The Oak and the ash

Lucie trained as a violinist and lutenist at the Royal College of Music and began her career in musical theatre, later joining BBC television as a presenter of popular children’s programmes. Her interest in early and traditional music began when she formed The City Waites, specialising in street songs and ballads of 17th century England. In between touring the world and recording more than 30 CDs, she was commissioned to present music documentaries for BBC Radio. She became Radio 3’s ‘Voice of Early Music’ presenting the popular weekly series ‘The Early Music Show’.

The urge to explore the music of her own heritage led Lucie to form what was to become Britain’s leading klezmer band The Burning Bush. Recordings and international tours followed, with sell-out concerts at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall, appearances in Polanski’s Oscar-winning movie The Pianist and Simon Schama’s History of Britain for BBC TV. Other TV appearances include The Beggar’s Opera, Mr Pepys’ Diary, Heaven and Earth Show, Dickens’ London and Early Music (all for BBC TV). Burning Bush performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, in a specially commissioned work, also broadcast on Radio 3.

Lucie has worked with the Royal National Theatre, Cultural Co-operation, Shakespeare’s Globe, Rambert Dance Co and the RSC. She is Patron of the Finchley Children’s Music Group and Ambassador for the outreach charity ‘Live Music Now’. She writes a regular column for the BBC Music Magazine and her publications include the TES award-winning Let’s Make Tudor Music (Stainer and Bell) and Broadside Ballads (Faber Music),

winner of the Music Industry Award for Best Classical Music Publication 2006.

For further information about Lucie Skeaping click here.

Audio Information
The audio tracks were recorded specially for the Sing Up programme by St Paul's Girls' School, mixed and mastered by Nic Rowley at Vandborg Studios. The backing track was created specially for the Sing Up programme by Ben Tompsett.

Copyright Information
All copyright music in the Sing Up programme is used by permission. The songwriters and/or copyright holders have been remunerated under due licensing arrangements. Find out more about copyright by visiting the UK Music and Sound Rights websites.