Tim Van Eyken
Encyclopedia
Tim van Eyken is an English
guitarist
and melodeon player of Belgian
descent.
on television. He graduated to playing for his mother, then a member of the Beetlecrushers clog dance team. There was pressure from the team to play something louder, so he learned the melodeon
. He first came to prominence in 1998 when he won the BBC Radio 2
Young Folk Award. In 2000 he was invited to become the fourth member of Waterson:Carthy
, a position he held until May 2007. He has his own band, Van Eyken, consisting of Nancy Kerr
on fiddle
, Olly Knight (Lal Waterson
's son) on electric guitar, Colin Fletcher on double bass
, and Pete Flood on percussion. Their version of the traditional English song "John Barleycorn
" - "Barleycorn" - won the award for Best Traditional Track at the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
He was a member of the now defunct group Dr Faustus, together with Robert Harbron, Benji Kirkpatrick, and Paul Sartin. In 2008 he appeared at the National theatre in War Horse
by Michael Morpurgo
.
Tim van Eyken and Robert Harbron
As a member of Waterson:Carthy
As a member of Dr Faustus
As a member of the War Horse Company - Songman
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
guitarist
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and melodeon player of Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
descent.
Biography
Van Eyken first started playing penny whistle after seeing James GalwayJames Galway
- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...
on television. He graduated to playing for his mother, then a member of the Beetlecrushers clog dance team. There was pressure from the team to play something louder, so he learned the melodeon
Diatonic button accordion
A diatonic button accordion or melodeon is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys...
. He first came to prominence in 1998 when he won the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
Young Folk Award. In 2000 he was invited to become the fourth member of 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....
, a position he held until May 2007. He has his own band, Van Eyken, consisting of Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr is an English folk musician, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is the daughter of London-born singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott....
on fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, Olly Knight (Lal Waterson
Lal Waterson
Lal Waterson was an English folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, The Watersons, The Waterdaughters and Blue Murder. She was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and died suddenly in Robin Hood's Bay, of cancer diagnosed only ten days before...
's son) on electric guitar, Colin Fletcher on double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, and Pete Flood on percussion. Their version of the traditional English song "John Barleycorn
John Barleycorn
"John Barleycorn" is an English folksong. The character of John Barleycorn in the song is a personification of the important cereal crop barley and of the alcoholic beverages made from it, beer and whisky...
" - "Barleycorn" - won the award for Best Traditional Track at the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
He was a member of the now defunct group Dr Faustus, together with Robert Harbron, Benji Kirkpatrick, and Paul Sartin. In 2008 he appeared at the National theatre in War Horse
War Horse (play)
War Horse is a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children's writer Michael Morpurgo, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford. Originally Morpurgo thought "they must be mad" to try to make a play from his best-selling 1982 novel. He was proved wrong by the play's instant success...
by 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:...
.
Discography
Solo albums- New Boots (1999)
- Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves (2006)
Tim van Eyken and Robert Harbron
- One Sunday Afternoon (2001)
As a member of 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....
- Fishes & Fine Yellow Sand (2004)
- 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)
As a member of Dr Faustus
- The First Cut (2003)
- Wager (2005)
As a member of the War Horse Company - Songman
- War Horse CD - Release mid September 08 (2008)