Words and photos Greg Russell & Ciarán Algar by Pete Heywood A Road Well Travelled

“...History does tend to repeat itself and, if they keep their heads screwed on and

he Living Tradition has their feet on the ground, it suggests that never been one to laud the has been wide ranging - a head, Tlatest young musician as they will have a long term association heart and soul investment which being the future of folk music. goes far beyond that normally Such predictions rarely live up expected from an independent to expectations and first albums, with the music they so obviously enjoy...” record label. With two albums whilst benefitting from an element under their belts, their latest of freshness, when viewed over project is a DVD of a live concert time often lack a depth that comes performance. The recording for with experience. embarking on as a soloist, and can be there to answer questions. this took place in June at the with Ciarán joining Greg on dates They’re friends though, before Theatre Royal in Workington. This Currently on the crest of a that he had previously arranged. anything else. At the same time, was on the home patch for Paul wave, Greg Russell and Ciarán Although retaining their own it’s really nice to be able just and Linda, both having worked Algar display a maturity in their identities, they all clearly enjoy to do it and live it without too extensively on all aspects of the performance which belies their each other’s company and are much meddling. Make my own productions in this, their local youth. Fast developers or early able to develop a close musical mistakes, I suppose, learn on theatre. The technical aspects starters? Probably a bit of both, rapport over time. It would be too the job. That said, I’ve never felt of the recording were simply but my guess would be that it was easy to interview Greg and Ciarán ‘alone’ or stranded. There have incredible, a multi camera shoot the early start that gave them their as a duo without respecting their always been very supportive using over 20 cameras - a set-up edge. individuality. Twins often suffer people.” that Spielberg might have been from this; people assume that proud of. Greg and Ciarán are embarking because they look alike they must With regard to their professional on a road trodden by many before think alike. Catching up with them development as a duo, Paul The show rolled from start to finish them. History does tend to repeat during a hectic day of preparation, and Linda Adams’ input and with no interruptions – no mean itself and, if they keep their heads performance and filming for a live guidance has been significant. feat and a credit to the expertise of screwed on and their feet on the DVD, my conversation was mainly From the stage, Greg and Ciarán the team involved. This is another ground, it suggests that they will with Greg. acknowledge the risk that Fellside example of people batting for have a long term association took with them, committing both Greg and Ciarán. A friend of Paul, with the music they so obviously Both Greg and Ciarán have to a debut recording and a longer Edward Cooper, teaches video enjoy. Some parallels are supportive families and a firm term relationship at a time when production at Carlisle College of already fairly obvious, yet there grounding in traditional music they had barely a handful of songs Art and pulled together a skilled are also differences in time and and although not formalised, they together. “Fellside’s support has technical team for the occasion, place which can throw up new have benefitted from a variety of been invaluable. First for taking some of them former students choices and challenges. They mentors, some closely involved, a massive punt on us. We’d done now working professionally in are enjoying mainstream media others simply keen to ‘look out for about three sets as a duo when film and television production. attention at an early stage of their them’. Greg explains: “I’ve never they agreed to take us on. Also, Attention to detail, and a further musical journey and even if this had ‘one’ mentor. There have Paul didn’t really know the sort of example of the heart and soul spotlight exists only for a short been people in certain areas who material we were going to produce attachment, was Linda assembling time, it brings opportunities that, have been extremely supportive. during the recording session. a group of singers to act as a for previous generations, might Paul and Linda at Fellside, for As well as the faith, without choir for their rendition of The have taken many years to achieve. example, have always been there the knowledge and support of Rose In June. Paul Adams had to bounce ideas off and talk things Fellside, I don’t think I or we sent a copy of a Louis Killen CD to Comparisons with people like through with. I think there are would have been in the position Greg, highlighting a song with a Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick people throughout time who have to produce an album at that time. simple comment: “Listen to this”. and Robin & Barry Dransfield gone out of their way to ‘check’ So I am eternally grateful for the That song, The Rose In June, has have already been made and on me, in a helpful and supportive start, launch pad, contacts and become a tour de force in Greg Greg and Ciarán are thrilled with as opposed to an annoying way, continued support we receive.” and Ciarán’s repertoire. It has a this level of compliment. Parallels but as I’ve developed friendships powerful narrative and although with Martin and Dave include their and spoken to people, I’ve learnt Paul and Linda have seen polished and arranged for stage accidental coming together as things. There are people who I most things before and appear performance, Greg’s essentially duos, with Swarb joining Martin on talk with quite regularly, people determined to pass their direct delivery captivates the a folk club tour that he was initially who’ve seen it all before or who experience on. Their contribution listener.

