ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 'MUSIC DAY' COMMISSION
The English Acoustic Collective will be performing at the Royal Geographical Society's Ondaatje Theatre, Exhibition Road, London on Sunday June 20th. Our performance is part of the annual Music Day event, and our performance will include the premier of a new piece I've been commissioned to compose. The piece is entitled 'Coffee and Tea' and is inspired by images from the RGS Archive, a slideshow of which will be incorporated into the performance.
Our performance and the commission are both thanks to the Exhibition Road Cultural Group, with support from the PRS for Music Foundation. More info - RGS / ERCG. Our performances are at 13.00 and 15.20; admission is free and unticketed so be there early to be sure of a seat. You can read more about how I approached writing the piece in my guest blog for BBC Radio 2's Folk and Acoustic pages.
KERR FAGAN HARBRON
We enjoyed our first gig back after Nancy & James' baby-leave at The Rock in Maltby and we're looking forward to playing at the charming Prema Arts Centre in Uley, Gloucestershire (Friday June 11th), and the BBC Folk Award-winning Dartford Folk Club, June 22nd. Festival time sees us at the first Bath Folk Festival on August 7th, then Saltburn Aug 14-15 and Shrewsbury Aug 29. We've also got a few gigs in October, Helmsley Arts Centre (Oct 16) and Blackpool's Clarence Folk Club (Oct 20) with more to be added. I'm also playing at Sidmouth with Nancy and James in a couple of 'album launch concerts' (see 'New Recordings' below).
FAY HIELD TRIO
Our first gigs in February were succesful and enjoyable and there are more coming up ... Gower, Sidmouth, Towersey, Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth festivals are all in the diary and we're touring in September and again in December. Check out Fay's website for full details and for news of her new CD.
ENGLISH ACOUSTIC COLLECTIVE SUMMER SCHOOL
This year's summer school will run from July 26-30 at Ruskin Mill, Gloucestershire. The course will be led by Rob Harbron and Miranda Rutter, with Chris Wood as guest tutor, and the emphasis will be on creative and individual interpretation of traditional tunes ... more information will be available soon, but please feel free to send me an email to register your interest.
MORRIS DANCE PROJECT
I had a great weekend in May playing Morris tunes as Laurel Swift taught hot-shot South-West youth dance group 'So We Boys Dance' their first Cotswold Morris moves. This was the first phase of a Dance South West / EFDSS project called 'Spring Force', for which I'm composer and musician. It will involve Laurel coreographing a new piece which the boys will perform in a number of prestigious settings, not least the Royal Albert Hall. More news to follow!
JON BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS
We had a good tour in May, covering 12 gigs in 11 days including a flying visit to the intriguing Dark Mountain Festival in Llangollen. We'll be at Crawley, Sidmouth and Towersey festivals and then that's it until February next year. In the meantime, have a listen to Jon's Songs From the Floodplain ... great new songs that grow like dandelions in the cracked concrete of the post-apocalyptic english folk tradition. In a good way...
| NEW ... now available to listen online and download | |
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"This is a joy to listen throughout, from the sheer beauty of Nancy's fiddle playing to the great story telling in song, it is the sound of three consummate musicians delighting in their art. Beautiful tunes, wonderful songs and tremendous musicianship."
Martin Simpson. The new CD Station House is now available online from my shop page and to download from KerrFaganHarbron.co.uk. |
RECENT RECORDINGS
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan's new CD on which I appear will be released at Sidmouth Folk Festival with two album launch concerts where they will be joined by me and also bass ace Rik Foot. Nancy, James and myself will also feature on a forthcoming live album by Methera as the joint shows the two bands played in October were both recorded. I recorded and mixed both albums too! A bit more work has taken place on the next English Acoustic Collective album too so hopefully that won't be too far away.
Hot off the press is 'Work Harder and One Day You'll Find Her', the debut album by Duotone (AKA Barney Morse-Brown of The Imagined Village & Chris Wood's Handmade Life Band), which I produced and engineered. More at www.garrettbrownmusic.com. I also recorded Duotone's live performances for a DVD, along with guest musician BJ Cole on pedal steel guitar.
ENGLISH INTERNATIONAL - Concertina CD
A couple of years ago I recorded a few solo concertina tracks for this 3-CD box set featuring great players of the English concertina old and new. A must-have collection for any concertina enthusiast, with a great booklet as well as some unique tracks. Available from my Shop page.
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Fay Hield
Jon Boden & the Remnant Kings
Robert Harbron & Emma Reid
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Concertina Tuition
As well as teaching on various courses, summer schools and weekends, I'm happy to teach privately either at home in Stroud or when I'm passing through your part of the country. Send me an email if you're interested...
Robert Harbron gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS Foundation.