Home ●
Quotes ●
Biography ●
Line-ups ●
Gigs ●
CDs ●
Gallery ●
Samples ●
Alexander Tech ●
Posters ●
Visitors Book ●
Contact ●
Links ●

"Magnificent playing and singing. The crowd were ecstatic"
Warwick Festival

"Absolutely stole the show"
Gower Festival

“He was my biggest influence. He showed me all the tricks – bowing, decoration, playing drones… Things you have to see and can’t just learn from books.”
Seth Lakeman

"Virtuoso musicianship with fantastic singing - an audience wild with joy"
Sidmouth Festival

Tom McConville's band is now one of the top acts in the country. Their virtuosity and great stage performances will become legendary on the scene"
Graham Bradshaw

"Tom is a brilliant fiddler and great singer;
a wonderful ambassador of the James Hill musical tradition " 
Aly Bain

"When my schoolmates had boy bands on their Walkmans,
I was listening to Tom McConville"
Kate Rusby

Tom is a great player, and a terrific singer, he also happens to be a number one bloke too. When I was poorly Tom would always make time to visit whenever he was playing anywhere remotely near to where I live. I think Tom plays as Tom is,  with honesty and passion, and an obvious love for the fiddle and traditional music. Long may you keep on bowing, Tom.
Love, Swarb
Dave Swarbrick

"Album of the Year 1991" - Listener's Poll"
BBC Great Northern Folk

"I so admire Tom McConville's music. He has given 30 years of dedication and passion to the folk scene and everybody loves him!" 
Vin Garbutt

"Tom is an affable Geordie with a fiddle style which, while deriving from the Northumbrian and Irish traditions, is undoubtedly his own... It is bright and rhythmic in the dance tunes and lends expressive, often melancholic accompaniment to his songs..."
The Folk Magazine

Not only is T.M. a fabulous fiddler and a great singer, he can defy gravity by performing them at the same time, whilst exuding oodles of winsome charm.
Steve Tilston

Over the years, and with various other musicians, Tom has been giving consistently great performances. There are few who can match his technique, and especially his tone, on the violin. Now Tom is performing more songs in his set, and showing not only how he can pick a good song, but how he can interpret a song and deliver it to an audience in such a way that he makes it his own. Experience always comes through in a good performer, and such is the case with Tom; he has done his time “on the road”, and as a result the audience are always guaranteed a great night’s music.
Allan Taylor

"Tom's singing of 'How Can My Poor Heart', a Robert Burns song set to Tom's own tune, is so achingly beautiful it takes your breath away..."
 TAPLAS

"Tom is a virtuoso fiddle player and song master of National and International fame. He never fails to enthral his audiences with his huge repertoire of traditional and more contemporary songs and tunes"
The Cross Keys

"One of the finest fiddle players in the British Isles and an excellent singer. His repertoire is firmly rooted in the music of the north-east but with strong Scottish and Irish influences. However his delivery is unique. His technical ability, distinctive style and dry Geordie humour have made him one of the most popular figures on the folk scene."
The Wilbur Concerts

"The album works like a dream in spite, or maybe because of, its sheer diversity... It snakes its way through traditional and contemporary material, with virtually every track a high point. A record of great charm and persuasion, and no little depth. Lovely stuff. Particular mention must be made of two tracks, The Homes of Donegal, which all but eclipses Paul Brady's reading of the song, and the title track, written by Tim Wood about the Sharpeville Six and one of the strongest political songs of our time..."
Hot Press

"Highlight of the festival"
Orkney Festival

Wherever they play there is always that brand of magic - and standing ovations at the end of every performance. Pure genius"
John Leonard - Smooth Operations

"This band is quite simply the top of the tree"
Mike Harding

"A magical sound.....totally captivating"
 Folkwrite

"Absolutely stunning performance"
Broadstairs Festival

" He is not only a fantastic fiddle player
but one hell of a singer" 
Phil Cunningham

"I hold Tom McConville in the highest esteem
and he is, in the tradition of fine musicians to
come from Newcastle - a rare talent" 
Barbara Dickson

" I love to listen to Tom's version of songs,
a totally unique style "
Dave Burland

"It'll come to nowt!"
Tom's Dad - 1969

"He's not a musician. He's a chemist!"
Tom's Mam - 1972

"His dad was right, Tom hasn't done much as a chemist. As a fiddle player and top lad, though, he's up with the best of them"
Bernard Wrigley - 2006

"A great musician with a lovely flowing style, beautiful tone and faultless technique and is regarded by many as one of the finest fiddle players in the British Isles".
The Folk Song Society of Greater Boston

"When Tom McConville takes a traditional tune or song, he really works on it. With either  fiddle or voice (or indeed both at the same time), he explores all the possibilities of pace, decoration, and expression, and whilst the product has the unmistakeable McConville sound, it’s always true to the tradition. What he has is the knack of knowing when to go wild with a tune and when to keep it tight, a fine judgement which only comes with experience and deep feeling for the music. He brings these skills to a wide range of material, from the 19^th Century James Hill to the 21^st century Richard Thompson. There’s lots of  talk at the moment about the younger generation taking over from the oldies. Well, let me tell you that Tom McConville is as fresh and as alive with new ideas as when he started, and never afraid to explore new combinations of sounds with other musicians. His latest CD, with Aaron and Claire, hits a new dimension in the interpretation of traditional music, and a technical excellence of the very highest quality."
Pete Wood

"The CD is so attractive a listen that you don't quite realise you're missing the visual dimension, since you can virtually hear Tom's wide grin and chuckling repartee. If you appreciate joyous and scintillating playing presented in a sympathetically accomplished blend of subtlety and energy, then look no further."
David Kidman

"Tom McConville has long been acknowledged as one of the leading fiddlers of the British Isles, combining stunning technique with warm tone and great expressiveness. That Tom is also a fine singer is underlined by the four vocal tracks, all excellently sung, with the standout for me being the sensitive reading of Richard Thompson's Beeswing".
Folk on Tap

I've always thought Tom is as good a fiddle player and singer as you're ever likely to find. It's not only as a musician that I admire him, but also as a good pal who I've been lucky enough to know for thirty years or so;  we both went to different schools together....If  you get the chance let him enchant you with his music and charm you with his warm personality, don't miss it. You'll have an evening to remember for a long time.
Tom Hoy Natural Acoustic Band and Magna Carta

“There are many fine fiddle players but every now and then you hear a player with such humanity and finesse it shines like a beacon in the tradition.  Such a player is Tom McConville.
Geoff Hughes