Events

Andrew And Margaret Watchorn

Northumbrian smallpipes, fiddle and voice

The Cross Barn, Odiham, Hampshire

SATURDAY 15TH MAY 2010 8.00pm

Tickets £10. On Sale at: Village Shop in S Warnborough or Richard Ward Opticians in Odiham

For ticket information contact:

chateaudoex2007@btinternet.com

Traditional music for all occasions

Andrew and Margaret have many years experience of playing the pipes and fiddle for weddings, corporate and civil functions, private parties and also concerts and festivals.

Andrew and Margaret perform regularly throughout Northumberland and the North East as well as other parts of the UK and Europe

Andrew and Margaret have over 20 years experience of performing together and have a reputation for playing with great sensitivity, enhancing the tunes with their own arrangements. From the mid 1970’s they were fortunate to learn many tunes from playing alongside older Northumbrian musicians, especially Joe Hutton.

Their repertoire is extensive and includes tunes from Northumberland, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America. Individually, Andrew and Margaret have both won competitions at traditional music festivals for solo playing and compositions. Together, they have won numerous duet competitions.

In addition to smallpipes and fiddle, they also play Swedish bagpipes, hummelchen, guitar and whistle.

Andrew first became interested in traditional music over 25 years ago. It was after hearing recordings of Joe Hutton, George Atkinson and Billy Pigg, and also Anthony Robb playing at Newcastleton Festival in the mid 1970’s that he decided to learn the smallpipes.

He plays a 14 keyed set of pipes in F by Colin Ross, a 14 keyed set in F with an extra contra-bass drone by Richard and Anita Evans (www.evansbagpipes.co.uk), a 17 keyed G set by Andy May, Swedish pipes by Alban Faust and guitar by Nigel Forster.

Margaret grew up in Northumberland among its heritage of tunes, songs and stories. She learned to play the smallpipes with Joe Hutton, and took a degree in music at the University of York, where she studied piano and singing.

She plays fiddles by Jamieson of Edinburgh (1851), Dave Mann (Hexham Violin Shop) and Jay Haide, hummelchen (Renaissance bagpipes) and whistle by Alban Faust.

The Horns country pub in Crondall (just off the main A 287Farnham Odiham road in case you don’t know) will be staging its inaugural weekend music festival on the late Spring Bank Holiday weekend 29th to 31st May.

This free event will showcase in excess of 20 acts both local bands and performers from further afield and will include headline acts such as acclaimed U2 tribute performers “Blood Red Sky” and hard hitting indie rock covers band “Zoo Club”

The festival will run from 12 noon until 11pm on the Saturday and Monday with an outdoor stage (supported by outdoor bar facilities and barbeque) hosting bands playing an eclectic mix of bluesy/rocky/ folky/ indie stuff both covers and self penned material.

Complementing the main stage a range of acoustic performers are lined up to play either in the pub or on the patio throughout the day to give a choice of listening. With freshly barbequed “proper” burgers and grills and a range of beers, lagers and ciders to keep visitors refuelled this should be a great fun occasion for lovers of live music and beer.
On the Sunday the acoustic theme will be continued with talented singer song writers and performers playing classic covers as well as a Jazz band playing through the afternoon as a gentle accompaniment to Sunday diners.

The charities supported by the event are the RAF Benevolent Fund (the pub has close links with neighbours RAF Odiham, home of the Chinooks) and Emmaus a very worthwhile local charity involved with helping young homeless people to find their feet.

For more information about coming along, sponsoring the event with banner or programme advertising, or even playing at the gig check us out in the following ways;

Go to Facebook “The Horns Crondall”

Visit the website - www.thehorns.co.uk

or ring John or Phil on 01252 850560