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Musings from aboard the good ship White Sail!
"...A BUSY YEAR AHEAD...MAKING NEW MUSIC...RECORDING AND GIGGING...and MERMAIDENS!!!" From Sarah 13th April 2023
We have so many new songs to share with you! We keep on writing and developing new material and although sometimes we feel as though we are rehearsing for gigs all the time...which we are! We are definitely keeping all the new songs going, continuing to develop our style as we go.
Lots of nice seaside gigs are on the cards for the summer and we are making plans for a lot of gigs in the Autumn too.
The hottest news is the duo format of Jane and Sarah 'The Mermaidens of White Sail' ;-)
As Chris has a few adventures planned this year we couldn't resist going out on the road and so we've come up with a new name! What do you think? We wanted to keep the White Sail reference but we are really excited about doing some gigs together and keeping the White Sail flag flying high!
Chris will no doubt come back from his walking trips with stories and inspiration, that only time spent in nature can bring. It's a joy for a song writer to go and explore new places and then feel the urge to put these adventures in to the song writing.
As Liam Ó Maonlaí so eloquently puts it..."White Sail are rooted in the music of the people and the music of the land. There is a heart driven energy in the way they share their music and songs..."
"...LOOKING FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD - PLANS FOR 2023..." From Sarah 9th October 2022
Our tour with Liam Ó Maonlaí was incredible! We knew it would be as last year was extraordinary for us in so many ways. We feel that we've grown so much in our musicality through working with Liam. He has taught us to enjoy every moment on stage and trust in our instincts to try things and improvise, go with the flow and grasp every note and musical moment for the beauty that it is...it's transient and each song is sung differently and each performance has it's own energy and magic. Thanks go to Jonti Willis for putting the tour together and to all the lovely folk who came along to support live music. And last but not least Liam for once again drawing us into his wonderful world of music and passion, he is an inspiration for us all.
We are looking ahead to the next year and wondering how we go forward...we are definitely on the up, with some incredible gigs behind us and more to look forward to. We are going to spend some time in January writing new songs. We have a few up our sleeves already and it's always a balance to spend our rehearsal time practising for gigs or developing new material. We are looking to plan a tour with Liam for the summer in France, fingers crossed that will be amazing if we can do it!
We've also a load of songs ready to record and we are adding money to our kitty all the time through gig money and CD sales, which are thankfully good.
So here's to next year and the journey with White Sail, thank you for reading and being a part of this journey.
"...TOUR NEWS!!!! NEW MUSIC...IS'NT IT AMAZING?!!" From Sarah 7th July 2022
Well I won't lie if I said the the music industry is challenging at the moment - we've had some gigs postponed and cancelled due to Covids ongoing presence and effects...
BUT! we are not down at heart because we have been working on some great new songs for you! Sometimes songs come so quickly together that we are amazed and so rewarded by the creative musical process that other things seem so unimportant, the main thing is, we're still here, still making music and enjoying being in the creative journey that is White Sail.
We also have some really nice gigs coming up...We are back on tour with LIAM O'MAONLAI in September, which will be magical - we were blown away by the tour last year and how we grew as a band through the experience. So we are looking forward to it - isn't it amazing!
We're shortly off to Norfolk to do a house concert - well a garden concert and we are joined by the incredible singer and multi instrumentalist Anne-Marie Helder. Helder & Dean will be making a rare appearance and we're so looking forward to it.
If you had a thought that you would like White Sail to come and play for you then please get in touch - we love doing house or garden concerts, it's a wonderful way to connect with our audience, please get in touch! Sarah xxx
...EP RELEASE! 'THIS GREAT OCEAN'..." From Sarah 27th August 2021
Finally we can announce the release of our brand new EP 'THIS GREAT OCEAN'!!! We are really happy with how it all looks and sounds. Everything from the production to the artwork have created a thing of beauty! My mum Eileen Dean did a beautiful job painting a picture that captured everything about the songs. Richard Nagy did his magic putting it all together to make something that we think looks lovely, and sitting next to High In The Blue the two EPs really compliment each other. Isaac McInnis did a wonderful job as sound engineer at Crooked Room Studio to bring our songs to life and capture us really well. It is available to order here on the CD page and also to download on Bandcamp. We hope that you love it as much as we do. We also must shout out to all the folk who donated to our recording fund throughout our Facebook Live concerts, who enabled us to go into the studio.