The Living Tradition - Page 34 The Living Tradition - Page 35 Greg “I did indeed grow up in a musical and I heard Liege & Leaf, and they was anything relating to my local which really stirs an emotion, “...what else household. Mum sings in choirs have got similarities but are both area. I think it would help if I whatever that may be.” and Dad has always played in quite different. So I thought, ‘what was able to read music. Hearing various bands, local and national. else can I discover in this big folk other singers would be more “Accompaniment wise, Ciarán can I discover I suppose most notably on that music thing, this tradition?’” likely to prompt me to dig into will bring a tune, or me a song, front were his involvements in Paul the archives rather than starting and we play it to the other. The Metzer’s Band and also the Family “I’d also attend local folk clubs from the archive itself. It was like other will jump in and start in this big folk Mahone, fronted by Mark Radcliffe with my parents and going to the that with Brian Peters - I heard playing along and see what now of Radio 2.” local folk club not only gave me his version of The Wild Rover and happens. Sometimes, it just a chance to start to play music in asked him where he got it from works. Sometimes we have to music thing, this “It was Mum and Dad’s fault that I public but also to hear more and and he sent me some website really work at it and that will started listening to folk music. But more songs. Whether I’d have links to look up.” include one saying to the other tradition...” as soon as I’d been introduced, found folk music without mum and what sounds nice/not nice about I wanted to discover more. It dad - I can’t really comment - I’d “The mixture of stuff we do what the other is doing. Also sometimes, interestingly, an was never forced. Folk Rock really like to think I would, but as includes original material, accompaniment might actually was predominantly the music in soon as I’d been introduced to interpreted traditional songs and change the way we do the song the house; Fairport, Steeleye, the music, I knew I wanted to stay interpretations of other people’s Photo: Daniel Rothwell or tune slightly. And it’s also Fotheringay etc., so that was involved.” songs. I don’t think I have a my introduction, but as soon as bias, taste wise, to any of the possible that an accompaniment may change from gig to gig. Greg and Ciarán went on to musicians of an older generation I’d been introduced, I started We spoke a bit about the duo’s above. I don’t really know what Ciarán is so talented that win the BBC Young Folk Award have had more than one job discovering more.” repertoire; where Greg learned makes me go for a song. There he changes things, within a in 2012 and the following year or another wage earner in the his songs, what inspired him and are some songs that I would love framework, fairly often. But added the Horizon Award in family. The current trend is to “I don’t think that I ever remember whether he found the various to sing, but perhaps when I listen there are certain things that will the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. play in more than one line-up hearing Waterson:Carthy and archives that are now available to them the meaning is lost – I always stay. For instance, there So what of the future? I think to give diverse income streams. albums like Penguin Eggs in the online a help in finding new don’t quite get it. The song has are some notes (the height of there is little doubt that music What will be interesting to see is house. I discovered them on my material. “For us, now, there is to mean something to me. On my musical language) he plays will feature prominently in the what difference the commercial own. And when you discover so much coming in, there is so the same topic, there are certain at the end of the instrumental in career paths for both Greg and opportunities that media attention things like that, or for Ciarán, much that we have access to songs, tunes, and ideas for Away From The Pits. It’s bloody when he discovered Lúnasa, why that it’s fantastic. As for archives songs which I just can’t make Ciarán and that the odds are and large festival stages will make brilliant. I’d be sad if he ever good for their current partnership to Greg and Ciarán’s continued wouldn’t you want to carry on such as The Full English, I’ve not work! I suppose, basically, in the didn’t play that! I’m a bit more to endure. Had they been a ability to balance their choices. exploring folk music! That was learned anything from it yet but I songs we choose and my limited of a ‘like to be rehearsed’ man, band I would be less optimistic, another thing for me. I heard have looked up things. The first writing, it’s either got to be a but even I will change a tune bands just don’t seem to have After this summer Greg is Penguin Eggs and enjoyed that, thing that I did was to see if there really good story or something accompaniment sometimes!” the same longevity these days, returning to university to finish but I think that the duo format his politics degree, not because has particular strengths and has he feels that he needs the a lot going for it. There is room qualification, rather because he is Ciarán Ciarán also came to the duo Pointon on fiddle, banjo and people quietly ‘looking out’ for of a City of Stoke music project for direct communication with the interested in the subject. Ciarán’s “...Hearing one with a family background in folk mandolin and Ciarán on fiddle, these young musicians. called Roots, which was working audience, as with a solo artist, decisions lie ahead of him. He music. Ciarán’s father is the man bodhrán and bouzouki. Niamh with musicians from a range together with the opportunity has been offered a place at of musical backgrounds and behind Barleycorn Concertinas, Boadle gives an insight into the Later on and unconnected, I to spark and blend together university but has decided to defer introducing them to folk music. different tune can a specialist buyer and re-seller band and to the development had a phone conversation with without being constrained by tight that for a year. This won’t result A lot of the music that I play that of