms to traditional English Tunes. She is an experienced tutor, also having worked at Halsway Manor with The Halsway Young Folk, and at the English Fiddle Weekend.

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Cathy Bennett

Cathy Bennett is a Cornish singer and viola player based in Sheffield and leads Folk Factory Voices as well as helping out at Folk Factory junior and youth instruments. She teaches music all over Sheffield in various guises and is a tutor at Sheffield Music Hub. Before moving to Sheffield, Cathy was a member of the band Black-Eyed Nancy who played all over Cornwall and at interceltic festivals in Brittany and Ireland. More recently, Cathy has performed as a soloist at English folk festivals and is one third of Arbrevyn, a close harmony vocal trio. 

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Fay Hield (director)

As an award-winning folk singer, Fay Hield has toured and recorded with the biggest names in folk music, both as the founder of supergroup The Full English, as well as her own band The Hurricane Party. With albums released by the prestigious folk label Topic Records, she has won many accolades as well as a nomination for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. 
           Fay is also a Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield, running Access Folk to lead research around increasing and diversifying participation in folk singing.

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Rowan Piggott (publicist / designer)

Rowan is the communications officer and current designer for Soundpost. He is involved in traditional music as a teacher, tunebook author, recording / mix engineer, and professional performer with folk trio, The Wilderness Yet, and oldtime duo, Old Spot. In his spare time, he runs Scribe Records and is currently studying for an MA in Traditional Music at the University of Sheffield.

the board

Fay Hield

Jenna Walker

John Shorter

Nicola Beazley

Stephanie Pitts