Caoilfhionn Rose

Caoilfhionn Rose's music is rooted in a knowledge of folk, jazz and all the twentieth century's classic tunesmiths, creating a magical, otherworldly space of her own imagining — blending her core piano with synths, and pitting a live rhythm section and saxophone embellishments against ambient samples and future-facing production techniques.

With her third album Constellation (2024) she came of age as an artist, digging deep to find experimental new ways of expressing her wonder at nature's beauty, her love of music in all its diversity, and her belief in the restorative powers that both afford. Vigorous, searching and ever-curious, Caoilfhionn has found a voice at once ancient and modern, intrepidly exploring contemporary technology to transform traditional songcraft for the mid-2020s.

The album took her across Europe extensively throughout 2024 and 2025 — supporting Hania Rani, Alabaster De Plume, Gogo Penguin and Bess Atwell, as well as her own headline tour. October '25 saw the release of a collaborative single 'Illusions' with acclaimed Danish jazz duo Svaneborg Kardyb. This sparked a creative relationship that has continued to shape and inform her work ever since, its influence felt throughout the making of her fourth album.

Now stepping into a new chapter musically and personally, Caoilfhionn is putting the finishing touches to that record.

La Déferlance

Formed in 2018, La Déferlance offers a refreshing and brightly colored trad. Alongside imaginative arrangements of lively tunes and traditional songs, the band’s repertoire features many original compositions.

The group's energetic and polished performances are a testament to its members' years of varied musical experience, notably in jazz and classical music. The group now travels across North America to present its show Âmes des bois,

created from its second album released in 2025.

The Musicians

Mathieu Baillargeon (piano, vocals, feet rhythms)

Mathieu began his musical career at the age of three, studying classical piano. His interest in traditional music blossomed in 2015, and since then, he has performed widely across Quebec. He co-founded La Déferlance in 2018. Mathieu has worked as a teacher of piano and accordion. Alongside his musical career, Mathieu holds a master’s degree in statistics and works at the Institut de la statistique du Québec. 

Marie-Desneiges Hamel (accordion, vocals)

Marie-Desneiges started learning the accordion at seven. She has performed in various festivals and toured with multiple ensembles, including the widely acclaimed Noël à l’accordéon. Since 2018, she has focused her efforts on La Déferlance, continuing to teach and perform in a variety of traditional music settings.

Grégoire Painchaud (fiddle, guitar, vocals)

A versatile musician who began playing at the age of three, Grégoire has mastered several instruments and performed with artists across North America and Europe. He’s been a key figure in Quebec’s traditional music scene. Since 1998 he has also been the musical director for the Irish music group Rosheen.

Renaud Labelle (bass, double bass, vocals)

Renaud holds a degree in music and spent a decade performing on prestigious cruise ships, playing jazz for thousands of passengers daily. His extensive experience includes collaborations with orchestras and traditional music ensembles across Quebec.



"The quartet, whose beating heart lies in foot-tapping rhythm and jaw harp, surprises with its boldness [...] Expert handling and outstretched hands."

- Sylvain Cormier Le Devoir

La Déferlance continues to shine on Âmes des bois, an excellent album that certifies the band as one of the finest acts in the current Quebec trad music scene."

 - Angel Romero World Music Central

Ellie Gowers

We welcome Ellie back to St. Mary's Creative Space.  Not one to sit idle, it’s the travelling, living, and returning home that fuels the reflectiveness in Ellie’s writing; weaving stories from the road and conversations with other people into her songs.

Ellie’s new material sees her pushing into more emotionally spacious and contemporary territory, while retaining the grounded storytelling that first brought her acclaim with her debut album. These songs explore the aftermath of life on the road and navigate complex emotions that only early adulthood can throw at you.

With a new album in the works, produced by Steve Osborne (KT Tunstall, Happy Mondays, U2), Ellie continues on an upwards trajectory ahead of her November 2026 UK tour including London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and many more cities.

Having spent her life obsessing over the driving acoustic sounds of 90s artists like The Sundays, Fiona Apple, Mazzy Star and immersing herself in the songwriting of 70s pioneers such as Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell, sprinkled with a hint of pop sensibility, Ellie weaves these influences into what Bristol 24/7 describes as her own “sunset-hued 70s folk-pop hug.”

Since emerging on the UK folk scene with her 2022 debut album Dwelling by the Weir, Ellie has charmed audiences with songs rooted in folklore, ecology, and the nuanced stories of her hometown, Warwick. Lauded by The Guardian as “full of delicacy, precision, and gentle delight,” the album established her as a compelling new presence on the UK touring circuit and resulted in tour supports including Elephant Sessions, Blair Dunlop, and Gemma Hayes at notable venues including London’s Union Chapel.



By 2025, Ellie gained wider reputation through the release of her recent EP You, the Passenger. This EP, produced by TJ Allen (Bat For Lashes, Hannah Peel, Adrian Utley) displayed an evolution of Ellie’s sound since her debut album Dwelling by the Weir and garnered national attention, including airplay on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.