Alma brings together award winning fiddlers John Dipper (English Acoustic Collective) and Emily Askew (Askew Sisters) with guitarist and tambura player Adrian Lever (Arhai).
Inspired by fiddle traditions from England and across the world, at the heart of Alma's music is the joyful sound of fiddles playing in harmony.
Each member of Alma brings their own individual style and influences to the band. This includes John's work with Chris Wood in the English Acoustic Collective and groundbreaking string quartet Methera, Emily's extensive experience in early music (playing with The Dufay Collective, Shakespeare's Globe and at Glyndebourne), and Adrian's knowledge of Eastern European music developed through his highly acclaimed work with Arhai and Horses Brawl.
Alma's unique approach to the gems of each tradition result in beautiful and exciting new arrangements, that tantalise and excite the audience.
Emily Askew is a versatile musician playing fiddle, recorders, vielle, bagpipes and shawm. She has performed professionally on the folk scene for 14 years with bands such as Askew Sisters, Alma, A3 Ceilidh Band, The Elizabethan Session and The Emily Askew Band.
Emily studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and graduated
with a first class honours BMus. A keen chamber musician, Emily has also
performed with a range of ensembles. including The Artisans, Joglaresa
and The Dufay Collective. Emily also plays for opera and theatre with
shows at Glyndebourne, Apollo West End and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
More at www.emilyaskew.co.uk
John's unique playing style and his compositions convey a deep understanding and passion for the indigenous culture of England. Two of the albums that he played on and recorded recently were in The Times top 10 Folk/Roots albums of the year for 2017.
John has recorded on several films including the Hobbit, as well appearing in the TV series Poldark. He also performs with the groundbreaking string quartet Methera, Patterson Dipper, The Emily Askew Band, Dipper Malkin and Purcell's Polyphonic Party.
An experienced workshop leader and teacher, John has taught at venues
and events including the Australian National Festival, Sidmouth Festival,
Ashokan, Goldsmiths University and regularly teaches on the Folk Music
degree course at Newcastle University and the World Irish Music MA Course
at Limerick University.
More at www.johndipper.co.uk
Currently split between the UK and Serbia, Adrian Lever was guitarist with award winning folk and early music experimentalists Horses Brawl for 8 years, co-writing and releasing three albums and touring all over the UK at festivals and arts centres and performing live on BBC Radio 3.
His obsession with eastern wonky rhythms led him to study tambura in
Bulgaria with leading player Vladimir Vladimirov. This in turn led to
meeting and collaborating with UK-based Serbian singer and composer Jovana
Backovic (ArHai) - and to collaborations with Macedonian singer Tanja
Tzarovska. Performance highlights including The Barbican Concert Hall
and RichMix.
More at www.adrianlever.com
Emily Askew - fiddle | John Dipper - fiddle | Adrian Lever - guitar
Is it folk? Is it early music? Who cares when it's as ethereal
and seductive as this. Emily Askew, a multitalented star of the
Elizabethan Session project, focuses on the fiddle here, weaving
arabesques alongside John Dipper, as the guitarist Adrian Lever
supplies a velvet backdrop. Their repertoire continually springs
surprises, opening with a hornpipe before incorporating more astringent
themes from Scandinavia, Poland and North Africa. The playing is
spry, intelligent and joyous too."
Clive Davis
- The Sunday Times
 When three fine musicians come together under the banner, Alma,
be assured that the end result will be worthy of note. Alma is made
up of Emily Askew, John Dipper and Adrian Lever. Each and every
one of them brings great understanding, skill and empathy to the
music and no wonder, considering their respective backgrounds. All
the tracks have been gleaned from a myriad of sources, from the
tried and tested John Playford's English Dancing Master, of 1651,
to tunes form Sweden, Tunisia and even Iraq. Despite the eclectic
and diverse nature of the source material, such is the skill of
the performers that the music has a unifying homogeneous theme and
style throughout."
