Hunting Hall – A Greener Farm

Alice
Playing Northumbrian Smallpipes live on Radio 4’s The Today Programme and touring New Zealand at the age of 11 were two of the first exciting opportunities of Alice’s music career.

She began Northumbrian smallpipes lessons at the age of 8 and belonged to local folk bands including the Alnwick Pipers Society and Border Box, making a CD with both. At the age of 10 Alice was invited to record part of a solo CD named ‘The Quiet Hills’ and to record a piece for Radio 4’s ‘Go for it’. She won her first Northumbrian Smallpipes open competition at the age of 11, the youngest ever to do so. In 2002 Alice was offered a place at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh, as a first study Northumbrian piper. She also studies classical piano and clarinet to a high standard.

Dr. Anthony Robb is Alice’s pipes teacher and he is imparting to Alice his passion for Northumbrian music and a deep knowledge of our folk heritage. Alice belongs to Dr. Robb’s Windy Gyle Band and has played at several folk festivals. As a member of the Sage Gateshead’s Folkestra youth folk band led by Kathryn Tickell Alice took part in the first Folk Prom held in the Royal Albert Hall, premiering a specially commissioned piece by Kathryn Tickell.

In 2007 Alice was Berwick-upon-Tweed’s Traditional Musician of the Year and in 2008 she was a finalist in the Radio 2 Young Folk Awards in a duet with a great friend and clarsach player, Emily Hoile. Alice is Piper to the Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Roberta
Roberta began playing the clarsach (folk harp) when she was nearly eight years old. She attended the Sage Gateshead weekend music school before gaining her place at St. Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh, in 2006. A Daughter of Dewar Award enabled her to progress to full sized concert harp at the age of 11.

Roberta studies pedal harp with Helen MacLeod who has encouraged Roberta to explore a wide range of music. She passed ABRSM Grade 8 with distinction at the age of 14 and was delighted to win Berwick Classical Musician of The Year, 2007, St. Mary’s Music School Junior Director’s Recital Prize, 2009 and The Lord Clyde Memorial Prize for Solo Performance, 2011. Roberta has been harpist with the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She has travelled to Sweden and Milan with the Young Sinfonia, and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, 2011.

In 2008 Roberta began studying clarsach with Patsy Seddon who encouraged her to rediscover the fun of folk. As a past member of The Sage Gateshead’s youth folk group Folkestra Roberta has enjoyed learning the traditional Northumbrian style and exploring new modern Northern folk music.