News

2023

Old Mother Blackbird
I am so excited and honoured that my film song ‘Old Mother Blackbird’ has been selected to be part of the amazing ‘Women Over 50 Film Festival.’ Do go and check out the amazing selection of international short films made by and/or about women over 50 that will be screened online from 9th September to 9th October. https://wofff.co.uk/

THE PATHHEAD CHOIR SONGWRITING PROJECT
‘Here We Are!’
I am delighted to be working on this amazing project for the first half of 2023, working with the older members (aged 60+) of the choir I co-lead with Gina Rae. We have written 8 new songs, 5 of which have been arranged by some of the members of the Pathhead Music Collective for the choir to sing at 3 concerts at the end of June. You can read more information about this project here https://autumnvoices.co.uk/projects/the-pathhead-choir/

2022

(S)kin was announced winner of Best Documentary Short at the 8 & HalFilm Awards in June 2022 and received an honourable mention for Best Mobile Film at Fox Film Festival.

June 2022: Thrilled and delighted that my short film (S)kin has been selected to be screened at this fantastic women’s film festival in Rome. It has also been selected to move forward in the awards process at Fox International Film Festival and 8 & Halfilm Awards. How exciting!!!!!!!



2022: Delighted to be part of the Jazz Forward team, a group of established musicians/multi-instrumentalists – Marianne McGregor, Malcolm MacFarlane and Sophie Bancroft and established media journalist Fiona Mactaggart who have come together to showcase some of the diverse musical talent in Scottish Jazz. Creating and performing exciting original music this group presents a rich variety of musical combinations offering the audience an eclectic feast of entertainment. The group perform in various combinations culminating in moments of full ensemble. Full info here.

January to December 2022: Bancroft & Lyne have been selected to be part of the Scotland On Tour initiative with the Scottish Government to support new concerts across Scotland.

January to March 2022: Commissioned to write four songs for a new musical being written by Ron Coleman from Deepness Dementia Media to be toured later in 2022. Watch this space.


January 2022: Thrilled to have been awarded a bursary from Luminate Scotland to further my film-making skills including training and mentoring.

2021

Fri 5th November: Launch date of new podcast series SINGER TO SINGER: Series 1 – In Conversation With Jazz Vocalist Fionna Duncan
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN


My short film poem ‘(S)kin’ is being screened at the ‘Women Over 50 Film Festival‘ 25 Sep – 2 Oct 2021


‘A Mother’s Tale’ a personal essay written about my experiences of being the mother of an adult daughter diagnosed with the BRCA gene mutation is being included in a compilation of poems written by sufferers of the BRCA gene mutation and associated cancers called ‘Steel Petals.’ Compiled by CL Monaghan, Published by Hudson Indie Ink, Publication Date 1st Oct 2021.


SAT 1st MAY

I am very excited to be part of the world’s first Menopause Cabaret (online) at the world’s only Menopause Festival – full info here – on Saturday 1st May. I will be delivering spoken word alongside my songs.

18th March 2021

Bancroft & Lyne have received a bursary from Creative Scotland to attend Digital Jazzahead 2021

11th Jan 2021
Bancroft & Lyne Livestream concerts
After a few weeks off we will be back ‘live from our sitting room‘ from Monday 11th January 2021 @ 8pm each Monday night. You can join us each Monday at 8pm on Facebook or catch up later on YouTube or Facebook . We have exciting plans for the last Monday of each month where we will deliver more of a magazine show. Come and join us for some Monday night fun!

2020

Monday Nights is released!!!!
23rd November 2020

Getting organised for the release of ‘Monday Nights’ – Bancroft & Lyne’s new CD (10.09.2020)
Singles and press releases on their way. Watch this space!!!!!

New online Vocal Jazz Workshop and Masterclasses announced (26.08.2020)
Please check out my masterclass page
and my workshop page

Recording at Castlesound Studios (11.08.2020)
Spent 3 days at this wonderful studio with Tom Lyne recording and mixing the new Bancroft & Lyne CD. Will let you know when it is ready to release.

