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Recordings
JOANNA - Traditional dance music from England
The BISMARCKS
EFDSS CD10
April 2005
The Bismarcks are three English musicians playing traditional tunes on three
instruments: Ed Rennie on melodeon, Nina Hansell on fiddle and Gareth Kiddier on piano.
Having performed at ceilidh clubs and festivals for nearly ten years, The Bismarcks have
worked with some of the best callers in the country. They are themselves dancers and have
all played for traditional and ritual dancing such as sword and morris. During a ceilidh
they continually study the dance floor and concentrate on providing just the right tempo
to lift the dancers.
They also take great pains in their choice of tunes. On this album sources include 18th
century Lincolnshire, 19th century Australia and 20th century Italy, as well as one of
Nina and Ed's own compositions. Small but perfectly formed, The Bismarcks' sound is
somehow greater than the sum of its parts. At times there's an almost mechanical,
unstoppable energy to their playing. Exactly how this happens is probably not something
which can or should be defined. Suffice to say that it's just three people doing what they
love to do. That's what makes The Bismarcks' amongst the bounciest, most infectious and
best music for English ceilidh dancing.
Track List
1 Louth Quickstep / Follow On (4.50) 32 bar marches x8
2 The Small Fee / Turn Again Martha (4.24) 32 bar polkas x6
3 Mr Welch¹s Favourite / Speed The Plough (4.42) 32 bar hornpipes x6
4 Tarantella Calabria / 3e partie du Calédonia (4.50) 48 bar jigs x6
5 Goodnight And Joy Be With You / (4.18) 32 bar rants x7 Jock Wilson O' Fenton
6 Market Rasen Quickstep / Togmeister Twostep (3.38) 32 bar marches x6
7 Stockton Hornpipe / Browns Hornpipe (4.28) 32 bar hornpipes x6
8 Persian Dance (3.51) 48 bar polka x4
9 Seven Stars / A.M. Shinnie (4.33) 32 bar jigs x8
10 Tower Of London Quickstep / Turkish March (3.22) 32 bar marches x6
11 Chatham Hornpipe / Con Club Hornpipe (4.52) 32 bar hornpipes x6
12 Corn Rigs / High Tea (4.36) 32 bar rants x7
13 Paddy Carey / The Valliant (4.55) 48 bar jigs x6
14 The Mudgee Schottische (3.32) 32 bar schottische x7
15 Bonus track: The Damper Song (5:01)
Total time: 66.01 Track 14 only Sheena Masson and Ralph Jordan concertinas Track 15
only Simon Ritchie and numerous anon vocals
Musical Director Sheena Masson.
Produced and published by The Bismarcks.
Recorded at Presshouse Studios, Colyton, Devon. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Mark
Tucker.
Sleeve notes by Aidan Hansell.
Cover photo courtesy of Clare McHugh, photo modification by Steve Rawsthorn.
www.thebismarcks.com (webdesign by 7
Solutions)
Available on-line EFDSS
Narrative ~ Ed Rennie
Fellside Recordings FECD 185
Track List
Green Grow The Laurels
The Cruel Mother
Scan Tester’s Step Dance Tune/Tich’s Reel
Lord Bateman
Young London Waterman
Wimbourne Valentine
Little House Carpenter
4th Dragoons March
In Bruton Town
Colin & Phoebe
Umreen Alotus
My Love Is Like
"This CD really is a breath of fresh air ....." David Kidman - NetRhythms
available on line at
Or at good
record shops
distributed by proper music
Upstream ~ The Bismarcks
Upstream is the debut album from The Bismarcks - a band playing traditional English dance music. Upstream is where you go to find the original source, and the band's selection of tunes takes us back to the sources of English music - an eclectic mixture, all played in The Bismarcks' distinctive rhythmic style.
"This really is a very good record of lovely music,
brilliantly and appropriately played by one of today's top bands....." Rod Stradling - Musical Traditions
"Their music is rhythmic and steady, ideal for English-style dancing..." Jim Bainbridge - Living Tradition
Available on-line EFDSS or Veteran