Larkspur

6pm on February 2nd, 2025 at the Manor House, Sibford Gower

We’re very excited that Larkspur - Giles Lewin and Melissa Holding - will be performing the first Sibford Session of 2025.

Giles (violin) and Melissa (piano accordion) come together to explore their shared interest in the traditional music of Europe. They play a varied repertoire, from a rousing Lancashire hornpipe to a plaintive Ukrainian waltz and foot-stomping Bulgarian ruchenitsas. But often their fancies lead them into a freer, more original sound world of harmony and sonority to enchant both performer and listener.

Giles Lewin is equally at home in folk, medieval and Arabic music. In the 1980s he joined theatre company, The Medieval Players, playing rebec and medieval fiddle, and in 1987 became a founder member of The Dufay Collective. At the same time he was working with Irish band, After Hours. He has performed with June Tabor, is in a trio with Maddy Prior and Hannah James, and was a founder member of folk supergroup, Bellowhead. He has studied Arabic violin in Cairo with Ashraf Sharki and Abdu Daghr, and oud (Arabic lute) with Lebanese singer Abdul Salaam el Kheir. With singer Vivien Ellis he formed the duo Alva.

Melissa Holding is a musician, performer and teacher based in Oxford. She lived in Kyoto for 9 years and specialises in the accordion and Japanese koto, playing traditional as well as improvisatory and newly composed works for the instrument. She has written, devised and performed music for the National Theatre, Japanese silent film at the Barbican and Oxford Youth Dance. Since 2001 she has performed regularly all over the UK with the contemporary music ensemble Okeanos with whom she has appeared at the Warehouse, King’s Place and the Barbican.

We’ve now sold all the tickets. Message Tom or Sofia if you’d like to be added to the waiting list.