Kirsty and Katie Lawrence - ProfilesArchive

About Me

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From the Isle of Man, lived there since birth, except we spent a couple of years in Lymm, Cheshire when I was about 2 and therefore too young to remember. I do however, remember getting expelled from playschool.
Kirsty and I have been playing since we were kids. We're both classically trained but have grown up immersed in traditional music. We played in our school folk group and during our time with them, we played at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Youth Proms. We both attended Huddersfield University - me with Matt Stiff the most famous of pop groups, G4 (happy days!) and are both now teaching, Kirsty in Aberdeen teaching primary music and myself in a primary school on the island at the moment. In addition, I have an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from Limerick University. It's probably fair to say that I remember approximately 50% of my time there, possibly through over consumption of certain beverages.
My main instruments are fiddle and keyboard/piano and Kirsty's instruments are 'cello and tin whistle. We've had a few small gigs in the past, but we can now lay claim to having played on the same stage as Snow Patrol and Alice Cooper. Fortunately, not at the same time (I didn't fancy the guillotine anyway).
The best way to describe our music is to say that it is traditional Manx music (and some Irish/Scottish), some of which has been jazzed up a little, particularly since I started playing keyboard more and also because Kirsty started playing 'cello more. We went through a Scandinavian stage, but at the moment, most of the music we play is Manx, Irish or Scottish and we also play a few of my tunes. This is reflected on the CD. We're not talking age old folk music, it's mainly instrumental with the odd song here and there. Kirsty does the singing - christ, imagine if I started singing. Happy birthday at school is about my limit.
Anyway, I'll stop waffling. The CD is called Tree Baatyn Beggey (which translated means Three Little Boats) and is available from either of us (feel free to add us to your friends list or send a message to us), or if you are in the Isle of Man, you will be able to get it from the Traf, the Book Store, Lexicon, museums (eventually) and other places.
You'll normally find me at a session somewhere on a Friday night. Either the Tynwald for a quiet one or the Mitre to get drunk.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 01/10/2006
Band Members: Kirsty Lawrence .. cello, vocals and whistles. Katie Lawrence .. fiddle and keyboard. Guests on the CD are Malcolm Stitt .. guitar and bouzouki, Al Lawrence .. guitar and vocals, Russell Cowin - bodhran, Adam Rhodes .. fiddle, Iolo Whelan .. percussion and Juan Garrett .. bodhran.:
Influences: Katie - playing influences include Liz Carroll, Cathal Hayden, Kevin Burke, Siobhan Peoples, Oisin MacDiarmada, Altan, Dervish, Lunasa, Teada. Tune writing influences include Liz Carroll (again), Ian Hardie, Aidan O'Rourke, Flook and Mike McGoldrick. I also listen to a lot of film music too.:
Record Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Danny Kyle Open Stage 2010 (Celtic Connections)

Saturday 30th January. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Exhibition Hall.
Posted by on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:19:00 GMT

Christmas 2009

Eh? Just logged on to this for the first time in ages to find we've got new friends I didn't even know about. Anyway. It's the school holidays and herself is on her way over today. Listening to those ...
Posted by on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:19:00 GMT

Summer 09

Well if you can call it summer. I have just got over a lovely bout of Swine Flu - might mean nothing to those of you not on the Rock because loads of people seem to have had it, but there have only be...
Posted by on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:45:00 GMT

Post TT

Urgh. Time for an update. Well that was a bit of a weird TT really. Lacked entertainment on the prom really and the atmosphere was missing for me. Doesn't take away from the fact that the races were a...
Posted by on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:33:00 GMT

REV HAMMER GIG and Towards Easter

Bout time I updated this again. History has had a funny way of repeating itself recently but today, I've become quite philosophical about it. It helps that it's been a lovely day and I've discovered m...
Posted by on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:49:00 GMT

2009

Well she never updates it, so it's up to me. Actually, I don't even think she knows how to. Happy New Year and all that. No idea what this year holds for us. Perhaps a nice big box of chocolates, or e...
Posted by on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:54:00 GMT

Kirsty’s birthday and towards Christmas

Happy birthday to Kirsty - she has reached the grand old age of 30. In true Katie style, I haven't actually sent off her present yet, but in my defence, it's taking ages and I had to wait for the insp...
Posted by on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:58:00 GMT

Nearly half term already

About time this was updated again. Summer was quiet. The Fleadh was an experience (where were all the fit blokes though?!) and I just about managed to get the wearing the pink shirt look off to a tee....
Posted by on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:06:00 GMT

Summer 2008

My god I am tired. Birthday weekend drunkeness, that managed to coincide with Traditional Boat Weekend. So cue many tunes with some ace musicians that were over on a boat from Dublin (plus some risque...
Posted by on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:34:00 GMT

12 more school days until the Summer holidays!

... and I'm really rather happy about that. Absolutely shattered at the moment. Kirsty has already broken up for the holidays. I suppose the saddest thing that's happened recently is Nick Corkhill pas...
Posted by on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:29:00 GMT