John Kirkpatrick’s “Carolling & Crumpets” is an excellent antidote to the perpetual Wizzard and Slade drummed into shoppers ears this time of year. There are no airs, no graces, just a man and his instrument, a few stories and a set of good songs …
Taking its title from John’s unforgettable song telling the Nativity story from the point of view of the animals in the stable, this show is a heart-warming look at the timeless rituals found in the folklore and folk music of England at Midwinter. John peels away the commercial gloss of modern Christmas to reveal the powerful pagan urges that race through us all at this time of year, and the life and death struggle that is symbolised in so many traditional songs and customs.
And if that all sounds just a little too intense, then rest assured that the mysterious and murky goings-on in these magical songs of wassailing, wren-hunting, stirring the fire, and incessant feasting, all come dressed up in a glittering finery of toe-tapping tunes and cracking choruses. Add to the mixture a light-hearted smattering of hilarious original songs, a sprinkling of carols both familiar and unfamiliar, all stirred up with John’s usual panache and energy, and supported by his scintillating skill on a variety of squeeze-boxes, and you have an unbeatable recipe for having a rattling good sing, guaranteed to keep the spirits cheery and the cold at bay.
It will be yet another night not to be missed at Watford Folk Club!!
Recommended donation – £15
John Kirkpatrick has been dancing, singing, and playing his way around the English folk scene since he joined Hammersmith Morris Men in 1959 at the age of twelve. Displaying a rare skill on a variety of push-pull squeezeboxes – the melodeon, the button accordion, and the Anglo concertina – he has been fully professional since 1970, not only with vast amounts of solo appearances, but also in all kinds of duos, trios, and bands – including spells in Steeleye Span, The Albion Band, Trans Europe Diatonique, in a long term duo with Roy Bailey, Band of Hope, lengthy stints with Richard Thompson’s Band, The Sultans of Squeeze, Brass Monkey, and Home Service. In the mid-1990s he led his own John Kirkpatrick Band.
He is still an unrelentingly enthusiastic Morris dancer and started one of England’s most influential teams – The Shropshire Bedlams. And he still finds time to play for dancing, currently in a band with all his four sons – Kirkophany.
Out in the wide world John has contributed music, song, and dance to a great number of plays in the theatre, and to a lesser extent radio, television, and film. As a virtuoso session player his squeezeboxes can be heard on hundreds of recordings, and as a creator of new work in all these fields he has established an enviable reputation.
But on his own live gigs you’re more likely to see him in his natural habitat pursuing his first love – traditional English music and song. John fills the room with an irresistibly joyful noise, topping his sparkling squeezebox playing with lusty vocals, all presented with lashings of wit and humour.
- In 2002 – Made an honorary lifetime member of the International Concertina Association.
- In 2003 – Awarded the Gold Badge of the English Folk Dance & Song Society for his outstanding contribution to English Folk Music.
- In 2010 – Named Musician of the Year in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
- In 2016 – Made an honorary lifetime member of The Southwest Shropshire Historical and Archaeological Society.
- In 2021 – Appointed MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.
