Jim Causley
Encyclopedia
Jim Causley is an English folk singer, songwriter
, and musician
from Whimple
, East Devon
, England.
who specializes in the traditional
songs and music of the West Country
and Devon in particular. Hailing from the village of Whimple
in East Devon
, Causley was born in Exeter
and is a relative of the Cornish
poet Charles Causley
.
Causley grew up surrounded by traditional music from his family, his village in the heart of Cider
Country with its thriving wassailing
tradition, its close proximity to Sidmouth
and Dartmoor
folk festival
s and being a long-standing member of the Pennymoor Singaround. After studying Performing Arts and Jazz & Popular Music at Exeter College, Causley went on to study Folk and Traditional Music at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
. It was during this time that he began gaining a reputation as talented singer on the wider UK folk scene.
Causley released his debut album 'Fruits of the Earth' on WildGoose Records in 2005. Noted for his rich, fruity bass voice and cheeky stage presence, Causley guested with Martyn Wyndham-Read
on his Song Links 2 (Fellside Records
) album which linked English traditional songs
with their American
variants.
In 2006 Causley was nominated for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award
under the Horizon Award (best newcomer) category and in 2007 his vocal trio, The Devil's Interval were nominated for the same award again. With The Devil's Interval, Causley has toured with Waterson:Carthy
as part of their annual Frost and Fire tour for six consecutive years and in 2006 collaborated with them on their album 'Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man
' (Topic Records
). The Devil's Interval also released their debut album in that year; 'Blood & Honey' (WildGoose Records) to good reviews and a cover article in fRoots Magazine.
After graduating from university, Causley returned home to Devon where alongside performing across the UK he works with the Wren Music, a community music organisation which was set up to encourage traditional arts and music in Devon and to reconnect people with their local heritage. Causley is the official leader of the singing and musicians in the annual Whimple Wassail
ceremony. Recent projects include working with Scottish fiddle player John McCusker
in his Under One Sky project uniting the English and Scottish traditions and also touring with Essex instrumental quartet, Mawkin as Mawkin:Causley. To date, Causley has been nominated for five BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards both solo and in his various guises. So far he has won none!
Causley is currently working on his third solo album due for release in February 2011 on the WildGoose label when he is supporting Steve Knightley
on his annual solo tour. This album will have a strong Devon flavour... kind of creamy.
Causley is working with the organisations Cyprus Well and the Charles Causley Trust in a project promoting the late poet's work and which will culminate in a cd of Charles Causley
poems set to music.
He has been involved with author Michael Morpurgo
's charitable organisation Farms for City Children
in the production of a cd of the poetry of Seán Rafferty
who was a Scottish poet who settled in the Devon village of Iddesleigh and was a great influence on the work of Morpurgo.
Causley is also set to feature in the latest 'folk play' by Mick Ryan entitled Who Stole Christmas.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
from Whimple
Whimple
Whimple is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon, approximately due east of the city of Exeter, and from the nearest small town, Ottery St Mary. It has a population of 1,642...
, East Devon
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
, England.
Biography
Jim Causley is a folk singer and musician from DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
who specializes in the traditional
Folk music of England
Folk music of England refers to various types of traditionally based music, often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music, for which evidence exists from the later medieval period. It has been preserved and transmitted orally, through print and later through recordings...
songs and music of the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and Devon in particular. Hailing from the village of Whimple
Whimple
Whimple is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon, approximately due east of the city of Exeter, and from the nearest small town, Ottery St Mary. It has a population of 1,642...
in East Devon
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
, Causley was born in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and is a relative of the Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
poet Charles Causley
Charles Causley
Charles Stanley Causley, CBE, FRSL was a Cornish poet, schoolmaster and writer. His work is noted for its simplicity and directness and for its associations with folklore, especially when linked to his native Cornwall....
.
