CHAMBER folk trio Three Cane Whale are familiar to West Dorset audiences with their occasional gigs at Sladers Yard, West Bay. Starting on Thursday 12th March at Ibberton village hall, the Bristol-based trio are on a short Artsreach tour, continuing at Powerstock Hut on Friday 13th March, and the village hall at Woodlands near Verwood on Saturday 14th, all at 7.30pm.

This acoustic trio, featuring members of Spiro, Get The Blessing and Scottish Dance Theatre, play evocative, landscape‑inspired music. They are known for their richly atmospheric soundscapes and intricate musicianship.

Firmly rooted in the landscapes of the South West, with many compositions inspired by places across Dorset and Somerset, Three Cane Whale create a sound world that is both cinematic and intimate. Their acclaimed self‑titled debut album was selected by Cerys Matthews as one of her top five modern folk records, praised for its uplifting, intricate and elegiac qualities.

For this Dorset tour, the trio will perform music from their 2024 album Hibernacula, alongside favourites from their extensive back catalogue. Audiences can expect a stage crowded with more than a dozen instruments — from mandolin, harmonium and acoustic guitar to more unusual and atmospheric voices including the bowed psaltery, the baroque‑esque E‑flat trumpet and the shimmering Finnish kantele.