Chris Wood

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The Irish Times heralded Chris Wood as "the renaissance man of English folk" when on his own R.U.F Records label he released 'The Lark Descending' which included the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winning song 'One In A Million' in 2005. 

Chris Wood is an uncompromising writer whose music reveals his love for the un-official history of the English speaking people. With gentle intelligence he weaves the tradition with his own contemporary parables; his writing has been said to share the same timeless quality as Richard Thompson at his best.

Wood’s appeal has now gone way beyond English folk music. He was invited to sing at last year's WOMEX where he garnered much praise and found many new followers. Likewise, his spot at this year's WOMAD festival was testament to his widening appeal. He has had musical commissions from BBC Radio 3's Late Junction and Between The Ears also from The Sage Gateshead and has completed work for Arts Council England whilst also writing and lecturing.

Chris’s latest projects are his new album, 'Trespasser',  which was recorded at his R.U.F Records / English Acoustic Collective base in Kent and includes the vocals of Karine Polwart. Chris and Karine first sung together on the Folk Britannia series for BBC 4.  He is also part of Simon Emmerson’s project, ‘The Imagined Village’, which also features artists such as Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Jonny Kalsi and Benjamin Zephaniah and which also won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Traditional Track 2008.

“In a warm, dark brown voice with sparse, minimalist accompaniment, Wood is an intimate story teller, applying such nuance and gravitas to every phrase you are imperceptibly lured into his world…. he seamlessly knits the spirit of the tradition into his very contemporary parables. And it's magnificent.”  Colin Irwin, fRoots 

“…unshowy charm…talented interpreter of traditional material…bewitching treatises.. possessed of a time less quality…”  **** The Observer Music Monthly