St Agnes Fountain

About

Christmas, as they say, starts with St. Agnes Fountain. Presenting carols with a curve.

Since their first get together, to record the eponymous St Agnes Fountain album in 2001, the quartet; David Hughes, Fairport Convention's Chris Leslie and multi award winning duo Chris While and Julie Matthews, have brought musical invention and laughter to the star-dust atmosphere of the season.

In 2020, David decided to leave the band and very sadly died in 2023.

There will never been another quite like him, he was simply a one off. His vision to create traditional Christmas carols with a curve led to the creation of St Agnes Fountain, he was our founding father but he was so much more than that. His unique style of rhythm, of hearing and playing a groove, his satirical wit and sartorial style, his dead pan presence on stage, his beautiful turn of a lyrical phrase.

One thing we can say without any doubt is that David wouldn’t have wanted to rest in peace, he would want to be putting on his fedora, tapping his foot out to some insane syncopated rhythm and leading us all in a celebration of a life of love, laughter and mirth.

Chris, Chris and Julie intend to do just that, keeping the Christmas Aggie spirit alive and touring as a trio celebrating 23 years together with some new material, those old Aggie classics and a doff of the fedora to David.

Although the albums accompany the putting up of a thousand Christmas trees throughout Britain and around the globe as their reputation reaches further afield, it is, without question, their magical live performances that have endeared them to an ever-growing audience.

Julie Matthews: vocals, piano, guitar, accordion and gazouki.

The duo have been nominated ten times in the BBC Folk Awards in the 'Best Song' 'Best Duo' and 'Best Live Act' categories and winning Best Duo in 2009. In 2019 year they celebrated 25 years the longest lasting female duo in the country with a brand new album and an extensive tour of the UK to celebrate as well as numerous summer festival performances including the Pengwern Stage 'Whie and Matthews Take Over' where they curated the stage in August of that year to celebrate their anniversary.

Chris and Julie are more powerful and popular than ever in their 27th year as a duo and remain at the very top of their game.

Chris Leslie: multi instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Oxfordshire UK. Primarily known for the past 20 years for his work with Fairport Convention, he has toured and recorded with, amongst others: Steve Ashley, the Albion Band, Jez Lowe, Ian Anderson, Chris While and Julie Matthews, Whippersnapper, Alan Stivell, Feast of Fiddles and St. Agnes Fountain.

Chris has also provided music for a number of Radio Four plays and classic serials.

His fiddle playing has also been heard on the TV series Heartbeat, Midsommer Murders and Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Scotland.

Chris plays: Fiddle, Mandolin, Tenor Guitar, Bouzouki, Ukulele, Banjo, Oud, Whistle and Native American Flute and anything else he can lay his hands on!