Kathryn Tickell, OBE, DL (born 8 June 1967) is an English musician, noted for playing the

Northumbrian smallpipe The Northumbrian smallpipes (also known as the Northumbrian pipes) are bellows-blown bagpipes from North East England, where they have been an important factor in the local musical culture for more than 250 years. The family of the Duke of Nor ...

s and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

Music career

Early life

Kathryn Tickell was born in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

, then in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, to parents who originated from

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

and who moved back there with the family when Kathryn was seven. Her paternal grandfather played accordion, fiddle, and organ. Her father, Mike Tickell, sang and her mother played the

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 ...

. Her first instrument was piano when she was six. A year later, she picked up a set of

Northumbrian smallpipes The Northumbrian smallpipes (also known as the Northumbrian pipes) are bellows-blown bagpipes from North East England, where they have been an important factor in the local musical culture for more than 250 years. The family of the Duke of N ...

brought home by her father, who intended them for someone else. Frustrated by fiddle and piano, she learned that the pipes rewarded her effort. She was inspired by older musicians such as

Willy Taylor Willy Taylor (5 January 1916 – 2 November 2000) was a fiddler from Northumberland, England. He performed with Joe Hutton and Will Atkinson as the Shepherds. Music career He was born at Lilburn Tower near Wooler. When he was a boy, he lear ...

Will Atkinson William Henry Atkinson (born 14 October 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Having begun his professional career with Hull City in 2006, Atkinson spent time on loan with Port Vale, Mansfield Town, Rochdale (t ...

, Joe Hutton, and

Billy Pigg Billy Pigg (1902 – 1968) was an English player of Northumbrian smallpipes. He was a vice-president and an influential member of the Northumbrian Pipers Society from 1930 until his death. Life and music He was born at Dilston Park, near Corbri ...

Performing and recording

At thirteen, she had gained a reputation from performing in festivals and winning pipe contests. When she was seventeen, she released her first album, ''On Kielder Side'' (Saydisc, 1984), which she recorded at her parents' house. During the same year, she was named Official Piper to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, an office that had been vacant for 13 years, since George Atkinson's appointment for a single year in 1971 . She formed the Kathryn Tickell Band, with Karen Tweed on accordion, bass, and guitar, and released the band's first album in 1991 on

Black Crow Records Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

. Later, the band comprised Peter Tickell on fiddle, Julian Sutton on melodeon, and Joss Clapp on guitar. In 2001, the Kathryn Tickell Band was the first band to play traditional folk music at the

Promenade Concerts The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

in London. She recorded with the

Penguin Cafe Orchestra The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) were an avant-pop band led by English guitarist Simon Jeffes. Co-founded with cellist Helen Liebmann, it toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s. The band's sound is not easily categorized, having elemen ...

when it was led by

Simon Jeffes Simon Harry Piers Jeffes (19 February 1949 – 11 December 1997) was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the primary performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He was the composer of the ballet ''Sti ...

. She met Jeffes while she was in her teens, and he wrote the song "Organum" for her. After Jeffes's death, she played with the Orchestra again over a decade later when it was run by his son,

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

. Tickell has also recorded with

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

The Boys of the Lough The Boys of the Lough is a Scottish-Irish Celtic music band active since the 1970s. Early years Their first album, called ''Boys of the Lough'' (1972) consisted of Aly Bain (fiddle), Cathal McConnell (flute), Dick Gaughan (vocals and guitar) and ...

Jimmy Nail James Michael Aloysius Bradford (born 16 March 1954), known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer. He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' a ...

, Linda Thompson,

Alan Parsons Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Parsons was involved with the production of several notable albums, including the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' (1969) and ''Let It Be'' ( ...

, and

Andy Sheppard Andy Sheppard (born 20 January 1957) is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, ...

. She has performed live with

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

, who is also from Newcastle upon Tyne, and has recorded with him on his albums ''

The Soul Cages ''The Soul Cages'' is the third full-length studio album released by English musician Sting. Released on 21 January 1991 it became Sting's second No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. This was Sting's first album to feature guitarist Dominic Mille ...

