Members

A new and exciting addition to the folk scene, Threepenny Bit is a group of talented performers, with a passion for traditional Celtic music. Set up in 2010 and based in Southampton, Threepenny Bit is available to provide musical entertainment to clients throughout the South of England. With a pool of brilliant musicians to draw from, including a caller, Threepenny Bit can be configured to meet your specifications, from a 3-piece party band, to a huge ceilidh orchestra! Their driving rhythms and lively melodies will have you dosie-doeing, hop-stepping and polkaing the night away! So, for an explosion of great tunes, a blast of ceilidh dancing, and a night to remember, Threepenny Bit will be your first call.

Threepenny Bit is…

Guy Moore (guitar and percussion)

Charismatic suitcase-player Guy Moore has had many years experience working in the live music market as a drummer and percussionist with a variety of bands. He also has experience of stage setup and teaching guitar. His drum-kit, centred around a suitcase with drum pedal attached, consists of obscure objects such as biscuit tins, washboards, bells and pots and pans, often finding itself to be the centre of attention!

Helen Gentile (clarinet and tin whistle)

Clarinettist and whistle-player, Helen “H” Gentile, gives Threepenny Bit a klezmer-style edge. Experience includes being an active member of musical ensembles, such as Taunton Concert Band, the Richard Huish College Orchestra and Folk Group and the Southampton University Concert Band. In addition, she has been instrumental in the founding of other musical groups, such as the Taunton-based clarinet choir Ebony and Southampton University Folk Music Society (Folksoc Soton), founded in October 2011. Having attended ceilidhs since she was a child, folk dancing is second nature to Helen. In between all this folk, she finds time to teach Clarinet and study for a French degree at Southampton University.

Chris Nichols (violin)

Violin maestro Chris Nichols grew up in Cornwall and has been playing the fiddle from an early age. He has previously performed with the Cornish folk group Hevva and accompanying dance group Kekezza at Lorient’s Festivale Interceltique in 2008 and 2009. Aside from folk music, Chris is also a classical violinist and member of the prestigious Southampton University Symphonic Orchestra, as well as the string quartet, Octavia. Chris fits all this music around teaching the violin and a Music degree at Southampton University.

Hannah “Snu” Gray (flute)

Devon-born Amazonian flautist, Hannah, has been musical from a very young age. Her musical career started with the recorder at the age of 6 though she soon moved onto progressively bigger instruments – flute, guitar, tenor sax. She has experience playing in groups such as Devon Youth Flute Ensemble, the wind band, orchestra and flute choir at Devon Youth Music Centre and the wind band and orchestra at Exeter College. She has also been an active member of Southampton University Concert Band and Jazzmanix, the University gospel choir.

Hannah juggles her music with full-time study, reading Audiology at the University of Southampton. As part of her degree course, she will be spending a few months on placement in Ireland but will be back in England in time for the Summer festivals!

Joshua James Robson-Hemmings (guitar)

From deepest darkest Bristol, Josh has been playing the guitar for 10 years. With short frequent breaks, obviously. His musical career kicked off at school, where he won the Senior Strings Prize in the school jazz band. From there, he has played with a variety of rock bands as a guitarist and bassit. Notably, he has been a member of the funk/ rock/ jazz/ ska band Redfall for 8 years which has released 4 EP’s to critical acclaim. More recently, since the purchase of an acoustic guitar, he has developed a marked interest in fingerstyle folk.

Having graduated from the University of Southampton this Summer (2011), with a first in Physics, J J Robson-Hemmings MPhys Hons spends his days dropping his plectrum and impersonating Professor Brian Cox.

I devise all the shows and need to be ‘hands on’ with my audiences and to work up front with my audiences, getting them do do as much work as I do. The real audience participation shows! Completely children friendly!

Ticklish Allsorts work WITH children and not AT them!

I work solo as Mr Tickles, providing a crazy walkabout character, who plays guitar, uses songs, stories, puppets, silly stunts and lots of laughter. I also have hundreds of activites, stunts and party games and a workshop full of red suitcases and props. Being a graphic designer I have, over the years provided countless arts and crafts workshops. When I am allowed to play with the grown ups it is much the same – sometimes as a witty and charming Barn Dance Caller, sometimes as pub folk singer, sometimes as Lord Chamberlain at Medieval Banquets and I have been known to compere, offficiate, laugh, sing, organise and waffle.

When I work as Ticklish Allsorts, I have a talented team of young actors who join me and do all the above but more so! There can be as many as 6 of us on bigger occasions. We are great fun and have played to thousands of people of all ages at every possible occasion when families gather together.

We have one of the best traditional Punch and Judy shows available anywhere!

I am Enhanced CRB Checked, have Public Liability and an Equity Member.

Please see the rest of the website and enjoy……Oh Yes and book us as well!

CHRISTMAS SHOWS & DISCO’S STILL AVAILABLE! BOOK NOW!

The repertoire reflects influences from various traditions as well as the Appalachian style, including Canadian stepdance, Highland dance, Irish stepdance, and English clog, to music played by the band affectionately known as “Lost the Plot”. In fact our favourite quote came from an audience member at the Tredegar Festival: we took this as a compliment! “I don’t like Appalachian, but I like what you do!”

We favour the precision clogging style of Appalachian dance. In other words, we dance set routines to our audience. Some of the newer dances were choreographed by our leader, Margaret. We have created other dances in our repertoire by working together as a team, sharing ideas and styles. We also have dances choreographed by Lyn Colbeck and Marion Hakeman.

Our style has developed and become more relaxed and spontaneous over the years, and we are currently trying to extend our repertoire by introducing more flat footing, freestyle dancing, and a wider range of music into our performances.