Bruce Cardwell
Pipes, cittern, guitar, whistles, vocals
Although born in Belfast, Bruce’s life-long interest in traditional music was first awakened in primary school in Newcastle when he heard a performance by Jack Armstrong, the Northumbrian piper.
When the family returned to Ireland, his musical interests were greatly influenced by Belfast folksinger David Hammond, who happened to be a teacher in Bruce’s secondary school.
This period was the onset of the traditional music explosion in Ireland, when ballads and dance music were held in equal esteem, and on this tide of inspiration Bruce soon developed into an accomplished guitarist and singer. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Bruce has since added the cittern, whistle, flute, Northumbrian pipes and uilleann pipes to his musical arsenal.
He has played for periods with Kesty and with Tonn Ruari as well as with the Backroom Band.
Harriet Earis
Celtic harp
Harriet’s aim is to show a new approach to harp-playing, using the Celtic harp as a strong melody instrument. Together with her love of Celtic music, Harriet has been studying Irish, Scots Gaelic and Welsh and has a Cambridge degree in Celtic Studies.
Harriet has already given harp recitals around the world with 16 tours across America, 6 tours of Germany, a Canadian tour and concerts in Amsterdam, France, Belgium, Ireland and Holland. She was the All Britain Champion on the harp in 2000 and 2002, and in 2007 she won the coveted “Open Stage Award” at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, chosen from 82 different acts competing for the title and represented Wales in the Pan Celtic Festival in Lorient, France.
Her solo CD ‘Jumping Ahead’ was launched in 2003 and since then she has had a number of succcessful recording collaborations. For more information see www.harrietearis.com
Dave Hamilton
Fiddle
A native of Yorkshire, Dave learned to play the fiddle at school, but lost interest during adolescence when he discovered that there were other things to do with his spare time!
Later, while at college in Hull, he experienced his first “session” of Irish music and immediately decided to take up the instrument again. The tunes garnered at these Sunday lunch-time sessions were the kernel of what has since developed into a vast and diverse traditional repertoire.
Dave arrived in Wales in 1977 and became a central figure in the Aberyswyth music scene, playing fiddle in various sessions in the Angel, the Ship and the Coopers Arms (“Y Cwps”).
Andy Rowland
All Rounder
Andy Rowland is an experienced bilingual caller with an uplifting and engaging style. He believes anybody can (and should) join in the dancing and combines seemingly endless patience with unfailing good humour and vigour.
His apprenticeship was solo unaccompanied singing in folk clubs, and dancing in the Morris tradition, in both England and Wales during the late 1970s and 80s, mostly in the student scene.
Most of his dances are from the tradition that is common to England, Wales and Scotland but whose origins are just as likely to lie in Ireland. He uses a few choice dances that are identifiably Welsh, but Andy is more concerned with how well dances work than with purity.
He’s also a virtuoso on the tambourines!
