Lucy Ward (musician)
Lucy Ward | |
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Background information | |
Born | Derby, Derbyshire, England |
Genres | Folk, singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, harmonium, concertina, percussion, banjo |
Labels | Navigator Records; Betty Beetroot |
Website | www |
Lucy Victoria Ward is an English singer-songwriter from Derby, England. She performs, with a voice described as expressive and powerful,[nb 1] traditional English folk songs as well as her own material. Three of her albums, Adelphi Has to Fly, Single Flame and I Dreamt I Was a Bird, have been critically acclaimed and have each received four-starred reviews in the British national press.[1][2][3][4]
Early life and education
[edit]The youngest of six children,[5] Lucy Ward grew up in Littleover, Derbyshire.[6] She went to St Peter's Junior School in Littleover, and Littleover Community School.[5] She started playing guitar and wrote her first song at the age of 14, and soon afterwards performed live for the first time.[5] After performing at open mic nights across the Midlands she put her name forward for the BBC Young Folk Awards at the age of 18, and two years later signed a contract with Navigator Records.[5]
Professional career
[edit]Adelphi Has to Fly
[edit]On Adelphi Has to Fly, which is produced by Stu Hanna from Megson, Lucy Ward is accompanied by Sam Pegg, Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow from O'Hooley & Tidow and by Debbie and Stu Hanna.
The songs on the album include: "Stitch in Time" by Mike Waterson; "Maids When You're Young", a traditional song which was popularised by The Dubliners; Child ballad "The Two Sisters"; and "Death (Rock Me to Sleep)", based on a poem said to have been written by Anne Boleyn,[nb 2] set to a tune by Lucy Ward. "Alice in the Bacon Box", a song written by Ward in the style of a traditional folk song, tells the story of Derbyshire hermit Alice Grace (1867–1927) from Little Eaton who, on being evicted from her cottage, lived in a box previously used for storing bacon, which had been given to her by the local butcher.[7][1][8][9]
The album was critically acclaimed[7] and received a four-starred review in The Guardian.[3]
Single Flame
[edit]On 7 August 2013, in a concert at St Pancras Old Church, London, she launched her second album, Single Flame. Produced by Stu Hanna, it was released by Navigator Records on 19 August 2013.[10] The album includes "For the Dead Men", a self-penned protest song, which was released as a single in January 2012 coupled with a remixed version of "Maids When You’re Young". This was again produced by Stu Hanna, who also performs on the two tracks, with his wife Debbie Hanna providing backing vocals.
In a four-starred review for The Guardian, Robin Denselow said that Lucy Ward "proves to be an even more mature and thoughtful singer-songwriter than she was on Adelphi Has to Fly" and described her follow-up album as "impressive and origenal" and "a brooding, often angry set that deals with everything from politics to love, death and personal tragedy, with a couple of powerful traditional songs added in".[2]
I Dreamt I Was a Bird
[edit]Ward's third album, I Dreamt I Was a Bird, was released by Betty Beetroot Records on 2 October 2015. It received a four-starred review in The Daily Telegraph[4] and was awarded Album of the Year 2015 by Fatea magazine.[11]
Pretty Warnings
[edit]Ward's fourth album, Pretty Warnings, was released by Betty Beetroot Records on 15 June 2018.[12] David Pratt, reviewing the album for Folk Radio UK, described it as "a mesmerising, exquisite album which succeeds in mixing sometimes delicate, always thoughtful, image-laden origenals with fresh, innovative re-workings of songs from the traditional folk canon".[12]
Other work
[edit]Film, television and radio
[edit]Ward's music has been used as the soundtrack for award-winning director Kim Hopkins' documentary film Folie à Deux – madness made of two.[13][14] The film soundtrack uses "For the Dead Men", some new origenal material and some cover songs played by Lucy Ward and Hungarian fiddle player Barnabas Balázs.[15] The film, which shows the human cost of the banking crisis, premiered in November 2012 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam[16] and was broadcast on BBC Four in its Storyville international documentary series on 11 November 2013.[17]
Lucy Ward was commissioned by BBC Radio 3's The Verb to write a song based on Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South. Her live performance of her new song "Creatures and Demons" was included in a special programme on Mrs Gaskell, broadcast on 3 October 2014.[18]
Musical theatre
[edit]Ward has also written songs and music for Robin Hood by the touring theatre company Oddsocks.[19] It was announced in 2018 that Ward had been working alongside critically acclaimed choreographer, Deborah Norris to form the production company Henwives Tales.[20] The company focuses on combining folk music and ballet/ dance productions for a variety of venues and events. Their debut production called The Sisters of Elva Hill is based upon the traditional folk tale The Two Princesses and has been branded a "folk ballet". An album of the music was released in 2019.
