Chris Knowles

RECORDINGS: ....(most recent first)

Latest CD "Fisherman" - An album of original songs written by Ben Walker:

In an interesting departure from the usual traditional instrumental celtic music, this is an album of beautifully crafted
original songs written and sung by Ben Walker. Ben plays guitar on them all and bass flute on one number.
Chris plays bouzouki on most tracks (slide bouzouki on tracks 1 & 5) and harp on two of them (4 & 13) 

 

 

 

----------------------------------Other Recordings:----------------------------------

 

"Lovely Molly" by 'Howling at Ravens'
Irish and other Celtic instrumental music
(Obelisk productions 1999)

The band "Howling at Ravens" consisted of Allan Moller, Chris Knowles and Ben Walker, and together they combined a rich mixture of musical talent and experience. Main instruments are uilleann pipes, flute, celtic harp and bouzouki.
The band are no longer performing together, but the CD received excellent reviews and is still available from this website...

Track list:

Click highlighted tracks to listen to or download mp3 samples

1)The Brass Hand/ Peggy on the settle/ Miss Mary o'Neill's (strathspey/reels)
2)Lovely Molly/ Conga reel (reels)
3) Carolan; planxty Donal o'Brien/ Untitled planxty
4)Sally on the shore/ Crosses of Annagh/ Ladies' Pantalettes (reels)
5)Song of the water kilpie/ y Pibydd ddu (Manx/Welsh tunes)
6)Cornelius Curtin's big balloon/ Willie Coleman's/ Yellow wattle (jigs)
7) The Morning Thrush (slow reel)
8)The Green Fields of Canada (slow air)
9) Delight of the Spinning wheel (ancient Welsh tune)
10) Struthan a Chait/ Tailor's twist/ The sweep's (hornpipes)
11) The Wounded Hussar/ Spike island lasses (slow air/ reel)
12) Glen road to Carrick/ Bag of spuds/ Crib of Perches/Chattering magpie(reels)
13) 4 Polkas
14)Howling at Ravens(slow air)

Some Excerpts from Reviews:

.. "THIS IS A WONDERFULLY ESOTERIC CD OF MOSTLY TRADITIONAL CELTIC MUSIC... THERE ARE 14 TRACKS ON THE CD RANGING FROM JOYOUS JIGS, REELS AND POLKAS-SOUNDING AT TIMES RATHER LIKE THE BOTHY BAND OR THE FINEST POSSIBLE TRAD-SESSION YOU COULD IMAGINE... OTHER TRACKS HAVE AN ETHEREAL QUALITY, PARTICULARLY 'THE DELIGHT OF THE SPINNING WHEEL', TAKEN FROM AN ANCIENT WELSH HARP MANUSCRIPT. BEN WALKER'S FLUTE PLAYING IS REMINISCENT OF THE GREAT MATT MOLLOY. I ALSO REALLY ENJOYED...THE GREEN FIELDS OF CANADA, A SLOW HAUNTING AIR WITH A DISTINCT BLUESY FEEL. FOR MUSICIANS AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED PEOPLE, THE CD SLEEVE NOTES GIVE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THE TUNES' ORIGINAL SOURCES. WHAT MORE CAN I SAY! LOVELY MOLLY IS SIMPLY THE BEST ALBUM OF TRADITIONAL CELTIC MUSIC THAT I HAVE HEARD FOR A VERY LONG TIME."
---------------------(Traditional Music Maker magazine: Mar.2000)

"FOURTEEN TRACKS AND EVERY ONE HAS BEEN CRAFTED AND CREATED WITH TALENT AND FEELING...THERE IS A SEDUCTIVE, MYSTERIOUS SOUND TO THE BAND, WHICH IS FULL OF WONDERFUL SURPRISES. LISTEN TO THE HANDFULS OF RINGING METALLIC HARP NOTES BEING FLUNG LIKE STARS AT THE MELLOW, DARK SOARING SOUND OF THE FLUTE...BRILLIANT UILLEANN PIPE DUETS ON "SALLY ON THE SHORE" AND "THE CROSSES OF ANNAGH"...THE HARP ON THE CAROLAN PLANXTY DONAL O`BRIEN AND AN UNTITLED PIECE IS PURE MAGIC...A WONDERFUL SET OF POLKAS...THEY CAN BE MIGHTY PLEASED WITH THIS OFFERING WHICH WOULD PUT THE LONGING ON A BODY FOR MORE"
--------- (Irish Music magazine, Dublin)

"MOLLER, WALKER AND KNOWLES ARE MASTERS OF THEIR CHOSEN INSTRUMENTS AND HIGHLY SKILLED ON THE OTHERS THEY USE ON THIS RECORDING"
-------------(Buzz magazine-local Manchester area folk mag.-Spring 2002)

"Lovely Molly" CD is available for £10 incl.postage....

