Leith & Rob's Story
Leith Davis and husband Rob McGregor are one half of The Sybaritic String Band, a Vancouver-based quartet that hosts monthly contradances at St James Community Square, corner of 10th and Trutch in Vancouver, BC.
Leith is also a professor in the English Department and Director of the Centre for Scottish Studies at SFU. Leith also researches traditional music and is the author of Music, Postcolonialism and Gender: Irish National Identity, 1724–1874.
Rob McGregor has been playing the mandolin for over 40 years. He was a founding member of the Pacific Bluegrass and Heritage Society, the heart of bluegrass music in Vancouver in the 1980’s, and performed with several bluegrass bands including the Little Mountain Band. Rob also plays music for contradancing and previously performed in Tempus Fugit while, today, he is a member of the Sybaritic Stringband. Rob has broad interests in folk and fiddle music styles including oldtime, Irish, Scottish and Quebecois. These days, he also performs with the Little Mountain Trio and hosts a bluegrass and oldtime radio show “In the Pines” on Vancouver Cooperative Radio. Rob also plays octave mandolin and loves to accompany the fiddle playing of his wife, Leith Davis.
Leith and Rob play music from Ireland, Scotland, Quebec, New England and the Appalachian South on fiddle, voice and mandolin (piano, bass and horns with the whole band). Community participation is our goal – So please dance or play along from the comfort of your own home -then come join us at the St. James Centre contradances when live dances start up again.
Leith & Rob's Story
Leith Davis and husband Rob McGregor are one half of The Sybaritic String Band, a Vancouver-based quartet that hosts monthly contradances at St James Community Square, corner of 10th and Trutch in Vancouver, BC.
Leith is also a professor in the English Department and Director of the Centre for Scottish Studies at SFU. Leith also researches traditional music and is the author of Music, Postcolonialism and Gender: Irish National Identity, 1724–1874.
Rob McGregor has been playing the mandolin for over 40 years. He was a founding member of the Pacific Bluegrass and Heritage Society, the heart of bluegrass music in Vancouver in the 1980’s, and performed with several bluegrass bands including the Little Mountain Band. Rob also plays music for contradancing and previously performed in Tempus Fugit while, today, he is a member of the Sybaritic Stringband. Rob has broad interests in folk and fiddle music styles including oldtime, Irish, Scottish and Quebecois. These days, he also performs with the Little Mountain Trio and hosts a bluegrass and oldtime radio show “In the Pines” on Vancouver Cooperative Radio. Rob also plays octave mandolin and loves to accompany the fiddle playing of his wife, Leith Davis.
Leith and Rob play music from Ireland, Scotland, Quebec, New England and the Appalachian South on fiddle, voice and mandolin (piano, bass and horns with the whole band). Community participation is our goal – So please dance or play along from the comfort of your own home -then come join us at the St. James Centre contradances when live dances start up again.
I have been captivated, engaged and perhaps obsessed with mandolin music since I first heard the music of David Grisman back in the 1970's. The journey since then has spanned many styles of music including bluegrass, jazz, oldtime and Irish. I love to perform for concerts but also to play for contradances. These days, I am developing ideas for accompaniment on the octave mandolin both for voice and violin. —Rob McGregor