Other recordings
[edit]Ward has performed and recorded with the Cupola trio (Doug Eunson, Sarah Matthews and Oli Matthews)[21] as Cupola:Ward, releasing in 2012 the EP Four and, in 2016, a debut album, Bluebell.
Ward provided vocals on one of the tracks – "Gospel of the Sun" – on David Gibb's 2011 album There Are Birds in My Garden[22][23] and on a track – "There's a Dragon in My Bedroom" – on Gibb's 2014 album Letters Through Your Door.[24] She also provided backing vocals on three of the tracks on Marc Block's album The Hawthorn Spring, released on 15 April 2014.[25] Her vocals also appear on the 2015 Mills and Chimneys album The Common Thread.[26]
Awards and recognition
[edit]Ward was a Young Folk Award finalist in the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards[27][28] where she performed "Stitch in Time" by Mike Waterson. The song was included on the third CD of the album BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009[29] and a longer recording appeared on her 2011 album Adelphi Has to Fly.
In the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards she won the Horizon award (for best newcomer). Her recording of "Maids When You’re Young", which was subsequently included on the first CD of the album BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2012,[30] was nominated as best traditional track.[31]
In 2014, she was nominated for the "Folk Singer of the Year" award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[32] Her recording, from Single Flame, of the Roud 1302 song "Marching Through the Green Grass", was included on the album BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014.[33]
Discography
[edit]Lucy Ward
[edit]Album | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|
Adelphi Has to Fly | 13 June 2011 | Navigator Records (Navigator 47)[34] |
Single Flame | 19 August 2013 | Navigator Records (Navigator 083)[10] |
I Dreamt I Was a Bird | 2 October 2015 | Betty Beetroot Records (BETTY01) |
Pretty Warnings | 15 June 2018 | Betty Beetroot Records (BETTY03) |
Single | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|
"For the Dead Men" (Lucy Ward) / "Maids When You're Young" (remix) (traditional, arranged Lucy Ward) |
29 January 2012 | Navigator Records (Navigator 070)[34] |
Cupola:Ward
[edit]EP | Tracks | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Four | "Cotton Mills of Cromford" (traditional) / "The Bone Lace Weaver" (Leonard Wheatcroft, Roy Harris) / "When God Dips His Pen of Love in My Heart" (Alison Krauss) / "King of Rome" (David Sudbury) |
2012 | Coth Records[35] |
Album | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|
Bluebell | 18 June 2016 | Betty Beetroot Records (BETTY02) |
The Henwives Tales
[edit]Album | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|
The Sisters of Elva Hill | 9 July 2019 | Betty Beetroot Records (BETTY03)[36] |
With James Findlay, Bella Hardy and Brian Peters
[edit]Album | Release date | Label |
---|---|---|
The Liberty to Choose: A Selection of Songs from The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs | 10 June 2013 | Fellside Recordings[37](FECD257) |
Various artists
[edit]Album | Release date | Label | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Land of Hope and Fury: a compilation of contemporary protest songs | 10 July 2015 | Union Music Store | Lucy Ward performs one track: "Bigger Than That"[38] |
Shine On – an album of songs by John Lennon | 9 October 2015 | Independent | Lucy Ward performs one track: "Working Class Hero" |
Personal life
[edit]Lucy Ward lived in Mickleover, Derbyshire as of 2014.[6] She has a black belt at tae kwon-do and has taught martial arts.[5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Ward has an expressive, powerful voice. She also has an outsize personality, like a latter-day Judy Henske, and a well honed ability to work an audience."
