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Peter Knight

Musician.Composer.Teacher

"Peter Knight Can Spin The World On His Bow"

Sir Terry Pratchett

Instrumentalist of the Year - Fatea Magazine 2016

Musician Of The Year- Folking.com 2016

                     Latest News

 

 

2nd August 2016

Playing with John Spiers

I have been booked to play at one of my my favourite Festivals (Folk East) in a couple of weeks time, August 19th - 21st, and so has John Spiers. It had to be done.

 

We have rehearsed for a couple of days and will be playing a set together. I'm loving it. I'm in my studio learning some new tunes and it has inpired me to learn more. He should be called John InSpiers. What a lovely player. During the rehearsal I recorded John playing some tunes, so I'm playing along with them to learn them, before weaving some of my own musical thoughts and expression into them. I'm having a great time.

So pop along to Folkeast festival and check it out if you can. John will be playing a set on his own, and I will be doing 'An Audience with Peter Knight" Everything you ever wanted to know about Steeleye but were afraid to ask...

Playing with Trevor Watts and Veryan Weston.

This is a dream come true for me. The gig is in London. It will be filmed. It will be special. It will be whatever it will be musically according to the chemistry between us on the night. Everything is pointing towards it being a fantastic musical experience. The time is right.

I asked Trevor to set this gig up. He has been playing with Veryan as a duo for a long time, and when I heard them play together about two years ago, I just wanted to get up and join in. I am intrigued to see where the music will go with my Fiddle in the mix. Very exciting. Both Trevor (Saxophone}and Veryan (Piano}are extraordinary musicians, and I am so happy that they set this gig up. I can't wait

The gig is at the Cafe Oto, London

17th April 2016

Shakespeare 400 'World on 3' Performance

As part of the Shakespeare 400 celebrations, Gigspanner has been invited by BBC Radio 3 to be part of a special 'World on 3' concert to be broadcast from Stratford-upon-Avon on April the 22nd. The concert will be held at 'The Other Place'.

There is a full program of free events being hosted by Radio 3 over the weekend of 22nd to 24th of April.

 

24th March 2016

 

Live Streaming from The Convent

Gigspanner's concert at The Convent, Stroud, will be available to watch via online streaming, and for one week afterwards.

 

Peter Knights Gigspanner, Live From The Convent, Stroud.

 

Special Concert To Be Streamed Live on Thursday the 24th of March.

Available To View For Seven Days.

 

Tickets Available At This Link:

https://theconvent.netgig.co.uk/event/gigspanner/

 

Please join us...we would love you to be part of what for us is a 'first'.

 

 

2nd March 2016

 

A second 'Musician of the Year' Award for Peter Knight

 

The year got off to a fantastic start in January when Peter was awarded the 'Musician of the Year' Award by Fatea magazine, and yesterday it got even better when Folking.com announced that Peter had also won their inaugural 'Best Musician' Award as voted for by the general public.

 

Gigspanner also received a nomination in the 'Best Album' category.

 

http://folking.com/the-folking-winners/

 

 

2nd of February 2016

 

Nominations for Gigspanner and Peter Knight

 

Folking.com has announced its shortlisted nominees in the annual 'Folkies' Awards.

 

'Layers of Ages' is listed in the 'Best Album' category, and Peter in the 'Best Musician' category.

 

There are eight categories in total, all open to public voting.

 

http://folking.com/welcome-to-the-folkies/

 

9th January 2016

 

Fatea Magazine Award

 

Peter has won Fatea's 'Instrumentalist Of The Year Award for achievement in 2015'.

 

A list of all the nominees and winners of the various categories can be found here:

 

http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/Nominations2015.html

 

16th December 2015

 

New Release: Gigspanner Live DVD

 

Gigspanner's first DVD is now available from the online shop, and at concerts from February 2016.

 

Recorded this year at The Cut, Halesworth, there are 70 minutes of listening time.

Music
Video

Videos & Music

Gigspanner 'Death and the Lady' A Video by Perrine Nouvier
Gigspanner 'Hard Times of Old England'  A video by Perrine Nouvier.
Peter Knight's Gigspanner 'She Moved Through The Fair' Filmed At The Convent,

Music Samples

Tour Dates

Peter Knight's Gigspanner

Autumn Tour 2016

October

28th Royston Folk Club
http://www.roystonfolk.org/

29th The Place, Bedford
http://www.theplacebedford.org.uk/

30th The Cube, Malvern
http://www.malverncube.com/

 

November

2nd The Norwegian Church, Cardiff
http://www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com/

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peter-knights-gigspanner-tickets-25949485610

3rd The Town Hall, Midsomer Norton
http://www.midsomernortoncommunitytrust.co.uk/town-hall/