Causley grew up surrounded by traditional music from his family, his village in the heart of Cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
Country with its thriving wassailing
Wassailing
The tradition of Wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. House-Visiting wassail, very much similar to caroling, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols...
tradition, its close proximity to Sidmouth
Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
and Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
folk festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
s and being a long-standing member of the Pennymoor Singaround. After studying Performing Arts and Jazz & Popular Music at Exeter College, Causley went on to study Folk and Traditional Music at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
. It was during this time that he began gaining a reputation as talented singer on the wider UK folk scene.
Causley released his debut album 'Fruits of the Earth' on WildGoose Records in 2005. Noted for his rich, fruity bass voice and cheeky stage presence, Causley guested with Martyn Wyndham-Read
Martyn Wyndham-Read
Martyn Wyndham-Read is an English folk singer, notable as a collector and singer of Australian folk songs. He lived and worked in Australia from 1960 to 1967 and has been a regular visitor to the country since then....
on his Song Links 2 (Fellside Records
Fellside Records
Fellside Records was a record label formed and is still run by Paul Adams and Linda Adams, in 1976 in Workington, Cumbria. Paul had toured semi-professionally with the Barry Skinner Folk Group in his teens. Paul and Linda married in 1974. Starting as a folk/acoustic label. They issued jazz under...
) album which linked English traditional songs
Folk music of England
Folk music of England refers to various types of traditionally based music, often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music, for which evidence exists from the later medieval period. It has been preserved and transmitted orally, through print and later through recordings...
with their American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
variants.
In 2006 Causley was nominated for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2....
under the Horizon Award (best newcomer) category and in 2007 his vocal trio, The Devil's Interval were nominated for the same award again. With The Devil's Interval, Causley has toured with Waterson:Carthy
Waterson:Carthy
Waterson:Carthy are an English folk group originally comprising Norma Waterson on vocals, her husband Martin Carthy on guitar and vocals and their daughter Eliza Carthy on fiddle and vocals....
as part of their annual Frost and Fire tour for six consecutive years and in 2006 collaborated with them on their album 'Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man
Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man
Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man is an album by Waterson:Carthy. There is more instrumental accompaniment on this collection than on any previous Waterson:Carthy album. Tracks 13 and 16 could even be mistaken for the work of "Brass Monkey". Despite the title, almost all the songs have a...
' (Topic Records
Topic Records
Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.-History:...
). The Devil's Interval also released their debut album in that year; 'Blood & Honey' (WildGoose Records) to good reviews and a cover article in fRoots Magazine.
After graduating from university, Causley returned home to Devon where alongside performing across the UK he works with the Wren Music, a community music organisation which was set up to encourage traditional arts and music in Devon and to reconnect people with their local heritage. Causley is the official leader of the singing and musicians in the annual Whimple Wassail
Whimple Wassail
The Whimple Wassail is an orchard-visiting wassail ceremony which takes place in the Devon village of Whimple annually every Old Twelfth Night ....
ceremony. Recent projects include working with Scottish fiddle player John McCusker
John McCusker
John McCusker is a Scottish folk musician, record producer and composer. An accomplished fiddle player, he had a long association as a member of the Battlefield Band beginning in the 1990s and was later a band member and producer for folk singer Kate Rusby...
in his Under One Sky project uniting the English and Scottish traditions and also touring with Essex instrumental quartet, Mawkin as Mawkin:Causley. To date, Causley has been nominated for five BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards both solo and in his various guises. So far he has won none!
Future Projects
Causley has been collaborating with ex Beautiful South songwriter and guitarist David Rotheray for Rotheray's 2010 album 'The Life of Birds' (Proper Records). The touring band features Rotheray (guitar), Jim Causley and Bella Hardy (vocals), Damon Butcher (piano) and Gary Hammond (percussion). The album launch tour was early summer 2010 and another tour is scheduled for November 2010.Causley is currently working on his third solo album due for release in February 2011 on the WildGoose label when he is supporting Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley is a singer-songwriter, musician and one half of British acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.-Career:...
on his annual solo tour. This album will have a strong Devon flavour... kind of creamy.
