Giles Lewin is a British violinist and bagpiper.
He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. Aged nine, he sang the female lead in Mozart's "Bastien et Bastienne". At Cambridge University he acquired a love of
Irish traditional musicThe folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the Border.-History:There are several collections of Irish folk music from the 18th century, but it was not until the 19th century...
. His admiration for
William LawesWilliam Lawes was an English composer and musician.Lawes was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire and was baptised on 1 May 1602...
led him to join a group called The Medieval Players (1981 - 1987). In 1983 they performed Rabelais's "Gargantua" with actors, puppets and acrobats.
Giles Lewin is a British violinist and bagpiper.
He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. Aged nine, he sang the female lead in Mozart's "Bastien et Bastienne". At Cambridge University he acquired a love of
Irish traditional musicThe folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the Border.-History:There are several collections of Irish folk music from the 18th century, but it was not until the 19th century...
. His admiration for
William LawesWilliam Lawes was an English composer and musician.Lawes was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire and was baptised on 1 May 1602...
led him to join a group called The Medieval Players (1981 - 1987). In 1983 they performed Rabelais's "Gargantua" with actors, puppets and acrobats. Their version of medieval music was gutsy, compared to most early music consorts of the time. In 1987 he became a founder member of the
Dufay CollectiveThe Dufay Collective is an early-music ensemble from the United Kingdom, specializing in Medieval and Renaissance music. Founded in 1987, it was named after the Renaissance composer Guillaume Dufay...
. He was also a member of the group "Afterhours" (1989 - 1995).
In 1989 Lewin spent several months in Cairo to study Arabic violin under Ashraf al Sarki. Lewin is a vocalist and plays fiddle, vielle, rebec, gittern, shawms, recorder, mandolin, pipe and tabor. His most remarkable skills are as a player of the Arabic violin and as a player of the single-drone medieval bagpipes. He is an occasional member of the Egyptian group Maqaam.
The Carnival BandThe Carnival Band aims to make early music accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Their broad repertoire focuses on popular music from...
evolved out of The Medieval Players. The combination of Giles Lewin, Andy Watts, Bill Badley and Jub dates from 1985. They have recorded as a backing band for
Maddy PriorMaddy Prior is an English folk singer.-Early life:Born in Blackpool, Prior moved in her teens to St Albans, where she befriended the young Donovan Leitch and Mac MacLeod. She later formed a duo with MacLeod called Mac & Maddy. She became a roadie for visiting American musicians, including Reverend...
. Lewin joined up with Vivien Ellis, another member of the Dufay Collective and the Carnival Band to become the duo Alva in 1997, specialising in the music of the troubadours. The songs on "The Bells of Paradise" were first performed at the 2003
York Early Music FestivalThe York Early Music Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music from the 18th century and earlier. It was established in 1977, and takes place in York each July at various venues such as York Minster, the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at the University of York and the...
. Alva also performed at St John's, Smith Square in 2001 as part of a live performance for BBC's "Late Junction". Ellis has been a member of Sinfonye since 1989, and is a member of The Broadside Band. She is involved with jazz, singing with
Keith TippettKeith Tippett is a British jazz pianist and composer.Tippett went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. The son of a local police officer, he was the solo soprano singer in a school production of Tom Sawyer...
. Marguerite Hutchison, a member of
Magpie LaneMagpie Lane is an English folk group, based in Oxford, England.The musicians of Magpie Lane first came together in the winter of 1992–93 to record The Oxford Ramble, a collection of songs and tunes from, or about, Oxfordshire. Although originally conceived as a one-off recording project, the band...
, also occasionally performs with Lewin as a duo.
In 2004 Lewin became a founder member of
BellowheadBellowhead are an English folk band originally brought together by John Spiers and Jon Boden. The 11 piece band plays traditional English dance tunes and songs, but with a considerable twist. Riotous, rousing and sharp-suited, this contemporary and unique band includes drums and a four-piece brass...
and left in late 2007. In 2008 he accompanied Maddy Prior at the
BBC Electric PromsThe BBC Electric Proms is a music festival run by the BBC held during October in London since 2006.The name is taken from The Proms a classical music festival running since 1895 and maintains a few traditions from its counterpart such as the final night culminating in an interpretation of "Land of...
, and released a solo album
The Armchair Orienteer (PRKCD103). He is currently based in Oxford.
Discography
Dufay Collective (with Giles Lewin)
- - A L'Estampida: medieval dance music (1991)
- - A Dance in the Garden of Mirth: medieval instrumental music (1994)
- - Miri It Is: songs and instrumental music from medieval England (1995)
Dufay Collective (with Giles Lewin and Vivien Ellis)
- - Johnny, Cock thy Beaver: popular music-making in 17th century England (1996)
- - On the Banks of the Seine: music of the trouveres (1997)
- - Miracles: 13th century Spanish songs in Praise of the Virgin Mary (1997)
- - Cancionero - Music for the Spanish Court 1470-1520 (2002)
- - Music for Alfonzo the Wise (2005)
- - A L'Estampida - 15¾th Anniversary Edition (2005)
Afterhours
- - Hung Up and Dry (1992)
- - Up to Here (1994)
Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band
- - Carols and Capers (1991)
- - Hang Up Sorrow And Care (1995)
- - Ringing the Changes (2007)
Alva (Giles Lewin and Vivien Ellis)
- - Love Burns in Me (2002)
- - The Bells of Paradise (2004)
Giles Lewin, David Miller, London Camerata et al.
- - Shakespeare's Musicke (1993)
Philip Pickett, New London Consort,
Nigel EatonNigel Eaton is an English hurdy gurdy player. He originally played the piano and cello but switched to the hurdy gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began making them. He performed as part of the dance band Blowzabella from 1985 and recorded five albums with them before their split in...
, Giles Lewin et al.
- - Tielman Susato - Danserye 1551 (1993)
Invocation (Julia Gooding, Timothy Roberts, Giles Lewin et al.)
- - Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies (1995)
Ian GilesIan Giles is a member of Magpie Lane and Oxford Waits; he also sings three-part harmony with Ian Woods and Graham Metcalfe. He has recorded with the Mellstock Band and Christminster Singers, while his solo album "The Amber Triangle" is available on the WildGoose label.- Discography :Ian Giles, John...
, John Spiers, Jon Boden, Giles Lewin
- - An English Folk Christmas (2006)
Giles Lewin
- - The Armchair Orienteer (2008)
External References