Blackburn Gigs: Canter Semper + Katie Nicholas + Arisha

Experience an enchanting evening at The Bureau, Exchange Street, Blackburn, featuring a rich blend of jazz, soul, and folk.  Dive into a collaborative performance led by harmony-driven melodies and heartfelt lyricism, backed by acoustic, orchestral, and choir elements.  From blissful, jazz-tinged soundscapes reminiscent of The Staves, to Katie Nicholas' raw, poignant storytelling and bold genre-defying music, the night promises depth and soul.  Also, enjoy the unique artistry of Arisha, whose music delves into themes of neurodiversity, queerness, and climate consciousness.  An unforgettable showcase of talent from Manchester and beyond.

Canter Semper
'A smouldering blend of jazz, soul and gospel…' Manchester Evening News.  Weaving harmony driven melodies and earnest whole-hearted lyricism into jazz-tinged soundscapes.  Working with acapella, stripped back acoustic and an orchestral-esque full band set up.  This includes percussion, a string quartet, features Manchester all female choir 'Choirs Manchester' and the most recent addition Celtic harp.  The sound drifts in the same blissful stratospheres of contemporaries like The Staves or Smoke Fairies underpinned with a comforting nod to classic soul records.  Very much at home playing live, memorable appearances at the city's finest haunts, include The Deaf Institute, Band On The Wall and Manchester Academy.  Live prowess caught the attention of the highly-acclaimed Duke Special, who offered a special invitation to perform with him at RNCM. Natural collaborators (with Sarah also the leader of the Manchester Survivors Choir and Choirs Manchester) and regularly working with a revolving collective of artistic, prominently female, talent from the thriving local scene to create individual and enveloping shows.  The aim is to transport audiences into creative, collaborative space with warmth and connection.

Katie Nicholas
Katie Nicholas is a Lancashire-born songwriter, recognised for her poignant lyricism and accomplished guitar-playing, with BBC radio Scotland's Annie Massie highlighting her 'Powerful Vulnerability' on the Travelling Folk Show.  Ever-evolving and fearless in bending any genre to embody her message, in 2024 Katie embarked on a 50-song video series, the 'Songwriter Diaries', where she explored 10 + years of unreleased material, which never saw the light of day due to industry setbacks and personal circumstances.  Endorsed by Aston Microphones, this series explored seven eras of her prolific songwriting.  See the 'Liverpool Echo' interview below and find out more at songwriterdiaries.com.  Katie's community has been steadily building on an organic grass-roots level, independently selling out her show at Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room.  Little but Bold, in 2025 she launches her independent record label 'Ladybird Records'.  She's beginning again, on her terms.

Arisha
Arisha (they/them) is a folk musician and cabaret artist based in Manchester.  They write music that explores the intersections of neurodiversity, queerness and the climate crisis.  They have performed at events and arts festivals across the UK including at The People's History Museum 2024, FUSEBOX Kingston 2024, Labyrinth Arts Festival (Dorset) 2024, Mycelium Matters Cabaret (Ulverston) 2024, The Lowry Christmas Community Event 2023 and their debut cabaret 'Arisha's OK Cabaret: An Operatic Extravaganza' was nominated for best LGBTQ+ performance by Off Fest and Queer Lit UK 2023.

Most recently they performed as an actor-musician for the research and development of the West-End show 'Sensory Cinders' a sensory pantomime for audiences labelled with PMLD at Barnsley Civic and National Theatre Studios. 

This event is brought to you by blackburngigs.co.uk, an initiative by Actual Music in partnership with Arts Council England and Blackburn with Darwen Council