All about this artist
Biography:
Born c. 1948, Scotland. A leading figure on the traditional Scottish folk music scene, in addition to singing Barnes also plays dulcimer, guitar and bodhrán. Over the years, she became known chiefly through her performances with husband, Jim Barnes, who played guitar and cittern and also sang.
She and Jim also performed with the Battlefield Band and Tinkler Maidgie. With her husband, she worked as a self-named duo and also as Scotch Measure, the latter with keyboard player Andy Lavery. Also in the Battlefield Band was whistler John Gahagan who in 1978 teamed up with Jimmy McGuire and four ex-members of Tinkler Maidgie, including Sylvia and Jim, to form Glasgow-based Kentigern.
Following her husband's death on 18 May 2004, Barnes continued working at clubs and festivals in the UK and Eire, although there was a long gap in her recording career. In 2006 Barnes won a Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland award as Scots Singer Of The Year.
