National Folk Festival puts tribute to John on at the Budawang venue.

 

John Thompson - In Tribute. A celebration of John at The National Folk Festival, 2023. 11.30am at Budawang.

 You might think this post is a repeat of the one from December from our show at Woodford Folk Festival. And it is... except... the new show this coming Sunday is going to be a mighty celebration of John with a different lineup to Woodford, so don't miss it. 

Our beloved John Thompson was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, and died on 4 February, 2021. Creative to the last, he continued to write songs and sang almost to his last day.

At the National Folk Festival this year, we are celebrating John with a tribute concert which includes some of the remaining members and regular collaborators of John's bands Cloudstreet and The Ceilidh Clan (Nicole Murray, Emma Nixon, Rebecca Wright), his bandmates from One Step Forward (Maree Robertson and Ann Bermingham) and dear friends including Jason and Chloe Roweth, Fred Smith, Don Jarmey, Ian Dearden, Lachlan Baldwin, Andy Rigby, Chris Maltby and a special shanty crew, Belswagger Morris dancers and a few surprise international guests!

Everyone is invited to the singing workshop on Saturday at 4.20 (at Workshop) run by Nicole, where she will teach choral harmonies to John's signature song, The Green Man, so you, the audience, can be a wondrous choir at the concert.

Workshop: Singing the Green Man with Nicole: Workshop Tent, 4.20pm 8 April at the National Folk Festival. ON HIS ACTUAL BIRTHDAY! Get ready to sing out at the concert next day.

Concert: John Thompson - In Tribute: Budawang, 11.30am 9 April at the National Folk Festival, 2023.

Here you will find lyrics to The Green Man, Bill and the Bear, The Brisbane River, and Kevin (if I can find them).

The Green Man
by John Thompson

Chorus:The Green Man's a traveller, a reveller, unraveller
Of dreams and of fancies, from first to the last.
Older than all men, living in all things
Son, father and sage,
Long live the Green Man!

• First light of first morning saw the Green Man there waiting
He saw the creation and joined in the dance
All creatures grew 'round him, he grew with them singing
The first song of all, sing of the Green Man

•Quietly watching and waiting and learning
The storms are his fury, the lightning his laugh
The first leaf of spring, his beauty and glory
His stillness his power, in the trees is his path.

•There are fewer trees now, but the man is not sleeping
'Though our ruin brings sorrow to time's oldest heart
In our souls we may find him and remember his wisdom
And rekindle the flame; once again make a start.

Choir words and harmonies

The choir sings (with long syllables):
Green tree dream
Old forest father
Green Man

Nicole will teach the parts by ear at the workshops, and if you use sol-fa, the notes are here:

The Green Man Audio Practice Parts

GREEN MAN HIGH PART

GREEN MAN MIDDLE PART

GREEN MAN LOW PART

Bill and The Bear

John Thompson

Come listen now, good people here, to a story of renown,

Of the day a hundred years ago when the circus came to town

Mr Wirth and all his gallant crew, they raised the bigtop high

And all the folk for miles around gathered under a canvas sky.

And were you there in the clear night air,

when William Sinclair he fought the bear?

Were you there to see William Sinclair,

when he wrestled the bear to the ground?

There were dancing ponies and tumbling clowns, the best you ever did see,

A lion tamer and a high wire act, a girl on the flying trapeze,

There was a fat ringmaster in a big top hat, he slashed his whip through the air

With a roar and a growl, the cage went clang! It was Sampson the mighty bear.

Chorus

He was ten feet high, he was nine feet wide, a mountain of muscle and fur,

A mighty beast, as black as the coal, the ground shook with his roar.

Then the man with the whip, he called for quiet,

not sound from those who were there,

“I’ve a crisp ten pounds for any man here who’s brave enough to wrestle the bear”.

Chorus

Bill and his family had come to see the show, his youngest newly born

The strongest man to ever walk the range, he could carry his weight in corn

He sized up the beast, with a glance at his wife, he slowly raised his hand

“I’ll have a go,” he heard himself say. Then up struck the band!