Living Tradition Magazine
Fiddlers Emily Askew and John Dipper, in tandem with guitarist
Adrian Lever, explore a cornucopia of music from European and Asian
fiddle traditions. Dexterity and virtuosity are balanced by elegance
of phrasing in a keen recording of joyous presence."
fROOTS Magazine
The recipe sounds simple, bring together three highly accomplished musicians and let the magic happen, unfortunately such groupings can result in a somewhat fragmented sound as each individual vies for position. This is emphatically not the case with Alma, the coming together of fiddlers John Dipper and Emily Askew with guitarist and tambura player Adrian Lever.
Their debut album Varieties could not have a more apposite name for Alma take their inspiration from fiddle traditions in England, Tunisia, Iraq, Sweden and Poland then add their own edge to create the most harmonious array of varieties.
The album positively sweeps and soars as the instruments interlace and entwine to take the listener on an incredible aural journey through its rich diversity... hornpipe, bouree, polska, mazurka, jig and a morris tune.
Inspired arrangements of traditional expression reside in perfect harmony with original composition ... 'Clark's Hornpipe' and 'Bourees' sit happily alongside 'A-Mollpolskan/ Happy Outcome' and 'Bishop of Chester's Jig/ Winterbourne'.
Softly reflective
themes engage in agreement with frenzied enjoyment, gentle illustration
sits together with precise enunciation... and Varieties delivers
exactly as promised.
FolkWords Magazine
Is it folk? Is it early music? Who cares when it's as ethereal
and seductive as this. Emily Askew, a multitalented star of the
Elizabethan Session project, focuses on the fiddle here, weaving
arabesques alongside John Dipper, as the guitarist Adrian Lever
supplies a velvet backdrop. Their repertoire continually springs
surprises, opening with a hornpipe before incorporating more astringent
themes from Scandinavia, Poland and North Africa. The playing is
spry, intelligent and joyous too."
Clive Davis
- The Sunday Times
 When three fine musicians come together under the banner, Alma,
be assured that the end result will be worthy of note. Alma is made
up of Emily Askew, John Dipper and Adrian Lever. Each and every
one of them brings great understanding, skill and empathy to the
music and no wonder, considering their respective backgrounds. All
the tracks have been gleaned from a myriad of sources, from the
tried and tested John Playford's English Dancing Master, of 1651,
to tunes form Sweden, Tunisia and even Iraq. Despite the eclectic
and diverse nature of the source material, such is the skill of
the performers that the music has a unifying homogeneous theme and
style throughout."
Living Tradition Magazine
Fiddlers Emily Askew and John Dipper, in tandem with guitarist
Adrian Lever, explore a cornucopia of music from European and Asian
fiddle traditions. Dexterity and virtuosity are balanced by elegance
of phrasing in a keen recording of joyous presence."
fROOTS Magazine
The recipe sounds simple, bring together three highly accomplished musicians and let the magic happen, unfortunately such groupings can result in a somewhat fragmented sound as each individual vies for position. This is emphatically not the case with Alma, the coming together of fiddlers John Dipper and Emily Askew with guitarist and tambura player Adrian Lever.
Their debut album Varieties could not have a more apposite name for Alma take their inspiration from fiddle traditions in England, Tunisia, Iraq, Sweden and Poland then add their own edge to create the most harmonious array of varieties.
The album positively sweeps and soars as the instruments interlace and entwine to take the listener on an incredible aural journey through its rich diversity... hornpipe, bouree, polska, mazurka, jig and a morris tune.
Inspired arrangements of traditional expression reside in perfect harmony with original composition ... 'Clark's Hornpipe' and 'Bourees' sit happily alongside 'A-Mollpolskan/ Happy Outcome' and 'Bishop of Chester's Jig/ Winterbourne'.
Softly reflective
themes engage in agreement with frenzied enjoyment, gentle illustration
sits together with precise enunciation... and Varieties delivers
exactly as promised.
FolkWords Magazine
"ethereal and seductive...their repertoire continually springs surprises. The playing is spry, intelligent and joyous too"
The Sunday Times
5th October
Music at Duffield
www.musicatduffield.com
1st November
Islington Folk Club
King & Queen, 1 Foley St, W1W 6D
8.00pm (doors open 7.30pm)
www.islingtonfolkclub.co.uk
3rd November
Leighton buzzard
www.lbmusic.co.uk
+44 (0)7986 572254
alma.fiddles@gmail.com
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