大象传媒

I was trained as a musician, starting piano lessons at the age of nine and continuing music by learning the descant, treble and tenor recorders, clarinet, guitar, bodhran and finally learning to sing. The interest in folk music led to lyric writing, and composing the music for self-written songs.听This culminated in 2003 with the CD "Afterwards", recorded and published independently.听Most of the songs are self-penned, with four traditional songs arranged by me for my instrument and voice combination.

Since then, "Edges of my Mind", "Build Me a Fire", "The Ships are Sailing into the Harbour", "Walking Down the Road in the Wrong Direction", and "I can go or I can stay" have been written.听On three occasions I had the interesting experience of recording and performing on the Wednesday night Folk Music programme on Radio York, presented by Michael Brothwell.

Poetry has always been a part of my creativity. The poems take over where the music leaves off.听It has been interesting to note the difference of emphasis needed in a poem to that needed in lyrics, and write accordingly. "The Hunting Ground", "The Breaking of Fand",听"Driftwood", "Turn" have been written and performed along with the older set of poems, which includes "Burial Rites" Published in "Traveller's Moon" and "Yesterday is a Memory" published in "And God Created Woman" by Aural Images 1997.

In July 2008 I teamed up with Helen Sant (otherwise known as Gothic Molly), Adrian Spendlow (storytellers) and Jack Firminger (flautist) to present "Watery Tales" at the York Festival of Rivers.

The latest venture is to write a book "Rituals and the British Goddess" (temporary title).听听 Each ritual focuses听on Goddesses worshipped in Britain from the Iron-age era, through to the time of the Anglo-Saxon Invaders; that period of time loosely named "Celtic".听Initially English Goddesses were researched, but it became immediately clear that the deities were of multi-national origin and had travelled far and wide over Europe as the Celts migrated.

So - Habetrot from Scotland, Habondia from Europe, English-Welsh Elen of the Ways, Andred found in Essex, Coventina the Water Nymph from Northumbria, Sulis from Bath and听 Arnemetia from Buxton who were adopted by the Romans, and Latis, Ratis, Verbeia (River Wharfe) and Iouga (York's little known Goddess of the Confluence of the River Foss and River Ouse) who were brought by the Romans and adopted by the indigenous people.听 Fand is known on the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, and Brigantia was patron Goddess of the tribe of Brigantes who lived over the West and North Yorkshire areas England.听 The rituals lead a person to discovering their feminine strengths, and developing their life's journey听 accordingly, be they men or women.