Stripped to the waist, Bill entered the ring, circling and bouncing round

First left then right, till he lunged right in, the crowd didn’t make a sound.

They twisted and they turned as they wrestled and they grappled

At the skin and the muscle and the hair

With a mighty roar Bill threw Sampson down, he raised his fist in the air.

And were you there in the clear night air

When William Sinclair he beat the bear?

Were you there to see William Sinclair when he wrestled the bear to the ground?

You’ve never heard a roar quite like it, the shouts split the midnight air

Bill was raised above all the heads of the crowd to the cheers of everyone there

And to this day when you see the name of the famous Bill Sinclair

Raise your glass and drink to the health of the only man to ever beat the bear.

The Brisbane River

John Thompson

The Turrbal people saw her born (the banks of the Brisbane River)

Their memories, they still live on (the banks of the Brisbane River)

The dreaming days they may be gone

But long may the dreaming continue on

We live the dreams and sing the songs

On the banks of the Brisbane River

A storm blew Finnegan and Parsons north (to the banks of the Brisbane River)

Mr Thompson never made it ashore (the banks of the Brisbane River)

To the Illawarra they were bound

But on Moreton Island they ran aground

They laboured north until they found

The banks of the Brisbane River

Lord Brisbane sent John Oxley north (the banks of the Brisbane River)

He anchored The Mermaid just off shore (the banks of the Brisbane River)

Though they thought him long since dead

Finnegan met them at the heads

The natives had kept that convict fed

On the banks of the Brisbane River

Named for the governor of New South Wales (The banks of the Brisbane River)

1823 saw white man’s sails (by the banks of the Brisbane River)

Thousands of settlers to her were bound

She soon became young Queensland’s town

Federation heard the cheers resound

By the banks of the Brisbane River

The bridges they stretch from side to side (The banks of the Brisbane River)

The mighty Story Bridge was Brisbane’s pride (on The banks of the Brisbane River)

The shipyards they are long since gone

And the ironwood wharves have been torn down

The banks have burst through the streets of the town

The banks of the Brisbane River

She saw our rise, she’ll see our fall (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Her gentle waters will outlive us all (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Long may her gentle waters run

Past the mangrove mud and past the town

That gave us our lives and gave her a name

The banks of the Brisbane River

The mighty serpent flows to this day (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Through a great glass town she winds her way (The banks of the Brisbane River)

From Stanley’s heights in the Great Divide

Dammed at Wivenhoe then on to the tide

When the city cats purr, she’s our joy and pride

The banks of the Brisbane River

And the Easter egg at the end of the post? The words to Kevin. The names have been changed to protect Shaun. Here's a link to the brilliant Never the Twain; John with Martin Pearson, singing Kevin.

Kevin

John Thompson

Well, my mate Kevin, he smokes dope, it's true just as I stand here
He'll sit at home with his bucket bong while you go off for a beer
He grows his own, so he's self-sufficient, he's done all the numbers you see
Just a normal fella with a normal life, as nice as he could be

Well one day Kevin was sitting in his lounge room, with his music, his stash and his gear
There was a knock on the front door, a bang on the back
It's the police, open up in there!
Well they burst right into the lounge room, started pushing the lad around
From behind the couch they pulled a plastic bag and said, What's this we have found?

And Kevin said
They're not my drugs, I don't use drugs, I don't like drugs, I've never seen drugs
I wouldn't know drugs from Moreton bay bugs, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine.

Well they didn't find his honesty appealing, so they kicked Kevin in the balls
They threw the books down from the bookcase, they tore the posters off the walls
It was a dark, Orwellian rampage, to bring fear to the hearts of men
Then they sat him in a chair and they stared him down and said, we'll ask you once again

And Kevin said
They're not my drugs, I don't use drugs, I don't like drugs, I've never seen drugs
I wouldn't know drugs from Moreton Bay bugs, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine.

