Nigel Eaton is a British musician specialising in playing the hurdy-gurdy. He originally played the cello but switched to the hurdy-gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began making them. He was a member of Whirling Pope Joan with Julie Murphy, also Blowzabella, and Ancient Beatbox, The Duellists and Firestarters of Leiden which had to stop performing because of Brexit. He has released two solo albums, The Music of the Hurdy-Gurdy (1987) and Pandemonium (2002), and has been featured on recordings by other artists including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (with whom he toured between end of 1994 and early 1996), Scott Walker, Shelleyan Orphan, Heidi Berry, Gary Kemp, Bombay Bicycle Club, Carl Davis (performing Davis' 1980 score to Abel Gance's 1927 silent film Napoleon), Blue Aeroplanes, Martin Simpson, The Palladian Ensemble, Moya Brennan, Robert Plant, (Fate of Nations), Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Silly Sisters, The Tavener Consort, Hamish Moore, Afro Celt Sound System's "Release" (a current Edexcel Music GCSE curriculum piece), and many works by Loreena McKennitt. Eaton had a Hurdy Gurdy concerto written for him by Howard Skempton, which he performed with Evelyn Glennie, and has performed with The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and The Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Eaton's film work as a session musician has included Robin Hood, The Shipping News, Kingdom of Heaven, Aliens, Mansfield Park, and Tulip Fever.
As of 1999, in addition to his film work and background acting work, Eaton has been a maker of built-in furniture in South London.
Nigel's tune "The Halsway Carol" (lyrics by Iain Frisk) and "Halsway Schottische" have attracted many cover versions on YouTube.