"...TOUR NEWS!!!! FACEBOOK LIVE AND RECORDINGS ON THE HORIZON..." From Sarah 24th March 2021
Well what can we say?! I realised that it's been a long time since I updated this blog page and firstly I hope that everyone is ok and well. We have some news about our tour with Liam O'Maonlai which is that once again we are having to postpone...we are really sad about it but at the same time sanguine too. In a year when it has been impossible to make plans and dreams come true, we accept that the dates commencing the 19th May were just too close to call and so the decision has been made. As soon as we have new dates I will let you know.
The good news is that we have been consistently appearing in some form or another, on Facebook - each of us doing live sessions and a fair few group sessions where possible too. We had some lovely evenings in the garden at my home in Barton Le Willows and Janes' garden in York. I've now moved to York and we had some great, but chilly! sessions under the gazebo and even managed a Christmas concert too! So we have found a way of connecting to you even through these difficult times and we thank every one of you for joining us, either Live or on Catch-Up!!
Some more really great news is that we are due in the studio to make a start on recording some fantastic new songs for you! We are very excited about this and even though we haven't been able to meet up together, we've been working really hard on the new songs and keeping the muse alive!!!!!
Watch this space! In the meantime, stay safe and look after each other and we will see you again soon.
"...GREAT START TO THE YEAR WITH APPEARANCES ON RADIO, FESTIVAL & FOLK CLUBS!..." FROM SARAH 1ST FEBRUARY 2020
White Sail have been working really hard on some exciting new songs for you! Three new songs are taking shape and the White Saillie style 'The Ploughboy's Dream' and 'Was It You' made their debut at Pickering Acoustic Music last Wednesday. As always The Sun in Pickering was packed with friends old and new and we were entertained by a range of floorspots that were all brilliant. Songs sung a capella, accordion, guitar, all played and sung superbly, a real treat. We did two sets and had a lovely night. It's a terrific club and meets every other Wednesday night. Check out the gigs page for the address and website. Many thanks to organiser Phil Friend, Alison Lawson, Martin & Penny Robertson for making us all feel so welcome.
Guesting on The Fox's Den Radio Show on VIXEN 101FM with DJ Bill Horncastle was fun as ever and check out their website where you can find podcasts of the show. We sang, we chatted and ate cake, well me, mostly. Many thanks to Bill and The Lady of The Cake for making it such a great night.
The Resident's First Winter Folk Day at The Black Swan last Sunday was superb, music all day long and total quality throughout. Highlights for me were seeing good friends Leather'o really do a fantastic romping set. I did a solo set at the end of the evening which was fun with my darling White Sailors in the audience singing along to Beautiful World....nice!
"...A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM WHITE SAIL..." FROM SARAH 5th JANUARY 2020
Just before Christmas myself, Jane and Chris had a couple of hours with coffee and cheese (of course!) and thanked our lucky stars that we have our music and our group. We are all great friends as many of you know, but we also create some magic when we are together, writing new songs and most importantly enjoying the creative journey as well as performing live. We have some really special highlights from 2019, the tour to France and a very special house concert which some of you may know about, just to name two of many! Looking forward to the new year ahead, we have been planning the structure of our year, potential tours of France and the coast of Yorkshire, festivals and clubs. It's going to be a busy year and we are gearing ourselves up for making some truly special music together.
So we all wish you a very Happy New Year.
Follow your dreams...always look to the horizon...and be the change that you wish to see in the world.
"...TRIBUTE TO DAVID WEBB..." FROM SARAH 11th NOVEMBER 2019
Myself, Jane and Chris were saddened to hear that David Webb sadly passed away last week. A braver man you could never wish to meet. He lived the short time he had after his diagnosis in June to the full. Spending time with his wife Bernadette and family, going to concerts and getting out and about as much as he could. An inspirational man, and a devoted supporter of live music. We are so glad we were able to be a part of WebbStock at the end of September, to take the music to David and raise much needed cash to the charities. Rest in Peace David.
"...LOVE IS ALL AROUND..." FROM SARAH 1st OCTOBER 2019
White Sail were honoured to play a part in the most beautiful concert for someone who needs a lot of love right now. WebbStock was created to take the music to a friend of ours. Many musicians gathered to create a night of special music for David and Bernadette Webb. Most importantly too was the fund raising aspect of this event. Raising funds for both Cancer UK and the Milton Keynes Hospital Cancer Charity. White Sail opened the evening to a full house in the atmospheric St. Martin's Church in Fenny Stratford. Followed by myself and Anne-Marie Helder as a stripped down Luna Rossa and the night was concluded with a set by Heather Findlay with Martin Ledger and Simon Snaize. It was a joy to be a part of. The last song Lift You Up was written by Simon Snaize and everyone gathered on stage and we sang our hearts out. It's at times like this that you realise the power of music, of live music and the healing and comfort that I hope it gives.
