Jackie Oates & John Spiers

‘Oates & Spiers left the gaudy, commercialised crass-ness at home ... theirs is a Christmas for all’ - Bristol24/7

‘There’s a sweetness and melancholy to her voice that is like no other, and for which there is no known formula with which to replicate it.’ - Songlines

‘A blend of elegant, rhythmic and virtuoso playing and easygoing folk club banter. A quiet triumph’ - The Guardian

Their festive concerts are a beautiful and heart-warming antidote to the materiality that can be a feature of the Christmas season. The duo perform captivating traditional Christmas carols and tunes from England and beyond.

Concerts at other times of the year include music from the duo’s debut album, Needle Pin, Needle Pin, released in early 2020 and featuring songs from the Oxfordshire area which they have researched and arranged. Many of the songs were originally sung by lace-making factory girls to keep time whilst crafting lace and to add enjoyment to their work; the album title makes reference to a line from one of such songs. Beautifully in synergy with the handmade nature of the source songs, the CD comes as a limited edition, hand-stamped, entirely handmade album.

Although followers of British folk music will be familiar with Jackie and John from their other high calibre bands, this collaboration began quite innocently and spontaneously when the pair first started playing together for fun during guest spots at Nettlebed Folk Club in Henley-on-Thames. Recognising the potential, they began working together on material from their native county of Oxfordshire.

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