ABout US
General Background....
Martin
and Elizabeth joined forces in March 2002 - initially when Martin
approached Elizabeth to sing a couple of songs at a singaround - but
they have not looked back since.
Although coming from quite different musical backgrounds it did not take
long to realise that their respective styles and voices were both
compatible and complementary.
Their act is a blend of traditional songs and sensitive contemporary
compositions, several of which have been written by Martin and, more
recently by Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
hails from Cudworth, a little ex-mining village near Barnsley in South
Yorkshire (you might just detect a slight accent).
She started her musical career at the tender age of 7, singing solo
children’s hymns at Cudworth Methodist Church. By the age of 14 she was
singing with her sister Hazel or friend Sandra at various churches in
the area, and also putting on concerts for pensioners.
At 17 she was encouraged by her mother to sing in the Working Men’s
Clubs. However, after accompanying her mother to the local folk club at
the ‘Fox and Hounds’ in Shafton, and, inspired by the passion and
enthusiasm for traditional music displayed by the likes of Dave Oldroyd
and Ken Hudson, she fell in love with folk music. She has been singing
in folk clubs ever since.
At 21 she was encouraged by Derek Elliott to go to BBC Radio Sheffield,
where folk programme presenter and performer, John Leonard, recorded and
played a couple of her traditional songs.
Her time at Barnsley Folk Club during the late seventies and early
eighties fuelled her passion for traditional folk music and she appeared
at local venues supporting such acts as Vin Garbutt and The Watersons.
In the late eighties she moved to Norfolk and became a regular at the
Norwich folk club at The Denmark Arms (where a young Damien Barber also
regularly attended). Here she was given the chance to support Keith
Marsden and Cockersdale.
For the last 20 or so years she has lived in Lincolnshire and she
currently organises the guest list and is MC at Spalding folk club.
Early influences were undoubtedly the local and national folk performers she encountered along the way. Vin Garbutt, Keith Marsden, Isla St Clair. Pat Ryan, Vera Aspey, Derek and Dorothy Elliott and Dave Burland are among those deserving special mention.
Martin
Whilst away at college in Loughborough he was introduced to the intricacies of fingerstyle acoustic folk music when he overheard fellow students in his hall of residence. Won over by the songs of such artists as Peter, Paul & Mary, Gordon Lightfoot, Tim Hardin, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor he set out to practise their various techniques until, after a period of only thirty-five years, and during a period of mid-life crisis, he felt confident enough to inflict himself once more upon an unsuspecting public in July 2001.
Other influences have been Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and, in more recent years, Richard Shindell, David Wilcox, Lucy Kaplansky, Beth Nielsen-Chapman and many others.
Inspired by the array of song-writing talent at Spalding Folk Club he began writing his own songs in September 2001.
If asked who was the most influential of the above the answer would undoubtedly be Gordon Lightfoot.
He is treasurer of and a resident performer at Spalding Folk Club.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