'' (1991), ''

Ten Summoner's Tales ''Ten Summoner's Tales'' is the fourth solo studio album by English rock musician Sting. The title is a combined pun of his family name, Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales'', the summoner. Released in 1993, ...

'' (1993), ''

Mercury Falling ''Mercury Falling'' is the fifth studio album by Sting, released in 1996. The album begins and ends with the words " mercury falling." In 1997, the album earned Sting two Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Pe ...

'' (1996), '' Brand New Day'', (1999), ''

If on a Winter's Night ''If on a Winter's Night...'' is the ninth studio album from British musician Sting. The album is a collection of Christmas and winter-themed songs mostly written by others, including folk songs, madrigals and religious hymns from past centur ...

'' (2009), and '' The Last Ship'' (2013). Two ex-members of the

North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...

traditional music group the

High Level Ranters The High Level Ranters are a Northumbrian traditional musical group founded in 1964, best known for being one of the first bands in the revival of the Northumbrian smallpipes. Name and history The name was chosen as a combination of the locat ...

have appeared on her albums: Tom Gilfellon on ''On Kielder Side'' and

Alistair Anderson The High Level Ranters are a Northumbrian traditional musical group founded in 1964, best known for being one of the first bands in the revival of the Northumbrian smallpipes. Name and history The name was chosen as a combination of the locat ...

on ''Borderlands'' (1986). The latter album included to a tribute to the Wark football team. Several other pipers have appeared on her albums:

Troy Donockley Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal ba ...

on ''Debatable Lands'', Patrick Molard on ''The Gathering'' and

Martyn Bennett Martyn Bennett (17 February 1971 – 30 January 2005) was a Canadian-Scottish musician who was influential in the evolution of modern Celtic fusion, a blending of traditional Celtic and modern music. He was a piper, violinist, composer and pro ...

on ''Borderlands''. ''Debatable Lands'' included "Our Kate", a composition by Kathryn Tickell dedicated to

Catherine Cookson Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (''née'' McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile i ...

. In 2011, she took part in the

Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club (, ) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Formed in 1879, Sunderland play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club has won six t ...

charity

Foundation of Light The Foundation of Light (Previously called the ''SAFC Foundation'') is a Registered Charity in the United Kingdom, and is the independent charitable foundation of professional football club Sunderland A.F.C. It is the biggest football charity in ...

event. She formed Kathryn Tickell and the Side, with Ruth Wall on Celtic harp, Louisa Tuck on cello, and Amy Thatcher on accordion. The group plays a mixture of traditional and classical music. They released an eponymous album in 2014. In 2018 Tickell established a new band, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, with whom she released the album ''Hollowbone'' in 2019. This project signals a different approach, with new material. There is a semi-imaginary incursion into the prehistory of Northumbrian music in the track "Nemesis" based on Roman-era texts and a melody by Emperor Hadrian's court musician Mesomedes. There is a foray into a world of ancestral shamanism in "O-u-t Spells Out". The album was greeted with critical acclaim, with four-star reviews in ''The Observer'' and the ''Financial Times'', as were the band's various national tours in its first two years of existence.

Other projects

In 1987, the early part of her career was chronicled in ''The Long Tradition'', a TV documentary. ''Kathryn Tickell's Northumbria'', another documentary, appeared in 2006. In 1997, Tickell founded the Young Musicians Fund of the Tyne and Wear Foundation to provide money to young people in northeastern England who wanted to learn music. She founded the Festival of the North East and from 2009 to 2013 was the artistic director of

Folkworks {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Folkworks is a non-profit organisation based at The Sage Gateshead and a part of the North Music Trust. It runs many workshops, summer schools and festivals to promote and encourage the furtherance of folk music. ...

