Hannah James and Sam Sweeney
Encyclopedia
Hannah James and Sam Sweeney are an English
folk
duo, comprising Hannah James (piano accordion
, vocals, clogs) and Sam Sweeney
(violin
, viola
, octave viola, English bagpipes, nyckelharpa
).
In 2010 they were nominated for the BBC Radio 2
folk award, 'Horizon Award'. Also in 2010, they won the 'Best Newcomers' at the Hancock Awards.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
folk
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....
duo, comprising Hannah James (piano accordion
Piano accordion
A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more similar to that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular...
, vocals, clogs) and Sam Sweeney
Sam Sweeney
Sam Sweeney is a multi-instrumental English folk musician.-Career:Sam has been playing fiddle since he was six, he now plays and teaches fiddle. Since 2002 Sweeney has been at the forefront of East Midlands-based folk band Kerfuffle, playing fiddle, viola, and cajon, and singing...
(violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, octave viola, English bagpipes, nyckelharpa
Nyckelharpa
A nyckelharpa , sometimes called a keyed fiddle, is a traditional Swedish musical instrument. It is a string instrument or chordophone. Its keys are attached to tangents which, when a key is depressed, serve as frets to change the pitch of the string.The nyckelharpa is similar in appearance to a...
).
History
Hannah James and Sam Sweeney have been playing together for many years, but only officially became a band in 2009.In 2010 they were nominated for the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
folk award, 'Horizon Award'. Also in 2010, they won the 'Best Newcomers' at the Hancock Awards.