When Kevin just wouldn't be helpful, the coppers did as they were taught
First they took him to the station, then they marched him into court
And behind the bench sat a magistrate, with manner grim and words so grand
And he listened to the coppers as they told their tale, and then Kevin took the stand

And Kevin said
They're not my drugs, I don't use drugs, I don't like drugs, I've never seen drugs
I wouldn't know drugs from Moreton Bay bugs, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine.

Well a hush fell over the courtroom, when the evidence had all been heard
And all eyes were fixed on that magistrate as they waited for the word
But the magistrate sat there pondering, now how would justice be done?
And after careful thought and at the proper time he looked at Kevin and said
Stand up, son.

And then he said
They're not his drugs, he doesn't use drugs, he doesn't like drugs, he's never seen drugs
He wouldn't know drugs from Moreton Bay bugs. Not guilty. No conviction. No fine.

Well when Kevin left the courtroom, he was grinning from ear to ear
As he thought of the friends that were waiting at home
With more music, more stash and more gear
And as he left, he met that magistrate, who said my son, you're not alone
If you get caught then you've got a drug problem
Come back to my place, and have a cone

And remember they're
Not your drugs, you don't use drugs, you don't like drugs, you've never seen drugs
You wouldn't know drugs from Moreton Bay bugs, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine

Remember they're not my drugs, I don't use drugs, I don't like drugs, I've never seen drugs

I wouldn't know drugs from Moreton Bay bugs, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine

I'm sorry better luck next time, I thought it was a passionfruit vine

(oom chugga lugga lugga bing bang boing, I'm sorry sir but that's not mine)

Woodford Folk Festival tribute to John Thompson

Nicole has just spent six glorious days at the newly revived Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland, between Christmas and New Year, where John was fondly remembered....

I hope that it is not a surprise to you that our beloved John Thompson died in February 2021, and I apologise if this news had not yet reached you.

John requested that we organise John’s First Going-Away Party, originally in 2020. It was repeatedly thwarted by lockdowns, but I think we have managed it properly now!

The version of his going-away party that I took to Woodford was an ambitious multi-act variety concert called John Thompson ~ A Tribute. We were commemorating and celebrating John’s music, life and wit, with hundreds of people who had been unable to participate in a live event for John through all the covid lockdowns and cancellations of the past few years.

The Luna venue was full, with probably more than 600 people, and the scene was electric, even at 9am.

We opened the show with a recording of John himself, singing Never Weather-beaten Sail, a hymn which he recorded on a four-track in the ancient stone chapel on the Scottish island of Iona, waiting for the silence of night, after the generator at the pub was turned off, to sing. You can listen to that recording here.

This made us all burst into tears, but we rallied strongly to perform John’s well-known song, Bill and the Bear, sung by Donald McKay with Cloudstreet and friends, one of whom was Hamish McKay, aged 4, ably playing melodica. We were aided and abetted by Mal Webb and the Walkestra, a 30-or-so-strong people’s orchestra who added all the razzamataz and surprised the audience and our drummer by marching in from the back of the venue with great fanfare.

Maree Robertson and Ann Bermingham, who sang with John in the trio One Step Forward, graced us with two pure, unaccompanied voices in How Can I Keep From Singing?, which embodied John’s approach to life. I could hear the echo of John’s high tenor harmony in their performance.

Fred Smith first suggested to me that we should produce this commemorative show for John, and I asked him to learn John’s witty drug-bust song, Kevin. I sang John’s harmony in the chorus, and we both marvelled over our favourite line: “It was a dark Orwellian rampage, to bring fear to the hearts of men”. Fred’s drily humorous delivery was ideal for this.

Don Jarmey, who has played innumerable sessions with John in countless pubs and festivals, performed one of John’s favourite session songs with rising star Lachlan Baldwin. Alistair Hulett’s Yuppie Town was a regular high energy song for Don and John all the way back to its most apposite locale, the Story Bridge Hotel.

