Ilow Splann
Biography
Ilow Splann is a musical duo based in Cornwall featuring Maggie Willmott and Carlton Crouch. The duo initially formed to play Cornish dance music, hence the Cornish name "Ilow Splann" (Cornish for "Music Splendid"").
Whilst the duo continues to play Cornish music Ilow Splann's repetoire has expanded to include Medieval music, Elizabethan dances and Baroque pieces that reflect Maggie and Carlton's musical interests.
Maggie Willmott is a very experienced music teacher and performer based in South East Cornwall. Maggie's main instrument is the violin which she plays with the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra.
Playing music with Ilow Splann has opened up some new avenues for musical expression and creativity. Cornish folk music is one such avenue where Maggie finds scope for her violin, recorder and bodhran playing and also scope for collaborative arranging with Carlton.
Ilow Splann's early music repetoire alows Maggie to return to some of her student musical interests, whilst Baroque and Elizabethan pieces give Maggie an opportunity to exercise her keyboard skills.
Maggie Willmott
Maggie is an enthusiastic baker and has baked some very tasty cakes from tradtional recipes as a very welcome addition to Ilow Splann's early music performances at Stuart House and Mary Newman's Cottage.
Carlton Crouch plays a variety of instruments and has played a variety of musical styles: from fronting a jazz quartet on tenor sax, through experimental electronic music as the "Unreal Dr. McCoy", onto soft rock/punk rock/new wave pop bands and through to Cornish and early music with Ilow Splann.
Carlton has written a large amount of music including music for Hamlet (Sterts 2012) and music for "Squalor" (Liskeard street theatre). In 2012 Carlton represented Cornish music throughout the Sailing Olympics in Weymouth.
Having played Cornish folk music for a number of years with Scoot Liskerrys (Liskeard based dance and music group) Carlton was asked to play in "Kesson", which was the official band for Cornwall at the 2016 Lorient Interceltique Festival and Ilow Splann went to Lorient in 2019.
Carlton has sung with several choirs: "Con Brio" (community choir), St. Martin's Church Choir and the East Cornwall Bach Choir.
Carlton Crouch
