Salut!

For this final episode in the first series of The Two Rivers Café Podcast we are in Brittany where guest Helen Gentile is playing the bombard. Or bombarde. (With an “e” in French, without an “e” in English). Or “talabard” in Breton.

Anyway, whatever you call it, Helen is very good at playing it and is even polite enough to laugh when host Andrew Fisher says that “it sounds a bit like a duck”.

Following an interesting conversation about how Helen ended up with the bombarde in her life, she and Andy collaborate on what can only be described as a formidable piece of music. Seriously, if this isn’t picked up by Netflix for the soundtrack to some sort of medieval frolic of a miniseries then something’s gone very wrong.

Helen’s current musical projects include 8-piece ceilidh band Threepenny Bit, 4-piece folk band Monkey See Monkey Do and a duo with fiddle player Lewis Wood.

Over the past 10 years, Threepenny Bit have released multiple albums, played at major festivals such as Sidmouth and Cambridge and have also been played on BBC Radio 2.

Monkey See Monkey Do have enjoyed reviews from established voices of the folk scene such as Mike Harding and Songlines and were booked for some reputable festivals last summer, including supporting Steve Harley at the South Downs Folk Festival. Meanwhile,

Helen’s duo with Lewis Wood is an exciting delve into balfolk repertoire which is manifested in their lockdown release ‘Alors, on danse!’

Links to Helen’s musical projects below:

Threepenny Bit: www.threepennybit.com

Monkey See Monkey Do: www.thatmonkeyband.co.uk

Helen Gentile & Lewis Wood: www.gentileandwood.wordpress.com

Helen also teaches woodwind (clarinet, flute, saxophone) although she doesn’t have any students for the bombarde… yet!!

Link to Helen’s teaching website below: Southampton Woodwind Academy: www.woodwindacademy.co.uk

Find out more about Andrew Fisher and his creative work as a composer here:

https://andrewfishermusic.com/ 

Season One of The Two Rivers Café podcast began in September 2021, with a new episode most Wednesdays, featuring an eclectic range of uniquely talented guests from every musical walk of life. You can listen and subscribe on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

And you can follow us and the conversation on Twitter @2RiversCafePod and Instagram @two_rivers_cafe_pod

The Two Rivers Café is produced by Jim and Rupert of Driver 8 Studios

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