Spirogyra, a British folk rock/prog band, was formed in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1967 by Martin Cockerham and Mark Francis. The original duo disbanded when Cockerham left to attend university. In December 1969, Cockerham reformed Spirogyra with Barbara Gaskin on vocals, Steve Borrill on bass guitar, and Julian Cusack on violin. Their debut album, St Radigunds, was released in 1971 and received positive reviews. Subsequent albums included Old Boot Wine (1972) and Bells, Boots and Shambles (1973), the latter of which is regarded as a lost masterpiece. The band disbanded in 1974 after a final tour. A later incarnation formed in the early 2000s, releasing further studio albums including Children's Earth (2009) and Spirogyra 5 (2011). Martin Cockerham's death in 2018 marked the end of Spirogyra.
