The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #114401 Message #2451855
Posted By: Big Al Whittle
27-Sep-08 - 08:06 PM
Thread Name: K Kendrick, Derbyshire Evening, Holloway
Subject: RE: K Kendrick, Derbyshire Evening, Holloway
An absolutely superb evening's entertainment by three very talented musicians and singers.
It was wonderful to hear folksongs and monologues connected with places like Stoney Middleton, Horsely Woodhouse, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Ashover, Winster, Swadlincote, Tideswell and Sinfin Moor. Places we locals rush around every day
The three performers were Keith Kendrick, Sylvia Needham and Ian Carter. they were all fine singers and monologuists(is that a word?) and pretty nifty insrumentalists. Playing guitar; anglo, English and duet concertianas and a Yamaha synth.
The whole evening was interlaced with humour and reminisences of legends of the Derby folkscene like Roger Watson, Doug Porter, Mick Scollins and John Tams. Also there was audience participation, a ten foot puppet, and some Derbyshire clog dancing from Sylvia.
Keith's guiitar was a beautiful dreadnought instrument made by Hulland Ward's Alan Marshall - it has Derby Ram's heads inlaid in pearloid all down the neck. Worth the ticket price , just to see that piece of fancy lutherie!
The ice was broken with two Winster Morris tunes. Then we had The Dery Ram and Hey Up Me Duck! A song i didn't recognise but Keith said from the stage that it has similar themes to Where Do You Go to My Lovely, but set in Derbyshire in the 1930's. An acapella version of a folk tale about how Chesterfield's crooked spire got in that shape. We also met truculent Derbyshire klepto Ernie Dunn in a monologue, ans Sam Taylor - the tallest bloke from Ilkeston. Plus a version of Three Ravens with derbyshire connectons.
The second half was full of similar high quality gems - a John Tams song in the 'I call on you' tradition, Our Mary's Bonnet, Tip O'Derwent, Saw Y'eads, The Great Derby Foot Race, Charlie Sparrow's Marrow, and a Derbyshire/South Yorkshire pub carol.
I'm sure I will have made some mistakes in writing this up . I will PM DerbyRam and get him to alter the bits I have got wrong. And I didn't get the name of the gentleman Keith did a duetted monologue with.
I can say that I can thoroughly recommend this act. I would personally have liked a little PA system as the concertinas somtimes overpowered the by no means quiet vocals. Otherwise pretty bloody good!