Chris While and Julie Matthews | |

Chris While (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer, bodhran and percussion) & Julie Matthews (vocals, piano, guitar, mandolin and bouzouki) are stunning singers, songwriters, musicians and performers whose energy and commitment to their craft and their audience is boundless.
With over 30 years of unrivaled musical partnership and gathering numerous nominations, awards and critical acclaim along the way, much beloved British singer-songwriters Chris While and Julie Matthews celebrated a quarter of a century last year as one of the best loved and most prolific female duos to come out of this country.
They have played more than 2,600 gigs, appeared on over 100 albums, written hundreds of original songs and reached millions of people around the world. They are also part of female super group, Daphne’s Flight (Helen Watson, Melanie Harrold & Miranda
Sykes) and Christmas band, St. Agnes Fountain with Fairport’s Chris Leslie. Now, 30 years after their debut, they sound as fresh and vital as ever. 2024 marked their 30th anniversary and saw the release of their 12 th studio album, ‘Days Like These’.
Though internationally acclaimed, they continue to be a leading force on the UK acoustic/roots arts circuit. Their songs cover life as they see it, from the industrial wastelands of the north, to injustice and freedom, matters of the heart and everything in between. Their songs are covered by many revered singers the world over but it is While & Matthews musical partnership and obvious joy of performing together that really brings their songs to life. As performers they are unrivaled and their audiences leave their concerts having been through an emotional journey.
Chris and Julie have been nominated ten times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk music awards in
the Best Song, Best Duo & Best Live Act categories and winning Best Duo in 2009 but it is their longstanding and devoted growing fans that they care about most.
Event FAQs
There is a very small public car park in front of the gates. The Eagle house private car park is off Castle Hill and you can access it by driving past the front of the hotel, towards the Castle gates and take a sharp left up the hill or via Castle Street. If the car park is full, there is another public car park at the top of Castle Street and also at Westgate Street multi storey which is just a short walk through the castle grounds.
If you have paid an annual subscription for Folk Club membership, you are a member. If you have not done this, you can purchase a General Admission, non-member, ticket. Folk Club membership can be purchased at events and then you will be charged a member price for your ticket. Your membership status will be checked at the ticket desk, via the member checklist.
