Roo Geddes & Neil Sutcliffe + Lucie Hendry Trio - Autumn Trad Festival 2023

Roo & Neil

Based in Glasgow, their compositions are inspired by landscape, people and by the ways in which music can evoke a sense of place and community.
They first met aged 13, as students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Juniors’ School. They quickly formed a close friendship and began collaborating musically throughout their studies until graduating in 2021 with Honours of the First Class. 

In May 2022, Roo and Neil toured Scotland to release their debut album, HOMELANDS - a suite of pieces exploring their people and places which feel like 'home'. The works took five years to write and record and last just under an hour in length. During the first Covid-19 lockdown, one piece from this collection was selected a winner of Feis Rois’ “In Tune with Nature” competition. It was remotely composed, recorded and filmed to celebrate the wildlife and landscape of the magical Taynish National Nature Reserve. The duo are quickly gaining recognition and in 2021 were selected by Celtic Connection's prestigious ‘Danny Kyle Award’ and offered a performance at next year's festival. 

In addition to their original music, they also frequently perform their arrangements of Scottish traditional music and song and function as a ceilidh band, performing at events across the UK. The duo work closely with Live Music Now, a charity which aims to connect musicians with people experiencing social exclusion or disadvantage. This incredibly rewarding experience has lead them to perform in care homes, ASN schools, nurseries and hospitals. Furthermore, Roo and Neil have eclectic experiences as jazz musicians which deeply influence their work. 

Born into families of educators, both musicians are passionate teachers and their pedagogy significantly informs their identity as artists. They work with students from a diverse range of ages and abilities in both private and community-music settings. 

Away from their instruments, they share a love of hillwalking, tree climbing, and all things outdoors. In September Roo begins study on a Master’s Degree in Jazz in while Neil is focussing on establishing himself in the Scottish music scene as a collaborative performer and teacher.

Neil's main instrument is a Bugari Prime piano accordion. This instrument has not only the standard "Stradella bass" system in the left-hand, comprising of bass notes and pre-set chords, but can also be converted to the "free-bass" system, a chromatic arrangement of notes. This ability in the left-hand to create polyphonic textures and different chord inversions plays a major role in Roo and Neil's compositions. Roo plays a violin that has been passed down through his family for five generations.

Lucie Hendry Trio

Lucie Hendry released her debut album, Land of Eden, in June 2023, followed by a release tour in Denmark including shows at Godtfolk Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Aarhus Jazz Festival. The release tour continues in Scotland this October where she will be touring with the Lucie Hendry Trio across the country. The trio is a unique collaboration between Scottish folk harpist, Lucie Hendry and two of Denmark’s upcoming jazz musicians, Dennis Iversen on electric guitar and Christoffer Skovhus on drums.

The trio plays Lucie’s original music, rooted in the Scottish folk music tradition with influences from music that Lucie has encountered while living in Denmark during the past few years. With uplifting melodies, unexpected rhythms and layers of musical texture, the trio give a refreshing interpretation of Scottish folk music while shedding light on the impressive versatility of the lever harp. Together they will take the audience through a range of emotions in their captivating ambient, electronic and melodic world.