THE life and music of a local heroine will be celebrated in song.

Martin Carthy and other star musicians will pay tribute to Marina Russell at a concert in St Laurence Church, Upwey, Weymouth, on Friday, July 19 at 7.30pm.

Marina Russell is the source of over 100 folk songs and fragments of songs collected in the early 20th century.

She was born Marina Sartin in Corscombe in 1834, but by 1873 she had moved to Upwey, having married William Russell and having had 10 of her 11 children.

In 1907, two song collectors, the Hammond Brothers, found her and noted down a huge number of tunes that she was able to sing to them.

Recently, Marina Russell was among the women considered as 'sheroes' for a planned statue in Dorchester.

The singing tradition has continued among the Sartins, with Bonny Sartin of the Yetties and through the late Paul Sartin (of Bellowhead and many other bands) to his sons, Joe and Will who perform as Patakas.

Bonny Sartin and Joe and Will Sartin will be performing at St Laurence, alongside Nick Dow who many years ago was encouraged to find out more about Marina Russell and her life. Martin Carthy, the man who gave him that encouragement, will also be performing. 

The concert is arranged by Upwey Music, a registered charity promoting and supporting music performance in Upwey.

Tony King, an Upwey Music trustee said: “This will be a really exciting concert celebrating the life and music of a local woman who is probably better known in folk circles across the UK than she is in the place where she lived.

"The concert is an effort to redress that. And we are so lucky to have such fantastic performers joining us.”

Tickets are available here