Band of Hope

Band of Hope

Band of Hope is a folk group from the United Kingdom associated with singer Roy Bailey. One version of the name refers to a folk ensemble formed in 1992 that releases a single album and then disbands after a short run; another refers to an Oxfordshire-based folk act that remains active. The name is also used by a band around the Oxford scene.

Roy Bailey’s folk supergroup

The best-documented Band of Hope line-up is an English folk group brought together in 1992 around Roy Bailey. It is described as a folk supergroup and records one studio album, Rhythm & Reds, issued in 1994. The album’s lyrics reflect Bailey’s socialist outlook, while the music and vocals involve Martin Carthy on guitar, Dave Swarbrick on fiddle, John Kirkpatrick on squeezeboxes, and Steáfán Hannigan on pipes and percussion.

After the album, Chris Parkinson replaces John Kirkpatrick for a 1995 tour called Last Time Around. The group then disbands.

Members

The members associated with this version of Band of Hope are Roy Bailey, Martin Carthy, Steáfán Hannigan, John Kirkpatrick, and Dave Swarbrick, with Chris Parkinson later taking Kirkpatrick’s place for the tour.

Other use of the name

The name Band of Hope is also attached to a separate folk act based around Oxfordshire, described as still active and known for dark country-folk material.