 

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A CD of recordings from live performances during the 80's and 90's
by Welsh Trio 'Hin Deg' & 5-piece band 'Hafren':

Tracks: Click highlighted tracks to listen to or download mp3 samples 1. Chwi Fechgyn Glan Fri / Y Lili ......(Hafren) 2. Y Deryn Pur......(Hafren) 3. As I roved out 4. Llanofer Welsh Reel/ Gwenynen Gwent ......(Hafren) 5. The Abandoned Valley 6. Moliannwn 7. Cainc Ifan Ddall / Machynlleth ......(Hafren) 8. My Little Welsh Home 9. Lisa Lan 10. Ab Ifan's Fancy / Nyth y Gog ......(Hafren) 11. The Bells of Rhymney 12. Cobler Coch o Hengoed ......(Hafren) 13. Y Pibydd Ddu/ Llanofer Welsh Reel / Rachel Dafydd Ifan 14. Cainc y Aradwr ......(Hafren) 15. Killavel Jig / Silken Wallet 16. Cork Harbour 17. Pwt ar y Bis 18. Lisa Dal-y-Sarn 19. Glamorgan Hornpipe / Wrexham Hornpipe 20. Y Deryn Pur - Hin Deg version 21. The Mason's Apron / The Fox Chase   Heather Jones: vocals, guitar      Jane Ridout: fiddle, bodhran Mike Lease: fiddle, bouzouki, guitar      plus on Hafren tracks; Chris Knowles: harp Allan Moller: uilleann pipes Produced 2005 This CDR album is available for £10 (GBP- UK pounds) incl. shipping To convert currency click XE.com Personal Currency Assistant

 

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Discography

 

Solo Recordings:

Hen Alawon Cymreig (cassette- 1989)
Christmas Melodies(cassette- 1989)
Folk Melodies of Cornwall (cassette- 1990)

 

   Frame of Harmony (CD-Brenin Label-FH0010- 1994)

 

Recordings with other Artists:

With ALLAN MOLLER:
A Celtic Journey (cassette- 1990)
Keeping Up The Tradition.(cassette- 1991)

With nature poet CLYDE HOLMES: Waterfalls of Light (cassette- 1991) then remastered on CD later------(YOU CAN BUY IT HERE)

With COLIN RUDD: For Their Tomorrows (cassette-Brenin Label- 1995)

With VARIOUS ARTISTS: Merlin's Arthur (CD- Brenin label-50 30082 00006- 1996)

With ANTHONY GRIFFITHS:
The Enchanted Way (cassette- 1994)
Ysbryd (CD- 1998) --------------------------(YOU CAN BUY IT HERE)

In band "HOWLING AT RAVENS" ( with Allan Moller & Ben Walker):
Lovely Molly (CD- Obelisk Label-HAR001- 1999) -----------------------(To buy, see above )

With HEATHER JONES + band "HAFREN"-with Mike Lease, Jane Ridout & Allan Moller (tracks 2 & 9):
Hwyrnos (CD- SAIN Label-SCD2268- 2000) ------------------------------------------------(YOU CAN BUY IT HERE)
Hin Deg/Hafren Live (CDR- Kitchen Sink Music Productions- 2005) ---------------(To buy, see above )

In band "ROAM"
Count the Stars (with Colin Rudd, Rachael Davies and Jayne Coyle) (CDR- 2001)
Ragged in the Rain (with Colin Rudd, Rachael Davies and Ben Walker) (CD- Bedspring label- BOING 0210- 2002)

With BEN WALKER: Polar Bear (CD- Bedspring label-BOING 0313- 2003) --------------------------(YOU CAN BUY IT HERE)

With BEN WALKER: The Holly Bush (CDR- 2005) --------------------------(To buy, see above )

With BEN WALKER: Fisherman (CDR- 2006) --------------------------(To buy, see above )

 

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Chris Knowles                Musicians Union member                  Tel: 07780 938046.