Jeana
Leslie and Siobhan Miller
Jeana (fiddle, Hardanger fiddle, piano, vocal) and Siobhan
(vocal, piano, dance)
They will also be appearing at Cambridge, Towersey, Orkney and Cropredy festivals
Current
winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award
Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller are this years winners of the
BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. Both have been performing since their early
teens.
20-year old Jeana comes from Orkney and was a semi-finalist
in the Scottish Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2004 and
2005. She did a tour of Canada in 2005 with her school group, Hadhirgaan.
She also took part in the Tall Ship Races on the musicians’ boat,
‘The Swan’ with Chris Stout heading up as musical director.
Jeana has been involved in several festivals including Celtic Connections
playing alongside the Wrigley Sisters and Kris Drever for an Orkney Night
concert and as part of Donald Shaws ‘Harvest Project’.
Siobhan
is 21 and from Penicuik. She has been booked annually at the
TMSA’s Auchtermuchty Festival since first appearing there at 13
and has won both the children’s and women’s singing competitions.
She has appeared as a solo singer at several festivals including Celtic
Connections and guested with Jock Tamson’s Bairns at Edinburgh’s
Queen's Hall last year.
Since meeting at the RSAMD, Jeana and Siobhan have enjoyed composing,
arranging and performing music together. They have just finished their
debut album which is due to be released this summer.
Harper
Nick Hennessey is a truly fine exponenet of both storytelling and song.A
true disciple of the ballad" Stanley Robertson
"A totally enchanting performer, full of warmth, imagination and skill. It’s wonderful to see a young artist able to move with equal ease from song to story to consummate musicianship. I strongly recommend anyone with a love of traditional culture to see him." Frankie Armstrong
“A fine voice, pure and unforced. His fluid style and engaging presence is a winning combination…a compelling demonstration of storytelling’s many faces.” The Times
Our
International guests are visiting us from Australia
The Wongawilli Band performs traditional and contemporary
style Australian bush songs and tunes - reels, jigs, polkas, schottisches,
mazurkas and waltzes. The band takes great pride in presenting authentic
songs, dances and tunes from the bush of Australia along with songs pertinent
to Australia's current multicultural population.
Wongawilli will be playing both in a concert setting and adding some Australian "bush" dances to our ceilidh stages.
The
three members of The Islanders are all experienced performers
in their own right. Ceri's guitar and Christine’s sensitive fiddle
complement close-knit vocal harmonies. They each bring the musical heritage
of their own culture to the band, forming a harmonious symbol of what
it means to be British.
Katherine
Myles - vocals;
Christine
Cooper - fiddle, vocals;
Ceri Rhys Matthews - guitar, vocals.
AnnaKate Pearson has completed a Masters in Harp performance at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where she has already gained a BA(Hons) and Postgraduate Diploma in Performance. Through her years at the R.S.A.M.D she has studied solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire under her tutor Karen Vaughan (co-principal of the LSO). She has played with all the RSAMD’s orchestras throughout the six years, four years as principal harp, including tours around Britain and the RSNO Scottish Proms. She has been involved in master classes with distinguished harpists such as Kathleen Bride, Frances Kelly and Natalia Sheymeyeva.
AnnaKate
will be guest at the Harp Forum on Sunday and will perform at the Sunday
afternoon concert.
Combining
the best in British folk music with modern rock and reggae rhythms, Tumbling
Tom is an experienced English Country Dance Band that provides strong
infectious music for ceilidh/folk dances.
The band have a well established pedigree of musical ability and experience,
with many years playing in the North West including festivals at Kendal,
Redcar, Fylde, and Clitheroe.
The band's current line-up is:
Fiona Loynes Caller, synthesiser, whistle, flute
Les Ord Caller, percussion
Hugh Taylor Melodeon, trombone, vocals
Steve Tomlinson Lead and rhythm guitars
Tony Farren Bass guitar, mouth harp
Tumbling Tom will be our dance band on Saturday evening
The
Lakeland Fiddlers formed in 2000, having grown from Adult Education
classes held at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal and in Ulverston.
Lakeland Fiddlers have evolved from being a class, to a community band,
appearing regularly at local festivals and fairs, playing for occasional
parties and weddings, and appearing at the Sage Gateshead where they had
the honour of playing for the “Fiddle Dance” at Fiddles on
Fire in April 2007.
There will be a Cumbrian Tunes Fiddle Workshop on Sunday led by Carolyn
Francis of the Lakeland Fiddlers - and the fiddlers will perform at the
Sunday afternoon concert