Kate Barfield

fiddle, trombone, accordion, vocals

Born in 1963 Rifled dad's blues jazz and soul records and fell in love with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Whoopin` and Hollerin on the soundtrack of a film. Played flute for Sandbach Morris, but not for long. Moved onto a boat and bought a fiddle and melodeon. Played at boaty sessions and launches singing harmony with her mum (sometimes in Welsh). Went busking in Crewe and the Carmargue. Began making giant carnival puppets and sculptural images for community theatre shows, and playing bass drum and trombone in street bands with Cat Island, Welfare State, Theatre of Fire and Beaver Arts. In 1989, got together with a group of friends to make a boat seaworthy. They called themselves The Boat Band and set sail from Liverpool to the Hebrides and adventure, the first of many musical raids on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Visited Louisiana with my fiddle to learn more about the cajun music they were playing. In 2001 still making theatrical sculptures and singing and playing for theatre shows, which has taken me round Western Europe, to Bosnia and New Zealand. Mainly play with the Boat Band. Have toured in duos with Katherine Bersoux and Tony Weatherall. Sing in the Loud Mouth Women, a startling choir run by Mary Keith.

At the age of 37 Kate realises she may go to Paris in a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair............