Artisan (group)
Encyclopedia
Artisan were an English vocal harmony
trio, who sang a cappella
from 1985 to 2005. They consisted of songwriter
Brian Bedford
, his wife Jacey Bedford, and Hilary Spencer.
Artisan's early repertoire was a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs, all performed a cappella (i.e., without instruments) and in three-part close harmony, broadly within the folk genre, though with a cappella versions of some pop standards included. Their trademark sound was developed with Hilary singing strong lead in a much lower range than her original coloratura, with Jacey's softer voice providing a lighter (usually higher) harmony and Brian's voice often being used at the top end of his bass-baritone range so that Hilary and Brian's voices were fairly close together in range, 'glued' together by Jacey's.
After five years of performing at UK folk clubs part-time, Artisan went full-time in July 1989 when trio members gave up their day jobs. After that their first European work followed (Belgium, Okapi Folk Festival, Lokeren, and Bokregdag, 1990). In 1994 came their first transatlantic tour to Canada playing the Owen Sound Summerfolk Festival and the Mariposa Folk Festival
, followed by a return to Canada and a first tour to the USA in 1995 playing Bethlehem Musikfest in Pennsylvania.
In the next ten years there were thirty tours to the USA and Canada playing venues and major festivals including: Vancouver Folk Music Festival
; Winnipeg Folk Festival
and the Philadelphia Folk Festival
. In 2003 they played the Millennium Stage at Washington DC's Kennedy Center. The complete performance is archived on the Kennedy Center site. This is a full recording, unedited, exactly as performed.
There was also one tour to Australia in 2000 to play the Port Fairy Folk Festival
.
They built a strong fan base, both in the UK and North America. Artisan performed a few traditional folk songs, and songs written by other songwriters; however the majority of their work was penned by Brian Bedford (not to be confused with the actor Brian Bedford). One of their most popular songs is, What's the Use of Wings, written by Brian, about the need to "let go" of loved ones, and give them the freedom to make their own decisions. It has been covered by artists and groups including Vin Garbutt
(who includes it in his live repertoire), the late John Wright
, Marie Little, Gilly Darbey and the Philadelphia Gay Men's Choir.
Artisan concerts were always lively, known for their audience participation, particularly their Christmas concerts ("Stuff the Turkey"), which had a pantomime
feel to them. The group stopped touring in 2005, with two final concert
s held on 20th November 2005.
In 2010 Artisan came together again for a short, limited date reunion tour to venues and festivals in the UK and Canada.
As of 2011 Hilary is half of QuickSilver with Grant Baynham. Brian runs the recording studio
Park Head Studio. Jacey runs Jacey Bedford Tour Management, an agency that arranges tours for folk music
ians, mainly from overseas.
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
trio, who sang a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
from 1985 to 2005. They consisted of songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Brian Bedford
Brian Bedford (songwriter)
Brian Bedford is a song writer, singer and studio recording engineer.-Biography:Born 7 August 1949 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, Brian Bedford was educated at the Oaks County Secondary Modern School, Huddersfield School of Music and Bretton Hall College of Education. He took up cello whilst still at...
, his wife Jacey Bedford, and Hilary Spencer.
History
Artisan formed in 1984 when Jacey and Brian Bedford invited Hilary Spencer to sing with them at a concert at Birdsedge Village Hall near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. Prior to this Hilary had been trained for opera, singing coloratura soprano as an amateur singer with local operatic societies in Sheffield. Brian had attended Huddersfield School of Music (1970–72) and Bretton Hall College of Education (1972–73) and after learning 'cello as a first instrument had entered the teaching profession, teaching primary children at Crofton Shay Lane Junior and Infants - later Crofton Shay Lane Infants (Wakefield MDC education authority) during which time he had responsibility for music throughout the school. Jacey had no formal musical training beyond school choirs (Barnsley Girls' High School 1962-1969).Artisan's early repertoire was a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs, all performed a cappella (i.e., without instruments) and in three-part close harmony, broadly within the folk genre, though with a cappella versions of some pop standards included. Their trademark sound was developed with Hilary singing strong lead in a much lower range than her original coloratura, with Jacey's softer voice providing a lighter (usually higher) harmony and Brian's voice often being used at the top end of his bass-baritone range so that Hilary and Brian's voices were fairly close together in range, 'glued' together by Jacey's.
After five years of performing at UK folk clubs part-time, Artisan went full-time in July 1989 when trio members gave up their day jobs. After that their first European work followed (Belgium, Okapi Folk Festival, Lokeren, and Bokregdag, 1990). In 1994 came their first transatlantic tour to Canada playing the Owen Sound Summerfolk Festival and the Mariposa Folk Festival
Mariposa Folk Festival
The Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
, followed by a return to Canada and a first tour to the USA in 1995 playing Bethlehem Musikfest in Pennsylvania.
In the next ten years there were thirty tours to the USA and Canada playing venues and major festivals including: Vancouver Folk Music Festival
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is an outdoor multistage music festival. It takes place annually, on the third weekend of July. Founded in 1978, this annual festival uses eight outdoor stages, located at Jericho Beach Park on the west side of Vancouver, British Columbia.In the past it has...
; Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Folk Festival
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a summer folk music festival held in Birds Hill Provincial Park, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It features a variety of folk artists from all around the world, as well as a number of local folk performers....
and the Philadelphia Folk Festival
Philadelphia Folk Festival
The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an annual folk music festival near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Begun in 1962, the four-day festival is sponsored by the non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society. The event hosts contemporary and traditional artists in genres...
. In 2003 they played the Millennium Stage at Washington DC's Kennedy Center. The complete performance is archived on the Kennedy Center site. This is a full recording, unedited, exactly as performed.
There was also one tour to Australia in 2000 to play the Port Fairy Folk Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
The Port Fairy Folk Festival is a popular annual four-day music festival based in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia....
.
They built a strong fan base, both in the UK and North America. Artisan performed a few traditional folk songs, and songs written by other songwriters; however the majority of their work was penned by Brian Bedford (not to be confused with the actor Brian Bedford). One of their most popular songs is, What's the Use of Wings, written by Brian, about the need to "let go" of loved ones, and give them the freedom to make their own decisions. It has been covered by artists and groups including Vin Garbutt
Vin Garbutt
Vin Garbutt , though second generation Irish, is an English folk singer and songwriter...
(who includes it in his live repertoire), the late John Wright
John Wright (musician)
John Wright is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He replaced the former drummer, Murray Jackson. He is best known as the drummer, keyboardist, occasional vocalist and co-songwriter in the progressive punk rock/punk jazz band NoMeansNo, as well as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the...
, Marie Little, Gilly Darbey and the Philadelphia Gay Men's Choir.
Artisan concerts were always lively, known for their audience participation, particularly their Christmas concerts ("Stuff the Turkey"), which had a pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
feel to them. The group stopped touring in 2005, with two final concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s held on 20th November 2005.
In 2010 Artisan came together again for a short, limited date reunion tour to venues and festivals in the UK and Canada.
As of 2011 Hilary is half of QuickSilver with Grant Baynham. Brian runs the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
Park Head Studio. Jacey runs Jacey Bedford Tour Management, an agency that arranges tours for folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ians, mainly from overseas.
Discography
- Three Piece Sweet (1986)
- Searching for Yordale (1988)
- Driving Home (1989)
- The Season of Holly and Ivy (1990)
- Rocking At The End Of Time (1991)
- Breathing Space (1993)
- Bygone Christmas (1994)
- Our Back Yard (1996)
- Paper Angels (1999)
- Dancing With Words (2000)
- Christmas Is Come In (2002)
- Silver And Gold (2003)
- Artisan Live (2005)
- Random Play (2010)
- (DVD) Artisan at the Paramount (2006) (This is a recording of Artisan's last ever concert on 20 November 2005)
Awards
- In 1997 they were nominated for the "Best Folk Song" award by the Contemporary A Cappella SocietyContemporary A Cappella SocietyThe Contemporary A Cappella Society , or CASA, is a 501 charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was cofounded in 1991 by Deke Sharon by incorporating the first a cappella directory, The List, founded in 1988 & distributed...
at the Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) for the song Lest We Forget, from the Our Back Yard album. - In 1998 they won the "Best Folk Song" award, at the CARAs, for the song Mabel from the Driving Home album. In 1999 they were nominated for the "Best Holiday Album" award at the CARAs, for Paper Angels. In 2001 they won "Best Folk/World Album" award at the CARAs, for Dancing With Words.
Sources
- Music Hound Folk - The Essential Album Guide ed Neal Walters & Brian Mansfield. Published 1998 Visible Ink Press, ISBN 1-57859-037-X
- CARA awards 1998
- CARA awards 2001
External links
- The official Artisan website
- Hilary Spencer's website
- Birdsedge Village hall Website
- Huddersfield School of Music
- Barnsley Girls High School Archives
- Bethlehem Musikfest
- Summerfolk festival, Owen Sound Ontario
- Port Fairy Folk Festival
- Vancouver Folk Music Festival
- Winnipeg Folk Festival
- Philadelphia Folk Festival
- Concert footage from the Kennedy Center Washington DC, December 2003