Bella Hardy

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"A master class in melancholic sensuality, In The Shadow of Mountains reveals Bella as a gifted songwriter as well as confirming her as one of the best vocalists on the British folk circuit." SpiralEarth.com Though only 25 years old, Bella has already been nominated three times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and has been well known on the folk circuit for many years, playing fiddle in a variety of popular line-ups as a teenager and reaching the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2004. However, it was following the launch of her debut album Night Visiting in 2007 that she quickly rose to become one of the shining lights of the folk scene, famed for entwining her hypnotic voice with her own fiddle accompaniment to stunning effect. Night Visiting secured Bella a raft of rave reviews, and 2008 saw a packed year of gigs and festival appearances. In July 2008, Bella was invited to perform in two concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the first ever Folk Prom. She was given the privileged but daunting task of opening the event with a set of unaccompanied traditional songs and met the challenge with remarkable composure, winning over a host of new admirers. The programme was broadcast simultaneously by BBC4 and Radio 3. She also appeared on BBC2 on Christmas Day, singing the Coventry Carol in Howard Goodall’s ‘The Truth about Carols. As well as a rich and true voice, Bella’s song-writing is also garnering acclaim. Three Black Feathers, written by Bella as a teenager and first recorded on Night Visiting was nominated for Best Original Song in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008, and has since appeared on Jim Moray’s award nominated album Low Culture. Bella Hardy, critically acclaimed for her mesmerising singing and fiddle performances, released her eagerly awaited second solo album In The Shadow of Mountains on 31st August 2009. In The Shadow of Mountains immediately connects the listener to the very heart of Bella’s music. Self-released, self-produced and quietly uncompromising, this is a striking collection of traditional songs, equally balanced with a mix of compelling originals. The inspiration of her roots in the Dark Peak village of Edale is starkly evident, with music named after local landmarks Broadlee Bank and Crowden. The traditional song All in the Morning sourced from the neighbouring village of Castleton features guest vocals from the Hardy family. The prevailing themes throughout the album focus not only on rural country life (most notable in Foot and Mouth tale Smoke & Ashes and traditional song Rosebud in June) but also on the mountains faced in everyday life, be they people, places, or situations. On her latest album, Bella presents a selection of new works, including Sylvie Sovay, a modern look at the story of traditional song ‘Sovay Sovay‘. She is joined once again by a number of talented friends and colleagues including Anna Massie, Corrina Hewat and Chris Sherburn. In The Shadow of the Mountains is a remarkably assured album from an impressive young woman who presents folk songs in the best tradition, not as antiquated museum pieces but as relevant and very human artworks. " It’s astounding and somewhat daunting to realise this is only Bella's second album. Surely no-one has any right to be writing songs with the sophistication of Sylvie Sovay, so early in their career…delivered with a mastery of melancholic melody and lyrical portraiture that brings to mind no less than Lennon and McCartney." English Dance and Song Magazine

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Jul 26 2008, 01:44 AM

We love Bella, we love Chris (loving the haircut) we love the harp playing lass who i haven't met. We/I love you all. Very fantastic Folk proms show, keep it up.

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