Saskia Tomkins

Saskia Tomkins is a British musician and actress, living since 2007 in Ontario, Canada. She plays the violin,[1] viola, cello and Nyckelharpa. She performs and records in several genres, including traditional,[2] modern, jazz and classical music.

Early life and education

Tomkins grew up in Kent, UK, and began studying the violin at age seven. She studied jazz and popular music at Middlesex University in London, UK, graduating with B. A. in performing arts.

Career

Tomkins toured in Germany with Robb Johnson and Miranda Sykes in Johnson's band RJ3.[3] She performed on several of Johnson's albums, released on Irregular Records.

Tomkins performed with the band Lintilla. In 2006 she won the All Britain Fiddle Championship in the category of Irish slow airs.

Tomkins met and married Irish multi-instrumentalist Steáfán Hannigan. The couple moved to Ontario, Canada in 2007. In 2008, Hannigan and Tomkins performed with The Chieftains at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. That year the couple formed a band called Cairdeas (Friends) with singer Elizabeth Barlow, and independently released an album of Irish songs and tunes, Generous Lover. The Hannigan family then toured in the Czech Republic, and Barlow left the band. With a new singer, Marsala Lukianchuk, Cairdeas released a second album, Christmas by Candlelight.

Tomkins and Hannigan continued to perform both together[4][5][6][7] and separately with various Canadian groups,[8][9] and to host Irish music sessions.[10]

In 2011 Tomkins performed in the 4th Line Theatre production of The Cavan Blazers.[11] In 2013 she provided musical accompaniment for the play The Winslows of Derryvore at the same theatre.[12]

In 2014 she performed an original score on the violin for the Capital Theatre production of Driving Miss Daisy in Cobourg.[13] She was interviewed on the Northumberland 89.7 FM morning show with Jim Glover in November 2014.[14] She also performed in the 4th Line Theatre production of Wounded Soldiers[15] and provided musical accompaniment for the Spiel Players’ production of Lady with a Lap Dog in Peterborough.[16]

For several years Tomkins was the principal violist in the Northumberland Orchestra in Port Hope, Ontario. She also performed in a number of live concerts with the seasonal Celtic ensemble Nollaig.

Tomkins and jazz guitarist Brandon S. Besharah, calling their duo "2ish", released two albums, Really? and Whoteva, in 2015, and performed at the Port Hope Jazz Festival and the Canadian Guitar Festival.[17]

In 2016 Tomkins, along with Steáfán and Oisin Hannigan and Sam Allison performed as part of David Newland's travelling concert series "Northwest Passage in Story and Song", which celebrated events in Canadian history through original ballads and storytelling.[18] Tomkins is also in the cast of the 4th Line Theatre's production of The Hero of Hunter Street.

Personal life

Tomkins and Hannigan have three musical children. In 2015 they live in Baltimore, Ontario. The family occasionally performs together at local events as Clan Hannigan.[19][20]

Festivals
  • Kentfolk, 2007
  • Millrace Folk Festival, 2007
  • Goderich Celtic College, 2007
  • Cobourg Highland Games, 2010[21]
  • Clarington Arts and Music Festival, 2013 (with the Maple Leaf Jug Band)
  • Portneuf Drums Festival 2013[22]
  • Port Hope Jazz Festival, 2015. (2ish)
  • Canadian Guitar Festival, 2015 (2ish)

Discography
  • Acoustically Driven, Uriah Heep, Phantom Records, 2001
  • Totally Driven, Uriah Heep, self-published, 2001.[23][24]
  • Turn to Me, Bill Jones, 2002, Bedspring.[25][26]
  • 21st Century Blues, Robb Johnson, Irregular Records.[27][28]
  • The Triumph of Hope Over Experience. Robb Johnson, Irregular Records, 2002.[29]
  • Clockwork Music, Robb Johnson, Irregular Records.[30][31]
  • The Big Wheel, Robb Johnson, Irregular Records.[32]
  • Rumours of Rain Folk for Peace, Hypertension Records 2004
  • Ordinary Heroes, George Papavgeris, Irregular Records, 2004[33]
  • All That Way for This, Robb Johnson and the Irregulars, Irregular Records, 2008.[34]
  • Slowdown. Al-pha-x , I-Label, 2008
  • Missing_Link , Al-pha-x , DreaMusic, 2010
  • Generous Lover, Cairdeas
  • Christmas by Candlelight, Cairdeas
  • Best Dress, Collette Savard, 2012
  • West Pier Serenade. Robb Johnson, Irregular Records, 2013
  • Really?, 2ish, 2015.
  • Whoteva 2ish, 2015
gollark: Literally TIS-100?!
gollark: I used an objective badness checker script.
gollark: Your ideas seem bad, actually.
gollark: Nobody will notice.
gollark: Just don't fix them.

