Born in London and brought up in London, Scotland , Cornwall and the South of France, Hermione has studied music with various teachers since attending East 15 acting school in the late 80’s. Her interest in Folksong has grown with performance, especially that of England, Scotland and Ireland. Recently she has spent some time interpreting Yiddish folksong in a joint venture with her mother, the artist Dora Holzhandler, a Jewish émigré who came from France before the second world war.
You can see some examples of Dora's painting at doraholzhandler.com
Hermione’s first CD, Deep in the Wood , is a compilation of Jewish folk songs in Yiddish, as well as English and Irish folksongs that together express her cultural background.
Hermione Swinford’s approach to folk song from the British Isles is traditional, often unaccompanied or with a simple celtic harp accompaniment, drawing inspiration from the original context of the songs and the history of their collection. Hermione's grandmother Ruchla was a folk singer and her cousin Lionel Rocheman, a Yiddish singer in Paris, have been a source of inspiration. Hermione’s interpretation of Yiddish folk song is also heavily influenced by the English traditional style, producing absorbing reflective versions of the songs that draw out their elemental emotional qualities.
Buy Deep In The Wood -click here to purchase the CD for £5 +p&p using worldpay BUY THE CD
Also available from cornishmusic.com and available as a download from wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk
