Saltlines by Gigspanner Big Band and Raynor Winn

Taking audiences by storm, Saltlines is a Prose and Music collaboration between bestselling author Raynor Winn (The Salt Path/The Wild Silence/Landlines) and folk-roots supergroup The Gigspanner Big Band, which features some of the most celebrated names on the British folk scene.

Together they have created an emotional odyssey which explores the beauty, stories and traditions of the South West Coast Path.The Salt Path is, of course, Raynor Winn's and her husband Moth's story. A global bestselling memoir chronicling their tale of loss, hope and rediscovery against the dramatic backdrop of the South West Coast Path.

But such a well-trodden trail inevitably holds many more stories of loss, love and the natural world. Stories that can be found in the form of traditional songs, collected, archived and waiting to be revealed afresh.

That thought, that idea, was the seed that has grown into SALTLINES.

Having enjoyed a debut tour around the route of the South West Coast Path during the summer of 2022, followed by a tour of the south and east in October, SALTLINES continues to go from strength to strength, and is now poised to head into 2023, starting with a tour of the North.

The vibrant, thought-provoking compositions by Raynor have been especially written for this show, and the songs and tunes have been curated from collections by Cecil Sharp and Sabine Baring-Gould, and the archive held at Cecil Sharp House, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

However, there is nothing remotely dusty about the interpretations of these old songs. In the words of one reviewer "What a fabulous team they make, together producing a startlingly new music form with few, if any, antecedents. The flights of musical fancy are startling in their natural invention"

The production has without question been a resounding triumph, with standing ovations following every performance, and a deluge of messages from people who were moved and inspired by the power of the performance.

SALTLINES is however far more than a contemplation of the beauty of the South West Coast Path...it touches on social and environmental issues that face not only coastal communities but the world at large. It is a modern piece, thoughtfully and creatively delivered.

Formed by legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight, the Gigspanner Big Band line-up features acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, Roger Flack on guitar and Sacha Trochet on percussion.

The Gigspanner Trio are Peter Knight (fiddle), Roger Flack (guitars) and Sacha Trochet (percussion).

The Gigspanner Big Band adds in John Spiers (squeezebox), Philip Henry (slide guitar) and Hannah Martin (fiddle, banjo)

"The multi-talented six-piece soar on their most accomplished album yet, led by the exceptional fiddle-playing of Peter Knight" ... "a faultless cavalcade"
4 stars The Guardian

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