Music preview: Bella Gaffney autumn tour

The shows sound like they will be popular gigs from the local artist, about whom folk broadcasting legend Mike Harding said: “A fine young singer songwriter from Yorkshire, Bella Gaffney, saw her in concert and really liked what I saw.

“Bella is also a really fine guitarist, great technique, a lot of percussion, a lot of tunings, she really knows her way around the instrument.”

The gig will showcase the tracks from Gaffney’s new album, about which Folkwords Tim Carroll enthused: “Just sometimes there’s that moment when an album opens that you know you’re compelled to listen at the expense of anything else. Everything about it is supremely attractive ... the music, the voice, the arrangements, the songs ... all combine to hold you. It’s happened before, it will happen again ... the latest encounter is ‘Heaven Knows’ from Bella Gaffney.”

Gaffney’s home town launch of the album, released on Folkstock Records, took place at at Black Dyke Mills, Bradford on Saturday.

Folk and acoustic singer Bella Gaffney writes folk inspired songs which she performs along with her own original arrangements of traditional pieces. She started her acoustic music career several years ago at the Topic Folk Club. In January 2016 she won a prestigious Danny Kyle award at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

“There’s a wealth of creativity within the embrace of ‘Heaven Knows’ ... a freshness that makes the difference and sets it apart from ‘the rest’,” adds Tim Carroll.

Bella Gaffney plays at York Music for Refugees at the Basement, City Screen on September 13, Crookes Folk Club, Sheffield, with Bric-a-Brac, on September 14, Saltaire Community Festival on September 17 and Ingleton folk festival on September 30. www.bellagaffney.co.uk