TAKING time out from rehearsals Kathryn Tickell explains that her new band The Side is one of the most exciting musical projects she had been involved with.

The line-up of her new ensemble brings together the folk and classical worlds in an irresistible combination of players and instruments.

Amy Thatcher is an accordionist and clog dancer whose worked with Kathryn many times over the years, including JigHop a multi-genre spectacular commissioned for the 2012 Olympics celebrations.

New to Ms Tickell though is Scottish harp player, Ruth Wall, and cellist, Louisa Tuck, who seriously impressed Kathryn and Amy when they first heard their playing. “We were watching in awe,” says Kathryn. “We thought wow, wouldn’t it be great to play some music with them.”

Classically trained Ruth performs as a soloist in ensembles and bands such as Goldfrapp and Fitkin as well as working extensively with composers, orchestras, electronic and visual artists.

As for Louisa, since her appointment as section leader cello at Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2007, she has established herself as one of the most gifted young chamber musicians and guest principal cellists in the UK.

“It’s good to get our teeth into something new,” continues Kathryn, widely recognised as the first lady of the Northumbrian pipes.

“We play a lot our own compositions as well as traditional pieces and everybody in the band is contributing to the writing.”

“The great thing about The Side is the diversity of musical influences. We’re still using a lot of the same material like tunes that I write and traditional tunes of Northumberland but Louisa and Ruth are coming at it from a very different perspective, they’re not used to folk tunes, they’re coming at it from a knowledge of classical music, early music, jazz, and you know, all sorts of different influences.”

Kathryn and the band’s forthcoming tour coincides with the release of their first cd on the September 29.

They stop off at Kendal’s Brewery on Saturday, November 1 (7.30pm) for a gig that promises to be an absolute cracker with evocative slow airs moving seamlessly into life-affirming jigs and reels - Amy storming into a clog dance; Kathryn’s fingers a total blur zipping along the pipes' chanter or fiddle neck, contrasting with the richness of the cello and Ruth’s sparkling harp playing blending it all together.

Adds Kathryn: “Having the harp and cello is so good. It’s such a beautiful combination. They are such beautiful instruments.”

Ambitious projects and collaborations are part of Kathryn’s musical makeup.

An exceptional musician, she has shared the stage with top names such as Sting and played on three of his albums, appeared on Later with Jools Holland and was part of Vaganza, the contemporary music ensemble belonging to the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Her roots are firmly in the North Tyne Valley of Northumberland, where many of her relatives still play traditional music.

She started to play the Northumbrian smallpipes aged nine, and by 13 had won all the traditional open smallpipes competitions, as well as rapidly making a name for herself as a fiddle player.

At 16 she released her first album On Kielderside and two years later in 1986 turned professional. Her third recording Common Ground was chosen as one of Q magazines Records of the Year.

Also among her numerous albums is The Debatable Lands (1999), with standout tracks like Our Kate, which she wrote for author Catherine Cookson.

In 2006 the television documentary Kathryn Tickell’s Northumbria was broadcast on Channel 5, and the same year saw the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' Kettletoft Inn, written specially for Kathryn in admiration and respect for her work. In 2009, she was presented with The Queen's Medal for Music, awarded for her outstanding contribution to British music.

Last year, she landed Musician of the Year in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She also won the accolade in 2005.

One of Kathryn finest moments though has to be playing on the late Jon Lord’s Durham Concerto, which the former Deep Purple organist and composer was commissioned to write to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Durham University in 2007.

It was a total triumph, which as well as the trademark tone of Jon’s Hammond organ and Kathryn’s stirring pipes, also included cellist, Matthew Barley; violinist, Ruth Palmer, and Mischa Damev, conducting the eminent Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jon’s masterpiece has become a true contemporary classic.

“He (Jon) was fantastic,” recalls Kathryn. “He was such a gentleman and just really a joy to work.”

“We’ve just done a memorial concert at the Albert Hall, with members of Deep Purple past and present and a big orchestra. It was huge and a very emotional evening.”

The concert also featured Paul Weller, Bernie Marsden, Bruce Dickinson, Rick Wakeman and many more of Jon’s friends and former band mates.

A Celebrating Jon Lord at the Royal Albert Hall dvd and cd is out on September 26.

Kathryn is probably one of most exciting and adventurous musicians of her generation who never lets the grass grow under her toe-tapping feet, constantly pushing the boundaries of music-making into other realms.

I’d say, well-worth putting November 1 in your diary.

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