Malarchy rip the wedding band rulebook to shreds, bringing Klezmer, Romani, Balkan, and Jazz styles to a never-ending celebration. This passionate, intricate, fast, and extremely danceable world quintet tear through the musical traditions of Europe as if it were the last night on Earth. Welcome to the party !

Malarchy are Nell Farrally (Violin), Cris Pierssené (Guitar), Russ Oroonie (Percussion), Jo Levine (Accordion) & Jane Harwood (Bass).

Formed in 2000, Malarchy have become known as one of the South West's top European roots acts. Recent live performances include Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts, BBC Music Live, Bath International Festival, the Royal Festival Hall, Jewish Film Festival, Venn Festival, Frome Festival, Shambala Festival and Cardiff Harbour Days.

Malarchy are an ideal act for concerts, auditoria, circus & cabaret, arts centres, opening nights, residencies, waterways, festivals, clubs, streets, recording sessions, and celebrations of every kind. Available for workshops. We can arrange suitable DJs and PA Hire.

Nell Farrally

Nell studied viola and piano at the University of Huddersfield, and completed a Bachelor of Music Degree in 1995, before making the switch to violin. Following her degree she studied Early Music, traditional music from the British Isles, and began an exploration of Klezmer music which has continued to this day.  Nell has studied and played with various internationally renowned Klezmorim including Deborah Strauss, Michael Alpert and Julian Rowlands, and also incorporates elements of Gypsy and Hungarian violin styles into her playing. She also plays accordion and recorder, and works as an arts administrator and project manager.

Cris Pierssené

Cris has been working within the oral traditions of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia for many years. His playing in Malarchy has been hugely influenced by following the threads of Asian musical traditions in Europe, which has led to an interest in centuries old Romani musical traditions, as well as an interest in the new jazz tradition of the Sinti and Manouche of Germany and France. Cris is a member of bhangra fusion band RSVP, who mix traditional Punjabi folk with Indian pop and contemporary styles, and also writes and produces as Oval Racer Sound System. He plays mandolin, mandola, oud, tenor banjo and percussion, is a photographic artist, DJ, and instrument repairer.

Russ Oroonie

Russ' interest in the acoustic traditions of Eastern Europe stems from a tour of Hungary, during which the music of Transylvania made a nest in him from which it has never flown. With Malarchy he uses the darabouka, a metal drum played with the fingertips, which originated in Turkey but has spread throughout the Balkans and the Middle East, due to both its versatility and the liveliness of it's sound. He also plays the double-sided Hungarian dob, great fun - and it works standing up! Cris' rhythmic style leaves him free to improvise counter rhythms within the music - a real treat for a percussionist.  Away from Malarchy, Russ plays guitar in Gringo Ska,  violin in Facing The Ocean, as well as swerving in the Swervy World.

Jo Levine

Whilst studying piano and composition at Bath Spa University College, Jo began to draw together various threads from Bartok, Bulgarian vocal music and a passion for Klezmer, finally weaving them together when she was loaned an old Hohner accordion. She has studied with some of the UK's finest exponents of the instrument, and is now happily playing a Vignoni 72-Bass. Her performance background includes: incidental music for the Terezin children's opera "Brundibar", appearances with Show of Strength Theatre Company, Upshasa, Kataklezmik, and EastPole Orchestra. She has also recorded with Invisible Pair of Hands, and played at many festivals.

Jane Harwood

As well as playing bass in Malarchy, Jane, a talented multi-instrumentalist, also plays guitar, flute, whistle, and harp, and has a wealth of musical experiences to draw on for inspiration. She points to an unlikely combination of claustrophobic folk clubs, and a taste for noisy jazz-funk as formative influences, to which she added Reggae, Punk, and a touch of the exotic and oriental. Since then she has played with the not-forgotten 1980's band the Oroonies, the tantalising combination of beats and tunes that was the Cheapsuit Oroonies, as well as the Klezmer band Ziganova, Mary Hail and the Willing Sinners, and 'Til the Fat Lady Sings. She also plays flute for Gringo Ska, and guitar for Facing the Ocean.