Named in honour of the Grievous Angel, Mr Gram Parsons, The Parsonage is a group of around 40 Glasgow based singers which was formed at the beginning of 2006 by Janis F. Murray. They are a non-religious, mixed sex, varied of age, determinedly independent and self defining organic group. Their inspiration comes from the raw, storytelling simplicity of the folk, country and blues traditions. The Parsonage have sung backing vocals for Rod Stewart at Hampden Park, assisted in the studio for Echo and The Bunnymen's forthcoming album, played summertime festivals (on one occasion having a crowd surfer, surely a first in the world of choirs) and wintertime singing with sad songs a-plenty. The choir spent the dark nights of 2008 accumulating a repertoire of Gram Parsons and Hank Williams songs followed by presentation of their own Gram Parsons and Hank Williams tribute days. In 2009, the Parsonage is 3 years old, and they're getting ready to record our first album of Hank and Gram material. The choir's first EP, 'This Ain't No Lovey Dovey' was released December 2007 on Glasgow label OSScarr Records and is available at the OSCarr webiste http://www.optimo.co.uk
