Mike's fiddle playing has been influenced by that of Hector McAndrew, his lyrics by the Welsh bard Islwyn, and his storytelling by the Scottish traveller Duncan Williamson. As Belle Stewart once said "He has the conyach!"
He has travelled widely researching his material. In Southern Africa he followed the footsteps of Laurens van der Post and in Wales those of naturalist Ludwig Koch. He followed the course of Sir Francis Chichester across the Indian Ocean. He has charmed snakes in Singapore and the Bahamas, and called seals in Orkney, Lindisfarne and Cornwall.
Sounds Like
Mike's songs are powerful, evocative, and beautifully crafted.
His music, often the product of painstaking original research, is lyrical, and always beautifully performed.
Years ago Del Reid said "There's music in your words." Mike's tales also have a lyrical quality that shines through whether he's telling to wide-eyed children or world-wise adults. And it's there in short fireside tales as much as in epics.
All Mike's skills are brought together in huge tales such as Imravoe and Tristan. There music, song and story combine to create an epic one-man show of great emotional depth and greater artistic integrity.
Raised in Wales and London, Mike lived in Scotland before moving to Cornwall twenty years ago. Mike is a powerful and lyrical oral storyteller, and a fine singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Mike is a friendly, approachable and experienced performer and workshop leader, used to working with adults and children both in performance situations and in educational and community work. Mike is honoured to have been awarded the OBE and has been made a bard of the Gorsedd of Cornwall.
