Meet the staff…
Contrary to popular belief, we are not figments of imagination, we are not dead, nor are we folk pirates sailing the seven seas in search of ancient irish gold to lift a curse that turns us into morris dancers* under the moonli…. oh wait, that’s something else entirely. This is who we are…
*We love you really, you lovely morris dancers you.
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Hugh Bradley is a bit of a ‘musical tart’. He’s had dalliances with alist of instruments longer than his arm, including the mandolin family, whistles, flutes, electric and acoustic guitars and the upright double bass which has seen him performing in local and regional ceilidh, folk and rock bands. He even spent a couple of years touring europe with punk folk band, The Whisky Priests. He’s inspired by music as diverse as Jake Thackray, Beethoven… and Motorhead and is our expert on just about everything. Ever. He’s pretty much always here to chat in person, or on the phone.At the moment his out of hours projects include The Malkies (with Alistair Hulett), the ceilidh band, Shinjig and the acoustic blues outfit, Euclid Avenue. |
| Murray Grainger is in a priviledged position, having been trained in the classical accordion at The Royal Academy of Music, he has performed internationally, and taught classical, folk and traditional techniques at prominent musical instructions.He’s been known to perform in The Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Promenade Series, the South Bank Center with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and The Fesival Interceltic de Lorient in France.Given these credentials it’s little wonder that he’s our accordion expert. |  |
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Terry Evans is best known as a dance caller and with her extensive repertoire of traditional and self-penned dances is a feature of many strangers’ wedding videos. As a member of “The Garlic Pearles” she astounded the south of England with unaccompanied harmonies beforefalling in love with a Yorkshireman and relocating to the north. She plays English concertina so if you need help with that or any aspect of social dance or traditional song then give her a shout. She is often to be seen on the same stage as Hugh Bradley and their great rapport and repartee amuse many a Music Room customer (especially when chocolate biscuits are offered). |
| Also known as Doctor Loomes, solo performer, Jon Loomes sings almost exclusively traditional material, accompanying himself on guitar, fiddle, melodeon, English concertina, cittern and hurdy-gurdy. His guitar style is heavily based on folk dance rhythm borrowed from traditional fiddle and melodeon players.Like Hugh, there’s little that Jon can’t pick up and instinctivly play (damn him!), but when it comes to melodeons, he’s your man. |
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Tony Taffinder has been a musician for many years – at school in brass bands on tenor horn and Bb bass, and in folk bands on guitar. After leaving school Tony played with various blues and rock bands on drums and guitar to no avail; he gave up when other band members refused to maintain the same rate of hair loss as himself. He was a founding member of the ‘Morley Formation Drinking Team’ (now defunct) and this is when he fell in with a bunch of folkies, sold all his electric rock gear and bought his first acoustic guitar, closely followed by bass guitar, fiddle, bouzouki, bodhran, flute, whistles, mandolin, harmonica and tenor banjo. Currently Tony plays with local blues band ‘Sneakin’ Suspicion’, the ceilidh band ‘Shake a Leg ’, and also with Toms Napper and Bliss with squeeze-ace Chris Parkinson - ‘Tom, Tom and the Piper’s Sons’. |
| Mark Barrett is self proclaimed freelance creative, dabbling in arts (dark or otherwise) from illustration and traditional art in a wide range of media, through to photography and video in a digital arena.Currently he’s performing web geekery for us and is doing a pretty good job, though he says so himself. He plays what he calls a ‘custom two string’ guitar, electric bass, the piano and has been known, on occasion, to sing. According to Jon Loomes he’s also a comtemporary percussionist, given that he banged on a pan with a spoon when he was little. Well, if the cap fits… |  |
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Scott Preston is the only primate employed by the company and we keep him in mail order, out of the way. He plays left handed guitar and drums, and claims to play bass and mandolin. He’s currently performing with the eclectic outfit, Generation Gap. |
| Richard is Kappelmeister of the Vienna Boys choir. He is very good at manipulating parcel tape into shapes that appear at first glance to be three dimensional but that actually warp the fabric of space-time into the shape of a Viennese choir boy.A keen amateur gardener, Richard is known both for the enormity of his gladioli and also his uncanny ability to encourage the profligation of climbing plants. His interests include Indian head massage, cyber karate and the Vienna Boys choir. |  |
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Mark Johnson is our mail order manager. He oversees Richard and Scott and makes sure they actually do some work. No mean feat there. He’s the one who makes sure you get the stuff you ordered instead of a lucky dip. He graduated from Sheffield Univerity with a BA Honours in Popular Music. He’s also got A Levels in Music and Music Tech. Oh, and Grade 8 saxophone too.
He’s widely regarded as the most organised, most efficient member of staff though I suspect there’ll be a fight about that later. |
