Luke is a BBC award winning folk musician who has performed with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Cara Dillon and De Dannan, amongst others.
He was Folk Musician in Residence of the Scottish National Museum of Rural Life and tutor on the traditional music course at Royal Conservatoire Scotland in Glasgow. His 2015 album of melodeon music transcribed from early wax cylinders and 78s was described in the Scotsman as “outstanding.” A soloist on the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit soundtracks he performed at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His commissioned work for the PRS for Music New Music Biennial in 2014 was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from London’s Barbican Centre and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival’s Assembly Rooms and on Broadway with Riverdance. His musical partnership with the School of Philosophy at Edinburgh University culminated in sell out shows at Celtic Connections Festival on two consecutive years with Songs of the Scottish Enlightenment. He recently sang and played live for Mark Radcliffe on his BBC Radion 2 folk programme and was described by Mark as a “master melodeon player.”
His solo show uses an original 19th century Polyphon machine as part of the performance. Live, clockwork and sampled sound beautifully crafted into modern morality tales and intriguing instrumental music.
Described by Songlines as “a future classic” and by Acoustic Magazine as “an enchanting delight” ★★★★ award-winning singer and composer brings
The Polyphon is a disc-playing music box, a mechanical device manufactured in Leipzig, Germany in 1880. Disc projections, called plectra, engage with a series of ratchet-like star wheels, that, when moved through 40 degrees on their axis, pluck 120 teeth on the instruments bed plate and comb, these teeth then resonate, sounding predetermined notes. Newly manufactured 19 and 5/8th inch diameter steel discs rotate at 1.4 rpm and perform the first new music written for Polyphon in over a century.
“Intense, poetical and oft dark yet recounted through pleasing melodies. A rich tapestry has been woven into the songs; like a thoughtful unpicking and re-stitching of life’s journey.”
R2 MAGAZINE
The Cobhers
A new Scots/English 4-piece The Cobhers, pronounced “covers” (the ‘bh’ from the Gaelic spelling) aims at connecting wider audiences with instrumental folk playing.
Featuring top traditional musicians dedicated to playing folky instrumental reproductions of popular hits. Slightly tongue in cheek maybe, but serious musicians playing ‘fun yet faithful’ transcriptions of classic tunes by The Bee Gees, Dee Lite, Stevie Wonder, Abba and more with a view to enthralling and entertaining both committed folk and wider audiences.
Luke Daniels (melodeon, guitar and vocals) is a multi- instrumentalist specialising in button accordion and melodeon. He has enjoyed a long career collaborating with a range of artists and organisations as a means of promoting folk music, including Riverdance, London Jazz Festival, Cara Dillon, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Celtic Connections and English National Opera.
Charlie Stewart (fiddle and double bass) studied fiddle and Jazz bass at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and won the Scots Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017 and a Danny Kyle award as part of the duo ‘Ross Miller and Charlie Stewart’.
Scott Turnbull (guitar) Guided by musicians including Kathryn Tickell and Ian Stephenson, Scott gained valuable experience playing with Folkestra and Superfolkus, also mentored by Kathryn Tickell and appearing on her recent album ‘Waters Of Tyne’. Scott’s main influences stem from traditional folk music, however his playing has also been shaped by jazz music through his time being tutored by pianist Harris Playfair and guitarist Ross Milligan.
Michael Biggins (piano and piano accordion) is a formal pupil Chethams School of Music and studying piano at Royal Conservatoire Scotand. He originally picked up the piano accordion as a hobby however since then has gone on to win many awards both local and national.
Artist's performing: Luke Daniels & The Cobhers Tim Edey Our concert marquee is a seated venue. Please note we cannot reserve seats.
