Chris Leslie

Doors 7pm for 7.30pm start

Tickets  

Full Price £17*‍

Under 25s £8*

Door £20

*online plus 10% booking fee

Chris Leslie Solo

Chris Leslie needs no introduction to Folk in the Barn members.  30 years a cherished member of Fairport Convention and 25 years likewise with St Agnes Fountain he is a regular visitor to East Kent to play and sing for us.  It is always a rare treat to prise him away from those wonderful bands for a solo performance. 

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Brought up in Oxfordshire and inspired by local musicians, Chris began playing the fiddle at the age of thirteen. One of his early influences and, later, his mentor was Fairport Convention's then-fiddler Dave Swarbrick.

Chris studied violin making in Nottinghamshire and completed his three-year course in 1983. Back to Oxfordshire, he was invited to tour with Dave Pegg to promote Dave's solo album.  Dave Swarbrick then invited Chris to become a founder member of the pioneering acoustic group Whippersnapper. This band made several albums and toured the UK, Europe and the USA. Chris also toured with rock group All About Eve.

During the 1990s, Chris worked as a duo with Whippersnapper guitarist Kev Dempsey, collaborated with folk pianist Beryl Marriott, and was a member of Simon Mayor's Mandolin Quartet. He also played fiddle on tour with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. In 1995 Chris joined The Albion Band, before joining Fairport Convention the next year.

Chris has provided music for a number of Radio Four plays and classic serials. His fiddle playing has also been heard on the TV series Heartbeat, Midsommer Murders, Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Scotland and as Aragog’s theme in the Harry Potter films.

Chris has masterful command of his fiddle, mandolin, tenor guitar, bouzouki, ukulele, banjo, oud, whistle and Native American flute and a clear, emotionally expressive voice, that breathes life into his interesting narrative songs rather than just perform them.

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“ Chris is the ever-unassumingvirtuoso, the impeccable craftsman with a heart and soul”

David Kidman, Fatea

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www.chrislesliemusic.com

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