Malcolm Fielding (Irish bouzouki made by Peter Daffy, tenor banjo)
Amy Jansen (mandolin made by Paul Beevers, flute, whistles made by Sweetheart)
Stephanie Anderson (fiddle, flute)
Patrick Oxbrough (fiddle)
Influences
Stylistically we draw on music from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton, Quebec, the Shetland Isles, Scandinavia and the Balkans. We're keen to include recently composed tunes in our repertoire and write some material ourselves too. All four members of the band in current line up are founder members from 2006.
Stephanie Anderson (fiddle) has been playing the fiddle for 15 years, and came to Australia in 2006 from Oregon in the US. She started out playing classical music, but soon switched to playing folk music. Stephanie has been involved in playing a wide range of folk styles including Irish, Scottish, Balkan, Swedish, and Shetland styles. For over three years she played in Balladina, a Balkan folk group in Oregon, at dances and festivals. The band’s repertoire included a large number of Bulgarian, Greek, and Croatian tunes. She has played Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, and Swedish tunes in sessions for many years.
Patrick Oxbrough has been playing in the Hobart session scene for a number of years, and is inspired by the highly attacking fiddle styles of Irish players such as Ciaran Tourish (Altan), Tommy Peoples and Adrian Barker (Trouble in the Kitchen). Patrick has been developing a repertoire of fiddle tunes from a number of folk traditions over the last 10 years and has attended master classes with leading players including Gerry O'Connor, Liz Doherty and Martin Hayes.
Amy Jansen (whistles, mandolin & flute) has been playing celtic and balkan music for many years, mainly for dancers, and has performed at a number of festivals around the country. During a period based in Adelaide, she was a member of Amada world music group. Since moving to Tasmania in 2006 from NSW, she has been a member of Dancer’s Delight and a regular at sessions in and around Hobart.
Malcolm Fielding has a background in celtic and other European traditional music going back to 1984, was a member of The Occasional Ceilidh Band in the UK for 6 years to 1995 and of noted Scots/Shetland band Flatspin in Tasmania 1995/6. Other musical projects include a period with Irish band Freylok. Malcolm's festival appearances in recent years include: Port Fairy Festival, Georgetown Folk Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival, The Forest Festival and Hobart Fleadh Ceol. He also has an interest in Macedonian music which suits the bouzouki. This musical direction was explored in his duo Balkanology with mandolin player Luke Plumb of Scottish band Shooglenifty. His influences include Altan, Planxty, Na Fili, Boys of the Lough, The Bothy Band.
Sounds Like
We like to think we have our own sound, but you might be reminded of bands like Fiddler's Bid (the multiple fiddles and fast dance tunes with Nordic influences), or Altan (fiddle/flute with power bouzouki) - to name but two of many possibilities.
UPDATE 18th Aug 2009 - Our new self titled CD has now had final mastering. yay! We should have copies for sale by mid-September 2009. You can order it now from the independent music website Indie-cds.com
Dancers' Delight's original arrangements of acoustic music come from Irish, Scottish, Quebecois, Shetland, Scandinavian and Balkan traditions. With the twin fiddles of Stephanie Anderson and Pat Oxbrough in the lead, the powerhouse bouzouki of Malcolm Fielding driving the rhythm, and whistle, mandolin and flute from Amy Jansen adding edge and variety, this is a band you won't want to miss, in concert or for a dance. From polskas to crooked reels via strathspeys, jigs, oros, hornpipes and waltzes, journey with us through a selection of fine traditional tunes.
Sirocha Bruckard, a core member of the band for the last three years, left the band in August 2009 for Melbourne, we wish her all the best there.
Based in the Hobart area the band plays regularly for concerts, traditional Celtic dance groups and Celtic functions in the Hobart area and hosts a traditional music and dance session once a month. They have also been part of the line up at the Cygnet Folk festival in 2007, 2008 and 2009, Tasmanian Forest Festival 2008 and the Westbury Folk Festival 2008. Support gigs have included Kevin Burke, Crowfoot, and Adrian Barker & Kate Burke.
The band members pride themselves on producing quality interpretations of traditional tunes that respect the traditions on which we draw, while being prepared to be innovative in style. Our music is invariably delivered with a passion and sparkle that comes from a deep love of traditional acoustic music.
As you'd expect from our title, we love to play for dancing, although we are equally at home on a concert or festival stage.
Dancers Delight are available for Ceilidhs, dances and functions in southern Tasmania, and festivals in Australia by arrangement. Call 03 6297 8565 or contact via Myspace messaging.
