Saul Rose is a British melodeon player and folk musician, born in 1973. He starts playing melodeon at the age of 11 after breaking his leg, with his father teaching him his first tunes. He learns in and around his parents’ morris side, and also from musicians including Steve Howe, John Kirkpatrick, Tony Hall, Andy Cutting, Martin Ellison and Dan Quinn. He later enters the Young Tradition Award in 1991, which gives him wider exposure.

Early work and ceilidh bands

After the Young Tradition Award, he joins the ceilidh band Phungus as cover for the main melodeon player, Paul Nye, and remains with the group. He also forms Random, a band described as blending his playing with five musicians from his parents’ generation, and which becomes a regular festival ceilidh act. Another early collaboration is E2, for which Simon Care asks him to cover a two-week European tour.

Waterson:Carthy and related projects

In 1994, after playing a support slot at the Pumphouse folk club in Watford, he meets Eliza Carthy and is invited to join the planned band The Kings of Calicutt, created with Nancy Kerr. That group goes through several line-ups as it grows. He is also asked to join Waterson:Carthy, and both projects tour widely and record for Topic Records.

He later forms a duo with Eliza Carthy, which tours in a range of places and is later reformed after a long break. Through The Kings of Calicutt, he also meets Dan Plews and forms Dansaul, a festival concert band that releases one album and continues in a later line-up with Dan Plews, Guy Fletcher and Mark Woolley.

Faustus and other collaborations

Through the same circle of musicians, he also works with Maclaine Colston in a duo that is later revived. He is a member of Faustus alongside Paul Sartin and Benji Kirkpatrick, joining them to continue the concert-stage approach associated with the late Dr Faustus. His listed associated acts also include Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, Eliza Carthy Trio, and James Delarre & Saul Rose.