Our Song of the Day is double traditional folk music offering from accordion / fiddle duo Alex Cumming & Nicola Beazley who are currently based in Newcastle upon Tyne although Alex can often be found in the South West where we often bump into him with the vocal quartet The Teacups or the Ceilidh and Concert band Dyer:Cummings.
I Wouldn’t normally include two songs although strictly speaking one of these is a tune and lends itself to showing off their instrumental skills which are wonderful. I also didn’t have the heart to separate them. Both feature on their new Summer EP and to kick things off we’ve a piratical tale in the form of the Bold Pirate (Roud 984).
The instrumental is a lovely set of tunes: The Morgan Rattler Set
Biographies:
Alex Cumming started to learn Piano Accordion when he was 6 years old and has now become a regular on the English folk scene as an Accordionist, Singing and Ceilidh Caller. As well as performing with Nicola Beazley, Alex performs with Newcastle based vocal quartet, The Teacups, BBC Young Folk Award winner, James Findlay, and ceilidh band Dyer:Cumming’s. Alex has performed across the country at many top festivals, folk clubs and venues as well as appearing on BBCs Edwardian Farm, BBC Radio 2, and hosting his own folk show on Newcastle Student Radio.
Nicola Beazley started learning the violin aged 7, and since then has been performing as a folk musician in many different guises across Europe. With her 6 peice band, Ceol Tire, Nicola has toured the Czech Republic, Germany and Ireland with their debut album ‘Aeroplane Seats’, and has also performed on BBC Radio Lancashire’s Folk show The Drift. Nicola also plays with a Newcastle based harp, dulcimer and fiddle trio, Speldosa, and alongside performing with Alex Cumming, Nicola has performed, called ceilidhs and taught at many of the big Folk Festivals and Folk Clubs.
Live Dates
21 July Hegra Folk Club, Pinner, Middlesex, nr London
16-20 August Whitby Folk Week
23-24 August Towersey Folk Festival
If you’d like a copy of their Summer EP get in touch via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alexandnicola/info