| RYEBUCK SHEILAS - MUSICAL BIOGRAPHIES |
| ANNIE THORNTON: Instruments: Lead & Harmony Vocals; Percussion, Lagerphone, Washboard, Teponatzli (South American Wood Drum); Bodhran (Irish Goatskin Drum); Guitar; Mandolin; Hurdy-gurdy. Annie is a founding member of Rocky River Bush Band and the Ryebuck Sheilas. She has the gift of being able to communicate with and endear herself and the band to any audience. Annie is South Australia�s best Dance caller with a huge repertoire of Bush dances for all age groups. Employed by the South Australian Education Department as a School Services Officer for 22 years, during this time she has taught Junior Primary and Primary students how to sing traditional Australian songs and held classes in Australian Bush Dancing. Annie has worked with Secondary Students and has held workshops on Lawson and Paterson poems, prose and music and also the convict poet Frank McNamara. For the National Folk Festival held in Adelaide in 1991 she wrote a workshop on convicts, immigration and the riverboat trade on the River Murray - this workshop was re-written and performed again in Hull, England in 1997. Bands: Rocky River Bush Band 1980-2003. The Ryebuck Sheilas (women�s band) 2002-2003. Kelly�s Revenge 1986-1987. Children�s Entertainment: Annie and husband Peter have written and presented children�s pantomime-style workshops in schools, school-holiday programs in Lee�s & the Bakehouse theatres and at the Frances Folk Gathering. The workshops include puppets, costumes, folk music & song & lots of audience participation. Shows presented are �Ships �n� Sails �n� Daggy Tales� (nautical theme) and �Billy Bunyip & The Bushrangers� (Australian Bush theme). They have also presented workshops on bush instrument making and motivational workshops at High School music camps. Recordings: �Ships & Sails & Daggy Tales� (cassette) (Rocky River) �Say G�day� (cassette) �We�ll Plough the Briny Ocean� (CD) �Sea Boots And Swags) (CD) �Shanghaied Crew� (CD) - with Forebitters (DK), Cztery Refy (PL) & Bob Webb (USA) Community Member of the Folk Federation of South Australia Committee and Activities: Editor/Word Processor of InFolkus magazine for 8 months during its change from �Fedmag�. Presenter for Folk Around the Coast on Adelaide�s 88.7 Coast FM. Co-founder of the South Coast Folk Club formed in 1988 and holding sessions, presenting concerts and many other activities in 2004. An extra in the play �I�ll be in on That� produced by the Noarlunga Theatre Company. Involvement and performances during Australia Day activities in South Australia. Assisted with raising money for South Australia�s sail training ship �One and All�. ELIZABETH �BIDDY� DENNIS: Instruments: Lead Vocals; Harmony Vocals; Guitar; Mandolin. Founding member of the Ryebuck Sheilas. Biddy has been singing Folk songs and playing guitar since she was a small child. She studied music right through High School and encouraged and formed small groups within the school community. Her church upbringing gave her a passion for very challenging harmony singing. She continues to harmonise in such a way that she unobtrusively enhances the voices of those she is singing with. Biddy has dabbled in song writing and has written a lovely tune for Henry Lawson�s poem �Cobb and Co�. She enjoys playing her Mandolin and listening to many different types of music including Traditional & Contemporary Folk from Australia and the British Isles, Australian & American Old Timey, American Appalachian, Celtic, Scottish, Irish, Cornish and Classical music. She even loves to �yodel� occasionally! Biddy was one of the original members of Rocky River Bush Band from 1983 to 1988 and has recently rejoined the band. Her passion for Sea Shanty�s and Sea Songs developed as a result of Rocky River�s endeavours to raise money for Adelaide�s Sail Training ship �One & All. Biddy, with assistance from Annie Thornton held a workshop recently at Aldinga Folk Weekend on Voice for Beginners. This involved teaching a group of about 25 people how to sing harmonies; how to breathe correctly; breathing exercises; proper phrasing techniques and generally how to enjoy music for pleasure and good health. Biddy aims to encourage young people to enjoy Folk music and is very interested in investigating music as a means of healing the soul. HELEN PEUCKER: Instruments: Vocals; Guitar; Mandolin; Banjo; Appalachian Dulcimer; Bass Guitar; Drums; Keyboard; and has recently converted her 12 string guitar to Bazouki tuning! Started playing music as an 11 year old in rural Victoria. Around that time she played for the Senior Citizens Clubs and other Community Activities with her Dad playing guitar and Helen on Keyboard. She was drummer for a Country Rock Band called �Yellowrock�, and also a church band called �Jireh� in the 80�s in Portland Victoria. Helen moved to Adelaide to attend University and during that time she played in �various very short lived� Uni bands with names such as �FarQz�, �Gabby & the Grots� & �Candlebark Bush Band� etc. Helen is an exceptional musician playing any instrument that she puts her hands to. Church music has always played a big part in Helen�s life. She has played Drums, Percussion and Bass Guitar regularly at church and various Christian Uni Student camps. She currently plays Bass regularly at her Church in Adelaide. She also plays Bass and Acoustic Guitar for �Contractual Obligations� (an on and off band) playing Rock music from the Beatles to �Radio head� and other sorts of Rock music. Helen is very passionate about good comedy in music and her favourite group are the �Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. She is also very interested in singer songwriter Neil Innes whom she �roadies� for when he is on tour in Australia. SHERILEE HAWKINS: Instruments: Vocals; violin; guitar; keyboard; percussion. Sherilee is a multi instrumentalist/vocalist. As a child her ear for music was developed with violin practice and her family encouraged her natural passion for music. At the age of 14 she bought her 1st guitar and began accompanying