Tom McConville on his upcoming February folk show
“Not only is Tom a fabulous fiddler and great singer, he defies gravity by performing them at the same time, whilst exuding oodles of winsome charm” – Steve Tilston
“One of the greatest violinists I’ve ever heard and by far the biggest influence in my music. A true master” – Seth Lakeman
On Friday 2 February, veteran UK folk fiddle-player and singer Tom McConville joins forces with pianist/accordianist/multi-instrumental Michael Biggins (who previously appeared here in September 2023 with The Canny Band) for a night of spell-binding tunes, great music and humour in the Carole Nash Hall.
We caught up with Tom about what he’s most looking forward to and what audiences can expect from their performance.
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, and how you got started playing with Michael Biggins?
I started playing Fiddle dance tunes interspersed with classical violin when I was six years old at my fathers pub in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This gave me the greatest gift for any performance which is immediate contact with people.
I first heard Michael about five years ago and apart from his virtuoso musicianship, I realised that he would be the perfect accompanist for my violin and singing tunes. It has been said that Michael and I sound more than two during a performance!
You’re planning to play music from a wide range of styles and genres – how do you go about picking the music for a concert like this?
After playing for many years we have a huge repertoire of material and choosing numbers is very easy. These range from fast dance tunes to traditional and contemporary songs and most importantly involving our audience.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
We always want people to enjoy the sense of fun and participate in the concert whether they are singing, toe-tapping or laughing out loud!
Find out more about Tom and Michael’s concert and book your tickets here.
