Gavin Davenport

Gavin is one of England's finest young singers, rapidly carving a formidable reputation as an interpreter of traditional song. Whether singing solo or with the Albion Band, he possesses a strong and distinctive voice that delivers a story with emotion and intensity.

Gavin has performed for the last fifteen years in various guises with acclaimed projects including Crucible, Hekety, GloryStrokes and The Grinder’s Misfortune Society as well as guesting with acts from Folk Award nominee James Raynard to Taffy Thomas and Bellowhead. He has shared stages with artists as diverse as folklorist Peter Kennedy, singers and musicians Tim Eriksen, Chris Thile and Sara Watkins, Spiers and Boden and many more. He was a performer on BBC Radio 3's feature piece "England In Ribbons" and more recently sang alongside Jon Boden and Fay Hield during December's "A Folk Song a Day".

He has performed at just about every major UK festival and played and taught overseas in Canada and Europe. In 2009 he was the winner of the John Birmingham Cup for newly composed unaccompanied song. His own compositions have been praised at home and overseas, and are performed in sessions and singarounds as well as by other highly regarded singers like Lady Maisery,  Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman, Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham.

Gavin plays guitar, cittern, mandolin, Anglo concertina and clawhammer banjo as well as performing unaccompanied. His repertoire includes a number of traditional ballads, some of which are seldom heard elsewhere. He is also an experienced workshop leader and qualified teacher and has taught vocal, instrumental, writing and more academic sessions at Towersey, Sidmouth, Strings at Witney, Goderich Celtic College (Canada), Cheltenham, Chippenham and many more. He was also editor of highly regarded folk magazine Stirrings from 2007 – 2009 and dances with the Grenoside Sword Dancers, one of Britain’s oldest traditional dance sides.

He holds a Masters Degree with Distinction in Oral Culture and Literature from the University of Sheffield and writes infrequently on folk related subjects.