The Larkrise Ranters is a ceilidh band based in Oxford, UK playing a broad range of British traditional tunes as well as some from, Europe, the USA and Israel. The band works with callers who specialise in English country dancing and is noted for its lively and energetic style.
The Ranters' origins lie in a scratch band that came together in 1997 for a fund-raising barn dance at Larkrise First School, Oxford - hence the name. Pete and Ed were involved in that first gig, though neither had any previous experience of playing for ceilidhs. Ed, a recent convert to folk music after joining the morris side Cry Havoc, was able to sight-read the tunes, while Pete, who had just rediscoverd folk music after a period of playing rock, 'busked' his way through them.
By the time the next Larkrise school dance came round Pete was knee deep in the school's PTA, and both he and Ed were keen to take the ceilidh thing further. So the search began for a line-up that could play on a more regular basis. Steve, who is the principle musician with north-west clog side Masons Apron, had been playing this sort of stuff (with the likes of the Long Hand Band and Jack's Maggot) for longer than he would probably care to admit, but seemed willing to throw in his lot with a couple of rookies. The 1998 line-up was completed by Helen Bell, a young and gifted viola player that Ed knew from Cry Havoc.
This line-up was kept busy over the following 18 months until Helen left to study music at York university. She was replaced by Suzanne Dominian, who also had connections with Larkrise school and played with the Oxford Fiddle Group.
By this time, the band was picking up work not just in Oxfordshire but also further afield in London, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire, Berkshire and Kent. However, by late 2002, Suzanne's other committments meant she had to leave. Julie, a music teacher by profession, was hungry to experiment with folk music and when a friend of hers introduced her to Cry Havoc, Ed noticed her prowess with the fiddle and invited her to join the band.
If Ed and Julie are around on the second Tuesday of the month we are usualy at the Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall in Staveley near Kendal. We host the session there and all are welcome. The beer is fantastic too. See our profile for more dates and info.
