Who we are
The Band
Songspell is an ongoing creative adventure. It’s about participating in and enjoying the musical creative process, and includes writing original songs in collaboration with other musicians and poets, and recording and sharing those songs. Songspell organise public performances and perform in support of charities and fund raising as well. Our details under the booking Songspell tab where you’ll find our contact details.
Howard Quinn
Howard devised Songspell to perform, write and record in collaboration with other artists.
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A diverse musician and poet, with a background in folk music. As well as being an accomplished guitarist. Howard also plays the sitar, harp and keyboard. Having played in two performance bands:
The Apple Droppers :( named after the apples that were dropped on the meanies in the film “The Yellow Submarine” who were forever trying to stop the music being played.
Hum: a very creative time performing in a variety of venues, and this also created an open stage acoustic performance forum called The Purple Penguin Club.
Simon Whincup.
Simon has played a major part in welcoming new folks into “Songspell” from the beginning. An accomplished drummer and musician and technically invaluable when we take new songs from their initial appearance up to a high performance standard for us.
His own musical background and experiences encompasses wining a drumming contest at Pontins as a very young man, playing with brass bands and dance bands. As part of Songspell he focuses of bringing his unique sound to audiences, from tender love songs and the more popular tracks we have created. He has shared those talents in support of mental health charities and also teaches drumming on an individual basis.
Lara Ward
Lara had been singing and performing creatively for many years and been our lead songstress at many gigs.
Also Lara has worked collaboratively with Songspell creating songs and melodies and vocal lines,but mainly it's her vocal talent and stylish individual performances which audiences have so enjoyed,across a whole range of music genres.
​Thank you Claire and Paul for all you contributed to our first album “Songspell”.
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Paul Leigh has run a band of minstrels specialising in medieval music, since 1998. Trouvère have performed all over the UK and Europe. Paul plays flute, guitar,lute bagpipes, recorder, shawm and percussion. Paul and Howard have collaborated musically for over ten years.
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Clare Little studied music at the University of Hull. As a cellist she has recently performed with the Academy of St. Olave's Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of the Bousefield String Quartet who have played with Chris Helme of The Seahorses and Shed 7.