Artist profiles: Kathryn Tickell

Kathryn Tickell was born in 1967. Her roots are in the North Tyne Valley of Northumberland where many of her relatives still play traditional music. Her father Mike Tickell is an acclaimed performer of the songs of this area.

Kathryn has always been surrounded by music and has played the piano since the age of six. She started to play the Northumbrian smallpipes at the age of 9 and by the age of 13 had won all of the traditional open smallpipes competitions at the Border festivals and many fiddle competitions as well.

In 1980, she learned the Shetland fiddle style from the great player and teacher Tom Anderson. As a result of this she was invited to play at the Shetland Folk Festival in 1981 where she was so popular that she was invited back the following year. In 1983 she was a guest at the Edinburgh International Festival the first year that famous event included British traditional music in its program.

In 1984 she recorded her first album On Kielderside. In 1985, she turned professional immediately entering a busy schedule of work throughout the UK as well as recording a Northumbrian music album From Shewingshields to Glendale with Alistair Anderson and other respected musicians such as Joe Hutton Willy Taylor and Will Atkinson.

In 1986, she recorded her second solo album Borderlands, for Black Crow Records. This record was released in January 1987 to great critical acclaim and featured in the Folk Roots “Top Thirty” for over a year. Kathryn also featured on the “Square Roots” compilation performing with Rory McLeod and played sessions on albums for various bands.

Kathryn’s third album, Common Ground, featured two of the most respected players in the UK, Danny Thompson on bass and Chris Newman on guitar.

In 1990, the Kathryn Tickell Band was formed. The following years saw Kathryn putting all her energy into the band recording the albums The Kathryn Tickell Band and Signs and touring extensively throughout the globe. However she still found time to compose music for two of Newcastle’s Live Theatre Company productions to present a series of programs for Radio 2 record with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and with The Chieftains. During this time Kathryn also contributed to Sting albums as well as joining him to play live at Newcastle City Hall & also on TV.

In March 1997, Kathryn’s sixth album The Gathering was released to great critical acclaim and led to appearances on Later with Jools Holland and playing live on Andy Kershaw’s Radio 1 show. In May Sting Jimmy Nail & Kathryn hit the stage of the Carnegie Hall New York performing,The Waters of the Tyne” at a benefit concert in aid of the Rainforest Foundation. The song has also been recorded for a benefit CD Carnival.

Since then Kathryn has been involved in a collaboration with saxophone player John Surman culminating in two concerts at Stockton Riverside Festival. She has also been presenting more programs for Radio 2 featuring young musicians throughout Britain.

In February 1997 Kathryn founded the Young Musicians Fund. Managed by The Community Foundation the fund aims to help young people in the North East region to realize their musical potential.

In 1998 Kathryn released The Northumberland Collection an album featuring various musicians and singers from the county. She also became Gateshead’s Composer in Education working with three primary schools and the Gateshead Youth Orchestra. 1999 saw Kathryn touring with her new band & releasing her eighth album Debateable Lands. In August 1999 Kathryn was awarded a bursary from the Britten-Pears Foundation to study composition with Judith Weir at Dartington International Summer School. She also presented a series of TV programs on music composition for Channel 4 Schools.

2000 was another exciting year with Lordenshaws Kathryn’s piece for pipes & small ensemble being penned toured and broadcast. The other major project of 2 was Ensemble Mystical an exciting new group set up by Kathryn and including musicians from classical jazz and folk backgrounds. The group toured and released an album in the final part of the year.

2001 saw Kathryn touring in Uganda Canada Italy France and the UK. Collaboration with jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard resulted in a major multi-media work which was premiered at the opening of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. It was also released as a limited edition CD (Music for a New Crossing).

In September 2001 the Kathryn Tickell Band performed as part of the,Last Night of the Proms” celebrations the first time the event had included traditional folk music. The performance was broadcast nationally and internationally.

Since September 2001, Kathryn has been a part -time lecturer on the new Folk and Traditional Music degree course at Newcastle University.

In 2002 Kathryn’s 10th album Back to the Hills was released featuring solos duets and trios in traditional style as well as archive recordings of Kathryn with Northumberland shepherd and fiddle player Willie Taylor.

Kathryn’s BBC Proms commission for London Sinfonietta Muzsikas and Folkestra was presented in 2008. In 2009 she received the British Queen’s Medal for Music awarded to artists judged to have made an exceptional contribution to British music. Celebrating Peter Maxwell Davies’ 75th birthday in 29 Kathryn worked with the Nash Ensemble performing ‘Kettletoft Inn’ the piece he composed specially for her.

As the Artistic Director of Folkworks the folk development agency for the north east of England, Kathryn provides artistic leadership and inspiration for Folkworks programs and is also the founder and Director of Folkestra the north east’s young folk ensemble.

In 2011 she continued her collaboration with Sting as well as touring with the Kathryn Tickell Band.

In 2019, she released the album Hollowbone with her band The Darkening.

In 2021, Kathryn Tickell and her band completed a a full autumn tour despite the pandemic.

Discography:

On Kielderside (1984)

Borderlands (1988)

Common Grounds (1988)

Kathryn Tickell Band (1991)

Signs (1993)

The Gathering (1997)

The Northumberland Collection (1998)

Debateable Lands (1999)

Kathryn Tickell & Ensemble Mystical (2000)

Music for a New Crossing (2001)

Back to the Hills (2002)

Air Dancing (2004)

The Sky Didn’t Fall (2006)

Strange But True (Park Records, 2006)

Instrumental (2007)

Durham Concerto with Jon Lord (2008)

What We Do with Peter Tickell (2008)

Northumbrian Voices (2012)

Water of Tyne (2016)

Hollowbone (2019)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.