"...BONJOUR MARINS!!!..."
"...A GIG TO REMEMBER..." FROM SARAH ~ 22nd JULY 2019
Chris and myself were joined by Richard on drums for the first of the four gigs we are doing in our mini-tour in Normandy.
We thought just a quiet start to the tour with a gig in the local village bar here in Châtillon sur Colmont, a quiet village sat atop a hillside with glorious views of the gentle rolling hillside all around us. Well, we couldn't have been more wrong as the little bar was heaving with locals and visitors alike. All enjoying the fantastic Bar-B-Q put on by David and Steph. We also were treated to lots of merry dancing and singing by a group of jolly blokes dressed up in grand style for the night in frocks and wigs. Richard was soon dancing cheek to cheek with a dashing young fella and we played and played until we had nothing else to play, then just when we thought we hadn't any more songs, we played some more. The French know how to live, to love and to enjoy the good times with great bon viveur! The wine flowed until late and we went to bed, finally, in the knowledge that everyone had had a great time of it. For us as musicians this is a pure joy and we are so looking forward to our next gig in Domfront on Friday!!!
"...TOUR DE FRANCE!!!..." A WORD OR DEUX FROM SARAH ~ 17th JUNE 2019
Well we are prepping like mad for our French trip in July. All the venues are booked, posters up and the word is spreading!
We'll be sporting our tour t-shirts with pride! Yes! That's right, special t-shirts designed for us by Richard Nagy!
Mind you, over here in Blighty we've been super busy with appearing at festivals and fundraisers. Our fundraiser for Martin House Children's Hospice raised £260 which we were delighted with. It was a very fun night and we danced our socks off at the end. Horizon Festival at the beautiful Sledmere House was great too, and we feel blessed that our music takes us to many different places and we meet so many lovely folk too.
Jane and Chris are thrilled to be supporting the legendary Boo Hewerdine at Thorganby Folk on the 29th June. I am really sad to miss the evening but I have a prior engagement with a (possibly) new bass guitar and a scratch rock band. More on that another time!!!
Our practices have been busy and productive with lots of time given to rehearse for all our gigs, but we still find time to develope new material which is so important to us. New songs are being written all the time and we love our weekly practices with the obligatory wine and cheese as reward for all our hard work!!! Did I tell you we love cheese? ;-)
"...LOVE CHEESE! LOVE FRANCE!..." A WORD OR THREE FROM SARAH ~ 22ND MARCH 2019
I've been over to France on a little trip to Châtillon sur Colmont and our plans are more than coming together in securing the jolly sailors a few gigs around the region. We are really excited to be having a little trip together. Playing the music we love and are so passionate about. Enjoying all that is beautiful about the French countryside, cuisine and our lovely French and English friends. Check out the gigs page for all the info on where we are playing and when. I'll be regularly updating this blog to keep you in touch of what we're up to and how much cheese we've eaten!
"...IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, THEN PLAY ON..." A WORD OR THREE FROM SARAH 22ND FEBRUARY 2019
We've had some really great rehearsals recently...and some really great cheese!
"...If music be the food of love, then play on..." We couldn't agree more!
Now you know that we always rehearse really hard, especially with the thought of cheese and wine on the horizon which definitely helps us steer a path towards greater productivity. With this in mind and with the thought that quite frankly, four cheeses every week was a bit much, Chris has decided to do a Cheese Of The Week and just provide us with a superlative one cheese selection for our enjoyment. We have shared this on Twitter and Facebook and I'm sure you will have seen the wonderful photos. We are unashamedly looking for sponsorship from Yorks' superior cheese emporium LOVE CHEESE. Watch this space!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM JANE, CHRIS AND SARAH - 5TH JANUARY 2019
All of White Sail would like to wish all our musical friends a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2019. Thank you to all those who came to our gigs during 2018 and those who bought our records. We are putting plans in place for a busy year ahead. Lots of festivals and gigs coming up! Also lots of great new songs on the horizon too. We are making sure that even though we are rehearsing for up and coming gigs that we also have plenty of time to work on our backlog of new songs! Luckily we have a kind of magic that happens, and the three of us meld so effortlessly, new songs and ideas seem to come with ease and this is so satisfying! We will be performing for the first time in 2019 at the Residents First Winter Folk Day in York, where we are delighted to be starting the day off in fine style and we hope to have a couple of new songs for you. So, see you on the road.
