new year orchestra

New Year Orchestra
Worldwide Welshman's soundtrack to the end of civilization
OUT NOW!

To celebrate the start of the new decade, I returned to Folk Marathon which this year took place in one of my favourite cities, Ghent. To make it extra special, I put together a band over twenty musicians from all over Europe for the New Year's Eve slot.
We dream of a world without borders!

Watch: Beard & a Poncho live in Ghent..

We are delighted to announce the release of Worldwide Welshman's second album, New Year Orchestra, recored live in Belgium at the turn of the decade with the largest Worldwide Welshman band yet - an epic amalagamation of the Ghent & Tubingen lineups, the improvised string section, members of London's Flotsam collective, most of the Red Transit Van gang from last year's trip to Porto, and invited & uninvited-but-welcome stage invaders. CLICK HERE TO WATCH MORE VIDEOS FROM THE SHOW

I hope this will give you a little flavour of the amazing New Year's Eve party that the Folk Marathon Ghent team put together back at the dawn of the decade, in those innocent, pre-lockdown times when people from all around the world used to get together and hug each other, unknowingly spreading what turned out to be a deadly virus... and in the days just before the bizarre and somewhat unfortunate occurrence that lead to increased political separation between our Not-So-United Kingdom and our mainland partners.

Its a truly international affair, performed in Gent with a pan-European jam-band during an international folk festival, and produced in Germany by the patient and talented Max Christensen Music.

I hope you will find it both enertaining and relevant.

Enjoy!

Liam, 20/5/2020

Worldwide Welshman's New Year Orchestra are:
Liam Rickard - guitar & vocals
Jonas Malfliet – accordion
Cédric Avelon – bass
Joachim Thys – saxophone
Ana María Bautista – clarinet
Ray Riveros Valenzuela - trumpet
Bernahrd Vanecek - trombone
Antoon Kindekens – drums, (Perc. on Sofia & Boyfriend)
Jonas El Leuther – cowbell (drums on Sofia & Boyfriend)
Ammar Hanoon Alkhalidi – darbuka
Maya McCourt – cello, guest lead vocals
Mart Flecijn – violin
Angelika Hudler – violn
Lotte Remmen – violin
Lauren Spiceley – violin
Hannah Boer – percussion, backing vocals
Michael Ekeghasi – percussion, backing vocals
Moa Papillon – Mandolin, backing vocals
Mira Heller– flute, backing vocals
Jilly Lukkesen– backing vocals, guest lead vocals
Marek Matas– backing vocals
Sion Rickard – harmonica, backing vocals
Helen Scott – backing vocals & penny whistle
Linde Janssens – Backing vocals
Luna Ersahin – backing vocals
Yolanda Bautista Daza– backing vocals