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/EHJKJD

4th St Helen's Church, Alveston, Gloucestershire
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/360529

5th The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington
http://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/

6th The Wharf, Tavistock
http://www.tavistockwharf.com/home

9th Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
http://www.farmersarmsatcombeflorey.co.uk/

10th Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ross on Wye,
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peter-knights-gigspanner-tickets-26854578768

11th Victoria Hall, Settle
http://www.settlevictoriahall.org.uk/

12th The Witham, Barnard Castle
http://www.thewitham.org.uk/

13th The Village Hall, Whalley, Lancs
EXTRA! Peter will be holding a workshop for fiddle players in the afternoon.
https://billetto.co.uk/events/140750

18th Roots Music Club, Doncaster
http://www.rootsmusicclub.co.uk/

19th Farnsfield Acoustic, Farnsfield
http://www.farnsfieldacoustic.com/

20th Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

http://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalspacentre/

21st The Guildhall, Leicester
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/361708

23rd The Artrix, Bromsgrove
http://www.artrix.co.uk/

25th Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
https://norden.farm/

26th The Beehive, Honiton
http://www.beehivehoniton.co.uk/

27th The Village Hall, Osmington, Dorset
http://osmingtonvillagehall.com/

December

2nd Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Winchelsea, Rye

In person from Grammar School Records, High Street Rye

Call 01797 224446

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/373496

9th All Saints Church, Evesham
http://www.eveshamparish.com/

10th St Peter's Church, Chellaston, Concert by Candlelight
http://www.villagefolk.org/

 

Live
Bio

Peter Knight - Biography

"Peter Knight shows a willingness to turn the expected inside out and place it back as neatly as it was before being taken"
fRoots Magazine
"Peter Knight can spin the world on his Bow"
Sir Terry Pratchett
 

Although his name is synonymous with the seminal Folk-Rock Band Steeleye Span and more recently with his own trio Gigspanner, Peter Knight has avoided being categorised purely as a Folk Musician due to the diversity of musical genres that he chooses to apply to his music making, and to the musicians he has chosen to work with. Peter has a rare gift of being able to seamlessly embrace a number of musical styles with consummate skill and effortless grace.

 

The late author Terry Pratchett had a nutshell moment when he wrote “Peter Knight can spin the World on his Bow”.

His prodigious talent was recognised at an early age when in true Billy Elliot style his life changed by winning a place at The Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied classical violin, an experience that has indelibly left its mark on Peter's style of playing.

 

Resisting the lure of an extension to continue his studies as a classical soloist, Peter left the Royal Academy at 16 and was drawn to the copious presence of Irish Music that was flourishing in London during the 1960's.

 

Inspired initially by the legendary Fiddle players Michael Coleman and Michael Gorman, Peter totally immersed himself into the playing of traditional music and began performing in Folk Clubs with guitarist Bob Johnson, where he was spotted by Martin Carthy who was one of the newset members of the fledgling Steeleye Span. Being invited by Ashley Hutchings to join the band secured his place within the annals of British Folk Music. Steeleye Span has gone on to become one of the most successful Folk-Rock Band in Britain, securing a string of Gold Albums and top ten hits, and remains influential after more than 40 years.

 

However, an encounter with globally renowned Saxophonist Trevor Watts during the '80's marked a very significant turning point in Peter's musical journey when he was introduced to the area of free improvisation.

Peter counts his playing with Trevor and his Bands Moiré Music and The Drum Orchestra as one of his most deeply influential and formative experiences, and has continued to use both improvisation and free improvisation as means of accessing a rich seam of emotion and depth of feeling, something that is particularly in evidence with his Trio Peter Knight's Gigspanner.

 

At the end of 2013, Peter took the momentous decision to leave Steeleye Span in order to focus more fully on Gigspanner

 

Every year, Peter hosts a two day Musician’s Masterclass in the Cotswolds, a weekend where the theme is "By risking nothing, we risk everything".

 

Attracting musicians of all leanings and capabilities, Peter’s endeavour is to guide each participant to unearth their own musical voice, and to assist them to load whatever music they choose to play with something that has real value.

 

Peter has had a long and diverse life in music, and he continues to seek and embrace new challenges. In 2012 he was appointed Patron of the Fiddle Festival of Britain, and in 2013, he has had the honour of being commissioned by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to compose and record music for a very special project in relation to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

 

When the demands of the touring life are not upon him, Peter is to be found at his holiday home in the Limousin, France, where he spends much time working in his recording studio, a building which in its former life housed the communal Bread Oven.

 

Photo by Deborah Knight

Contact

Contact Peter Knight

Management | Booking

Deborah Knight

email mail@gigspanner.com

Telephone 0044 (0)7974 842950

 

 

 

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