Launch of Patreon Page (04.05.2020)
Very excited to have launched my new patreon page (patreon.com/sophiebancroft) and the ‘About Me’ video.  https://youtu.be/YNnVvGD_E-w

Video featuring my song CALGARY BAY and my seascape photography on Youtube (08.04.2020)
https://youtu.be/B7U1uxOv5WA

Video featuring my song HOME and my photography taken on walks around Pathhead, Midlothian on Youtube (03.04.2020)
https://youtu.be/oog4Tjd2L20

Lockdown(19.03.2020)
What a strange time for our world. It’s taking a while to adjust to this new way of being, but adjusting I am. This month I was supposed to be holidaying in Bruges, Belgium and gigging in Egypt with my brothers band In Common but now I am at home, getting to grips with online teaching, gardening, writing and hanging out with my 2 year old granddaughter. Could be worse!!! Sadly I have had to postpone the wonderful Cromarty Vocal Jazz Workshop in April but we have rescheduled to November so fingers crossed we will back to a new normal by then. I am seeing some beautiful human spirit coming out in my village at the moment, and because many of us that live here are musicians, it is busier than usual with all our travelling work cancelled. Lovely seeing my musician neighbours and dear friends over the fence as we all get out in the garden to stock our newly built raised beds with vegetable seeds and cut down over-growing trees to maximise the sunlight. This is not normal but rather wonderful. I send much strength to you all during this very challenging moment in our world. xxxxxx

Being painted (7.12.19)
I am honoured to have been the subject of a painting painted by my incredible neighbour Tim Dixon. He captures his painting process on video and then puts it alongside the music created and performed by his subject which is such a fantastic idea. Here is the video which features my song Blue Room:
https://www.timpauldixon.com/painting-sophie-bancroft

I did it 🙂 (23/10/19)

I have been awarded a Masters of Arts with Distinction in Creative Writing and I am absolutely delighted.

Phew!!!!! (13/10/19)
Finally finished my Creative Writing Masters and handed in my 20,000 word dissertation at the end of September. Huge amount of work but have loved every minute of it. Am now beginning to surface and return to some sense of normality, whatever that is 🙂 Looking forward to doing some writing, performance and workshop with dear friend and colleague Sara Colman.

Writing, writing, writing! (16/01/19)
Head down this year in the final 9 months of my Creative Writing Masters – just enough time to gestate a word baby 🙂 . Loving the work and having to lay some other things to rest temporarily, however all this poetry and prose is also spurning some new songs. I look forward to being able to share them all at some point.

#findsophiesguitar (17/07/18)
A wonderful summer of gigs and workshops so far, despite Easyjet losing my beloved Gibson guitar on the way to French workshop and concert. Turned up 4 days later in LGW thankfully.

SINGLE AND VIDEO RELEASE OF BLUE ROOM (23/03/18)
Available to purchase here
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tC9f4uvlNSs

RUNNING THE 10k RACE FOR LIFE (27/02/18)     Along with my friend Emma, I am now in training to run the 10K Race For Life in May 2018. Any donations towards Cancer Research are very gratefully received here
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/sophieandemmas-race-for-life-1055

INSTRUMENTAL COVER OF ONE OF MY SONGS (14/02/18)
Check out the beautiful recording of my song Bird Of Paradise arranged and played by phenomenal pianist Louis Durra https://youtu.be/mox6QMkvX_U

SINGING RETREATS 2018 I am very excited to be leading some singing retreats at the stunning Gartmore House in the Trossach’s National Park:
Full info and booking contact is here
http://www.gartmoreestate.com/gartmore-house/activity-holidays/singing-retreat/

RECORDING Jan 2018


Tom Lyne and I are currently recording in our home studio. Looking forward to sharing the results.

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