If like me you're a fan of Cara Dillon, you may be interested in a new BBC Sounds programme broadcast on BBC Ulster, This Woman's Work in which Cara plays music by female singers who have inspired her.
There's some folk but lots of other great music too: Deanta, Dusty Springfield, Taylor Swift, Regina Spektor, Kate Bush, Dervish and others
You can listen to the series HERE
Simon Haines
Singer/Songwriter Hannah Scott will be making a welcome return home to her Suffolk roots in January 2021 with a gig at the Canopy Theatre in Beccles.
Hannah draws much of the inspiration for her music from her affinity with Italy. A year living and working on an olive press in rural Tuscany in her late teens provided the backdrop to her early work and she has found her musical home with creative partner Stefano Della Casa.
When they began making music together, they realised they had an amazing connection, despite very different backgrounds. Their musical journey has proved fruitful with previous releases supported by Bob Harris and Dermot O’Leary on BBC Radio 2. They’ve also been featured by MOJO magazine and as ‘New Band of The Day’ in The Guardian. Hannah has opened for artists including Seth Lakeman and 10cc.
If you live in Suffolk or the surrounding area, you've probably seen the distinctive work of the artist Glynn Thomas, whose etchings have been displayed in galleries around East Anglia for many years. Although some of Glynn's work features images from other parts of Britain and beyond, many of his etchings are of well-known East Anglian scenes. A few years ago, I came up with a musical idea: The Hosepipe Band were looking for a subject for original compositions and a new recording, and it occurred to me that Glynn's etchings might be an ideal subject. I approached Glynn who seemed happy with idea and even produced a new image for us: Polstead Meadow, a round picture ideal for the label and from cover of a new Hosepipe Band CD. We selected 8 of Glynn's Suffolk etchings and members of the band composed music to accompany them. We played our new music at the opening of an exhibition of Glynn's work at the John Russell Gallery in Ipswich and also, together with slides of his images, at Colchester Arts Centre and other venues in our area.
Glynn Thomas was born in Cambridge in 1946. He studied at the Cambridge School of Art specialising in illustration and printmaking For many years now, he has been a full-time professional artist living in Suffolk. You can see a full range of his etchings on his website at www.glynnthomas.com
For this recording, members of The Hosepipe Band were:
• Geoff Combs - Octave mandola, Mandolin, Percussion
• Simon Haines - Melodeon, Hurdy Gurdy
• Nick Sadler - Bass guitar
• Val Woollard - Saxophone, Flute, Recorder, English bagpipes, Dulcimer
Below are the texts and sound files which accompanied the seven etchings on the CD cover. Click in sound files to hear the music.
Dave Benford — Musician, Entertainer, Artist in oils and pastels, Actor, Entrepreneur, Family man - husband, dad, grandad, great grandad - as well as the electronics day jobs and running his own business!
Dave, together with Andrew Kendon, formed the Crofters Folk Club - named after where Dave lived - The Croft - in 1964, and by 1967 the Cambridge Crofters folk group had been started, first as a singing group, then as a ceilidh band. Dave’s energy, vision and organising ability were driving forces behind the group for over 50 years.
The Cambridge Crofters outside the Portland Arms, Cambridge: Left to Right: Andrew Kendon, Dave Benford, Richard Brading
When Stuart Mack headed to Germany in the late 60's with his band Heir for a string of concert tours, he had no idea that he would stay and pursue a solo career that would keep him in Germany for many years.
When he finally came back to the UK he released "Footsteps" (a solo album that reflected both his time growing up in Exeter and his experiences across Europe) and eventually found himself in north Suffolk where he set up Green Fingers Music (a recording and music publishing venture that is still going today). He then recorded a duo album with John Ward, "4 o'clock on a Sunday Morning", which led to 3 more tours of Germany between 1992 - 94.
Until they moved to Northamptonshire about 5 years ago, Stuart and his wife Penny were regular performers all over East Anglia and further afield with many festival appearances and overseas tours and their debut album “Toby” is still in print today.
