| Reiver Divas
The artists on the Reiver label are known
as the Reiver Divas. They are comprised of Carolyn Robson, Sarah Morgan and
Moira Craig, (collectively known as Craig;Morgan;Robson) (www.cmr-harmony.org.uk
)
Anna, Freya and Nonny Tabbush (known as
the Tabbush Sisters)
www.tabbushsisters.com )
| Carolyn Robson |
 |
Carolyn is the MD of Reiver Music and
also a professional singer and musician who specialises in traditional folk
song and dance. Her extensive repertoire consists of mainly songs from her
native Northumberland and Scotland as well as other parts of the British
Isles.
In 1981 Carolyn made her debut album
‘Banks of Tyne’ (RVRCD 01) (hyperlink to CDs) accompanied by the late Phil
Ranson on Appalachian dulcimer and banjo, and husband Paul Tabbush on
mandolin and Northumbrian pipes. She went on to record with Kathryn Tickell
on her album ‘The Northumberland Collection’ then brought out two highly
acclaimed solo albums ‘All the Fine Young Men’ (RVRCD 02) and ‘Dawn Chorus’
(RVRCD 03) (hyperlink to CDs).
Carolyn studied music at the London
Royal Academy of Music then went from there into teaching. She became a
presenter for Radio 4 Schools broadcasts; ‘Music Workshops’ then moved back
north and worked for Radio Newcastle as a writer/presenter of folklore/
music programmes. In 1990 she became the Education Officer for the EFDSS
(English Folk Dance and Song Society) and ran workshops in song and dance
for primary children as well as co-writing a series of education packs with
Doc Rowe called ‘May’, ‘Plough Monday’ and ‘Midwinter’ (hyperlink to schools
resources). She left in 1995 to become freelance. Currently part of her work
is as a Senior Advisory Teacher for the Voices Foundation which involves
training class teachers to teach music in the National Curriculum using folk
songs and the aural tradition:
www.voicesfoundation.org.uk)
Carolyn runs several Children’s Country
Dance Festivals in the SE of England; Kingston, Winchester and Thurrock. (schools
workshops) and together with daughter Freya, has produced a dance pack
and CD for the very young; Hippity Hop (schools
resources).
| Craig;Morgan;Robson |
 |
More recently Carolyn joined the harmony
trio Craig;Morgan;Robson (CMR) with Moira Craig and Sarah Morgan (www.cmr-harmony.org.uk
)
Moira Craig is from East Kilbride near
Glasgow and brings to the group a wealth of knowledge on ballads and
Scottish song as well as an exquisite voice. Moira can be heard on the
Pastimes CDs as well as on her own solo album ‘On a bonny day’
(hyperlink to CDs).
Sarah Morgan is renowned for her
arrangements of folk songs for choirs and for several of her own
compositions which are being sung the length and breadth of the country by
individuals and community choirs, notably ‘Keep you in peace’ and ‘Home,
lads, home’ to mention just two. Sarah has published two books of her
arrangements; ‘View the land’, ‘Cottage Garden Trees’ and a book of her own
songs, ‘Put the stars to flight’ (schools resources)
CMR have performed extensively round
Britain and USA and are rapidly becoming the ‘must have’ group for Clubs and
Festivals.
They have two CDs; ‘Peppers & Tomatoes’
(RVRCD 06) and more recently ‘Stranded’ (RVRCD 08)
(hyperlink to CD section)
They are also in increasing demand to
run harmony workshops at festivals and with individual choirs
(sending a separate flier regarding harmony
workshops)
Craig;Morgan;Robson (CMR) have also
collaborated with the celebrated folk duo Mary Humphries and Anahata to form
CHARM (an anagram of Craig, Humphries, Anahata, Robson and Morgan).
Collectively they present ‘a musical journey’………a conducted tour of
traditional music and song from England, Scotland and Wales’ which has
toured at festivals.
| The Tabbush Sisters
|
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The Tabbush Sisters leapt to fame when
they won the Wiltshire Sound Award in 2001 and were subsequently booked at
Chippenham Festival and Trowbridge Village Pump. Since then they have
performed at several festivals including being the support act to Steeleye
Span at the Arena in Sidmouth in 2004!
Anna Tabbush, the eldest of the sisters,
is a freelance musician who is a member of two other bands; namely Meridian
with celebrated musicians Richard Jones
of the ‘Climax Blues Band’ fame and piper, Chris Walshaw (
www.meridianfolk.co.uk ) and the Climax Ceilidh Band (with members of
Meridian as well as Mark Weaver and Holly Sheldrake) which is rapidly
becoming a favourite at major festivals. Meridian has two albums available,
their latest ‘Second’ (RVRCD 05) is on the Reiver label
(hyperlink to CD section).
Anna also runs two community choirs in
Brighton and Guildford (hyperlink to Community Choirs section). Anna’s debut
solo album was released in 2005, ‘Waiting in the Wings’ (RVRCD 07) which
features some traditional songs plus several of her own compositions
(hyperlink to CDs)
Freya Tabbush runs her own business in
St Margaret’s; called ‘Gymboree’. It caters for the under fives providing
structured music, art and gym classes. (hyperlink to
www.gymboree-uk.com) (Photo-Gymboree)
Freya also runs the Winchester Community
Choir jointly with Sarah Morgan (hyperlink to Community Choirs)
Nonny Tabbush is the youngest of the
Tabbush Sisters and is in her third and final year as a student in Ceramics
at Cardiff University. She is specialising in sculpting in clay and is
moving back to the SE to set up her own studio (photo
-monkeys) Nonny, like her sisters, is
also a fine fiddler and runs song and music workshops at major festivals
throughout the country.
The Tabbush Sisters have a CD called
‘This Close….’ (RVRCD 04) which took its title from a quote from Gordon
Potts who wrote of them ‘…to sing this close you need to be related!’ And
they are! (
www.tabbushsisters.com )
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