Box Office 01843 604080
Magpie Lane
At:
| Location | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Queen's Road Baptist Centre | 5:00 pm | Monday 13 Aug 2012 |
In Concert with:
| Location | Time | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coope, Boyes, Simpson; Fi Fraser, Jo Freya & Georgina Boyes | Concert Marquee | 2:30 pm | Sunday 12 Aug |
The sound of Magpie Lane is unmistakably English. The group’s repertoire originally focused exclusively on Oxfordshire. Although a concert set might now include the occasional item from Ireland, the Isle of Man or even France - as well as a few recently-composed pieces - English traditional songs and dance tunes remain at the core.
The band’s instrumental line-up was originally based around that of a nineteenth century village band, with fiddle, cello, concertina, whistles and percussion very much to the fore. However Magpie Lane has always preferred to remain true to the spirit of the tradition, rather than slavishly reproduce an "authentic" sound. Thus the band has always made use of the eclectic range of instruments at its disposal - and bouzouki and guitar have at various times rubbed shoulders with melodeon, autoharp, smallpipes, recorders, flute, harmonium, viola and Appalachian dulcimer.
The group’s instrumental prowess is matched, if not surpassed, by its vocal strength. Fronted by the wonderful voice of Ian Giles, all the members of Magpie Lane can in fact sing, and powerful vocal harmonies are one of the band’s trademarks.
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