Owen Spafford, Will Allen & Ben Filmer-Sankey - Sun in the Sands

London is a multi-layered patchwork of traces from different historical periods, and in its south-eastern suburb of Blackheath there is a stunning example of how even the most unexpected places can tell a long and complex story. Sun in the Sands is the name of a roundabout in this area, taken from the sign of a pub built in 1745. Below the modern surface, lies a heritage made up of a Celtic Highway, a Roman Road, a trackway in a hunting ground belonging to Henry VII, and a busy crossing point in the Georgian era.

This spot provided the inspiration for the first album of the trio of Owen Spafford (fiddle), Will Allen (melodeon, fiddle, and viola), and Ben Filmer-Sankey (guitar and vocals). The appropriately named Sun in the Sands is, a work that, whilst starting from London, explores pieces from all across Britain and further afield.

From the first notes of opener The London March, the listener can notice the mix of confidence, minimalism, warmth and passion that oozes from the entire work. Fast-paced medleys like The Grand Hornpipe / Radstock Jigge and Bill Hall’s are side by side with more intimate tracks such as Bacca Pipes and Wapping Lasses, an element that enriches the overall listening experience.

The most remarkable track is arguably Greenwich Park / William Brown, a set that showcases the delicate touch of Spafford’s fiddle playing and, as the second tune comes in, a more organic, warm, and technical ensemble sound. The album comes to a grand close with the trio’s rendition of old classic Master Kilby, here delivered by Filmer-Sankey on a substrate that, once again, shows chamber music and minimalist influences; a song about a traveller, the perfect choice to round up a work named after an 18th century coaching inn.

Ultimately, Sun in the Sands is an album that breathes with the quiet intensity of the British countryside and the colourful bustle of its old pubs and taverns. It presents a glimpse of the country’s musical tradition in a way that feels ancient and modern at the same time, and leaves the listener suspended in a state of melodic grace long after the last notes have vanished.