Will Duke & Dan Quinn
Will Duke and Dan Quinn sing traditional songs in unison and play English country dance tunes on melodeon and concertina. Will was greatly influenced by the playing of the late great Scan Tester of Horsted Keynes, Sussex and actually owns and plays one of Scan's old concertinas. He started singing and playing concertina around Sussex in 1972 and was asked to join the augmented Etchingham Steam Band that played for dances. When that band packed in, Ashley Hutchings and Shirley Collins went on to form the Albion Dance Band and Vic Gammon to form the Pump and Pluck Band. Will was in both for a while but soon left the former to concentrate on Pump and Pluck and with them recorded the double album A Tale of Ale. He then opted for the quiet life until he met Dan Quinn in a pub in Sussex. A mutual liking for traditional music and song led to them singing and playing together and eventually recording two CDs: "Wild Boys" in 1996 and "Scanned" in 2001.
Together they have been guests at major folk festivals around the country and have appeared in venues ranging from village halls to London's South Bank.
Will Duke and Dan Quinn are available for festivals and folk clubs and can be contacted at:
87 St Andrews Rd, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1DD
or tel: 01273 881316
Personal appearances:
Friday 29th March Bodmin Folk Club at The Garland Ox, Higher Bore St, Bodmin, Cornwall. Tel: 01841 5324969
Saturday 27th April Broken Token Folk Club, The Globe Inn, 94 High St, Standish. A tune session in the afternoon and a folk club in the evening. Contact Angie Bladon tel: 01257 263678
Thursday 2nd May Islington Folk Club at The Horseshoe, Clerkenwell Close, London EC1.
Friday 10th May Black Diamond Folk Club at The Turks Head, Corner of Lancaster and Lawson St, Birmingham B4 7AT
Friday 21st June Musical Traditions Club at the King and Queen, Foley St, London W1 as part of The Bob Davenport Big Band with Roger Digby and Alex West.
Will Duke and Dan Quinn in action at the National Festival, Sutton Bonnington. Photo by Dave Humphreys.
"Scanned" CD HebeCD003
The Tracks
1. Here We Are
2. Scan Tester's Polkas
3. Coleraine Town
4. A Rakish Young Fellow
5. The Hungry Army
6. The Little Drummer
7. Scan Tester's Marches
8. Long A-Growing
9. Mrs Kenney / Watzing Over the Water / Waltz For Christine
10. The True Lover's Farewell
11. Brook St Polka / Nine Buckets
12. The Old Miser
13. Ball of Yarn
14. Died For Love
15. Scan Tester's Schottisches
16. The Clock Striking Nine / Scan Tester's Waltz
17. Father Had a Knife
What the critics said:
"The tunes are irresistible, the rhythms lopsided........It fair makes one swell with pride at one's national heritage. Great stuff....a genuinely feelgood album."
Nick Beale "Folk Roots"
"A truly excellent CD. I unhesitatingly recommend it"
Rod Stradling "Musical Traditions"
"Any listener should hear love of traditional singing shining through every note....There is very little to feel other than totally satisfied in the quality of these performances.
Vic Smith ""English Dance and Song"
"Wild Boys" CD HebeCD001
The Tracks
1. Monkey Hornpipe / Stepdance
2. I've Been a Wild Boy
3. Stone Steps Hornpipe / Mikey Callaghan's
4. The Lakes of Coalflinn
5. Mr. Rew's Waltz / Twenty One Years on Dartmoor
6. Hares on the Old Plantation
7. The New Moon / The French Dance
8. Mary on the Wild Moor
9. The Orphan Girl
10. Hunt the Squirrel / Four Handed Reel
11. The Maiden's Prayer
12. Skibbereen / The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door / Moonlight in Mayo
13. Green Grow the Laurels
14. Foul Weather Call / From Night Till Morn
What the critics said:
"Maturity and experience they've gained over the years, blended with such an obvious love of the material, produce an absolutely delightful CD....Singing in unison - such a refreshing change. I love it all."
Rod Stradling "Folk Roots"
"Little gem of an album....English country dance music has never sounded so good."
Paul Walker "Buzz"
"A delightful surprise...ballads sung by the two in an alarmingly effective and engaging unison style".
Mike Greenwood "Taplas"
"Voices mixing well, adding extra dimension to an already captivating performance"
Peter Fairbairn "Living Tradition"
And the rest.....
"A good turn" Danny Stradling
"Adorable" Sandra Kerr
Copies of both cds now available, price £12 each including p & p, from:
Dan Quinn, 87 St Andrews Rd, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1DD
