Strawhead (band)

Infobox Musical artist
Name=Strawhead


Img_capt=
Img_size=
Landscape=
Background=group_or_band
Origin=Northern England
Genre=Folk music
Years_active=1974—
Label=
Associated_acts=
Influences=
URL=http://www.strawhead.org.uk/
Current_members=Gregg Butler
Malcolm Gibbons
Chris Pollington
Past_members=

Strawhead is a northern England, Preston-based folk musical group founded in 1974Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/music/stories/2003/01/strawhead-folk.shtml|title=Strawhead folk|work=Coventry and Warwickshire music|publisher=BBC|date=2002-12-31|accessdate=2008-06-21|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040813092702/http://www0.bbc.co.uk/coventry/music/stories/2003/01/strawhead-folk.shtml|archivedate=2004-08-13] that specializes in historical British music. Bolstering their national reputation for their accurate and powerful interpretation of the genre of social history of the 16th to 19th centuries, [The West Briton (July 28, 2005) "Roseland concert with a difference." Page 50.] the group's repertoire includes popular songs from the English Civil War era to the Victorian period performed on period and electronic instruments.

The band members are:
* Gregg Butler (vocals, cornett, cittern, recorder, keyed bugle, ophicleide, euphonium)
* Malcolm Gibbons (vocals, 12-string guitar, laud)
* Chris Pollington (keyboard, midi horn, accordion, guitar)
* "Alison Younger" (occasional vocalist)Cite web|url=http://www.strawhead.org.uk/|title=Strawhead - Welcome and News|work=Strawhead "official website"|date=2007-03-06|accessdate=2008-06-21]

The group have engaged in projects associated with disparate musical traditions in British history. In October 2005, Strawhead celebrate the 200th anniversary of the 21 October 1805 Battle of Trafalgar through a performance at the 2005 Canalside Festival in the market town of Banbury. [Willow, Pete. (August 26, 2005) Coventry Telegraph "Bandsalute for Nelson."] [Bristol Evening Post (October 5, 2005) "Songs praise Nelson victory." Page. 16.] Other projects have included music of the English Civil War and the Victorian period. The Fylde Folk Festival website lists "subjects such as the colonisation of America, the English Civil War, Marlborough’s Wars in the Low Countries, Monmouth’s Rebellion, and drinking songs."Cite web|title=Strawhead|work=Fylde Folk Festival|url=http://www.fylde-folk-festival.com/artists/Strawhead.html|date=2008-01-06|accessdate=2008-06-21|archiveurl=http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:CRBfCETwZyMJ:www.fylde-folk-festival.com/artists/Strawhead.html+Strawhead|archivedate=2008-04-20]

According to a BBC review, "Strawhead have enjoyed considerable success appearing at the top of the bill at most of the UK's major folk festivals, becoming firm favorites among folk fans." In addition, Strawhead has achieved worldwide recognition for their distinctive sound and interpretation of songs. [ThisistheMidlands.co.uk (March 21, 2007) " [http://www.melodytrip.com/MTNews/Default.aspx?NewsID=4228 Music Lovers.] " Section: News.]

Strawhead fueled some controversy when it made a derivate work from an old ballad entitled "The Bold Fusilier".The Times (September 15, 2003) "Sporting anthems." Section: Features; Page 17.] "The Bold Fusilier" is a British song in which some argue predates the 1903 tune to "Waltzing Matilda". [The Times (December 1, 1990) "Matilda transported; Diary" Section: Features. (writing, "The Bold Fusilier and was originally played by the Duke of Marlborough's soldiers in the 18th century to recruit troops for his Low Countries campaign.")] [Maynard, Roger. (April 5, 1995) The Times "Matilda waltzes into controversy; Waltzing Matilda." Section: Overseas news; Page 9. (writing, "According to evidence revealed in a television documentary ... , to be broadcast in Australia to mark the Matilda centenary, the tune for Waltzing Matilda is based on two songs, Craigielea from Scotland, and The Bold Fusilier, a 17th century English marching song that had been designed to round up troops for the Duke of Marlborough.")] "Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known folk song, and has been referred to as 'the unofficial national anthem of Australia. [ [http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/ The National Library of Australia] retrieved 14 March 2008] There are similarities between "Waltzing Matilda" and "The Bold Fusilier", making for argument that one of the songs is based on the other song. [Simpson, Colin. (April 25, 1998) The Times "A home for Matilda;Travellers' bulletin board; Travel." Section: Features; Page 29.] There is no evidence that "The Bold Fusilier" is older than "Waltzing Matilda" and Australia and most sources reject the idea that a British song serves as a parent work for the Australian "Waltzing Matilda". [Northern District Times (September 5, 2007) "Waltzing to first jingle." Section: 1; Page 19.]

In the 1970s, Strawhead wrote four more verses for "The Bold Fusilier" and called their resulting song, "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant." "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant" was adopted by a generation of folkies and battle re-enactors. The four additional verses called to mind the Marlborough's Wars of 1702 to 1713. In addition, the Strawhead creation sounded so like a relic of Marlborough's wars that many of the folkies and battle re-enactors came to believe that Strawhead's "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant" was from the early 1700s. As a result, folkies and battle re-enactors came to mistakenly believe that the 1903 tune of Waltzing Matilda was borrowed from the 1970s "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant", rather than the reverse, even though the sleeve notes to Strawhead's 1978 record features an explanation of how they developed the "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant."

elected discography

*"Victorian Ballads" - 1993
*"A Walled Town and a Ragged Staff" - 1995
*"Songs of the Civil War" - 1997
*"So the boys got together, and formed a band......." - 2004
*"Songs from the Book of England" - 1980Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfpxq95ldfe~T2|title=Strawhead > Discography > Albums|work=allmusic|publisher=Macrovision Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-21]
*"Bold Nelson's Praise" Disc 1 and Disc 2 - 2005

References

External links

* [http://www.strawhead.org.uk/ Strawhead Official Website]
* [http://www.strawhead.org.uk/downloads.htm A selection of Strawhead songs to download]
* [http://www.imageacoustic.com/strawhead.htm Image gallery of the group performing at Fylde Folk Festival 2005.]

Persondata
NAME=Strawhead
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Folk band
DATE OF BIRTH=1974
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=