Nigel Eaton is a British multi-instrumentalist and composer best known for playing the hurdy-gurdy. Born in Lyndhurst, Eaton played the piano and cello before switching to the hurdy-gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began manufacturing them. Eaton has been described as the "foremost hurdy-gurdy player in popular music in North America and Europe".
Career Eaton has performed as a member of a number of different bands, including Whirling Pope Joan (with Julie Murphy), Blowzabella, Ancient Beatbox, The Duellists, and Firestarters of Leiden. He has released five solo albums, The Music of the Hurdy-Gurdy (1987), Pandemonium (2002), Fezziwig (2024), Lymington Fair (2025), and Fête Trompêttre (2025), as well as the collaborative album Panic at the Café (1993) with Andy Cutting.
As a session musician, Eaton has contributed to the film scores for Robin Hood, The Shipping News, Kingdom of Heaven, Aliens, Mansfield Park, Tulip Fever, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, The House of Guinness, and Carl Davis's 1980 score for the 1927 silent film Napoléon. Eaton wrote "The Halsway Schottische", a tune which later became "The Halsway Carol" (with lyrics by friend and collaborator Iain Frisk) and has seen hundreds of versions performed. He has performed Howard Skempton's Concerto for Hurdy-gurdy and Percussion (written for himself and Evelyn Glennie) with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta.
Eaton has collaborated and recorded with a wide range of other artists including Afro Celt Sound System, Loreena McKennitt, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Scott Walker, Shelleyan Orphan, New London Consort, Heidi Berry, Gary Kemp, Bombay Bicycle Club, Blue Aeroplanes, Martin Simpson, The Palladian Ensemble, Moya Brennan, Robert Plant, Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Silly Sisters, The Tavener Consort, Jake Walton, and Hamish Moore.
In addition to his work in music and film, Eaton is a designer and maker of built-in furniture in South London.
Discography Solo albums The Music of the Hurdy-Gurdy (1987) Pandemonium (2002) Fezziwig (2024) Lymington Fair (2025) Fête Trompêttre (2025) Collaborative albums
Panic at the Café (with Andy Cutting) (1993)
With Blowzabella Wall of Sound (1986) The B to A of Blowzabella (1986) Pingha Frenzy (1987) A Richer Dust (1988) Vanilla (1990) With Ancient Beatbox Ancient Beatbox (1989) With Whirling Pope Joan Spin (1994) With The Duellists English Hurdy-Gurdy Music (1997)
Recording credits YearAlbumArtistCredit(s)1987Mother Fist and Her Five DaughtersMarc Almond & the Willing SinnersHurdy-gurdy, percussion1987Spitting Out MiraclesThe Blue AeroplanesHurdy-gurdy1987No More to the DanceSilly SistersHurdy-gurdy1991HumrootShelleyan OrphanHurdy-gurdy1993Fate of NationsRobert PlantHurdy-gurdy on "Come Into My Life" and "I Believe"1994The Mask and MirrorLoreena McKennittHurdy-gurdy1994No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant UnleddedJimmy Page & Robert PlantHurdy-gurdy1997Big City SecretsJoseph ArthurHurdy-gurdy1997Les Saisons AmusantesThe Palladian EnsembleHurdy-gurdy1997The Book of SecretsLoreena McKennittHurdy-gurdy, lira da braccio, rebec1998Green ElectricDavid RiceHurdy-gurdy1999Magic & MayhemAfro Celt Sound SystemHurdy-gurdy1999Volume 2: ReleaseAfro Celt Sound SystemHurdy-gurdy on "Release" and "Release It"2000OVOPeter GabrielHurdy-gurdy2001Volume 3: Further In TimeAfro Celt Sound SystemHurdy-gurdy on "North" and "Life Begins Again"2003Two HorizonsMoya BrennanHurdy-gurdy2005Volume 5: AnatomicAfro Celt Sound SystemHurdy-gurdy2006An Ancient MuseLoreena McKennittHurdy-gurdy2007Nights from the AlhambraLoreena McKennittHurdy-gurdy2007The Imagined VillageThe Imagined VillageHurdy-gurdy2009True StoriesMartin SimpsonHurdy-gurdy2011MànranMànranComposer2018Lost SoulsLoreena McKennittHurdy-gurdy
References
External links Nigel Eaton at Bandcamp