Marry Waterson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Waterson in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maria Knight |
| Born | Hull,East Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocalist |
| Labels | Topic Records |
Maria Gilhooley (néeKnight), who records under the nameMarry Waterson, is a singer, songwriter and visual artist. A member of the Waterson-Knight-Carthy family musical dynasty, Waterson is described as having "thrived on communal music making while developing highly original and distinctly English performance styles of [her] own."[1]
Waterson is the daughter ofLal Waterson and George Knight and was born in the city ofHull, East Riding of Yorkshire.[2] She made her recording debut as a guest on the albumA True Hearted Girl by Lal andNorma Waterson in 1977. In 1988 she formed an occasional singing partnership with her mother Lal, aunt Norma and cousinEliza Carthy under the nameThe Waterdaughters.[3] She has since been a guest performer on numerous Watersons andWaterson–Carthy recordings and has often performed live with her family atfestivals and special performances.
On 12 May 2007, Waterson appeared with the Waterson family at a special concert at theRoyal Albert Hall entitledA Mighty River of Song, and on 25 October 2007, she appeared at theBBC Radio 2 Electric Proms concertOnce in a Blue Moon: A Tribute to Lal Waterson atCecil Sharp House in London.[4]
In 2007, Waterson replacedEliza Carthy inBlue Murder, and made her concert debut with that group on 23 November at theMet Theatre inBury, Greater Manchester.
In January 2010, Waterson performed at the Sydney Opera House in a line-up of rock, punk, pop and folk musicians under the musical direction of Hal Willner as part of hisRogue's Gallery project.[5]
After signing toOne Little Indian Records,[1] in 2011 Waterson released the albumThe Days That Shaped Me, co-written with her brotherOliver Knight.[6] The album was nominated for a Radio 2 Folk Award. During that year she both recorded and toured with her brother, billed as Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight.[1] A second album by the siblings,Hidden, was released in 2012.[7]
In October 2013, Waterson curated a tour withThe Barbican bringingBright Phoebus, by Lal and Mike Waterson, to the stage for the first time. She performed with a cast which includedJarvis Cocker andRichard Hawley amongst others. Also in 2013, Waterson designed and producedTeach Me to Be a Summer's Morning, a book and CD celebrating the works of Lal Waterson, released on theFledg'ling Records imprint.
In 2015, Waterson released a third album, this time collaborating with guitarist David A. Jaycock, entitlesTwo Wolves.[8] This album, produced by Neill MacColl, featured performances byKate St John andKami Thompson, one song for which Waterson shared writing credit with her late mother Lal Waterson, and another which incorporated a recording of her late uncle Mike Waterson.[8]
One review ofThe Days That shaped Me, Waterson's first album with Oliver Knight, noted that the brother and sister "have thrived on communal music making while developing highly original and distinctly English performance styles of their own."[1] A review inThe Independent called the album's songs "unadorned, sometimes courtly, always hard to read."[6] Robin Denselow, in reviewingHidden forThe Guardian, described Waterson's singing as "no-nonsense, sometimes deadpan, but effectively varied" and stated that the album "sounds better each time you play it."[7] Later reviewingTwo Wolves for the website Freaky party, Denselow said that Waterson's "singing is plaintive and quietly powerful, and the songs are slow but varied".[8]
Waterson currently[when?] lives inRobin Hood's Bay, where she animates music videos, recently[when?] producing stage loops forMarc Almond. She has also worked as a graphic designer.[1] Previously she developed a successful practice as a sculptor, working largely insandstone. Her work has been exhibited at numerous locations inYorkshire and thenortheast of England, and she has completed several commissions.[9]
