ONE of England's finest folk musicians, Kathryn Tickell, brings her award-winning band to Dorset on Friday, November 11 for the first of two south coast gigs.

Northumbrian pipe and fiddle player Tickell - Musician of the Year in the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards - plays the Ferndown Community Centre on Friday and the Turner Sims Concert Hall in Southampton the following night.

Internationally-renowned for her instrumental virtuosity, composition and arrangements, she plays in the Northumbrian tradition with compelling rhythm, melodic precision and flawless technique. Her style is immediately recognisable and adapts easily into improvisation.

Touring globally, she has reached a wide audience through countless TV appearances and collaborations with jazz musicians like John Surman and Andy Sheppard, pop icon Sting and the famous Chieftains.

Tickell has recorded 10 albums to date, including The Gathering and Ensemble Mystical - both ground-breaking adventures in traditional music, which have received both critical and popular acclaim.

The evening at Ferndown begins at 8pm with a support set from Four Hand Reel - an exquisite duo playing traditional tunes from across Europe.

Telephone 01202 707498 or Community Centre Box Office on 01202 894858.