This page contains brochure copy, technical information, sample programme, notes for inclusion in printed programmes.
Biographies and reviews are available in PDF or plain text from the 'PDFs' link above.
Press quality photos can be downloaded from the hi-res photos page.
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Simon's surname is MAYOR.
Please check your copy as we have recurring problems with incorrect spellings. Thank you! |
Here are some short quotes followed by examples of copy of varying lengths.
Please feel free to mix and match
"Just fantastic to go and see live. Do catch them if you can."
Fiona Talkington, BBC Radio 3
"One of Britain's finest voices"
BBC Radio 4
"Britain's leading hot-fingered mandolin virtuoso"
Cosmopolitan
'Simon Mayor is a real find'
The Daily Telegraph
"A witty and captivating mix of folk, blues, swing and classical showstoppers,
spiced with a unique brand of off-beat humour."
The Guardian
'Elegant singing '
Daily Telegraph
'Sheer Musical Brilliance'
BBC World Service
"With Simon Mayor's first note the audience came to life. It was they who made
sitting on a hard seat 'til midnight worth it."
Arran Festival
"left you feelin lik you were floatin on a peerie cloud somewhar"
Shetland Folk Festival
"Monstrously enjoyable. If you see them advertised anywhere make a pilgrimage! "
Folk North West
(Copy - 74words)
Simon's
hilarious banter and mandolin wizardry (he's one of the world's leading
virtuosos, not to mention his fine guitar and fiddle playing) meets
Hilary's "wonderfully honey-dripping voice" and unusual basses! She
might even manage a step-dance if the wind's in the right direction.
Hear them at www.mandolin.co.uk
(Copy - 81 words)
Simon's
inimitable brand of off-the-wall humour as well as mandolin, guitar and
fiddling wizardry meets Hilary's 'honey-dripping' vocals and unusal
basses! If you've heard them on Radios 2, 3, Oxford and Classic FM,
you'll know just what a treat is in store. Everything from beautiful
folk ballads to lively mandolin tunes, as well as some of their
hilarious children's songs, reminiscent of Belloc's 'Cautionary Tales'
...Oh! And a step dance (if Hilary has any breath left!). Hear them at
www.mandolin.co.uk
(Copy - 186 words)
They've
lost count of the number of air and road miles they've clocked up over
the last few years, but with the twin passports of Hilary's
'wonderfully, honey-dripping voice' and Simon's standing as one of the
world's most renowned mandolinists - in any genre - they've taken on an
impressive and diverse array of international engagements from
Vancouver Folk Festival and The Stephen Leacock Humour Festival
(Canada) to Rudoldstat World Music Festival (Germany) and guesting at
the Classical Mandolin Society of America.
It's probably
the diversity that surprises most people who haven't seen them before;
the voice and mandolin playing isn't even the half of it. Both highly
talented guitarists, Hilary is also an occasional step-dancer and
arguably one of Berkshire's greatest mandobass players, Simon a
dazzling fiddler.
With a repertoire easily crossing from
traditional ballads to blues, Berlioz, classical mandolin show-stoppers
and some of their own notorious comic songs, it's all wrapped up in a
hugely entertaining stage show and some of the driest humour this side
of Humph. Serious stuff - but don't take it seriously! Find them at
www.mandolin.co.uk. Hear them at www.mandolin.co.uk
Simon Mayor and Hilary James often work without PA in friendly
acoustics, but provide their own where necessary, within the UK. The
system is very compact and very high quality, suitable for all but the
very largest venues.
If a house system is available, the artists carry their own mics and
compact mixer providing a standard jack mono output to the house system.
Simple requirements: warm and static please.
Two chairs without arms.
No smoking. please.
Hilary James and Simon Mayor rarely have a fixed programme but here are
some of their favourites and likely inclusions for a concert:
Apenhei teh (Nazareth)
Mandolin and guitar. This lively Brazilian Tango, originally a piano piece, was frequently
performed on the cavaquino (a small Portuguese guitar).
Recording: Mandolinquents CDACS 034
Villanelle (Berlioz arr Mayor)
Originally scored for voice and orchestra, in this arrangement the mandolin
provides the sole accompaniment.
