Fay Hield (Full English Project), is a singer who seems to have been born knowing how to carry a tune but with the rarer gift of knowing how to go straight to the heart of a song.
Following the success of the BBC Radio 2 award winning The Full English, Fay Hield moves forward as a leading proponent of traditional songs with her new album, Old Adam.
Music from Old Adam album can be heard at The Atkinson on Friday 18 March at The Atkinson, Southport when Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party take to the stage..
Old Adam contains 14 tracks, ranging from the The Hag in the Beck from the 1600s to The Briar and the Rose, a version of a Tom Waits song. The title track explores the oldest story in the book: ‘the fantasy of a purity of life, before corruption and sin – perhaps it was a result of the developing sins that we have these songs to help us make sense of it all’ says Fay. ‘Willow Glen’ is taken from the Lucy Broadwood collection, while ‘Green Gravel’ (from Alice Gomme’s ‘Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland’) is an interpretation of a playground song. ‘Raggle Taggle Gypsy’ moves into the realms of fantasy, with an enticing glimpse of a world we could inhabit, if only we would follow our hearts. Themes of justice (and injustice) are explored in Queen Eleanor’s Confession (from a version by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior) and The Hornet and the Beetle (from the collection of Ralph Vaughan Williams). Many of the lyrics are adapted and several tunes written by Fay and a couple by her partner, Jon Boden. The arrangements on the album are all by Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party.
Her longstanding band, The Hurricane Party, expands to include members of The Full English, including fiddle, concertina, banjo, guitar, percussion and bass. At times sparse and contemplative, at times with a festival stomp, the music is captivating and engaging with plenty of choruses and vibrant interaction with the audience.
This fresh and original exploration of how we use songs, stories and music to understand what it means to be human combines vision, inspiration, dedication and outstanding musicianship to make this an evening of tender poignancy.
Fay’s first two solo albums, Looking Glass (2010) and Orfeo (2012) won Fay many accolades as well as a nomination for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Fay’s choice of material and the delivery of it, reflect a rare sensitivity and appreciation of the tradition whilst remaining naturalistic and highly distinctive.
‘Unadorned and quite exquisite’ * * * * ~ Uncut Magazine
‘Powerful Material’ * * * * * ~ Songlines
‘Hats off, thoroughly conquered, vibrant and impresses.’ * * * * ~ The Telegraph
The Hurricane Party includes some of the finest folk musicians working today; Andy Cutting (button accordions, melodeon), Rob Harbron (English Concertina, fiddle, vocals), Sam Sweeney (fiddle, viola, cello, nyckelharpa, vocals) and Roger Wilson (fiddle, guitar, mandolin and vocals). Plus special guests Jon Boden and Martin Simpson.
As well as her burgeoning performance career, Fay is also an academic, lecturing in Music at the University of Sheffield, specializing in the role folk music plays in the construction of communities. With her unique combination of performance and academic talents, it was perhaps inevitable that she would take the initiative with The Full English, a ground-breaking project sponsored by the English Folk Dance and Song Society. For the first time many of the finest early 20th century folksong collections can be found in the most comprehensive searchable database of British folk songs, tunes, dances and customs in the world.
To mark the launch of the project, Fay assembled The Full English Band, pulling together half a dozen of the top talents on the English folk music circuit for an evening of songs and tunes drawn from these unique collections. They include legendary players Seth Lakeman, Martin Simpson, Nancy Kerr, Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron and double bassist Ben Nicholls.
This super group toured for 2 years including many major festivals and released a self-titled album, again on Topic Records in 2013, winning Best Group and Best Album at the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and earning Fay a nomination for Folk Singer of the Year.
Bringing new arrangements to old songs, Fay continues in her exploration of the incredible repertoire that is the English tradition pushing at the boundaries of our engagement with music.
Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party can be seen at The Atkinson on Friday 18 March at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £14 (£12 concessions) plus booking fee. To book your tickets or for more information please call Box Office on 01704 533 333 or visit theatkinson.co.uk
*There is a £1 booking fee for online and telephone sales and a 2% fee over the counter with a credit card.
ENDS
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NOTES FOR EDITORS AND BROADCASTERS
For interviews, or more information please contact Emma.Lloyd@sefton.gov.uk or call 0151 934 2129
Posted on 16 March 2016 under General news
