Daniel Brauchli & Kate Case

Daniel learned many instruments as a kid on a homestead in Alaska and started touring with Australian singer Colin Smith when he was 17. He played with many bands over 30 years and then settled in Tasmania, where the climate isn’t too humid for guitar making. He now lives in West Launceston, making guitars, lap steel guitars, mandolins and an instrument of his own design, the Talamar. An astonishing guitar player and compelling singer/ songwriter, he will be doing original songs and traditional pieces with harmonies by Kate Case (‘The Fence Pickets’).

Dolly Putin

The outrageous diva of sleaze, Dolly Putin, MC-ing the Refugees' Benefit Cabaret on Sunday night has become one of Cygnet Festival's unique trademarks.
In 2006, Dolly starred in a Melbourne Comedy Festival sell-out show with Senator Bob Brown, and they performed 'Me & Mr Brown' twice last Festival. This year at the Melbourne Comedy Festival Dolly took on renowned ethicist, Dr Peter Singer, challenging some of his views about humane farming and vegetarianism with unassailable ignorance and conversation stopping mis-information. She should have no trouble confounding the Cabaret audience and performers alike.

Every year since 2002 when the hat went around for Sudanese refugees and raised $1800, the audiences at the Cabaret, the final event of the Festival, have donated funds for Sudanese and Rwandan refugees and a Afghan women's rights organisation. Seldom is so much good achieved by so many people having such a good time.

Generation 3

Finn, Rhian, Neivh and Mat Woolley join Moire and Conor Meaney under the watchful eye of Dot and Roy Newman. Three generations on stage having as much fun making music as you will listening. Traditional/celtic.

Harlequin

This early music ensemble, dressed in medieval gowns is a colourful spectacle with energetic tunes, vocals, percussion and dance. Harlequin specialise in Medieval music from the 12th to the 16th played on instruments authentic to the period, including hurdy gurdy, symphonie, medieval fiddle, citole, shawm, ud, whistles and thumping side drum, many of which are hand made by Greame and Harry, and which will be featuring in the Instrument Makers Exhibition in the Museum on Sunday.

Jeremy Sibson

Jeremy has been playing drums and pop/rock, jazz, big band, folk, and Celtic styles of percussion and performing professionally with many local, national, and international acts as well as in pit orchestras for over 50 musicals and was recently Musical Director for the rock opera “Rent”. In the last 10 years his focus has been mainly on Folk/Irish/Celtic Rock culminating in a recent visit to Ireland where he was classed with the best players from Ireland and Europe. He now plays with Hobart Celtic group the To’rags.

Jolley Hatters

Morris dance can be traced back to Henry VIII but has much older European origins and currently there are about 1000 Morris sides world wide. The Jolly Hatters are Hobart’s most enduring Morris side and they are kicking off the weekend in the park with a demonstration of their lively dances and then they will teach a few easy to learn pieces to help you get right into the spirit of the festival.

Melanie Gent and Kate Burke

Award winning local singer/songwriter Melanie Gent has teamed up with accomplished folk musician Kate Burke (Trouble In the Kitchen, Kate & Ruth) to bring two beautiful voices, melancholy lyrics and melodious acoustic guitars, performing original contemporary folk music. With strong roots in the folk scene, their depth of experience range from home-town gigs to supporting major artists and touring internationally.

Ned Trewartha

Ned is an accomplished boat builder from Gordon, but he is also a fine folk musician and singer who can imbue a folk standard with new meaning and hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

Nic Meredith & the Shed Band

Nic Meredith is a Cygnet guitarist and singer-songwriter, who is instrumental in the musical tuition of many young performers in the Cygnet area. Nic grew up around London, writing and playing since he was 17, and arriving in Tassie in the late 80's. A onetime campaigner on 3rd world, peace and environment issues, Nic's passion for a more humane world underscores much of his songwriting. His music ranges across genre from Rn'B and Reggae to Ballad and Satirical to Bluegrass and beyond; it is characterised by strong rhythm, melody and in his recorded works, sumptuous harmonies. The lyrics are personal, intelligent, emotive and honest. A dynamic and passionate performer, Nic is a must-see when he's playing live.

Peter Hicks & Annie Parsell

Annie and Peter join forces in a faboulous folk duo featuring a selection of songs from Scotland, England and Ireland as well as orginals with wonderful vocal harmonies

Peter Hicks & Turpentine Blues

Peter Hicks leads Jeremy Sibson and Ross Smithard on a blues journey featuring soaring fiddle breaks, great blues harp and stunning slide and ragtime guitar. Super efficient jug band style percussion and Peter Hicks vocals will have you wanting to dance. Peter’s original compositions include Blues for Madeleine – on the recently released cd called Turpentine Blues.

Phillip Rush

Phil is a perennial festival favourite and one of Australia’s top-selling poets of recent years. He has written 14 books and sold over 125,000 copies. He has performed across the nation, including at Tamworth, where his work has been a finalist in the best poetry book, CD and poem sections many times. He brings his great sense of humour to the Poet’s Breakfast he hosts at the Bottom Pub and he is the patriarch of the Poetry Debate.

Stan Gottschalk

Perhaps best known for his partnership in the New Holland Honeyeaters, Stan specialises in traditional, generally pre 1940, southern American music. Stan will deliver a thoroughly researched set based on his lifetime’s love. Did you know he has published a fiddle instructional manual?

Tasmanian Grassroots Union Choir

A group of passionate and vibrant people, the Grassroots Union Choir have appeared several times before at Cygnet and always to appreciative audiences. Their large repertoire of worksongs and ballads hark back to the good old days when Unions weren't demonised and an AWA was a radio.

Tasmanian Heritage Fiddle Ensemble

Established by Franklin-ites Marjorie and Steve Gadd, the Heritage Fiddle Ensemble is a great crucible for the nurturing and honing of young local talent as well as being the musical repository of many traditional Tasmanian tunes, passed down since the 19th century. This year they will focus on the music of A Laing.

Tribal Dance

The Tribal Dance movement originated in the US and is a fusion of folk dances from the Silk Road with a nature-based approach that incorporate Flamenco, North African, Kathak and Rom styles. The dances are based on learned sequences that allow for group improvisation. Denise McMaster has been studying dance – including Belly Dance, Tribal and Middle Eastern dance - since the early 1990s and she is the Director of the Tribal Dance Company in Hobart and her workshop is open to all shapes and sizes, ages and fitness levels.