..Duncan Parsons..

Duncan Parsons

Born and raised in the South of England, Duncan can't recall a time when music didn't exert some pull on him.

A drummer first, he played in a progressive rock group in his late teens and at his local church. Arriving at University he expanded his instrumentation to include things with strings & frets, and marginally improved his keyboard skills. Around this time he also started writing music.

In 1993 an opportunity arose for a lesson with drumming legend Bill Bruford (amazing what a polite letter can do!), the outcome of which was an increased confidence to branch out into wider musical circles. Around the same time, Duncan also approached others, such as founding Genesis member Anthony Phillips who, despite all best endeavours, continually (and rather good naturedly) resisted all requests to hire him..

A chance encounter at the Greenbelt Arts festival in 1991 with obscure progger Marc Catley lead to a creative partnership of Marc, Duncan and singer Marianne Velvart. The three of them recorded three full albums together and a contributed to a variety of compilation, tribute and charity albums.
Around this time Duncan also produced a demo for Marianne which caught the ear of Rick Wakeman, who signed her to his Hope label.
The mid 90s were a busy time, working with London based folk singer Judith Silver, session work, composing and performing music for theatre, video, and multimedia presentations.

The decade or so from 1997 were fallow years, but Duncan still wrote periodically.
In 2009 a concerted effort writing new work lead to music which formed the basis for the album Abandoned Buildings.
With his love for Rock, Pop, Folk, Funk, Jazz, Electro, Minimalism and pretty much anything he can lay his hands on, Abandoned Buildings was written as a song cycle with an emotional arc telling of grace against a backdrop of falling in love and failing in love.

Since then C:Ore (2014) and Common Sense Dancing (2020) have followed, with excursions along the way with instrumental Music for Stairlifts albums, (Vol.1) (2014) and (Vol.2): (Adapting Silent Films) For The Radio (2016).

If asked to describe the music he writes, Duncan claims "it's as if the 80s never quite arrived. It's music from around Nineteen Seventy Twelve or Thirteen."

Selected Discography

2020 'Common Sense Dancing'
Double album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock
[Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, vocals, engineering, production]

2017 'We Are Not Alone'
Double album, John Hackett Band, Progressive Rock
[Drums, some keys, guitars and voices, engineering, production]

2016 'Music for Stairlifts (Volume 2): (Adaption Silent Films) For The Radio'
Mini album, Duncan Parsons, Ambient folk-minimalism
[Nylon strung and 12/6 double neck guitars, 6string fretless bass, Rhodes, voices, engineering]

2014 'A Moment Of Stars'
Album, Nick Fletcher, Classical guitar
[Final mix and mastering, Artwork]
'Music for Stairlifts (Volume 1)'
Mini album, Duncan Parsons, Ambient folk-minimalism
[Nylon strung and 12/6 double neck guitars, 6string fretless bass, Rhodes, voices, engineering]
'C:Ore'
Album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock
[Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, stylophone, musical saw, jaw harp, vocals, engineering]

2013 'The Abandoned Buildings Cinema Show'
DVD, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock
[Music (with Rachel Madriaga on Wasteland), animation, artwork]
'Overnight Snow'
Album, Nick Fletcher and John Hackett, Classical guitar and flute
[Final mix and mastering, Artwork]

2012 'Abandoned Buildings'
Album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock
Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, vocals, engineering

2011 'Psalms 1 - 10 Revisited'
Album, Pr Mano & Josiah Heflin, Contemporary Christian
[Contributed to 2 tracks, Ps7 and Ps10 (pt2) - composition, arrangement, guitars, keys]

1997 'Inhale The Colours'
Album, Sound, Ambient
[Brushed snare on track 'Indigo']

1996 'Guat-A-Gig'
Live charity album/ compilation including 1 Paley's Watch track, 'Casa Alianza Suite'
[Drums, keyboards, guitars, writing, arrangements, production]
'Char'
Compilation CD of previous tape releases 'Hot Air For Jesus' and 'No Tomorrow', with bonus track by Duncan, 'The Lobster Quadrille'
[Drums, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, voice, writing, arrangements, production]