After years of ascending Mt Coot-tha in the dark to attend the annual Morris dancing ritual of Dance Up The Sun, John eventually dedicated his song of the same name to Belswagger Morris. In return, for this concert, Lee Knight wrote a dance for John, to his song The Brisbane River. I led the song on voice and fiddle, with the foreman of Belswagger Morris, Daniel Townley on melodeon, and Cloudstreet alumni Emma Nixon, Rebecca Wright, Donald McKay, Erin Sulman. The spectacular Belswagger Morris danced in front of the stage. 

The Spooky Men’s Chorale honoured John with their deeply moving rendition of The Parting Glass. John toured in the UK with the Spookies in 2010, and I think Stephen Taberner said the Spookies were never the same afterwards!

Three accomplished songwriters composed songs for John when he died. Ian Dearden’s is simply titled Song for John and was recorded with John’s dear friends Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer; we were able to play Eric Bogle’s Catching the Wave at John’s funeral; and Fred Smith performed The Sweet Ever After (to be released on 4 February, the anniversary of John's death), with an accompanying series of photographs, and a full band.

And all too quickly, we were at the last song. John’s iconic anthem, The Green Man has been in Cloudstreet’s repertoire almost from the very beginning, and is well-known in folk circles round the world. I wrote a choral arrangement of it for Bushtime at Woodford in 2021, and we had two workshops at the festival this year to prepare the audience to be the choir. There were many singers on stage and the angelic voices from the audience lifted this song into the realm of glory.

I would like to thank Ian Dearden, John’s friend in law and music, for his thoughtful and well-crafted narration throughout his MCing duties at this concert. Thanks also go to Bill Hauritz for his heartfelt closing words about John’s contribution to Woodford. The sound from Eddie and Lachlan was exemplary, Mel’s stage management was masterly, and I want to thank Ann Bermingham for act-wrangling, Helena Bond and Nonie Malone for stepping in at the last minute with harmonies, and all of the brilliant acts that made this concert so varied, so entertaining, and so utterly John.

Steve Williams filmed the concert and I’m hoping we will put it up on YouTube, so I’ll let you know when that is a thing. If you were there and took photos or footage, please let me know, I’d love to collect it all.

Thanks to Fiona Scott-Norman for having me on her Good Morning Woodfordia breakfast show to talk about John, the concert and the fascinating, bittersweet podcast he recorded with standup comic and palliative care nurse, Carolyn Mandersloot. The podcast is looking for funding to complete the editing (in case you have an idea...?). Fiona’s cohost that day was Costa Georgiadis, so I got to fan-girl him a little bit. The audience helped me sing The Green Man that morning and Costa actually described them as angelic.

Ian Dearden’s Song for John is available on Bandcamp, and Ian is donating all money towards the creation of a memorial for John’s grave at Toowong Cemetery.

Thanks to Chris Wright and Bob and Laurel Wilson for the photos.

What else did I do at Woodford?

After two years without the festival, it was so inspiring to be back in ‘the promised land’ (thanks Terry Jacob for that line). My festivals are usually more about participation than consumption, though I saw a few wonderful acts: learned to sing Sweetest Kick with the Spookies, proudly watched George Jackson play with mandolin virtuoso Jacob Jolliff, listened intently to Eric Bogle and marvelled at the array of bands rehearsing in the space beside my campsite, roared four or five songs from the back of the Abba singalong and had to escape if I wanted to keep my voice intact!

I got involved in Emma Nixon’s fast-paced Scottish sessions and David de Santi’s culturally encompassing Good Tunes session. I came across Belswagger Morris in a street performance, and looking like an ordinary passer-by (and not like someone who rehearses with them every week, which I do), leapt into an Upton Stick Dance, which I love because it involves a rather dramatic skirmish which looks like a sword fight. So. Much. Fun!

The rest of the time I was lifted on the shoulders of giants as I rehearsed with the extraordinary ensemble playing for the Fire Event, where I sang ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’, and ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, and was thrilled to sing harmonies for Kacey Patrick on ‘The Lost Words Blessing’ and play whistle on ‘The 30-year Jig’. 

