XIM

Bagpipes, Bass: Paddy Shaw

Melodeon: Nick Carpenter

Flute, Bass: Kate Ross

Hurdy Gurdy, Bodhran: Frank Vickers

"In 1998, Massif Village Orchestra mastermind Paddy Shaw approached Folk Beat Norwich organiser Frank Vickers and suggested a smaller scale and new approach to performing the traditional dance music of central France. Paddy envisaged not just bagpipes and hurdy gurdy but also flute, melodeon, percussion and bass guitar being employed to grow a new sound from an old tradition. Flautist Kate Ross and melodeon player Nick Carpenter were invited to join the equation, which now amounted, apart from anything, to a formidable writing force." From XIM website sent in by Frank Vickers

"We were all involved in the Massif Village Orchestra project and the four of us would get together to work out the arrangements for the big band. We kind of figured we could be a band in our own right so took it from there. We produced and album of our tunes in 2000, but none since then. We haven't played much over the past two years. Maybe we'll get a few gigs now?" FV 14/05/2021

(Ross - ??) <>