FolkLines
FolkLines was established to share our passion for the dance music of our Australian heritage. We gratefully acknowledge the work of the collectors who recorded the old performers and the transcribers who have made them available in published forms.
The line-up regulars include: Ray Mulligan (button accordion); Dave Johnson (fiddle and concertina); Peter Percival (acoustic guitar); Ralph Pride (bush bass and fiddle). Claire Stoneman is the main caller with a repertoire that includes traditional and contemporary Australian dances.
The band has performed at dances and dance workshops for the National Folk Festival in Canberra, Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, and for the Sydney-based Bush Music Club and the Canberra-based Monaro Folk Society.
The band is keen to perform for your next bush dance function.
Ray Mulligan
accordion
Ray is a well-known Canberra muso with an abiding love of the accordion and the tunes that fit it. He plays a Peter Hyde accordion and with Ray's touch the qualities of the instrument are revealed.
Dave Johnson
fiddle & concertina
Dave's fiddle complements the accordion and provides occasional harmony. He has arranged much of the band's repertoire and composed tunes to provide the right sound for Claire's dances.
Peter Percival
guitar
Peter plays his steel string guitar with a style that incorporates finger-picking of melody and chordal voicings. His solid underpinning accompaniment is flavoured with deliciously apt but unexpected chord sequences.
Ralph Pride
Fiddle, Bush bass, concertina
Ralph adds the depth of the Bush Bass to the sound. This instrument is remarkable as it is the only bass instruments that allows the sliding up to or down from a note by means of the string tension. The bass is in addition to the strong fiddle and concertina sound that Ralph brings.
Claire Stoneman
dance caller
Specialising in contemporary dances, Claire provides dancers with a a range of entertaining and sometimes challenging dance experiences. She is adept at judging the level of expertise of a crowd to provide them with appropriate clearly called dances.
Adrian Wilson
piano
Adrian brings his long time experience of playing piano for country dances. Though not a regular performer with FolkLines he is often called on to provide the piano rhythmic support for dances.