herself while singing. Rhythmic strumming and finger picking developed on the guitar. Later in her twenties she focussed on her �Fiddle�, - playing �Celtic� music and received lessons in the �Scottish� style of fiddle playing from Cathy Fraser. She has played in a youth orchestra and has also taught beginners violin from home. Vocal harmonies are her forte with lead solo work becoming more and more familiar. She has a gentle singing style enhanced in melodious ballads. The chance to make music that will inspire people to dance is also a favourite. Busking with her fiddle on her travels proved to be a great experience from the streets of Daylesford, Victoria to Canterbury in the UK and Rundle Mall in Adelaide. Three years of band experience ended with the compilation of two CD�s in 1998. This was an all-original band with 4 songwriters. Sherilee was one of two female vocalists in this 6-7 piece band �Teringie� and also played guitar and mandolin. Gigs were in the Adelaide area with a number of performances at the Victor Harbor Folk Festival and the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. Music has been a valuable tool while working with young children particularly those with special needs. The music has a way of communicating in a very non-threatening way. Currently she studies Music Industry Certificate 3 at TAFE, majoring in vocal development and continuing with theory and keyboard skills. Sherilee loves to inspire people to sing and dance. She would like to perform vocally and instrumentally in a contemporary group; further develop in the art of Celtic style music; be available to entertain people who are unable to get out very often to see live performance. CATHY KENNEDY: Instruments: Violin; Mandolin; Guitar; Vocals. Started learning violin with a classical teacher - learning quite a bit but not having a lot of fun. A very dear friend of hers asked �Have you ever thought about playing some Irish music?� She borrowed a tape from him, had a listen, learnt a few tunes and then one day he picked her up and said �okay let�s go and play with some friends of mine.� Well, since then she hasn�t stopped! Married to Joe - who�s been �putting up with her playing violin� for approximately 4 years. Cathy attends and contributes to all of the Folk Sessions on the South Coast of Adelaide and really gets into the spirit of the �Celtic� music and Australian Bush Music. Cathy belongs to two groups - �The Wattles� who have been together for approx. three years and she has recently joined the Ryebuck Sheilas. VIVIEN TONKIN: Instrument: Auto Harp; Vocals. Living in a family of musicians and not playing an instrument spurred Viv on to learn to play something. After visiting the Appalachian Mountains in America she decided that the Autoharp was the instrument for her. And so after a few tips from Peggy Seeger and lots of dedicated practice she was asked to join her family�s band the �Aromatic Flatulators� - with son Richard Tonkin who plays Button Accordion and Fiddle; daughter Melissa Tonkin who plays Mandolin and husband Brian Tonkin who plays Banjo. The Tonkin family are responsible for organising the Frances Folk Gathering at Frances in the Southeast of South Australia. They hold musicianship and poetry writing competitions (with cash prizes) to encourage young people to enjoy and participate in Folk Music and Prose. They are the owners of the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel - Adelaide�s only live music venue seven days per week and no pokies! Vivien has joined the �Ryebuck Sheilas� with real enthusiasm and is a valued member of the group. Her desire to practice is passed on to the other girls and she encourages them to work hard at making songs and music stand out with special arrangements. GRACE BURBIDGE: Instruments: Whistle; Bodhran; Tamborine; Percussion; Vocals. Grace has never played in a group before but being born in County Clare Ireland she loves to sing and play music. Like all Irish kids she learned to play basic whistle in school and recently picked it up again. Although not as challenging as bringing up three small children she is coping very well with her role in the group thanks to her very supportive husband Chris. Singing in school and church choirs added to Grace�s repertoire. Her mother still sings the traditional Irish songs and has taught them to her. She has recently sung Lead Vocals for two of those lovely Irish Songs at two concerts performed by the Ryebuck Sheilas. ANNE McGEACHIE: Instruments: Dijeridoo; Percussion; Tapping Sticks; Vocals. Anne learned to play the dijeridoo when she took her previous husband Bernie (who was blind) to lessons. She ended up being the one who persevered and has been circular breathing ever since! Concerned about the fact that not many women played the dijeridoo she asked the local Kaurna Aborigines if it was OK for her to play it. They have given their permission and told her that the southern tribes didn�t play the dijeridoo anyway. In 1997 Anne travelled overseas with Rocky River Bush Band and played in Holland, Brittany, England and Denmark with the group. She really enhances the arrangements of the Bush Songs and Tunes and is challenged during one piece of music when she plays three dijeridoos in different keys - not at the same time! YVONNE YOUNG: Instruments: Button Accordion; Flute; Whistle; Bodhran. Yvonne has been playing Button Accordion for 4 � years and has just discovered English Polkas, which she loves to play. Yvonne has been playing with �The Wattles� Australian Folk Band for 2 years and played with them at the Inaugural Aldinga Folk Weekend and at the Frances Folk Gathering Weekend. They also do gigs and functions in the local community and for friends and family. She plays regularly once a month at the Irish Club Bush Dance helps out at the Celtic Music Club classes and also plays at the Celtic Music Festival at Christies Beach. Yvonne teaches Whistle classes to younger and older people at the South Coast Folk Club. She is the newest member of the �Ryebuck Sheilas�. |