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Boldwood is a band forged with a passion: to rescue forgotten English dance anthems from dusty manuscripts and put them back to work on the dancefloor!

The exciting new 5 piece's repertoire consists entirely of traditional English and Welsh dance tunes, mainly from the 18th century - a golden age for English music, when "folk" and "classical" worlds cohabited easily, arguably for the last time. Purcell and Handel latched on to the popular dance metres of the day and wrote their own slip-jigs and triple hornpipes for performance at court. Itinerant fiddlers jotted down the tunes they'd learnt in London and took them back to play at village weddings.

Boldwood's story began in 1999 when accordionist Becky Price was looking for new tunes in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in Cecil Sharp House, London. She was drawn to an elegant, locked bookcase containing mysterious leather-bound volumes. Wearing the regulation white gloves, she leafed through the fragile, often handwritten manuscripts and discovered a treasury of forgotten English dance music. Copying out her favourites she gradually realised what these tunes really needed...... a new band!

“Subtle arrangements, lush harmonies and driving rhythms”

From these beginnings Boldwood's unusual line-up of 3 fiddles, accordion and bouzouki was born, creating the perfect combination for this rich folk/ classical hybrid music and providing a full, lyrical string sound, subtle arrangements, lush harmonies and driving rhythms to move the feet as well as the heart. Boldwood's musicians are classically-trained but also have a wealth of experience in, and a deep understanding of traditional music, making them uniquely suited to the repertoire. Many of the tunes on the CD have never been recorded before.

The band:

BECKY PRICE (piano accordion) played for morris sides as a teenager, studied classical piano with David Earl, played in Finality Jack for 7 years and has recorded CDs with Blowzabella members Dave Shepherd ("Ashburnham" 2000) and Jon Swayne ("Love and a Bottle" 2005.)
TIM PERKINS (bouzouki/ guitar) trained as a violinist, plays in and composes for Finality Jack, has produced 5 CDs with "V for Vendetta" writer Alan Moore and has also composed for symphony orchestras.
KATE MORAN (fiddle/viola) studied violin at the RNCM in Manchester. She has played in ceilidh bands since she was small and currently divides her time between Boldwood, freelance classical playing and violin teaching.
RICHARD HEACOCK (fiddle/ viola) studied composition with Michael Finnissy, composed for the National Theatre, wrote the music for Tony Robinson's "The Worst Jobs in History" (Channel 4) and plays for Ickneild Morris and The Vale Islanders.
DANIEL WOLVERSON (fiddle/viola) plays fiddle in Pach Pi, Infamous Grouse and Finnegan's Wok, and hurdy-gurdy in French dance band Cyser. He has played and run workshops at Sidmouth, Towersey and Folk Beat.

ALBUM REVIEWS
"This is one of the best new bands I have heard in many years."
Mary Humphreys 21.12.07 Mardles

"One of the best albums of the year"
"A new and exciting voice on the English dance scene"
"The quality of the playing is superb - virtuosic, but down-to-earth, solid
but eminently dancable - and the choice of material admirable."
"when it's this good I want more!"
Paul Burgess, SHREDS & PATCHES, SCANNED 05/02/08

"A lovely CD moving emotionally as well as physically."
Folk London

"This is a lovely recording and one that should be required listening if you
want to brighten your day. "
"the final track "Hunsdon House" .. had me wishing it would never end -
simply beautiful!
Pete Fyfe, Folk and Roots

"'Hundson House' the track which aptly ends the album leaving us all wanting
more."
Bill Haiselden, SURREY FOLK NEWS, SCANNED 28/11/07

"Speaking as a contra dancer, I would love to dance to this band. As a music lover, I can't say enough about this album. It's exquisite, joyful music, masterfully performed." Gary Whitehouse, Greenman Reveiw Oct 08

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