Rex Dumbrell

 

Rex started learning to play the violin when he was 7 years old. He started folk and morris dancing in 1961 and moved on to playing for dancing two years later. By 1968 he had played at the Royal Albert Hall folk festival in London, and at international folk festivals in Holland, Denmark and Sweden.

 

Between 1972 and 1986 he formed and led two successful folk dance bands (Roaring Hornpipe and Nine Daies Wonder) and played for two morris sides (Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men & The Knots of May).

 

In 1991 he joined Continental Drift playing English and French music with Mel Stevens and Keith Macdonald.  This band became The Drift when Emma Hewett, Guy Crayford and Cliff Stapleton joined. They played at ‘French’ dance events in the UK and festivals in France and Belgium.

 

Since 2002 he has lived in Brittany. He spent 3 years perfecting Breton dance music under Yann Goas at the Rostrenen music school and was a founder member of Tro Dans. He has since formed a duo with Ann. They were resident musicians for Korollerien Bro Ponvel for some years.