Recording: Duos CDACS 042
Busy Old Fool (James)
Inspired by the famous poem by John Donne.
Simon accompanies Hilary on guitar.
Recording: Hilary James - Burning Sun CDACS 016
Czardas (Monti arr Mayor)
Usually played on the violin this well-known piece was, in fact, originally
written for the mandolin.
Recording: Duos CDACS 042
The Spider in the Shed (James/Mayor)
A gruesome tale with shades of Belloch - not for the faint-hearted.
Recording: Midsummer Market CDACS 040
Three Celtic Tunes (Trad arr Mayor)
Mandolin and mandobass.
Three beautiful traditional tunes: The Dark & Slender Boy (Irish); The
Butterfly (Irish) and The Atholl Highlanders (a Scottish pipe tune).
Recording: The New Celtic Mandolin - Simon Mayor CDACS 035
Mandolin Concerto (Vivaldi)
The first movement from Antonio Vivaldi's famous concerto in an arrangement
for guitar and mandolin.
Recording: The Mandolin Album, Simon Mayor CDACS 012
Will you Come to the Bower (John Clare arr James Mayor)
Fiddle and voice.
The words to this rural romance are by the English poet John Clare who was also a fiddle player.
Recording: "Love, Lust and Loss" CDACS 029
O'er the Ocean (James)
Voice and guitar. Inspired by an American folk song.
Recording: Hilary James - Burning Sun CDACS 016
Lime Rock (Trad arr James / Mayor)
A traditional fiddle tune adapted for mandolin and guitar. The title has
more to do with a small place in Texas than seafront confectionery!
Recording: Duos CDACS 042
Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (Allen/Gallop)
Recording: Bluesy CDACS 041
If Your Kisses Can’t Hold the Man You Love (Vivien Ellis)
This song was originally recorded in the 1940s by the unforgettably titled
Betty Bolton and the Four Bright Sparks. Recording:: Duos CDACS 042
Niel Gow’s Lament for Abercarney (Trad Scottish arr Mayor)
A tune from the Gow Collection. Simon: solo fiddle.
Recording: Duos CDACS 042
He's Gone Away (Trad arr Mayor)
Hilary sings to mandocello accompaniment.
Recording: Mandolinquents CDACS 034
Little Rabbit (Trad arr Mayor)
A fiddle tune from the Appalachian Mountains with foot accompaniment!
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel arr James / Mayor)
George Frederick's greatest hit undergoes a mandolin make-over with Hilary's guitar taking the
part of the orchestra.
Recording: The Mandolin Album CDACS 012
The Buttermere Waltz (Mayor)
Mandolin and guitar.
Recording: The 2nd Mandolin Album, Simon Mayor CDACS 014
Double Crossin' Papa (Bradford)
Recording: Bluesy CDACS 041
Black & White Rag (Trad arr James / Mayor)
Mandolin and guitar.
This tune was first popularised by the great ragtime pianist Winifred Atwell.
Recording:: Duos CDACS 042
We
have frequently been asked for some background information on the
mandolin. The notes below are taken from Simon Mayor's book The
Mandolin Tutor and may be of interest...
Simon Mayor answers some questions about the mandolin.
1. What is a mandolin?
A
rather well known Radio 2 DJ invited me in for interview one day. It
would be the usual thing no doubt: play a couple of tunes, talk about
the instrument, that sort of stuff. I arrived at the studio in good
time and chatted to him before the programme. What sort of questions
did he have in mind? "Oh, just general things..." he smiled, waving the
air. We went into the studio. "A tune now from Simon Mayor" he
announced. A quick musical burst followed and then he let me have it
right between the eyes: "Tell me Simon, what is a mandolin?"
Believe
it or not, it was the first time anyone had asked me this perfectly
reasonable question. Just because I had been nutty about the instrument
for years, just because I could tell you what Vivaldi had for dinner on
the day he wrote his mandolin concerto (Four Seasons pizza with extra
anchovies) didn't mean that the average listener should know what a
mandolin was.
There was a pregnant pause as I gave a
mental gasp at the stunningly simple relevance of the question, and
mustered what I like to think was an adequate answer. The interview
went smoothly after that, but I hope the incident had a beneficial
effect, in that I have tried since to assume no prior knowledge of
anything.
