Sally Oldfield

Sally Oldfield (born in August 1947^[1] in Dublin, Ireland) is a folk singer and the sister of composers Mike Oldfield and Terry Oldfield.

Early life

Oldfield and her siblings were raised in the Roman Catholic faith of their mother, Maureen. After spending her childhood partly in Dublin and partly in Reading, Berkshire, Oldfield joined the Royal Academy of Dancing at the age of twelve to study ballet dancing. However, she quit dancing only four years later.

Musical career

Oldfield's musical career started in 1968 when she founded the folk duo The Sallyangie together with brother Mike. The group recorded their first and only album at the recommendation of Pentangle guitarist, John Renbourn. The sound of the album, Children of the Sun recorded in 1969, was a fairy-tale blend of English folk and pop, with Sally's vocals taking center-stage. Guesting with The Sallyangie on their first recording were Terry Cox, noted drummer/percussionist of Pentangle, as well as flautist/alto saxist Ray Warleigh, who also played with Allan Holdsworth, Nick Drake and many others. Sally and Mike split up in the autumn of the same year after a tour, and Sally and Mike went their own ways for a short time.

Oldfield's first solo album release was Water Bearer, released in 1978. Her track entitled "Mirrors" scored a chart hit at this time. Since then, she has continued to release solo albums, as well as appearing on several albums of her siblings Mike and Terry. She was one of the singers performing the girlie chorus in a couple of sections on Tubular Bells, in the climax on side one and just before the Scottish tune on side two. Oldfield also reprised her role for the 2003 re-recording, Tubular Bells 2003.

In the late 1970s Sally, and her brothers Mike and Terry all completed the Exegesis Programme Large Group Awareness Training course.

Discography

• Water Bearer (1978)
• Easy (1979)
• Celebration (1980)
• Playing in the Flame (1981)
• In Concert (1982)
• Strange Day in Berlin (1983)
• Femme (1987)
• Instincts (1988)
• Night Riding (1990)
• Natasha (1990)
• The Flame (1992)
• Three Rings (1994)
• Secret Songs (1996)
• Flaming Star (2001)

References