James Kitchman and Sylvia Schmidt

James Kitchman (UK) and Sylvia Schmidt (DE) are a guitar-vocal duo exploring the Anglo/American folk songs of the Appalachian mountains. Firmly rooted in the folk and jazz traditions, they have used techniques from 20th century classical music, ambient soundscapes of reversed electric guitars, and their own additional lyrics to create a sound that embraces the dynamic tension between forces of preservation and transformation. In 2020, they self-released their album ‘As Long As Songbirds Sing’ to critical acclaim, with their recording of the folk carol ‘I Wonder As I Wander’ selected by BBC Radio 3 ‘Breakfast Show’ to be played on Christmas Eve. Together, they have been described by The Arts Desk as 'Two seriously talented musicians'.