Following successful appearances in Melksham this year, at the Party in the Park and the River Festival, Melksham based electric folk band Sackful of Sovereigns will be appearing at the Rachel Fowler Centre for a Christmas Concert on Saturday 20th December.
The latest line up consists of: Leonie Macaslin on vocals, who returned to the area at the start of the year from London where she graduated with an honours degree in musical theatre from Mountview Academy of Performing Arts. She also performs with various musical theatre groups in the area and can be seen at the Merlin Theatre in Frome in ‘A Christmas Carol’ on the 4th – 13th December. She just loves singing!
On the bass guitar, is Mark Peaple. Well-known on the Melksham music scene, Mark used to run ‘Mark’s Musical Instruments’ and is also a guitar teacher. He has played in bands in the local area since he was a teenager and currently treads the boards with Melksham Music and Drama.
Ian Spittal is on keyboards. Ian originally played bass guitar with the band from 1998 to 2000 and then moved away to Ireland returning to take up the keyboard stool in 2010.
Craig Martin is on the drums and percussion (listen out for the dog bowl!). A talented drummer, Craig joined the band in 2012 after answering an advert in the Melksham News. Craig, originally from Essex, has been playing in bands since he was a teenager.
Colin Harrison on vocals, guitars and mandolin. Colin has been in the band since the start in 1995. He has played in all types of band from heavy metal to cabaret and was professional in the late 70s. Colin writes most of the band’s own songs.
Sackful of Sovereigns play updated versions of traditional and contemporary folk songs along with their own compositions based on local subjects – such as ‘Bound for the Promised Land’, about the Goodwin family from Melksham who went down with the Titanic, ‘Tell Us a Tale’, telling the story of the Melksham giant Fred Kempster and ‘All for the Sake of the King’ which chronicles The Battle of Roundway Down at Devizes in 1643.
The band plays concerts, clubs and festivals locally around Wiltshire and to date have produced six CDs. For this concert they will also be including a number of seasonally- themed songs.
The evening on the 20th December starts at 7.30pm (doors 7pm). Tickets are available from the Melksham Tourist Information Centre in Church Street (Tel. 707424) and are priced at £6.00. Admission on the night is £8.00.
Light refreshments and soft drinks will be available or bring your own bottle and plastic glass.
For more details visit www.sackfulofsovereigns.co.uk or call 707659.
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