CELTIC TWIST
In October 2010 Phil Holland and Dave Palmley formed Celtic Twist, performing their first concert together in an old church in northern Italy. Together they perform, compose, arrange and record music. They have produced several albums: The Visit, Twist in the Tale, The West Coast Sessions and A Celtic Twist Christmas.
Celtic Twist is rooted in Celtic music but draws from Phil and Dave’s diversified musical backgrounds. . Their live performances offer an exciting and varied repertoire by alternating between the Guitar/Fiddle and Guitar/Celtic Harp combinations.
As recording artists they tap into their wider instrumental abilities and compositional skills to create an inimitable sound that is uniquely Celtic Twist.
Phil Holland is a classically trained musician, having studied at and graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London. She received her teaching diploma L.R.A.M in 1986 and her performance diploma P.C.R.A.M in 1987.
She worked as a freelance musician in London, playing in symphony orchestras, chamber groups and studio recordings for E.M.I and Decca, before relocating to Italy to play with the" A. Toscanini" Symphony Orchestra of the city of Parma for a number of years. From the early 90s onwards she started teaching extensively and opened her own school and youth orchestra called the" Divertimento Academy" in the cities of Crema and Cremona in Northern Italy.
Before joining forces with Dave Palmley to form the duo Celtic Twist, she pursued a solo career as a harpist/singer/songwriter during which time she produced 5 CDs: Lagan, Stories, Going Home, Faeries and Seascapes, also performing extensively throughout Italy, France and Greece.
She is of Irish and Scottish origin, rooted and educated in Celtic music and western classical music. Her music however transcends category and genre, taking inspiration from her ethnic roots, but also reflecting her eclectic background. This is particularly evident in her own compositions.
She had the honour of opening the prestigious "Lefkas Speech and Arts Festival" in 2008, performing in front of the Greek president Karolos Papoulias and in 2009, she conceived and launched the very first Sappho Festival by performing on the rock from which Sappho jumped to her death 2500 years ago.
Dave Palmley is a prolific and eclectic British singer/songwriter/guitarist. His music, is principally rooted in pop/folk/rock, but draws also from many other influences, all of which can be heard in his song writing and instrumental compositions.With a freelance career spanning 3 decades, Dave has mastered a wide variety of musical styles, forming and performing with groups all over the UK and Germany, including live performances for German television.Driven by an insatiable passion and curiosity for music and song writing, Dave has amalgamated his years of experience in the music world to create a unique, inimitable yet versatile sound. Daves guitar work (both acoustic and electric) and warm, strong, fluid vocals form the basis for many of his songs, but he also enjoys experimenting with a variety of other instruments including synths for his incidental and instrumental compositions.With Spargel Records, Dave brought out the album, Looking Closer in 1996, but prefers recording and producing all of his own material himself.