Causley is working with the organisations Cyprus Well and the Charles Causley Trust in a project promoting the late poet's work and which will culminate in a cd of Charles Causley
Charles Causley
Charles Stanley Causley, CBE, FRSL was a Cornish poet, schoolmaster and writer. His work is noted for its simplicity and directness and for its associations with folklore, especially when linked to his native Cornwall....
poems set to music.
He has been involved with author Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
's charitable organisation Farms for City Children
Farms for City Children
Farms for City Children is a UK registered charity which aims to provide experience of farm and countryside life for inner-city children.-Foundation:...
in the production of a cd of the poetry of Seán Rafferty
Seán Rafferty
Seán Rafferty was a Scottish poet, based in England from 1932 until his death...
who was a Scottish poet who settled in the Devon village of Iddesleigh and was a great influence on the work of Morpurgo.
Causley is also set to feature in the latest 'folk play' by Mick Ryan entitled Who Stole Christmas.
Discography
- Jim Causley - Fruits of the Earth (2005 WildGoose)
- Various - Song Links 2 (2005 Fellside)
- The Devil's Interval - Blood & Honey (2006 WildGoose)
- Waterson:CarthyWaterson:CarthyWaterson:Carthy are an English folk group originally comprising Norma Waterson on vocals, her husband Martin Carthy on guitar and vocals and their daughter Eliza Carthy on fiddle and vocals....
- Holy Heathens and the Old Green ManHoly Heathens and the Old Green ManHoly Heathens and the Old Green Man is an album by Waterson:Carthy. There is more instrumental accompaniment on this collection than on any previous Waterson:Carthy album. Tracks 13 and 16 could even be mistaken for the work of "Brass Monkey". Despite the title, almost all the songs have a...
(2006 Topic) - Various - The Mother of all Morris (2007 Talking Elephant)
- Jim Causley - Lost Love Found (2007 WildGoose)
- Mawkin:Causley Cold Ruin|Mawkin:Causley - Cold Ruin (2008 Navigator)
- Under One Sky - Under One Sky (2009 Navigator)
- Mawkin:Causley - The Awkward Recruit (2009 Navigator)
- Jim Causley - Dumnonia (2011 WildGoose)
Guest appearances
- Paul Cornwall - Fortune's Wheel (2005 Aragon Mill)
- Jackie OatesJackie OatesJackie Oates is an English folk singer and fiddle player. In addition to her solo work, she currently performs as part of the folk trio Wistman's Wood and sings with Morris Offspring.She was born in Congleton in Cheshire in 1983, but grew up in Staffordshire...
- The Violet Hour (2008 Chudleigh Roots) - Jim MorayJim MorayJim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.-Recording artist:While studying classical composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Moray released the home-recorded I Am Jim Moray EP. During 2002 he appeared at the Glastonbury festival and the Cambridge Folk...
- Low Culture (2008 NIAG) - Bill Murray & Friends - Dow 'pon Ole Dartymoor (2008 Wren)
- Mick Groves - Still Spinning (2008 Exe)
- Ella EdmondsonElla EdmondsonEleanor Rose "Ella" Edmondson is an English singer-songwriter. Her primary instrument is the guitar though she can also play piano.-Biography:...
— Hold Your HorsesHold Your Horses (album)Hold Your Horses is the debut album by British singer-songwriter Ella Edmondson. It was released on 23 February 2009, on the Monsoon label.-Label:...
(2009 Monsoon) - Show of HandsShow of HandsShow of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...
- Arrogance Ignorance & Greed (2009 Hands On) - David Rotheray - The Life of Birds (2010 Proper)
- Phil BeerPhil BeerPhil Beer is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.-Biography:...
- Box Set One (2010 Chudleigh Roots) - Various Artists - In Tune With the World: The Poetry of Seán RaffertySeán RaffertySeán Rafferty was a Scottish poet, based in England from 1932 until his death...
(2010 Brown Label Poetry)
Compilations
- Various - 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2005 Proper)
- Various - 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2006 (Proper)
- Various - Folk Rising (2007 Proper)
- Various - 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2008 Proper)
- Various - Folk Rising 2 (2008 Proper)
- Various - Beginners Guide to English Folk (2008 Nascente)