The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #74458   Message #1299641
Posted By: GUEST,Gadaffi
18-Oct-04 - 08:34 AM
Thread Name: Who's songwriter John Pole?
Subject: RE: Who's John Pole?
I've performed John Pole's song 'Punch and Judy' for over 25 years. I first heard it at the Enfield Folk Festival at an agitprop workshop, then found words and melody in a 'New City Songster' booklet at CSH. The only other person I know who performs this is Tim Laycock.
I went into the 'Folk Club' tent at the Berkshire Midsummer Festival when it was last held at Spencers Wood near Reading. There were less than a dozen people there, and when I finished, the MC said to me (publicly) 'I've never heard anyone else sing that before. Would you like to meet the writer?' I recall a gentleman dressed entirely in black, complete with fedora, and medallion, in the front row. He complimented me the next day on the campsite, but insisted the chorus ought to be sung with the gutteral 'That's the way to do it' twang - I do it without, so as to avoid laryngitis!