Magpie Lane - biographies of band members



	Marguerite Hutchinson	Ian Giles	Sophie Polhill	Andy Turner	Mat Green	Jon Fletcher

Current line-up

Ian Giles is lead singer and frontman for the band. His voice is amongst the finest on the folk scene: warm and mellow, but with great power when required. A veteran of many folk club gigs and pub sessions, Ian is equally at home with a lyrical ballad, or leading a lusty chorus song. On the instrumental front, he contributes hurdy-gurdy and a variety of percussion. Ian is a member of the Oxford Waits; he also sings three-part harmony as GMW with Ian Woods and Oxford's favourite Yorkshireman 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. More at www.myspace.com/iangiles1

Andy Turner was winner of the Sidmouth Singer award in 1984, and is equally well respected as a singer and anglo-concertina player. An occasional member of the Oyster Band in the early eighties, he also worked with Chris Wood (as a duo, and in Polkabilly), and sang on three of the Mellstock Band's CDs. Andy is now a member of dance band Geckoes, and West Gallery choir the Christminster Singers. He performs regularly at folk clubs and festivals, both solo and with Mat Green. More at www.magpielane.dsl.pipex.com/andyturner www.myspace.com/andy_turner

Mat Green began dancing with Bampton Morris in 1972 and has become one of the key figures in the current generation of dancers. He has been playing fiddle since the age of 13, both for the morris, and for many years with the Woodpecker Band, possibly Oxfordshire's most popular barn dance band. He is surely one of the finest exponents of the traditional style of English fiddle-playing, giving dance tunes tremendous vigour and vitality. The Woodpecker Band website is at www.woodpeckerband.co.uk

Jon Fletcher The band's newest recruit - joined 2004. Jon grew up in a musical family in Reading, he sang from an early age and began playing guitar and writing music when he was 15. As a teenager he played in various rock, jazz and acoustic bands, and during three years studying in York he learned 5-string banjo, played in a surf instrumental band and wrote a dissertation on "Recurrent themes and Imagery in British Ballads". During the late 90s, Jon (together with siblings Kate & Colin, and fiddler/singer Nancy Kerr) was a member of acclaimed roots-pop group Epona, who toured the folk and festival circuit in the UK and Germany and released the album Shine Again. Jon currently lives in Oxford where he combines performing with teaching, production work and running a youth music project. As well as performing his own material, Jon is a sought-after collaborator, performing and recording with a number of other artists in Oxford's vibrant acoustic scene, including Lisa Fitzgibbon, Sharron Kraus and Matt Sage. Jon has released one solo album "A Month in the Summer", a beautifully-arranged collection of songs showcasing Jon's beguiling vocals and intricate guitar-work, and covering a musical spectrum from traditional folk to swinging jazz and soulful acoustic pop. More at www.jonfletcher.co.uk www.myspace.com/jonfletcheruk

Marguerite Hutchinson joined Magpie Lane January 2001. A fine singer, well-known on the Oxford folk scene, Marguerite also plays recorder, whistle, flute and Northumbrian small-pipes. She has performed in an occasional duo with leading early music / folk musician Giles Lewin (Afterhours, Dufay Collective, Carnival Band etc.) and was formerly in Divers Divas.

Sophie Polhill also joined January 2001. Sophie studied music at the Colchester Institute of Music where - amongst other things - she became involved in West Gallery singing. With Magpie Lane she sings, plays the cello and tambourine, and does on-stage prawn impressions. She has recorded a CD of celtic songs with ex-Fairport musician Maartin Allcock, and is a member of Oxford all-woman quartet Divers Divas. She also sings with smoky late-night jazz duo, Lady Daze and plays cello for up-and-coming singer-songwriter Phil Bentley.



	Sophie Polhill	Marguerite Hutchinson	Ian Giles	Andy Turner	Mat Green	Benji Kirkpatrick

Former members
Benji Kirkpatrick First played with Magpie Lane 1999; left 2004. Played on: A Taste of Ale, Six for Gold. Benji joined Magpie Lane in 1999, contributing guitar, bouzouki and vocals. He started performing solo in 1998, and released his first CD "Dance in the Shadow" later the same year to universally favourable reviews. Benji plays with family dance bands Copperknob and Sons, the John Kirkpatrick Ceilidh Band and Mr. Gubbin's Bicycle; he is also a member of the justly acclaimed Dr. Faustus , along with Tim Van Eyken, Rob Harbron and Paul Sartin. During the Summer of 2001 Benji was part of the Oysterband "Big Session" along with a number of other talented young musicians. Since then he has continued to work with the Oysters, and accompanied John Jones on his 2004 solo tour. He has recently released his second solo CD, "Half A Fruit Pie" (Fellside Recordings FECD181); read a review.
Tom Bower Founder member; left December 2000. Played on: Oxford Ramble, Speed the Plough, Wassail, Jack-in-the-Green, A Taste of Ale. Tom added a number of instruments to Magpie Lane's line-up - whistles, flute, recorders, harmonium, dulcimer, bass mandolin, even bass guitar when we let him (!) . He also contributed lead and harmony vocals, and along with Andy Turner was one of the main arrangers of the group's material. Outside Magpie Lane, Tom formerly sang with the Christminster Singers, and has played bass with any number of local dance bands (principally Captain Webb at present). He is also an extremely fine and original artist; amongst many other commissions, Tom has provided cover artwork for CDs by the Mellstock Band, Dave Townsend and Northern Harmony - check out http://web.ukonline.co.uk/bibleartist
Di Whitehead First performed with Magpie Lane Christmas 1993; left December 2000 Played on: Speed the Plough, Wassail, Jack-in-the-Green, A Taste of Ale. An accomplished cellist and recorder-player, Di's classical training on the cello was evident on some of the band's more lyrical song arrangements; at the same time she was able to provide a solid rhythmic bass-line for dance tunes, and this became one of the hallmarks of the Magpie Lane sound. Di is a member of Ayres and Graces, Bonne Bouche, and continues to play in various classical ensembles.


	Ian Giles	Tom Bower	Di Whitehead	Mat Green	Benji Kirkpatrick	Andy Turner

Peter Acty Founder member; left 1999. Played on: Oxford Ramble, Speed the Plough, Wassail, Jack-in-the-Green. An immensely sensitive accompanist on guitar, Pete had worked with Ian Giles for a number of years before joining Magpie Lane. In addition to Magpie Lane's first four recordings, Pete's guitar and mandola work can be heard on several collections on the Beautiful Jo label.
Joanne Acty Founder member; left 1999. Sang on: Oxford Ramble, Speed the Plough, Wassail, Jack-in-the-Green. A distinctive singer, often given the job of tackling the heavy ballads with Magpie Lane. Joanne also contributed a number of songs to "English Songs of Love" (BEJOCD-19 ) alongside Julie Murphy and Lynne Denman. For details of Joanne's artistic activities see http://www.artworks.org.uk
Isobel Dams Founder member; left 1993. Played on: Oxford Ramble. Isobel played cello on our first CD, and in the very first series of concerts around Oxfordshire. She left the band, to be replaced by Di Whitehead, when nursing work took her to Brighton.

Magpie drawings on this page by Anthony Harrington


Last updated: 08/11/06