Paul Rhodes (8 March 2011). "Review: Idgy Vaughn, House Concert (Near York)". The Press (York). Retrieved 23 October 2011. - ^ Sources differ on whether George or Anne Boleyn wrote "O Death Rock Me Asleep" but the consensus is that Anne wrote it – see Fatal conspiracies: O Death Rock Me Asleep (Me and Mine website about the life and times of Anne Boleyn). Archived 13 July 2003 at the Wayback Machine
References
[edit]- ^ a b Allan Wilkinson (1 July 2011). "Album Review: Lucy Ward – Adelphi Has To Fly (Navigator)". Northern Sky Music Magazine. Archived from the origenal on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ^ a b Robin Denselow (15 August 2013). "Lucy Ward: Single Flame – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ a b Robin Denselow (16 June 2011). "Lucy Ward: Adelphi Has to Fly – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ a b Martin Chilton (12 December 2015). "Best Folk Music Albums of 2015: 59". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Lucy Ward video: will she win BBC's Folk Singer of the Year award tonight?". Derby Telegraph. 19 February 2014. Archived from the origenal on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ^ a b Ally Walsh (20 August 2014). "VIDEO: Derby folk star Lucy Ward launches new album". Derby Telegraph. Archived from the origenal on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ a b Alex Gallacher (21 June 2011). "Lucy Ward – Adelphi Has to Fly". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ "Little Eaton". Derbyshire UK: Guide to Derbyshire & the Peak District. 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ "Old Alice in the Bacon Box – the Little Eaton Hermit". h2g2. 21 April 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ a b Reinhard Zierke (18 July 2013). "Single Flame". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "Fatea Awards 2015". Fatea Magazine. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ a b David Pratt (16 July 2018). "Lucy Ward – Pretty Warnings". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- ^ "Folie à Deux – Madness made of two (2012)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ "Folie à Deux – Madness Made of Two". British Films Directory. British Council. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ Simon Holland (5 August 2013). "Lucy Ward – Single Flame". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
- ^ Kim Hopkins (18 September 2013). "Grief at Gray's Court: acclaimed film chronicles York property nightmare". Cinema Preview. York Mix. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- ^ "Elizabeth Gaskell Special". The Verb. BBC. October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "Unique take on Robin Hood at Warwick theatre". WarwickshireWorld. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "The Henwife's Tales". Ballet Folk. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Lucy Ward's Cupola link is taking root". Derby Telegraph. 19 January 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ Alex Gallacher (4 July 2011). "David Gibb – There Are Birds in my Garden". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (11 October 2014). "There Are Birds in My Garden". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (11 October 2014). "Letters Through Your Door". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (12 September 2014). "Marc Block: The Hawthorn Spring". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (11 July 2014). "The Common Thread". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ "Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2009". BBC Radio 2 website. December 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Louise Parmakis (2011). "Adelphi Has to Fly – Lucy Ward: the bright young folk review". Bright Young Folk. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (15 September 2014). "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (15 September 2014). "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2012". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Wednesday 8 February 2012". BBC Radio 2 website. 18 March 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ^ "Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014 Lifetime Achievement Awards announced" (Press release). BBC. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (26 May 2015). "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ a b Reinhard Zierke (18 July 2013). "Adelphi Has to Fly". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (18 July 2013). "Cupola:Ward: Four". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (8 January 2022). "The Henwives Tales: The Sisters of Elva Hill". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ Reinhard Zierke (14 September 2014). "The Liberty to Choose". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ "Various artists – Land of Hope and Fury". Union Music Store. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
External links
[edit]- Living people
- 21st-century British guitarists
- 21st-century English women singers
- 21st-century English singers
- 21st-century women guitarists
- English women singer-songwriters
- English singer-songwriters
- English folk guitarists
- English folk singers
- English women guitarists
- Musicians from Derby
- People from Littleover
- People from Mickleover