Nancy’s career spans more than two decades, having been a part of a vast array of celebrated ensembles including the Melrose Quartet, The Full English and The Elizabethan Session, not to mention various projects with Eliza Carthy, Rob Harbron, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Sandra Kerr and of course her multi-award-winning duo with James Fagan.
While generally noted for her stirring interpretations of traditional material, Nancy is also an enchanting songwriter. Her song Queen of Waters received a nomination for Best Original Song at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2011, while her recent contributions to The Full English, for which she penned Fol the Day-O, and The Elizabethan Session, with Nancy’s haunting Shores of Hispaniola being one of the stand-out tracks, demonstrate her skill in writing songs which perfectly balance traditional and contemporary influences.
Sweet Visitor, released in July this year, is Nancy’s first entirely self-penned record. Complemented by an exceptional team of musicians including James Fagan, Tim van Eyken, Rob Harbron and Martin Simpson to name but a few, the album gives Nancy’s exquisite songwriting a real chance to shine. Combining a beautiful lyrical and melodic style that would be at home in any traditional folk song, with subjects rooted in the present, most notably in the uncomfortable and thought-provoking Hard Songs, the album is an intriguing musical work.
It is these songs she will be performing on tour, accompanied by a specially assembled all-star ensemble consisting of James Fagan (Cara Dillon, The James Brothers), Tom Wright (Albion band, Park Bench Social Club, Eliza Carthy), Tim Yates (Blackbeard’s Tea Party, The QP) and Rowan Rheingans (The Rheingans Sisters, Lady Maisery).
The tour is coming to Cecil Sharp House on Thursday 20 November. Join us for an evening of beautifully composed songs performed by a superb line-up of musicians, fronted by one of the best-loved voices on the folk scene.
Find out more about the show
Book Now