Awards and honors

* Official Piper for the Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1984 * Musician of the Year, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, 2004, 2013 * The Queen's Medal for Music, 2009 * Best Traditional Album, Spiral Earth Awards, ''Northumbrian Voices'' * Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) Civil Division, 2015 * Honorary Degree,

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

, 2015 * Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for the

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

, 2015 * Honorary Degree ( M.Mus),

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

, 2017 * Honorary Degree ( D.Mus),

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

, 2019

Discography

Kathryn Tickell * ''On Kielder Side'' (Saydisc, 1984) * ''Borderlands'' ( Black Crow, 1987) * ''Common Ground'' (Black Crow, 1988) * ''The Gathering'' (

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

, 1997) * ''Debateable Lands'' (Park, 2000) * ''Strange But True'' (2006) * ''Northumbrian Voices'' (Park, 2012) Kathryn Tickell & Corrina Hewat * ''The Sky Didn't Fall'' (Park, 2006) Kathryn Tickell & Ensemble Mystical * ''Ensemble Mystical'' (Park, 2001) Kathryn Tickell & Friends * ''The Northumberland Collection'' (Park, 1998) * ''Water of Tyne'' (Resilient, 2016) Kathryn Tickell & Peter Tickell * ''What We Do'' (Resilient, 2008) Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening * ''Hollowbone'' (Resilient, 2019) Kathryn Tickell & the Side * ''Kathryn Tickell & The Side'' (Resilient, 2014) The Kathryn Tickell Band * ''The Kathryn Tickell Band'' (Black Crow, 1991) * ''Signs'' (Black Crow, 1993) * ''Air Dancing'' (Park, 2004) * ''Instrumental'' (Park, 2007) With Sting * 1991 ''

'' * 1993 ''

'' * 1996 ''

'' * 1999 '' Brand New Day'' * 2009 ''

'' * 2013 '' The Last Ship'' With others * 1987 ''Wide Blue Yonder'',

Oysterband Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976. History Early history The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as ...

* 1991 ''The Bells of Dublin'',

* 1993 ''Union Café'',

* 1993 ''You Hold the Key'',

Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for Country music, country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Nielsen Chapman ...

* 1995 ''The Shouting End of Life'', Oysterband * 2000 ''Stamping Ground'',

Rod Clements Roderick Parry Clements (born 17 November 1947 in North Shields, Northumberland) is a British guitarist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He formed the folk-rock band Lindisfarne with Alan Hull in 1970, and wrote "Meet Me on the Co ...

* 2002 ''Fashionably Late'', Linda Thompson * 2003 ''25th Hour'',

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

* 2003 ''Echo of Hooves'',

June Tabor June Tabor (born 31 December 1947 in Warwick, England) is an English folk singer known for her solo work and her earlier collaborations with Maddy Prior and with Oysterband. Early life June Tabor was born and grew up in Warwick, England. As ...

* 2006 ''Reunion'', Daniel Lapp * 2008 '' Durham Concerto'',

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

* 2011 ''A Matter of Life'',

Penguin Cafe Penguin Cafe is a band originally conceived by Arthur Jeffes, son of Simon Jeffes and Emily Young, as a continuation of his father's project, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The group is distinct from the original Penguin Cafe Orchestra, despite the ...

* 2012 ''California 37'',

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

* 2012 ''Seventeen Summers'',

Skinny Lister Skinny Lister are a British folk band formed in London in 2009. They were a five-piece band until October 2013 when a drummer was added. In August 2022 they returned to being a five piece after Sam Brace left and the decision was made not to r ...

* 2013 ''Wintersmith'',

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...

* 2016 ''River Silver'', Michel Benita * 2019 '' Djesse Vol. 2'',

Jacob Collier Jacob Collier (; né Moriarty; born 2 August 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His music incorporates a combination of jazz with elements from many other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reha ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tickell, Kathryn 1967 births Living people Players of Northumbrian smallpipes English fiddlers Shetland music Deputy Lieutenants of Northumberland People educated at Gosforth Academy Officers of the Order of the British Empire Musicians from Northumberland People from Walsall 21st-century violinists Penguin Cafe Orchestra members