A STANDOUT performer who has won more folk awards than any other musician will open Lyme Folk Weekend.

Bellowhead front man Jon Boden's solo show can be heard at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis on Friday, August 30, with support from acclaimed duo the Askew Sisters.

Jon has won 11 Radio 2 folk awards, more than any other musician, and has become the standout performer of his generation of traditional folk artists, but one whose repertoire extends far beyond the boundaries of the genre.

He brought the curtain down on the very first Lyme Folk Weekend in spectacular style in 2013 alongside fellow Bellowhead member John Spiers, and returns this summer as a critically acclaimed solo artist.

Presenting the self-penned songs of the albums Painted Lady, Songs From The Floodplain and latest album Afterglow, material from Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden and his A Folk Song A Day project, his critically acclaimed solo shows have created yet another chapter in his history as one of the foremost names in English folk music.

He will open the annual folk festival, along with the Askew Sisters, Emily and Hazel.

The sisters rework and reinterpret songs and balladry, creating breath-taking arrangements, which allow words that are hundreds of years old to resonate profoundly with contemporary audiences. Both women are also skilled multi-instrumentalists and expert players of dance music, using fiddles, melodeons, concertina and cello in their innate drive to bring old dance music to life.

Their live performances brim with the depth and connection not only of two sisters, but also of two musicians who have been immersed in folk music all their lives.

Tickets for Jon Boden and The Askew Sisters at the Marine Theatre are on sale now, along with tickets for the other headline shows at Lyme Folk Weekend, Ninebarrow & Friends (Saturday August 31) and Sam Sweeney (Sunday September 1).

They are available from the Lyme Folk Weekend website or from Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre on 01297 442138.