The past twelve months have been exciting times for Three Idle Women – the trio who celebrate their shared love of our Waterways heritage, and of the Oxford Canal in particular, in their close-harmony songs. Last November, we were charmed ‘to our wooly britches’ by the ladies’ debut album, All Hands Together – and that album was just the opening salvo of a momentous year. And, now, comes news of another intriguing project from Three Idle Women…
THREE IDLE WOMEN
The Three Idle Women – Jane Rouse (vocals, concertina, bass ukulele and percussion), Charlie Henry (vocals, accordion, musical saw, ukulele and banjo) and Steph Pirrie (vocals, trumpet, piano, whistle, ukulele, harmonium and arrangements) – were forged by a shared love of the Oxford Canal. And also by a fondness for close harmony singing, folk music and stories that are carried through song. Working together since 2013, the trio share their diverse musical skills, instrumentation and an intimate knowledge of life on, and along, the Canal.
The trio’s debut album, All Hands Together, released in late 2024, was a revelation. As a keen narrowboater myself, the album resonated deeply and I was thoroughly charmed by the ladies’ musical recollections of their waterborne adventures. I was also delighted to discover that they’re brilliant live performers, too – as they demonstrated at the album’s launch concert in Ross-on-Wye in December. And, in May 2025, the story of the album’s launch featured extensively in the Channel 4 series, Narrow Escapes (you can watch an episode here).
NEW MATERIAL ON THE WAY…
More recently, Three Idle Women have been writing new material, re-arranging older songs and spreading their infectious fondness for the canal and the waterways. The trio are not merely traditional folk singers, they are interested in quirky instrumentation, rich vocal harmonies and strong stories which emerge from the heritage and history of the canal.
The Idle Women borrow their name from the women who worked the canals as part of the WW2 war effort, the waterways equivalent of the women’s land army. ‘IW’ stands for ‘Inland waterways’ and every woman who did national service was issued with a badge emblazoned with the IW logo. There are many rumours stipulating where the name ‘Idle women’ came from, but the name was given to Susan Woolfitt by her daughter once she had written her book – published under the name of Idle Women. Despite the name the women certainly weren’t idle, they worked extremely hard, lived in very close quarters and learnt a lot about boats, engines and carrying cargo.
A TOWPATH THOUGH TIME
And, now, following all the excitement of the past 12 months, Three Idle Women will take the stage at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday 11th October for an evening of music, storytelling, and community spirit. The concert, titled A Towpath Through Time, will showcase songs from their album All Hands Together alongside unreleased tracks from their forthcoming 2026 album. Joined by the Idle Choir and special guest musicians, the performance will blend rich harmonies with poignant lyrics and audio-visual storytelling to celebrate the heritage and daily rhythms of those who live, work, and create along the canal. Nestled between the Oxford Canal and the River Cherwell, the intimate venue offers a unique setting for The Idle Women’s upcoming performance.
With their growing national profile, this rare Oxford performance is homage to the landscape and the communities that surround it, is a homecoming not to be missed.
Event details:
Three Idle Women – A Towpath Through Time with the Idle Choir
October 11, 2025
📍 St Andrew’s Church, Oxford
🕖 Doors Open: 6:30pm
🎟 Tickets: www.trybooking.co.uk/ewko
Watch the Three Idle Women perform Boatie Boy – a song from their 2024 album, All Hands Together – live at Isis Lock on the Oxford Canal, below:
Three Idle Women online: Official Website / Facebook / YouTube / Bandcamp
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