Lee Bardsley and Friends

Lee Bardsley and Friends play the Friargate Theatre on Saturday 21 November, a night of music with Bardsley at the centre and a small group of musicians around him. The set runs from 7:30pm to 10:15pm, so it's a proper evening's worth of music rather than a quick turn.

Bardsley is a singer-songwriter who writes on themes of family, longing and adventure, and the songs are built around wistful, harmonious melodies. He describes himself as a dreamer of poetic melodies who finds inspiration in the everyday and lifts it to the sublime through his voice. The songs he brings to the night are the ones he's written around those things — family, longing and adventure — and they're the core of the evening.

He's not on his own, though. The 'Friends' part of the name comes from the musicians who join him on stage: India Shan on violin, Paul Higham on guitar and vocals, and Raddon Stephenson on accordion, piano and vocals. Together they're a musical collective that grew out of years of shared pints, idle chat and creative exploration among a group of good friends, who have sculpted a distinct sound into songs woven with those same wistful, harmonious melodies. It's a line-up that brings together violin, guitar, accordion and piano, with Bardsley's voice leading the way.

The show is recommended for ages 13 and over. It runs from 7:30pm to 10:15pm at the Friargate Theatre on Lower Friargate, York, YO1 9SL.