So what is it? A mandolin is a small, plucked,
stringed instrument. Most cultures in the world have an instrument that
fits this description, and the mandolin is the Italian variety, a
member of the lute family. It is played on the knee like a guitar with
a piece of plastic called a plectrum, but it is tuned like a violin.
Whereas the violin has four strings, the mandolin has four pairs of
strings, each pair tuned in unison.
2. Why is the mandolin double strung?
A
violinist can sustain a note as long as the bow moves across the
strings. Once a mandolin string has been plucked the note dies away
rapidly. The mandolinist gets round this problem by playing tremolos.
On a double strung instrument there are twice as many notes for every
stroke of the plectrum, and so a smoother tremolo. Simple!
So
tremolo is a bit of a cheat really! It's a way of giving the impression
of a long sustained note by actually playing lots of short ones in
rapid succession. Mandolinists, however, are skilled at making virtue
out of necessity, and tremolo has became the sound the instrument is
famous for, used in countless corny Hollywood B-movies by some
actorrrrrr on bended knee
beneath an open window serenading the
object of his heart's desire! Love it or hate it, tremolo is an
important weapon in the mandolinist's armoury.
3. Are there different sorts of mandolin?
Yes,
there are two main sorts of mandolin, graced by descriptive titles. The
roundback is of Italian origin, played traditionally on one knee in the
moonlight beneath windows of sweethearts. Its body is made from strips
of wood, steamed and bent into shape, and the top is 'broken' at the
bridge position to allow a more acute angle of the strings, hence a
greater downward force and a more efficient transmission of vibrations
to the body. Its sound is delicate but penetrating. The round back
renders it less than comfortable to play, especially to those blessed
with a beer gut. Serious players will sometimes be seen draping chammy
leather over it to stop it wobbling about (the instrument, not the
gut). The Italian or German style roundback is played by virtually all
European classical players, but it is less popular West of the Atlantic.
The
flatback subdivides into those with a genuinely flat back and the more
popular carved mandolins. These were the development of the Gibson
company in the USA early last century (famous later for their electric
guitars), and in particular their chief designer Lloyd Loar. In many
ways they were a response to the failure of roundback instruments (many
were brought over by Italian immigrants) to stand up to the variable
climate. The design is very similar to a violin with the top and back
carved into a gentle arch and the neck angled back to create pressure
on the bridge. Over the years it has proved to be structurally
stronger, particularly at the neck to body joint.
While
the Italians were fond of covering their more expensive mandolins with
acres of mother-of-pearl, Loar experimented more with the shape for
cosmetic effect. Some had a simple tear-drop shape like their Italian
ancestors, but he designed the now famous F5 model with the body
outline swooping gracefully into decorative points and a scroll on the
bass shoulder. Their
protagonists claim the points and scroll add
'weight' to the sound while cynics refer to the scroll as the £1,000
strap button, for such is the premium in value over an 'A' model with
its simple tear-drop shape.
F5s
are traditionally played by bluegrass musicians. While enjoying the
luxury of not having a round back wobbling out of control, they create
other difficulties for themselves by slinging the strap over just one
hunched shoulder. Style is everything! Love it or hate it, the Gibson
F5 is the prestige mandolin to own if your musical diet extends beyond
the strictly classical.
As for me? Well, when was the last time you heard of a Yorkshireman paying £1,000 for a strap button?
4. What are the other instruments of the mandolin family?
The
(tenor) mandola and mandocello are larger members of the mandolin
family tuned respectively like a viola (C, G, D, A ascending) and
violoncello (C, G, D, A ascending). In other words, a mandola is a
fifth lower than a mandolin, and a mandocello an octave and a fifth. A
mandobass is a very rare beast, tuned in fourths like a double bass (E,
A, D, G ascending). An octave mandola has no violin family equivalent
and is tuned an octave below a mandolin. Hilary James originally played
the double bass but a week before the quartet recorded its first CD
fate intervened and she stumbled across the mandobass in a small
music shop near Gatwick airport. Designed by an English maker it is, as
far as we know, the only one of it's kind in the UK. Unlike the other
mandolin instruments it is single strung, the strings being too thick
and heavy to be practical in pairs.
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