1995 'Greenbelt '95'
Compilation including 1 Paley's Watch track and 1 Marc Catley Band track

1994 'November'
Album, Paley's Watch, Progressive Rock
[Drums, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, voice, writing, arrangements, production]
'No Tomorrow'
Album, Marc Catley and the Flaming Methodists, Christian satirical/humorous
[Drums, keyboards, guitars, voice, arrangements, production]

1993 'Hot Air For Jesus'
Album, The Marc Catley Band, Christian satirical/humorous
[Drums, mandolin, voice]
'Mannerisms'
Track 'Certainly' on tribute/charity album dedicated to the late Geoff Mann, The Marc Catley Band, Progressive Rock
[Drums]
'November'
Track on 'Audio Directory of British Progressive Rock (Part 2)', Paley's Watch, Progressive Rock
[Drums, keyboards, guitars, arrangements]

Selected Discography
2020	'Common Sense Dancing' Double album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock [Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, vocals, engineering, production]
2017	'We Are Not Alone' Double album, John Hackett Band, Progressive Rock [Drums, some keys, guitars and voices, engineering, production]
2016	'Music for Stairlifts (Volume 2): (Adaption Silent Films) For The Radio' Mini album, Duncan Parsons, Ambient folk-minimalism [Nylon strung and 12/6 double neck guitars, 6string fretless bass, Rhodes, voices, engineering]
2014	'A Moment Of Stars' Album, Nick Fletcher, Classical guitar [Final mix and mastering, Artwork] 'Music for Stairlifts (Volume 1)' Mini album, Duncan Parsons, Ambient folk-minimalism [Nylon strung and 12/6 double neck guitars, 6string fretless bass, Rhodes, voices, engineering] 'C:Ore' Album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock [Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, stylophone, musical saw, jaw harp, vocals, engineering]
2013	'The Abandoned Buildings Cinema Show' DVD, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock [Music (with Rachel Madriaga on Wasteland), animation, artwork] 'Overnight Snow' Album, Nick Fletcher and John Hackett, Classical guitar and flute [Final mix and mastering, Artwork]
2012	'Abandoned Buildings' Album, Duncan Parsons, Progressive Rock Drums & percussion, guitars & basses, keys, vocals, engineering
2011	'Psalms 1 - 10 Revisited' Album, Pr Mano & Josiah Heflin, Contemporary Christian [Contributed to 2 tracks, Ps7 and Ps10 (pt2) - composition, arrangement, guitars, keys]
1997	'Inhale The Colours' Album, Sound, Ambient [Brushed snare on track 'Indigo']
1996	'Guat-A-Gig' Live charity album/ compilation including 1 Paley's Watch track, 'Casa Alianza Suite' [Drums, keyboards, guitars, writing, arrangements, production] 'Char' Compilation CD of previous tape releases 'Hot Air For Jesus' and 'No Tomorrow', with bonus track by Duncan, 'The Lobster Quadrille' [Drums, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, voice, writing, arrangements, production]
1995	'Greenbelt '95' Compilation including 1 Paley's Watch track and 1 Marc Catley Band track
1994	'November' Album, Paley's Watch, Progressive Rock [Drums, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, voice, writing, arrangements, production] 'No Tomorrow' Album, Marc Catley and the Flaming Methodists, Christian satirical/humorous [Drums, keyboards, guitars, voice, arrangements, production]
1993	'Hot Air For Jesus' Album, The Marc Catley Band, Christian satirical/humorous [Drums, mandolin, voice] 'Mannerisms' Track 'Certainly' on tribute/charity album dedicated to the late Geoff Mann, The Marc Catley Band, Progressive Rock [Drums] 'November' Track on 'Audio Directory of British Progressive Rock (Part 2)', Paley's Watch, Progressive Rock [Drums, keyboards, guitars, arrangements]