The Gigspanner Big Band have announced an exciting new collaborative project with author Raynor Winn, it’s a perfect collaboration. A Portrait of the South West Coast Path in Old Songs and New Words.
The Salt Path is Raynor Winn’s Sunday Times best-selling memoir of walking the South West Coast Path in its entirety. Her walk was an impulsive response to unexpected circumstances which left her and her husband, Moth, homeless.
The Salt Path and its sequel The Wild Silence have sold over a million copies worldwide. They have won global praise for their ‘against all odds’ uplifting message, and their frank exploration of the reality of homelessness.
‘Mesmerising. It is one of the most uplifting, inspiring books that I’ve ever read’ i
‘The most inspirational book of this year’ The Times
It is the way of written words, be they songs or stories, to get handed down from person to person. In our story, a copy of The Salt Path was given by FolkEast Director, Rebecca Marshall-Potter to Deborah Knight, agent and manager of a collective of some of the most high-profile names on the folk-roots scene, The Gigspanner Big Band.
Whilst walking a stretch of the South West Coast Path, thinking of Raynor and Moth’s story, it occurred to Deborah that such a well-trodden path must hold many more stories of loss, love and the natural world. Perhaps these stories could be found in the form of traditional songs and tunes that have been left behind and saved for us due to the diligence of song collectors such as Cecil Sharp (1859 to 1924) co-founder of the English Folk Dance & Song Society.
Her hunch was correct, and research has thrown up a multitude of songs from this beautiful geographical location. It has proved to be a rich seam of songs to be mined.
This seed of an idea has developed into an exciting collaboration between Raynor Winn and The Gigspanner Big Band, and work is underway to develop a show based on those traditional songs, and Raynor’s words…words which, in her role as Ambassador of the path, she is writing especially for this project. Together, Raynor and the Gigspanner Big Band will celebrate this “630 uninterrupted miles of coastline, crossing wild headlands with the calls of oystercatchers, and the smell of salt laden air ever present” (Raynor Winn)
Saltlines is having its debut tour in venues around the South West Path in July of 2022. Following the route almost in its entirety, the tour of the South West Coast Path will start in Taunton, and finish in Poole.
This is sure to be a magical and unique experience, not to be missed.
The Gigspanner Big Band should need no introduction to our regular readers. Gigspanner began life as a trio – with legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack – the line-up was then expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin – BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo‘) and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray. In fact, Peter Knight and John Spiers are currently our Artists of the Month, following the release of Both in a Tune, their new album (reviewed here).
‘With the Gigspanner Big Band, Peter Knight has assembled a group of musicians intent on making some of the most important and exhilarating art ever to sit under the banner of folk music‘ Folk Radio UK
Saltines Tour Dates
July 2022
08 Taunton, The Brewhouse Theatre
09 Ilfracombe, The Landmark Theatre
10 St Endellion, Port Isaac, St Endellion Church
12 Falmouth, The Princess Pavilions
13Lyme Regis, Marine Theatre
14 Exmouth, The Pavilion
16Porthcurno, The Minack Theatre (Subject to weather)
17 The Lighthouse Theatre, Poole