Mike Lease and Jane Ridout are very experienced musicians. Both are founder members of traditional Welsh band "Hin Deg", [with vocalist Heather Jones], and also "Murphy's Law", specialising in traditional Irish music.

 

Mike  Lease also works with Crannog, a celtic ceilidh band, and sometimes accompanies Catrin O'Neill, an emerging folk singer from Wales.

Mike started playing fiddle about 30 years ago, after a varied professional musical journey, including electric piano and organ in the heady '60s, Spanish guitar and lute in the less heady '70s, before finally finally "converting" to traditional music, where he now resides.

He was a founder-member of the now legendary, original "Yr Hwntws" line-up, specialising in the traditional music of Gwent & Glamorgan, this was followed by "Mooncoin", a mixed Irish/Welsh music pedigree including Lorraine Jordan, Theo Schurmanns, and Jane Ridout. He currently teaches a range of instruments in a host of musical styles, [needs must..].

Mike has also made numerous t.v./radio appearances, and crossed the "Pond", playing & teaching... He reached the final of the All-Ireland Championships in both fiddle and accompaniment, "choking" on the fiddle, - it often happens...., - but placed 2nd in accomp., in Clonmell. He has made and appeared on many recordings, appeared in a number of films, written music for films, and even appeared as the Fiddler in "Aufiedersein Pet " episode, "Cowboys", backing Jimmy Nail's first singing performance. He has laboured long and hard to enhance the status of Welsh traditional music, and notes its increasing popularity with relish.

 

Jane Ridout's main instrument is the fiddle, though she also contributes whistle and bodhran to both outfits.

A very gifted teacher, with comprehensive, primary, music specialist, and special needs experience in mainstream education, she was Gwent's undisputed Champion of traditional music teaching, and her 150-200 strong children's traditional band performances at St. David's Hall, Tredegar House Folk Festival, the Urdd main Festival concert, and numerous other events, are legendary.

Jane has appeared on t.v.and radio many times, and has appeared on a number of traditonal music recordings. She has toured internationally, including 4 trips to the United States, to perform and teach Welsh traditional music. She teaches at the Newport branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, and has reached the final of the UK. championships, as a fiddle competitor.

She teaches fiddle and guitar privately, and is a highly talented professional painter.