THE CIDERHOUSE REBELLION
Adam Summerhayes has been described as a ‘Paganini of the traditional violin’ (fRoots) and his remarkable playing has been lauded worldwide: “Like the direct descendant of the devil’s violinist Paganini” (Badische Zeitung); ‘Astonishing, all-out virtuosity’. (New York Times); “Intoxicating … virtuoso fiddle playing” (The Times); ‘breath-taking violin wizardry’ (stuff.co.nz).
This duo, though, is not just about fireworks and virtuosity. Profound and eloquent, epic, haunting and dramatic, Adam Summerhayes’s ‘utterly compelling’ playing (BBC Music magazine) entwines with master accordionist Murray Grainger’s subtly woven tapestries of sound – “Grainger’s accordion with Summerhayes’s fiddle are especially beautiful” (Songlines).
The pair play trad. tunes, particularly from the North East, write their own tunes and specialise in creating music in the moment – it’s this unusually improvisatory focus that is uniquely magical. A quest to create music in the moment, with no conscious thought between conception and playing, searching for unexpected magic and the possibility to create a deeper and perhaps more revealing narrative – “Gorgeous stuff” (BBC Radio 3).
Some music for those stuck inside. A day before lockdown in the UK, Adam managed to get some essential supplies for Murray and his young family. The duo took the delivery as an opportunity to record the InCider session – still ‘socially distanced’, but hardwired. They play a set of three tunes (known to them as Tune 1, Tune 2 and The Fit Has Come Upon Me), then Sweetest When She’s Naked and finished with one of their trademark improvisations
