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`a bewildering array of early instruments ... played with sensitivity and verve... Early music dull? Not with these guys on stage! [Cholsey 1000 Festival review]'
Skeleton Crew is a group of amateur musicians of various sizes, with a mixed bag of acoustic instruments. We perform medieval, renaissance and baroque music (so-called early music) as well as traditional folk music from many cultures and anything else we feel like. We play for public and private occasions, and we are based in Oxford (UK).
We enjoy having children in our audience.
Click for larger image.
Click for larger image.
`a delightful evening of early music ... often played with quite blistering dexterity ... the programme offered a most satisfying balance between diversity and coherence [Daily information review 2009]'
No public gigs are organised at the moment. To hear us play either book us for an event or listen to one of our CDs...
We've kept a record of some of our previous gigs, at least since 2004.
watch this space...
Here are some samples recorded live at a recent concert.
Recercada Secunda (extract) (Diego Ortiz, Spain, c. 1540)
Aire (extract) (John Jenkins, England, mid 17c)
Basse Danse: The Cat (extract) (Pierre Attaignant, France, 1529)
We're now working on a new CD, with Danny our 'cellist. Until then there are the two recordings we made earlier.
The newer "Bear Bones" and the old "Bone Idols" each provide sixty minutes of our music in a plastic box. Packaged in both CD and cassette tape formats for the princely sum of 5 pounds sterling (+ £1 postage) per copy. Sterling cheques only, email us for details.
Here are some samples of the music from "Bear Bones" (2005). Most computers won't need any extra software to play them -- just click and listen. To keep the file sizes down these are just excerpts.
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Bransles de Village (Robert Ballard, 1614) - lute solo Ductia (anon. English, 13th c.) - harp and crumhorns Muineira de Cabana (Por Emilio Corral) - recorder, harp and percussion The Orphan (trad. Irish) - baroque flute, harp and bass recorder Qui souhaitez Pierre Sandrin, mid-16th c.) - harp and lute |
Here's a sample of some of the music from the older album, "Bone Idols" (2002).
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Espanoletas (extract) (anon. Spanish, C16) Merry Boys o'Greenland (extract) (trad. Shetland reel) Marry Me Now (extract) (trad. Irish) |
We play background music for fairs, fêtes, dinners, parties, cafés, pubs, balls and on boats; and occasionally we even give concerts.
Our fees are negotiable and we often do special rates for deserving causes.
Contact us at
skeletoncrew 
org ukYou can join our electronic mailing list for occasional announcements, including information about related musical events around Oxford). We promise not to pass your email on to anyone else, and we'll happily stop mailing you whenever you please.
To join or leave the list, please send us an email at the address above.
Andrew's website is here.
Andrew & his Wife Karen's website is Wild Ruby
Peaceroots charity in aid of Uganda Peace Building.
Jane's Brother's Band's Website is Slide
The Thames Valley Early Music Forum (TVEMF) page.
Monthly early music reviews and sheet music from King's Music.
