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3rd December
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John
Kirkpatrick
(£12 / £14)
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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 South West Shropshire Historical and Archaeological Society.
In 2021 – Appointed MBE in the New Year’s
Honours list.
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All Wednesdays
without guests.
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Singers Nights.
Admission £2 for
everyone.
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Bring your instruments, poems, stories
and particularly your favourite songs and join in - or just listen or sing
the choruses.
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