Helen Bell is an English singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, specialising in
viola
; german: Bratsche
, alt=Viola shown from the front and the side
, image=Bratsche.jpg
, caption=
, background=string
, hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
, range=
, related=
*Violin family ...
.
While studying music at the
University of York between 1999 and 2001 she became part of the trio Ola with Sarah Wright (
bodhran,
flute, vocals) and Michael Jary (
concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front.
The ...
). The trio went on to become finalists in the
BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award
The BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award is an annual competition for young folk musicians in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1988 as the Young Tradition Award, taking its present name in 1998. Recent winners of the award include Brighde ...
in 2000, and released two albums, ''The Animals are in the West'' and ''Be Prepared for Weather''.
In 2000, she released her first instrumental solo album, ''Audierne'', on which she was accompanied by guitarist Ed Pritchard. In 2005, Bell began working with Tom Drinkwater as one half of the duo
Pillowfish,
who released the album ''Common Knowledge'' in 2006.
Bell was interviewed as part of Dr. Lindsay Aitkenhead's 2006 thesis on folk viola players.
Her song "Broken Town" was covered by English fiddle-singer
Jackie Oates
Jackie Oates is an English folk singer and fiddle player.
Life
Oates was born in Congleton in Cheshire in 1983 but grew up in Staffordshire. At the age of 18, she moved to Devon to study English literature at Exeter University and was based in ...
on her self-titled debut album in 2006.
She released ''Roll as a Hexagon'', her first album of original songs, in 2018.
Discography
Helen Bell with Ed Pritchard
* ''Audierne'' (2000) (Little Acorn)
Ola
* ''The Animals are in the West'' (2001) (Green Fingers Music)
* ''Be Prepared for Weather'' (2003)
Pillowfish
* ''Common Knowledge'' (2006) (Pillowfish)
Tamarysk
* ''Eighteen Degrees of Indigo'' (2016)
Helen Bell
* ''Roll as a Hexagon'' (2018)
References
External links
Helen Bell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Helen
English women singer-songwriters
Alumni of the University of York
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)