ENGLISH folk band Faustus will call in at Whitchurch’s Gill Nethercott Centre next month as part of their current tour.

Faustus is an established name in the folk scene made up of musicians Paul Sartin (Bellowhead, Belshazzar’s Feast), Benji Kirkpatrick (Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman Band) and Saul Rose (Waterson: Carthy, War Horse).

Following a two-year break due to Bellowhead and War Horse commitments, they have released a new album Broken Down Gentlemen (Navigator Records/distributed by Proper/produced by Stu Hanna).

Paul Sartin is a member of Bellowhead, as well as BBC Folk Award-nominated duo Belshazzar’s Feast, and the acclaimed stage show Made in the Great War. He is director of the Andover Museum Loft Singers, a music charity consultant, and a composer of note.

Author of the Bellowhead Songbook and The Last Post Songbooks Volumes 1 &2, he is currently engaged on a collection of choral arrangements of folk song for Faber Music. Scion of a noted folk dynasty, Benji Kirkpatrick is a key member of folk big band and BBC Award winners Bellowhead. Benji featured with the Seth Lakeman Band who shot to fame when Kitty Jay, featuring Benji, was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005.

Benji has also performed with numerous other artists including Oysterband, John Jones and Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span), and has also found time to release three solo albums.

Saul Rose was a long time member of Waterson:Carthy, winning two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards with Broken Ground and forming a duo with Eliza Carthy.

Recently, Saul has joined Whapweasel, played in Ruth Notman’s band, and re-launched his duo with hammered dulcimer player James Delarre. He has played on numerous albums as a guest, including Jackie Oates’ album Hyperboreans, Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy’s album The Gift and the soundtrack for the film Morris- A Life With Bells On.

He was nominated for the Musician of The Year award in the 2010 BBC Folk Awards and in 2011 took the part of Songman in the West End play War Horse. Saul was also more recently to be heard on the soundtrack for the 2015 film release Far From The Madding Crowd.

See Faustus in Whitchurch on Saturday, October 3. Tickets are available from 01256 896 270 or online at gillnethercottcentre.org.uk.

Faustus will also perform in New Greenham Arts Centre in Newbury on October 8. Find out more from 08455 218 218 or online at cornexchangenew.com.