User:RogerDis/sandbox

Said the Maiden is a folk music trio – Hannah James*, Jess Distill and Cathy Pilkinton. The hallmark of their music is their rich harmonies and acapella arrangements, though violin, guitar, accordion, flute and ukulele are often added to their sound. Friends since secondary school days (and Hannah is the sister of Jess's brother-in-law), the girls started singing together at the Redbourn Folk Club in the autumn of 2011. With a growing interest in folk music, they went to the club at first to listen, then sang a song together one evening (name of song) at an open-mike session. That brief performance was very well-received, and Said the Maiden was born. (explain name)

(*In 2013, Hannah changed her performance name to Hannah Elizabeth because people were confusing her with Hannah James of Lady Maisery, also a folk trio of young ladies, who had been longer on the folk scene.)

In their first two years, the Maidens built up their repertoire, and sang and played at numerous venues, big and small, returning to many of them, and played live on numerous radio stations...


 * Royston Folk Club
 * The Amble Inn (Harpenden)
 * The Roadtrip (Shoreditch)
 * Baldock and Letchworth Folk Club
 * Music City Unsigned 2 @ The Alban Arena (St Albans)
 * Insanity Radio 103.2FM
 * Radio Dacorum
 * BBC Three Counties Radio
 * Radio Verulam
 * The Mermaid (St Albans)
 * Red Lion Folk Club (Birmingham)
 * The Maltings Arts Theatre (St Albans)
 * Redbourn Folk Club
 * Watford Folk Club
 * Trashville Acoustic Night at The Torriano (Kentish Town)
 * Bakewell Music Festival
 * Lost Horizons Folk Club (Leytonstone)
 * Luton Hoo Open Art Exhibition
 * Balstock Music Festival
 * Redbourn Folk and Blues Day
 * St Albans Day of Dance & Music
 * Riseley Folk
 * Folk by the Oak
 * Tiller Flat folk club
 * Edinburgh Free Fringe Festival
 * Folkeast Festival
 * Bunkfest
 * Hertford Corn Exchange
 * Woodfest
 * Green Note
 * Folkstock
 * Dunton Folk Club
 * Oxford Folk Club
 * Hitchin Folk Club
 * >>Golden Hind<<
 * The Shed
 * Edinburgh Festival

…and supported some big names on the folk circuit...


 * Fisherman's Friends
 * Megson
 * Ray Cooper
 * Maggie Holland
 * Sarah McQuaid
 * Sam Sweeney and Hannah James
 * Luke Jackson
 * Lily Neill
 * Jim Moray
 * Clannad

One year in, Said the Maiden launched their first recording, a five-track EP called “Come Hither”.


 * 1. Hunting the Hare
 * 2. Spencer the Rover
 * 3. Shady Grove
 * 4. Derby Ram
 * 5. Rolling Sailor

Appropriately, the launch was at the Redbourn Folk Club, where the group had first started. 2014 saw the release of their first full CD, "A Curious Tale", launched at Empire Records in St Albans just after their 17-gig tour supporting Dave Swarbrick, formerly of Fairport Convention.


 * 1. The Fine Young Smith
 * 2. Rain And Snow
 * 3. Shady Grove
 * 4. I Wonder What Is Keeping My True Love This Night
 * 5. I Wish, I Wish
 * 6. Silver Dagger
 * 7. A  Sailor's Promise
 * 8. False, False
 * 10. The Rabbit's Bride
 * 11. Barrack Street
 * 12. Fiddler's Green