Chris Newman
b. 30 October 1952, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. This highly-accomplished guitarist gave his first public performance at the age of five, and spent time as a teenager playing with Diz Disley. In 1974 Chris joined the Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra, but left within a couple of years. Newman became a sought-after session player during the '70s, and was also a very capable producer and arranger. This was demonstrated in 1981 when he co-wrote, produced and arranged The Oldest Swinger In Town by Fred Wedlock. The single reached number 4 in the UK charts, and topped a number of overseas charts, including Ireland and Israel. Chris received a silver disc for the production. He was then commissioned to write music for a variety of television and radio shows. At the same time, he was pursuing a career as a performer, touring Europe, the USA, Australia and the Middle East, both in a solo capacity and with other artists. Newman later teamed up with virtuoso harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh, and together they have played worldwide to great acclaim. They performed in Australia in 1988 as part of Ireland's contribution to the Bicentennial celebrations, and again the following year, to take part in the Guinness Celebration of Irish Music. THE LIVING WOOD was voted Folk Album of the Year by the DAILY TELEGRAPH, and among the newspaper's top four albums of the decade. The album was used as background music and became a signature tune for the regional UK television series OFF THE HOOK. Their recordings all exude refinement and explain why they are extremely popular as a live act.