concertinas. He is also a of the easy stage presence that Ciarán’s father, Chris Algar, arrangements. in any significant change from the initially about concertinas but isn’t Irish comes from that. The songwriter, the man behind, Greg and Ciarán now have with position of the last three years, open you up to a then about career opportunities, air, Miss Rowan Davies by Phil among others, A Season In Your their audiences. “As we were all Ciarán has only just left school a time during which at least one or rather the lack of them, for Cunningham, is such a beautiful Arms, which for me is one of the teenagers, starting with an age after his A levels and is currently of them has been in education. young musicians at festivals piece of music, I thought it was whole variety of highlights of Greg and Ciarán’s range of 13-15 at our first gig, we looking forward to University … The positions might be largely and clubs. We spoke about Trí traditional. And there are also recent CD. When I listened to were rather reliant on parents to or? “I’ve never had a proper reversed, but it will be very much and this was the first time that North American things such as the CD and saw the writing credit get us around. Those four years job – and it doesn’t really appeal business as usual in terms of things...” I became aware of Ciarán and Catharsis which I play. There ‘Algar’, I made the assumption that were the apprenticeship for us to me!” Ciarán said this to availability for gigs. his family connections. Clearly was such a wide variety of things Ciarán had written the song and all - gigging all over the place, me not long after I had seen they all had high hopes at that at Roots. Hearing one different that Greg had been the interpreter. learning to arrange our music a television interview with Ed I remember the ‘60,000 mile time but I think that Ciarán now tune can open you up to a whole I then mused about whether this (Ciarán was a good improviser) Sheeran ahead of his appearance long term tests’ that used to be explained Ciarán’s sensitive song and developing stagecraft. Ciarán recognises that the timing was variety of things. Catharsis is not quite right and that there from Natalie MacMaster’s fiddle at Glastonbury. Ed Sheeran had published in the car magazines in accompaniment style and thought was always very funny on stage, made a conscious decision that my younger days. I look forward that he might be ‘singing through including making up tales about might even be a downside playing, and it was so good that it made me want to go and listen being a working musician was his to following Greg and Ciarán’s the fiddle’, delivering his songs the need for emergency medical to being labelled as young musicians. Trí came to a natural to more of her repertoire.” further education. So, all options progress over time. The main once removed. Discovering that treatment for fictitious pets - i.e. for Ciarán seem to remain on the flaw I see in that plan though is his father was the writer at first buy our CD! On a serious note, end late in 2012 when Niamh “I used to have fiddle lessons table. that I’m not sure if I have another blew that theory out of the water, our apprenticeship also included headed off to university. Niamh is currently studying the BMus from a guy called John Purcell 60,000 miles on my clock! Public but on further reflection, I still think learning to be reliable and to Folk and Traditional Music and he taught me about 100 That choice, musical career or exposure has come early for Greg that there is a deeper connection always perform to the best of your degree at Newcastle University tunes over a two year period, education, is a decision that and Ciarán and hopefully their there between song and music. Is ability, whatever the audience.” and as part of that, was able to but he also gave me various has been faced by countless success will allow us to enjoy their this due to exposure to songs in study for a semester on the Irish CDs with probably four times as other musicians. Many of the performances for a long time to the home or is it something in the Trí thrived for nearly four years, Music and Dance BA at Limerick many. I can hear a tune three older established professional come. genes? reaching the semi-finals of University. Neither of the other times round and can usually get folk groups are populated by the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk two members of the group could it by the third, so now it’s very people with half-finished degrees Ciarán’s main interest and musical Awards. They supported Dervish drive so there were obvious much from listening to other or abandoned ‘sensible’ career Debut album: background lies in Irish music in a concert and not long after, difficulties in keeping the band bands and seeing people, mainly paths. Tony McManus dropped The Queens Lover – FECD251 and he cites Sean Smyth, fiddle I got a phone call from Dervish together. Clearly the members at festivals and at concerts or out of university as the guitar player with the Irish band Lúnasa, suggesting that I might look them of the band have moved on with sessions, that I get my repertoire. took over, Alistair Anderson took Latest Album: as a major influence. Ciarán was up and do an article on them. My that particular experience under If a tune stands out to me, I’ll go time out of teaching and one of The Call – FECD262 a member of a young band called own experience of older traditional their belts. home and learn it. There is a Ciarán’s main musical influences, Trí, a three-piece band playing singers and musicians is that they website, thesession.org, which is Sean Smyth, fiddle player and www.fellside.com Irish music and featuring Niamh are generous with their time and Although Ciarán is focussed on the database for Irish music, so founder of the band Lúnasa, has Boadle on vocals, guitar, whistle, encouraging of a new generation Irish music, he is wide ranging if I hear a tune that I like, I look to balance his time playing music www.russellalgar.co.uk bodhrán and step dancing; Neal and this is another example of in what he picks up. “I was part there.” with his career as a doctor. Most

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