References
  1. Richard Schuberth (2002). CrossRoots: das Lexikon der irischen, schottischen, englischen, walisischen und bretonischen Folk-, Traditional- und Roots-Musik. Ludwig. p. 464. ISBN 978-3-88977-701-0.
  2. "Lang museum officially opens Jacquard Loom exhibit". Dale Clifford, Peterborough Examiner, August 15, 2015.
  3. "Grenfell, Joyce - Koller, Hans". "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Colin Larkin, MUZE, 2006. page 663.
  4. "Brockville Public Library hosted a night of Irish Music". Know Brockville. March 18, 2015
  5. "The Brampton Festival Singers 25th Anniversary". SNAPD,
  6. "Imaginate Returns To Stimulate Positive Thought And Action". Northumberland View, Feb 16, 2015
  7. "Creative two-fer @ SHERIDAN". Ontario Arts Review, April 14, 2012. • Play, Theatre review by Terry Gaisin
  8. "MISS MARKHAM BOLLYWOOD" South Asian Focus, Jul 19, 2011
  9. "Hits and Misses: Spiel Players Production of The Raven & Lady with a Lap Dog". The Arthur, Troy Bordun | March 17, 2014
  10. "Newcastle pub ranked number one Irish restaurant in Ontario". Clarington This Week, Sep 28, 2013. By Jennifer O'Meara
  11. "The Cavan Blazers looks at history, human behaviour". Northumberland Today.
  12. "Northumberland actors featured in epic tale of Ireland". northumberlandnews.com.
  13. "Driving Miss Daisy offers some nice surprises". Northumberland Today, May 22, 2014
  14. Saskia Tomkins on the Northumberland 89.7 FM morning show with Jim Glover, November 28, 2014
  15. "Marching off to war with 4th Line Theatre". Peterborough Examiner.
  16. "An intense, intimate, and intelligent night of theatre". Kawartha Now, by Sam Tweedle. March 7, 2014
  17. "11th annual Canadian Guitar Festival". Frontenac News, 30 July 2015. Julie Druker
  18. "The Northwest Passage in Story and Song". Frontenac News, 31 March 2016. by Julie Druker
  19. "St. Patrick's Day Music". Probus Patter, April 2009 page 3
  20. "Clan Hannigan performs this weekend", Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland Today,December 4, 2014
  21. "CBC News - Tiger Mom parenting and the quest for self-esteem". cbc.ca.
  22. "Deux journées en musique à Portneuf ". InfoPortneuf, Charles Laviolette, 25 November 2013
  23. "Uriah Heep Totally driven. Musikansich. Norbert von Fransecky
  24. "URIAH HEEP - "Totally Driven"". Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal. 04/30/2016
  25. "Album Review: Turn to Me". Rick Anderson, Rovi, via 103.5 QMFM.
  26. "Bill Jones, Turn To Me". greenmanreview.com. Archived 2010-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
  27. "Robb Johnson, Miranda Sykes & Saskie Tomkins '21st Century Blues'". Living Tradition CD review.
  28. "Review:Robb Johnson with Miranda Sykes & Saskia Tomkins 21st Century Blues (Irregular)". fRoots Magazine, issue 218/219. Not online, but indexed at frootsmag.com.
  29. "fRoots Reviews Index: J". fRoots Magazine (offline, but indexed here)
  30. "Reviews 2002-2003". Pay the Reckoning, December 2003.
  31. "Robb Johnson - Clockwork Music (Irregular)". NetRhythms, David Kidman
  32. "Review from Living Tradition". by Alan Rose. via folkmusic.net
  33. "George Papavgeris 'Ordinary heroes'". FolkWorld Reviews, Eelco Schilder
  34. "Albion Magazine Online Winter 08: Folk & Rock Reviews: Cropredy Folk Festival, Martin Simpson, New Model Army, Babyshambles, Paladin". zyworld.com.
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