The Key Theatre in Peterborough to welcome Bella Hardy, BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer Of The Year 2014

Bella Hardy, BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer Of The Year in 2014, will perform at the Key Theatre in Peterborough on May 13.

The prolific songwriter, who has produced seven albums, is described as having “rare class and exceptional emotional depth” by Mojo, and as “a fine, no-nonsense interpreter of traditional music and an excellent songwriter” by The Guardian.

Bella grew up in Edale in the Peak District but now lives in Edinburgh. Although the Hardy family sang in the local choir, it was a combination of her childhood love for ballad books and visits to local folk festivals that decided her future.

At 13, she began performing at Cambridge and Sidmouth festivals and in 2004 reached the final of the BBC Young Folk Award, having taught herself to fiddle sing.

Bella released her debut album Night Visiting in 2007. One of its songs, Three Black Feathers was nominated for a BBC Folk Award. It was her first original composition.

Since then Bella has continued to record and perform at a tremendous rate - appearing on numerous BBC radio and TV programmes, singing solo in a sold-out Albert Hall at the Proms and composing the music for a Radio 4 documentary on the Post Office.

Also, she has written with former Beautiful South founder David Rotheray, formed an all-female fiddle group with folk royalty Eliza Carthy and won yet another Radio 2 Folk Award for her original song The Herring Girl.

Her 2013 album Battleplan, a collection of reimagined traditional songs, received the best reviews of her career.

The show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets £16/£14 concessions, and are available from 01733 207239 or www.vivacity-peterborough.com/venues/key-theatre