Tim Laycock

Bio:

I am an English folk musician with a particular interest in the traditional music, stories and folk life of the West Country. I live and work in Dorset, although my music and theatre work often takes me to other parts of Britain and overseas. My main inspiration for all my work is the traditional folk music of England, especially songs and stories from Dorset. I first became interested in traditional music through hearing the Fairport Convention album 'Leige and Lief'. At university in Norwich in the early 1970's I heard singers and musicians such as Peter Bellamy, Tony Hall, Peter Coleman and Walter Pardon. I began to learn the concertina, inspired by players such as Tony Rose and John Kirkpatrick... but the type of concertina I got [ from a junk shop in Norwich] was a Crane system duet, and so now I find myself as one of the few professional players of this unusual but very flexible and expressive instrument. I was helped and influenced by another duet player, Tommy Williams from Battersea. I worked for a while in 1975-6 as singer , musician and puppeteer with Magic Lantern, England's Unique Travelling Show. Through Magic Lantern I met songwriter Bill Caddick, and went on to work with Bill and Peter Bond in a trio imaginatively called Bond, Caddick and Laycock- Melody Maker described us as 'the Crosby, Stills and Nash of the British folk scene'. I had a brief spell as an honorary member of the Albion Band for a production of 'Lark Rise' at the Leicester Haymarket and the Almeida Theatre, London; I also worked for several years with The Kipper Family, and with Dave Townsend and the Mellstock Band, including an African tour of Tanzania and Zanzibar. Currently I lead the New Scorpion Band and perform as a solo singer, storyteller and performer of the traditional music of England. I also write songs which I include in my sets. In addition to concertina I play melodeon and guitar, and occasionally mouth organ, banjolele. The New Scorpion Band consists of 5 musicians: Sharon Lindo, Robin Jeffery, Brian Gulland, Bob White and me. The band members are all distinguished musicians in their own fields, and play with other bands, groups and theatre companies. NSB has recorded 5 CD's on our own label, and has several themed shows of mainly traditional music and song from all over the British Isles. The band specialises in dstinctive harmony singing and thoughful accompaniments and arrangements. We play a wide variety of folk and historical instruments- a typical concert will feature around 25 instruments. Wherever possible, we prefer to play acoustically. the band tours extensively in Britain, and has also performed in Israel, Colombia, Holland and Belgium. www.new-scorpion-band.com Locally I perform with the Hambledon Hopstep Band, a ceili dance band based in Dorset. The band has provided music for community barn dances, weddings and celebrations in Dorset and Somerset for twenty years. www.hambledonhopstepband.co.uk I also work professionally as an actor. In the early 1980's I was working at the National Theatre in London, playing concertina in a production of 'The Beggar's Opera. I was asked to join the young National Trust Theatre as an actor- musician, and went on the perform in several devised plays set in stately homes, using theatre and music to bring history to life. I have gone on to provide music for dozens of plays, and have acted in many productions including the role of Jesus in 'The Passion'. I currently work regularly with two companies. The Lions' part in London perform seasonal celebrations on the Bankside outside Shakespeare's Globe, including Twelfth Night in early January and October's Plenty, a harvest celebration. I also work regularly with actor and director Sonia Ritter- our latest work is a performance of 'The Land' by Vita Sackville West. www.thelionspart.co.uk The other company I work for is Solomon Associates, performing 'Trickster!', a play with music about bogus callers and distraction burglary. This play has recieved over 350 performances- the next shows will be in Kent and Suffolk in September. www.auws35.dsl.pipex.com I combine my interest in traditional music and theatre in two solo shows. 'The Year Clock' is about William Barnes [ 1801-1886], the Dorset teacher and parson who chose to write poetry in the Dorset dialect. In the play I take on the character of William Barnes and tell and sing the story of his extraordinary life. Music is provided on fiddle and guitar by Colin Thompson [ ex- New Scorpion Band], and the play is directed by Sonia Ritter and designed by Michael Taylor. It's ideal for Arts Centres, small theatre spaces and community venues. The other show is 'The Dorset Sailor', a play about Richard Roberts, son of the mill owner at Burton Bradstock, who went to sea on HMS Victory in september 1805. Richard survived the battle of Trafalgar, and my play tells his story, based on his Remarks Book, a diary of the events surrounding the famous battle. This play also contains lots of traditional Dorset music and song, played either by Colin Thompson or by Sharon Lindo, current fiddler with the New Scorpion Band. I also write plays. I've written 10 full length plays, some adaptations of novels such as A Poor Man's House, based on Stephen Reynold's book about the Sidmouth Fishing community. In 2005 I wrote a play for the Teignmouth Folk Festival called 'Jack Spratt- a Trafalgar Tale', and also adapted and directed a production of Thomas Hardy's 'The Return of the Native' for the New Hardy Players in Dorchester. This year I have written 'A Wonderful Alteration' a community play for Newton Abbot in Devon about Brunel and the Great Western Railway.

Member Since:

June 25, 2006

Members:

Tim Laycock

Record Label:

WildGoose Records