BIOG GIGS/CONCERTS REVIEWS SONGS VIDEOS PHOTOS
WEDDINGS & EVENTS BLOGS SHOP PRESS PACK CONTACT & BOOKINGS
"White Sail are rooted in the music of the people and the music of the land. There is a heart driven energy in the way they share their music and songs. I had the pleasure of touring with them two years in succession. We made a lot of music together venturing in to the unknown"
Liam Ó Maonlaí ~ Hothouse Flowers
"(Spring)....absolutely beautiful, wonderful...when I heard this song it just floored me, it was stunning and a tonic to the soul, just what was needed..."
Jericho Keys ~ Radio York ~ BBC Introducing
"The combined talents of Jane Stockdale, Chris Bartram and Sarah Dean are truly incredible, this is music that is good for the heart and the soul, a tonic we all need these days - wonderful stuff!"
Alan Hewitt ~ The Musician's Corner
"I had the pleasure of organising a couple of tours with Hothouse Flowers front man Liam Ó Maonlaí. He more or less insisted that White Sail be his support and backing band. Says it all really!"
Jonti Willis ~ Broadcaster & Promoter
Biography
Sarah, Jane & Chris, photo by Richard Nagy
are Jane Stockdale, Chris Bartram & Sarah Dean.
With a glorious melding of harmony vocals & guitars, White Sail are blessed to have three strong songwriters and lead singers, creating an identity that is uniquely identifiable by sublime vocals, great musicianship and song craft. All three are multi-instrumentalists adding mandolin, Celtic harp, Appalachian dulcimer, schruti box, trumpet, flute, woodwind, percussion & hand drums into the mix. The trio perform their own material at gigs and festivals, in the UK and abroad. Taking their inspiration from nature, history & heritage, they write about love, life, the land and the sea. The stories are told with passion and sublime musicality. The songs are set against soundscapes that are joyous, driving and vibrant and at times, gentle and mesmeric. They also weave their unique magic on the contemporary & traditional.
August of 2021 saw the band release their second EP 'THIS GREAT OCEAN' to great acclaim...causing one reviewer to write..."the combined talents of Jane Stockdale, Chris Bartram & Sarah Dean are truly incredible, this is music that is good for the heart and the soul, a tonic we all need these days - wonderful stuff!"
Sell out tours in 2021 and 2022 supporting and collaborating with the legendary Hothouse Flowers front man Liam Ó Maonlaí have seen the band grow from strength to strength. This is a band on the rise, building and receiving well deserved praise from audiences and fellow musicians alike.
'THIS GREAT OCEAN' and the first EP 'To The Blue' and Single 'WinterTide' are available on CD and Download. Please see the Shop for more details.
Jane Stockdale
(Vocals, guitar, mandolin, schruti box, low 'D' whistle, drums & percussion)
Jane has sung and played with many different musicians and enjoys sharing her music at festivals and gigs across the country. She is inspired to write by landscapes, seascapes, the history of the land and its people from the earliest times. From songs about stone circles to droving roads to shingle strands, the songs capture these timeless stories.
Chris Bartram
(Vocals, guitar, mandolin, trumpet, woodwind, melodica, drums & percussion)
Chris has been making music in the North for many years, and in many different ways! As well as being a member of various local York bands - playing soul, funk, ska and world rhythms - he taught music at York St. John University. He also continues to work as a community musician. He directed Accessible Arts & Media's Hand & Voices, a singing and signing choir of adults with learning and communication disabilities, and currently leads Communitas, a part of Converge's programme of users of mental health services. He loves working with long-time friends Jane and Sarah in White Sail: it's a wonderful place to develop his songs inspired by nature, love and life, and to create something unique and special with talented musicians.
Sarah Dean
(Vocals, Celtic harp, Appalachian dulcimer, schruti box, flute, woodwind, drums & percussion)
Sarah has many different musical 'hats' and is extremely blessed to able to work with so many great musicians. One of her favourite hats is her creative involvement with good friends Jane and Chris. With a shared love of creating atmospheric soundscapes and a love of writing about the same passions they compliment each others qualities beautifully. When not making glorious music with White Sail, Sarah also busies herself with her successful solo career, and in the last two years has seen her crossing over from the folk scene into the classic rock scene with performances at The Cambridge Rock Festival and The Classic Rock Awards Ceremony! Her long term involvement with Judith Simpson & Paula Ryan in her a cappella trio Soundsphere continues to develop and grow, with the 8th studio album being released in June 2023. She has in the past recorded and toured as part of the The Heather Findlay Trio/Band which sees her singing backing vocals and playing harp, keys, woodwind & percussion. Last but not least for the last six years Sarah has been a guest musician recording and touring with classic rock band Panic Room's acoustic offshoot Luna Rossa with Anne-Marie Helder and Jon Edwards.
www.soundsphere.co.uk www.lunarossa.co www.panicroom.org.uk
Contact White Sail info@whitesailband.com
White Sail logo © design by Richard Nagy, set against the painting 'Brights 2', original oil on board by Rosie Dean