About Hand to Hand
“They always transport me to a deep and sensitive place as they literally weave their musical magic.”
Celeste
As a child, my dad’s love of music had a huge influence on me. We listened to Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty and Neil Young, and I was entranced by the harmonies of bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Beatles.
My first experience of performing live with voice and guitar was in my late teens, when I busked solo down by the Inner Harbour in Victoria, Canada, playing songs by Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and the Indigo Girls.
In my early twenties, I came to England as an exchange student and got involved in the local music scene in Norwich, playing open mic nights. During that time I met songwriters who introduced me to the delights of UK music festivals, where I found a new musical heartland. My influences (and teachers) then became the people I met at these festivals, in green fields and around campfires.
In recent years my musical journey has evolved in a fairly organic way (when I’ve let it), and while I still enjoy solo performance, what I love most are the magical moments when I am part of a shared musical creation with others, when voices join together in heartfelt harmony. This has lead me to share a stage more and more often with these dear friends, until we discovered that we had actually become a band; the one I’d always somehow dreamed of being in.
Chris
I had some guitar lessons around age 9 and was drawn to the piano too. Later, I sat in on song sessions and met players who made music in the moment using skills that were not immediately apparent from the rock albums that I loved to listen to at home. Those session players allowed me to join in; they taught listening by their listening.
So I have had teachers at a distance and teachers in the room. To name a few from whom I have borrowed a great deal: Keith Jarrett; Jackson Browne; John Martyn; Richard Thompson; Vin Garbutt; Dick Gaughan; The Band; and maybe most importantly the many beautiful musicians who inhabit the world of the festival camp fires and conjure such exquisite music in the moment.
Of all the ensembles I’ve loved, The Band stands out because of their harmonies, their sharing of the lead on songs and their dappled musical world; so it’s such a pleasure for me to have happened on this possibility of sharing, listening and playing in the moment with Hand to Hand.
Delagh
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love to sing and music is one of my life’s great treasures. My musical influences range from all forms of western to a more recent study (and love) of classical Hindustani vocal music.
Always underpinning this is my deep love of vocal harmony and in Hand to Hand I feel I have come home
Mal
I’ve played music since childhood, and been fortunate to meet and play with some extraordinary people from all over the world. My life wouldn’t be the shape it is without those people and their music. From playing tuba in school bands and youth orchestras, to playing basses and guitars in a huge variety of contexts, the musical and personal connections have always been what have brought me joy.