Nigel Eaton
Nigel Eaton is an English hurdy-gurdy player. He originally played the piano and cello but switched to the hurdy-gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began making them. He was in the bands Blowzabella, Ancient Beatbox, Whirling Pope Joan with Julie Murphy and The Duellists with Cliff Stapleton and Chris Walshaw. He released an album with the melodeon player Andy Cutting, Panic at the Cafe (1993). He has released two solo albums - The Music of the Hurdy-Gurdy (1987) and Pandemonium (2002) and has been featured on other recordings by artists including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded), Heidi Berry, Gary Kemp, Carl Davies, Blue Aeroplanes, Moya Brennan, Afro Celt Sound System's "Release" and many works by Loreena McKennitt. Eaton's film work has included Robin Hood, The Shipping News, Kingdom of Heaven, Aliens, Mansfield Park and "Tulip Fever".
Nigel Eaton is now a maker of built-in furniture in South London.
Nigel's tune "The Halsway Carol" and "Halsway Schottische" has attracted 180 versions and counting, see YouTube.
Discography
- Music of The Hurdy-Gurdy (1987)
- Spin (1994) - Whirling Pope Joan, with Julie Murphy
- No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded - Page and Plant (1994)
- English Hurdy-Gurdy Music - The Duellists (1997)
- Panic at the Cafe - with Andy Cutting (1993)
- Les Saisons Amusantes - with the Palladian Ensemble (1997)
- Volume Three : Further In Time with The Afro Celt Sound System (2001)
- Pandemonium (2002)