"I
was once asked, ‘so it all began with one of
those plastic recorders, then?’, I immediately
asked in reply if I could pinch that for the new draft
of my biography as I’d been struggling to make
a start!
I
was encouraged by my dear Grandfather, Philip Goldthorpe,
in all things
musical. Some of my earliest memories are
giving tea parties where I would entertain my guests;
plastic, stuffed and imaginary alike, with recitals on
my plastic Aulos recorder, works including Annie’s
Song and a medley of Christmas carols, which I played
throughout the year.
At
King Edward VI, Retford, flute lessons were considered
a natural
progression from playing recorders and so I
set off on a ‘mostly classical’ route through
the grades and attended North Nottinghamshire Music Centre,
where over the next 5 years I was lucky enough to play
in various ensembles, symphony orchestras, concert bands
and smaller groups like wind octets and flute quintets.
It was about this time that Mark ‘McKinty’ Gordon
began getting me organised and driving me to concerts
- some things never change!
I particularly enjoyed playing Renaissance and Baroque
music and it was not long before I came across and was
instantly inspired by David Munrow and The Early Music
Consort of London. Whilst studying for my A-levels and
teaching flute and recorders, (zipping around town and
the villages on my purple Yamaha RD250 in all weathers),
I teamed up with organist, Michael Cowgill and cellist,
Paul Coggles to form the Redforde Early Music Consort.
We played and sang music from the court of King Henry
VIII and other popular Renaissance and Baroque recorder
works, our concerts often in aid of church organ restoration
and other local, worthy causes.
Also
while studying for my A-levels I was introduced through
a
pupil to The Broadstone Morrismen. The time
I spent playing with them introduced me to the English
folk traditions, the pagan festivals and real ale. All
very ‘Songs From The Wood’! There were crazy
sessions in the pub after the dancing, where English,
Irish and Scottish tunes and songs were shared. It was
my first experience of music being passed on from memory
rather than being written and read.
In 1993, on the first day of my BSc in Media Technology,
I arrived on my little motorbike in the pouring Yorkshire
rain and was kindly assisted in finding my way to class
by the very gallant Andy Smith. We became special friends
and studied together for the next four years before forming
our concert lighting company, Pyramid Lighting.
It was as lighting engineer that I first met Bryan and
Mostly Autumn. I was instantly captured
by the music and Bryan’s vision for the future
of the band. Mark and I also had a love of camping
and the outdoors
and Bryan shared with us some of the secrets of The Lakes
and the Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, places now close to
our hearts.
When the original flute player was unable to attend
the studio session, I played on 'Heroes Never Die'. For
a time I performed this live and doubled-up whistles
with Kev Gibbons to recreate the sound on the album.
Eventually I was struggling to juggle both Pyramid and
MA so left the lighting business to give more time to
the band.
In
May 2000, as part-time assistant-promoter for Fibbers,
York,
I was fortunate to host dinner for Blackmore’s
Night prior to their performance at The Grand Opera House
in York. I found in Ritchie a fellow admirer of David
Munrow and renaissance music. And so the story goes;
Bryan, Heather and I then toured throughout UK and Europe
for as support act for Blackmore’s Night. A kind
of MA-acoustic, our set included acoustic arrangements
of Mostly Autumn songs, traditional folk tunes and a
couple of my own pieces; ‘Which Wood?’ and
the recorder duet ‘Meridon’s Caravan’.
In the meantime, MA had signed to Classic Rock Legends.
Part of the profile-raising of the band included a tour
of Germany in December 2001 supporting Uriah Heep. This
was a wonderful month of gigs and gluwein where we made
lots of friends and new fans.
Working
around the increasingly busy Mostly Autumn schedule,
I managed
a few guest appearances; with The Accidental
Tourists in support to my all-time-faves All About Eve;
Andi Aitchison’s The Fisherkings; and studio sessions
for the extremely talented Julia Jenkins on her album ‘Shine’ and
for multi-instrumental-progger Guy Manning.
In 2002, a dream came true for all the band when we
performed in America. This trip was part our longest
tour to date, taking in Europe, USA and UK over three
months.
In
2003, three years after first stepping out on to the
York Grand
Opera House stage, opening for Blackmore’s
Night, I found myself there once again. This time it
was in front of a string quartet and choir and with special
guest, Troy Donockley, for what was
to become Mostly Autumn’s second live DVD.
By
late 2004 I had a desire to re-visit the ‘classical’ playing
of my school days and before too long, by twist of fate,
came across the York based flute ensemble Garland Of
Flutes. It is with Louisa, Rosalind and Felicity that
I have the opportunity to ‘give something back’ with
my music, performing for a variety of local charities
and worthy causes.
In
2005 Heather and I began to air our ‘dressing-room
project’, acoustic duo, Odin Dragonfly.
This adventure has so far taken us around the UK and
to The Netherlands
as guests to Fish, (on whose acoustic live album ‘Communion’ to
two of us also appear with our special friend Anne-Marie
Helder) and on a successful headline tour around the
UK. At the time of writing (July 2007), we are about
to enter the final stages of production of our debut
album ‘Offerings’ which
has been recorded by our close friend and band member,
Chris Johnson, and is to be mixed and mastered by John
Spence.
Performing with the duo gave me the confidence to brave
the stage alone, which has added another dimension to
my performing and song-writing.
I live in York with my husband, Mark and my two beautiful
cats, Pendle and Hexham.
These days my recorders are ebony - lucky-girl indeed!"
Angie left Mostly Autumn in 2008 to look after her daughter
and does gigs around York when she is able!
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