My friend Barry Dransfield, who has died aged 79, was, with his elder brother Robin, a pioneer of the late-1960s English folk music revival movement. An accomplished fiddle player, he was also a multi-instrumentalist on guitar, cello and dulcimer.
The brothers began working as a duo in 1969, quickly establishing formidable reputations on the folk-club scene. By this time, Barry had taught himself folk fiddle – he had an unerringly sharp ear, while never having learned to read music – and, unusually, played off the chest, as opposed to on the shoulder, easier for singing while playing.
