Fernhill is a Welsh folk band formed in 1996. They have been described by music critic and journalist Colin Irwin, as "highly regarded, innovative cultural ambassadors for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and its

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

, having toured in over 20 countries in four continents". Their style is described as "intimate enough with the tradition, that they are unafraid to stretch its boundaries." Stephen Rees has said of them "Their work has not only been unique but has moved and changed also over the years. They are impossible to imitate."

Band members

The current line-up is Julie Murphy, voice;

Ceri Rhys Matthews Ceri Rhys Matthews (born 29 May 1960) is a Welsh traditional musician, record producer, and teacher. Biography Matthews was born in the suburb and historical village of Treboeth, in Swansea, Wales. Educated in Welsh-Medium schools in Ynystawe, ...

, guitar and flute; Tomos Williams, trumpet; Christine Cooper, fiddle and voice. The original line-up, alongside Murphy and Matthews, included

Andy Cutting Andy Cutting (born 18 March 1969) is an English folk musician and composer. He plays melodeon and is best known for writing and performing traditional English folk and his own original compositions which combine English and French traditions ...

, accordions, 1996–2002; and Jonathan Shorland, flute and bagpipes, 1996 - 1999. Cass Meurig,

crwth The crwth (, also called a crowd or rote or crotta) is a bowed lyre, a type of stringed instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, now archaic but once widely played in Europe. Four historical examples have survived and are to be fo ...

and fiddle, played with the band between 2000 - 2004. Cutting and Shorland appeared on the first two albums, ''Ca’ nôs'' and ''Llatai''. The line-up on ''Whilia'' was Murphy, Matthews and Cutting. Guest musicians were Tim Harris on upright bass and Cass Meurig on fiddle, who later joined the band full-time. The line-up on ''hynt'' was Murphy, Matthews, Williams, Meurig, Tim Harris, and Dorian Phillips AKA Nobsta Nutts

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

. In 2004, Meurig was replaced by Christine Cooper on fiddle. However, the 2007 live album ''Na Prádle'', recorded at the Na Prádle club in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

only features Murphy, Matthews and Williams. Cooper is featured on their two latest albums; Canu Rhydd and Amser on fiddle and spoken word. In concerts, the band occasionally work with guest poet Jon Gower, writer Owen Martell or rapper, Nobsta Nutts.

Touring highlights

International appearances include

Festival De Cornouaille The Festival de Cornouaille (or just Cornouaille Kemper) is an annual festival taking place in Quimper, a city in the south-west of Brittany, a western region of France. The festival begins on the third Sunday of July and lasts for one week. It has ...

, Quimper; Telemark, Kaustinen; Brosella jazz and folk, Brussels;

Festival Interceltique de Lorient __NOTOC__ The (French), Emvod Ar Gelted An Oriant (Breton) or Inter-Celtic Festival of Lorient in English, is an annual Celtic festival, located in the city of Lorient, Brittany, France. It was founded in 1971 by . This annual festival takes ...

; major concerts in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

;

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

;

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

tours of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, the Czech Republic, three separate tours in southern and east

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and in 2014 a tour in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

and

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

. The group's album, ''Na Prádle'' made the ''Mojo'' (magazine) top ten folk album list in 2007. The album captures highlights of an intimate concert in Prague recorded and broadcast by Czech radio 3 during a tour of the Czech Republic in 2006.

Discography

*'' Ca’ nôs'' (Beautiful Jo Records, 1996) *'' Llatai'' (Beautiful Jo Records, 1998) *'' Whilia'' (Beautiful Jo Records, 2000) *'' hynt'' (Beautiful Jo Records, 2003) *'' Na Prádle'' (live) (Beautiful Jo Records, 2007) *'' Canu Rhydd'' (disgyfrith, 2011) *'' Amser'' (disgyfrith, 2014)

References

External links

Official website
Musical groups from Swansea {{UK-band-stub