The Cambridge Buskers were a duo of
British musicians, whose career began in the late 1970s and were subsequently called The Classic Buskers. They performed classical music humorously using many instruments, costumes and props.
Michael Copley
Michael Copley is a British virtuoso flautist and recorder player. He is a professional musician who, as well as playing the recorder and flute, is an exponent of other traditional, early and folk woodwind instruments, most notably the ocarina, a ...
and
David Adam Gillespie (Dag) Ingram met when they were students at
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. According to the liner notes of their first recording, their musical association began when they found themselves at
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway station and connected London Underground station in the City of London. It provides Thameslink services: local (from North to South London), and regional (Bedford and ...
without enough money for the fare to get home. In an attempt to raise the money from passers-by, they played ''
The Entertainer An entertainer is a person who entertains (singer, actor, comedian, etc.)
The Entertainer may refer to:
Music Songs
* "The Entertainer" (rag), a 1902 classic piano rag written by Scott Joplin
*"The Entertainer", rearrangement of the Joplin rag by ...
'' and ''
Eine kleine Nachtmusik'' for a while, until they were asked to leave by a
London Transport official.
Subsequently, they gained international success with their performances and many recordings, and performed in over 20 countries and in 15 languages until September 2016, when they disbanded after an incident in Shanghai.
It is reported that at one point a
Japanese comic strip was written about them.
Ian Moore (now known as
Ian de Massini), another Cambridge University graduate who is also an organist, conductor, composer and singer (formerly in
King's College Choir, Cambridge), was the accordionist for the latter part of the Buskers' history.
The Classic Buskers wrote their own arrangements, primarily of classical works by famous composers. Ian Moore played
piano accordion, used his voice, and occasionally other percussion instruments or props. Copley played a variety of woodwind instruments, including
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
,
recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
,
ocarina
The ocarina is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is traditionally made from c ...
, and
crumhorn.
Discography
Some of these LPs were released under different titles in different countries.
*''A Little Street Music'' (1977)
*''Between Pub & Podium'' (1977)
*''Not Live From New York'' (1979)
*''Another Serious Album'' (1981)
*''Soap Opera'' (1982)
*''Music Abbreviation 101'' (1983)
*''The Cambridge Buskers Handel Bach'' (1985)
*''The Explosive Sound of The Cambridge Buskers'' (1985)
*''The Cambridge Buskers Collection'' (2007)
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
(Aust) Classics 480 0136 (4 CD compilation. Over 130 tracks, mostly from the above LPs)
References
External links
Official web siteFurther information and photos
{{authority control
English musical duos
English buskers
Musical groups from Cambridge
Musical groups from London
Buskers
Musical groups established in the 1970s