Graham & Eileen Pratt

Biography

Liverpool-born Eileen and London-born Graham have been playing on the folk circuit for over 25 years. After leaving college they lived in London then Gloucestershire where they sang in 4 and 5 part harmony groups as well as touring the professional club and festival scene as a duo. They came to live in Sheffield in 1981.

In addition to harmony work, their act focuses on Eileen's voice (considered one of the finest on the folk scene) accompanied by Graham's guitar, harmonium and concertina. They've made several recordings and have been broadcast frequently on local and national radio. Their latest CD Borders of the Ocean (Grail CDOO1) was released in 1997.

"We met at Swansea University in 1967 and started singing together soon afterwards. We've always loved harmony singing and were in a group called Penny Gaff for a year in London (4 part unaccompanied). Moving in 1972 to Gloucestershire, we started to go round the clubs as a duo. While there we sang in harmony groups Gabriel, Pratt & Edwards and later Regal Slip (with Ron Taylor & Sue Edwards). We moved to Sheffield in 1981.

"Between 1976 and l984 we made four records: Clear Air of the Day, To Friend & Foe, Bandstand (with Regal Slip) and Hieroglyphics. After several years full-time, we returned to semi-pro status as parental responsibilities increased. After a quiet period, we're now recording again and back on the folk scene.

"Our set includes unaccompanied harmony but mainly features Eileen's solo voice with Graham's accompaniment on guitar, harmonium, keyboard and concertina. We have an abiding love of British traditional song with no particular hang-ups about how it should be performed - save that it be lovingly. The act also features songs Graham has written (The Black Fox, The Minstrel, We Live We Love, Another You etc) and occasional one-offs - a Hoagy Carmichael song or a 14th century French love song - just to spice the pudding.

"We're looking forward to making as much music as possible in as many places as possible over the coming years."

Graham & Eileen

Borders of the Ocean (Grail CD001)

Each (song) is done with such loving grace and simplicity that it's like hearing them for the first time...Octave jumps prove no obstacle for her supple voice, and she is more than equal to the mood changes the material demands...This is a recording you should go out of your way to secure. (Rob Weir, Sing Out!)

Hats off to a real winner. (Dom Dudill, Scans)

Eileen Pratt has one of the best female voices in English traditional song. (Brian Hooper, Folk on Tap)

Arguably Eileen has the best female folk voice in the country; without doubt she's in the top three, as this CD so amply demonstrates. (Ian Spafford, Stirrings)

Graham's song-writing has lost none of its wit. (Nick Beale, Folk Roots)

Graham's sensitive guitar providing a perfect backdrop for Eileen, a thrilling voice that could melt hearts at a hundred paces... her voice has an almost classical richness,; but she never overpowers the song. (Mick Tems, Taplas)

Eileen's voice is beautiful and clear throughout a delightful album where experience and class really show through. (Bill Caddick, Shreds and Patches)

Earlier Recordings

Clear Air of the Day (Cottage)

Eileen is a beautiful singer as she proves over and over... 1 was very impressed, not just by their ability but by their versatility as well. (Colin Irwin, Melody Maker)

To Friend and Foe (Dingles)

I can offer no greater compliment than to compare it (Eileen's voice) in range and quality to Joan Baez at her best, but with a mobility and fluidity that is Eileen's alone. (Tony Rose, ED&S)

Bandstand (Regal Slip - Dingles)

The record is one of the finest English harmony singing records ever made. (Owen Jones, Albion Sunrise)

Hieroglyphics (Plant Life)

As always Eileen's voice is impossible to ignore (unless you have ears of cloth or heart of stone) and Graham's tunes impossible to forget. My only worry is that one day I will have to atone for enjoying Eileen's voice so much - something that pleasurable must be sinful. (Lawrence Heath, The Southern Rag)

Other Press Comments

Eileen firmly stakes her claim as one of the great singers. . . (Colin Irwin)

Eileen - one of England's two outstanding female traditional singers... (Colin Randall).

Festivals

They appear regularly at festivals (recently Whitby, Cleethorpes, Warwick, Stainsby and Chippenham) and can organise workshops on a variety of topics including:

1. Two Part Harmony: improving technique, varying styles, selecting songs.

2. Festival Choir: arranging songs for 4 part harmony and teaching to people for fun or later performance at the festival.

3. Notation for Novices: an introduction to reading music specifically aimed at singers.

4. Songwriting.

5. From Research To Performance: finding and arranging songs - unaccompanied and accompanied.

Contact Graham & Eileen on (+44) (0)114 274330 or graham.pratt@virgin.net

Back to Fo'c'sle June 2000 Programme

Provided by Trevor Gilson for the occasion of the visit by Graham & Eileen to the Fo'c'sle.