A DAY BY THE SEASIDE BY SARAH - 11TH SEPTEMBER 2018
We had a lovely day at The Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage on Sunday. The sun shone and it was one of those special Autumn days when the September sun is quite golden and gentle. Staithes was full of people, all out enjoying the unique village of Staithes nestled on the North East coastline. A festival that celebrates all that's amazing about craft and heritage, music coordinator Chris Wade also put together a sensitive selection of music, both for busking and for concerts in the Boathouse on the Staith. We were delighted to play in front of such a warm and appreciative crowd and look out over the bay, quite special! We sang a selection of our most sea and land themed songs and felt quite blessed to be singing these songs that are so close to our hearts in such a setting.
A VERY LOVELY POEM AND SOME THOUGHTS BY JANE - 24TH APRIL 2018
"...I have been thinking a lot about how we remember lately. In a new song (working title Shoebox) I explore that moment when you come across that bundle of mementos from a time past; that photograph or letter that takes you straight back to a different time in your life. I often write and think of the ancient land or sea, but these reflections have taken me somewhere more personal; into a world where I think, as I grow older, more about change and loss. I thought I'd share a recent poem with you which has some of these themes..." Love, Jane.
Hand Cream by Jane Stockdale, April 2018
They sit awaiting absence
the Atrixo carefully kept fresh
with silver foil
on the nightstand,
The head scarves folded
with care
into the hat box,
Tan-coloured tights
only handled with gloves from Dents
or else they'll snag,
Kept in the deep mystery of drawers below
inexpensive perfumes
their names a mantra read
as it grew dark.
It seems these spaces
will not work without them,
But only with you here,
Just out to the shops in your headscarf or
moulding the cream into
your hands when in your nightie
and the lamp on beside the bed.
Only with you here
will they remain.
A WORD OR TWO FROM CHRIS AKA 'BARTY' - 24th February 2018
"...I'm really enjoying our White Sailing at the moment! Weekly rehearsals with Jane and Sarah are always great fun, with our now traditional glasses of wine and excessive quantities of cheese needed to fuel the fires of creativity. We are working on new material at the moment. All of us have brought new songs for developing, and they are all working out great. As always the new songs are different again, so our wonderful fans can expect to be surprised all over again!...
...I'm also excited about our next few months' performing. We have a fabulous gig in Hovingham on the 17th March, a Pie & Peas Supper Fundraiser for The Labour Party, with White Sail providing the evening's entertainment. (See our Gigs page for all info). Then, after a short Easter break we are at The Filey Folk Festival in early May, and have also applied for other festivals, tbc. And we are discussing our first mini-tour for late June - again, details to come! Good times!..." Chris
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WHITE SAIL AT THE VOLUNTEER ARMS, YORK with support from Paula Ryan - 17th February 2018
We had a cracking night at what Landlady Helen calls..."not a bad little backstreet local pub" Not bad indeed Helen! We had a fantastic time and what a great pub it is too - a real locals pub with a great atmosphere and most importantly she is providing a great little venue and actively supporting local musicians. Keeping music Live and for everyone. Nice!
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RAY COOPER + WHITE SAIL 'Songs from the Heart' - Valentines' Day Concert - 14th February 2018
We had a real blast at The Black Swan with White Sail performing an hours worth of songs, some old, some new, a little nod to the Valentines and of course a murder ballad, just the one! The Wolfe Room upstairs at The Black Swan was all candlelit and twinkly cosiness with Roses on all the chairs...Ray performed for a good hour and more and we were enchanted to be up close and intimate with such crafted and sublime musicianship. Mandolin, guitar and cello all played beautifully made for a varied set. A lovely night and one to remember.
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NEW WEBSITE! - We're really delighted to have our new all singing and dancing website up and running. Keep checking in for all our news and up to date goings on from Jane, Chris & Sarah.
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WHITE SAIL EP - High In The Blue - Available Now! We have been working hard over the last few months with talented York based sound engineer Dan Webster. He has wielded his magic and we're delighted with the result.
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WINTERTIDE - A song for the season! We're really happy to announce that we are back in the studio to record a really special single for you. WinterTide is a celebration of all that is winter and in true White Sail style it captures that time perfectly.
"...And a Hail-O the WinterTide, the earth folds into sleep, our stories by the fireside, our secrets now to keep..."
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WHITE SAIL ALBUM - We have made a fab start with around 12 or so tracks in readiness for completion in the Spring. So, watch this space and we'll keep you posted on progress.
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JANE IS PLAYING THE MANDOLIN! - Yes, our multi-talented guitarist, percussionist and songstress is quickly getting to grips with this gorgeous instrument! The mandolin is adding so much to the songs, another layer and texture to the strings that's a real compliment to the guitar and harp.
Contact White Sail info@whitesailband.com