ANNO     –      DEBUT TOUR

JUNE ’22

Pre-save debut single ‘Dandelion’ now, out 13th May ’22

 

GET TICKETS:

 

2nd – The Globe, NEWCASTLE

3rd – The Met, BURY

4th – More Music, MORECAMBE

7th – The Wardrobe Theatre, BRISTOL

8th – The Cornish Bank, FALMOUTH

10th – Jubilee Hall, CHAGFORD

11th – Barbican Theatre, PLYMOUTH

13th – The Grace, LONDON

 

Dominie Hooper is an artist with a voice that expresses a depth, joy and human darkness with arresting honesty. Her songs dissect identity, sexuality, mental health and survival with an ever-present sense of solidarity and optimism. With a sound that draws from English folk, classical music, alt-rock, and avant-garde pop, Hooper defies easy categorisation and pushes the boundaries of standard contemporary folk and singer-songwriter fare.

Hooper, now London-based but born and raised on Dartmoor, cut her teeth as a session musician and collaborator working with the likes of Yola, Alabaster Deplume, Band of Burns and BBC Folk Award winner Ríoghnach Connolly. Having graced stages such as Barrowlands and The Old Fruit Market at Celtic Connections, main stage Shrewsbury Folk Festival, The Union Chapel in London, and live sessions on BBC Radio 3, BBC Scotland and BBC Bristol, this debut release marks the arrival of Dominie Hooper’s long awaited and hotly anticipated solo venture.

“We arrived two days into the festival on Friday, in time to witness the angelic tones of Dominie Hooper. The seasoned collaborator and session musician has only just begun stepping out with her own material, and the breadth of her talent is immediately apparent. The original songs, performed perfectly, tread the line of other genres like dream-pop and more alternative styles of folk, whilst keeping the universal folky appeal. Even if “folk” isn’t your bag, Hooper has much to offer and could happily sit on a bill of indie bands as a pure folk bill.” – Under The Radar Magazine for FOCUS Wales 2021.

“Deliciously off the wall” – Terry O’Brien, Playpen Music Agency

“Absolutely sumptuous” – Sean Rafferty, BBC R3 (live on-air performance with Band of Burns)

“As BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2019, Rioghnach’s contributions were clearly anticipated and appreciated by the near-capacity audience, but Dominie Hooper clearly staked a claim to that title sometime in the not-too distant future. Her sure-footed version of ‘Rattlin’ Roaring’ Willie’ was a joy…while she later danced with fairy lightness over the heavy waltz arrangement of ‘My Bonnie Dearie’.” – Bristol 24/7 for Band of Burns performance at St Georges Hall, Bristol 2020

* COMING SOON *

 

Image below – with Yola, 2017. Photography by John Morgan.

 

UNDERSONG – Verity Standen – 2018/2020 – singer/physical performer

Undersong places you at the meeting point between threads of music.
Voices weave amongst you and around the space, from a whispered duet to a screaming mob.

Nine singers build a vibrant language of a cappella music and movement as they bring to life a series of brand new compositions, which move between tender and expansive.

‘A visceral and life-affirming experience… it was possible to catch the reactions of the audience at the very heart of this performance: faces of wonder, of fear and of hilarity.’ – Bristol 24/7

 

JEREMIAH – Jack Dean – 2018/2019 – cellist

A raucous new show with live music about England’s forgotten revolution.

Featuring an original score and live band, Jeremiah tells the incredible true story of the much-misunderstood Luddite rebellion.

 

BEAR AND BUTTERFLY – Theatre Hullabaloo – 2017/18 – musical director/cellist

Theatre for children and young people. Originally devised by the company in 2015, directed by Dani Parr, with script input from Phil Porter. I played Simon McCorry’s original score on cello using loop and effects pedals.

 

LUNA – Theatre Hullabaloo – 2016 – musical director/cellist/guitarist/singer

Theatre Hullabaloo is a pioneering children’s theatre company creating quality work for children and young people. For Christmas 2016 I joined the company for a run of their under-5’s show, Luna, to accompany the show with a live score on cello, guitar, loop pedal and voice. You can find a review of the 2016 run here.

 

MMM-HMMM – Verity Standen – 2013 – 2015 – singer/physical performer

I was a singer, performer and collaborator involved in the creation of Verity Standen’s critically acclaimed a capella trio show. The show toured extensively, including the Edinburgh Fringe, Battersea Arts Centre, Shoreditch Town Hall, Tobacco Factory Theatres Bristol, and a rural tour of the Outer Hebrides.

Mmm Hmmm is a playful, poignant musical journey shaped by three exceptional female voices jumping between sound worlds and lyrical styles.

Using intricate vocal techniques and rich harmony, Mmm Hmmm holds a magnifying glass up to snapshots of everyday life. One moment a fragile apology, the next a perilous trip to the First Great Western buffet car…Verity Standen’s original acapella songs evoke the awkward, heartrending and hilarious moments that characterise what it means to be human.

★★★★ WhatsOnStage:
‘A paean to the wonders of the human voice‘

★★★★ Broadway Baby:
‘Mmm Hmmm blends a cappella music, theatre and movement to create something brand new and utterly thrilling.’

 

HUG – Verity Standen – 2013 – 2015 – singer/hugger

Each audience member is blindfolded. They are then individually hugged by a singer.
Unable to visually gauge their surroundings, participants experience the performance through sound, breath and vibrations of the body as the choir of voices deliver the song.

WINNER of the Off West End TBC Award 2016.
In 2015, it was shortlisted for The Arches Brick Award and a Total Theatre Award.

★★★★★ TimeOut:
‘To feel somebody’s thorax vibrate as they tackle an elaborate countermelody feels like the most immediate, visceral experience of music as human expression possible… like an antenna to heaven.’

★★★★ Guardian:
‘Song erupts around you… it’s startling, moving and genuinely immersive.’