The Fire Event, with an amphitheatre audience of more than 16000, closes the festival, and this year was a giant shadow-puppet theatre piece with lots of burning things, some giant 3D puppets, the Walkestra, the huge Fire Choir, and a beautiful environmentally and spiritually inspired story of Emir the marsupial boy, created by Alex Podger.

Go creatively into this new year!
lots of love
Nicole

John Thompson - A Tribute. A celebration of John at Woodford Folk Festival 2022

 Our beloved John Thompson was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, and died on 4 February, 2021. Creative to the last, he continued to write songs and sang almost to his last day.

At Woodford Folk Festival this year, we are celebrating John with a tribute concert which includes the remaining members and regular collaborators of John's bands Cloudstreet and The Ceilidh Clan (Nicole Murray, Emma Nixon, Donald McKay, Rebecca Wright and Erin Sulman), his bandmates from One Step Forward (Maree Robertson and Ann Bermingham) and dear friends including The Spooky Men's Chorale, Fred Smith, Don Jarmey, Ian Dearden, Lachlan Baldwin, Mal Webb, and Belswagger Morris dancers.

Everyone is invited to two singing workshops run by Nicole, where she will teach choral harmonies to John's signature song, The Green Man, so the audience can be a wondrous choir at the concert.

Workshop 1: Singing the Green Man with Nicole: The Mill, 9pm 27 Dec at Woodford Folk Festival

Workshop 2: Singing the Green Man again with Nicole: Bob's Bar, 7.30am 28 Dec at Woodford FF

Nicole will be appearing in the Two Leggy Redheads (whoops, it turned out to be called Good Morning Woodfordia! -ed) breakfast show after the second workshop, at Bob's Bar, to talk about John and the tribute concert with Fiona Scott-Norman.

Concert: John Thompson - A Tribute: Luna, 9am 29 Dec at Woodford Folk Festival 2022.

Here you will find lyrics to The Green Man, Bill and the Bear, The Brisbane River, and Kevin (if I can find them).

The Green Man
by John Thompson

Chorus:The Green Man's a traveller, a reveller, unraveller
Of dreams and of fancies, from first to the last.
Older than all men, living in all things
Son, father and sage,
Long live the Green Man!

• First light of first morning saw the Green Man there waiting
He saw the creation and joined in the dance
All creatures grew 'round him, he grew with them singing
The first song of all, sing of the Green Man

•Quietly watching and waiting and learning
The storms are his fury, the lightning his laugh
The first leaf of spring, his beauty and glory
His stillness his power, in the trees is his path.

•There are fewer trees now, but the man is not sleeping
'Though our ruin brings sorrow to time's oldest heart
In our souls we may find him and remember his wisdom
And rekindle the flame; once again make a start.

Choir words and harmonies

The choir sings (with long syllables):
Green tree dream
Old forest father
Green Man

Nicole will teach the parts by ear at the workshops, and if you use sol-fa, the notes are here:

The Green Man Audio Practice Parts

GREEN MAN HIGH PART

GREEN MAN MIDDLE PART

GREEN MAN LOW PART

Bill and The Bear

John Thompson

Come listen now, good people here, to a story of renown,

Of the day a hundred years ago when the circus came to town

Mr Wirth and all his gallant crew, they raised the bigtop high

And all the folk for miles around gathered under a canvas sky.

And were you there in the clear night air,

when William Sinclair he fought the bear?

Were you there to see William Sinclair,

when he wrestled the bear to the ground?

There were dancing ponies and tumbling clowns, the best you ever did see,

A lion tamer and a high wire act, a girl on the flying trapeze,

There was a fat ringmaster in a big top hat, he slashed his whip through the air

With a roar and a growl, the cage went clang! It was Sampson the mighty bear.

Chorus

He was ten feet high, he was nine feet wide, a mountain of muscle and fur,

A mighty beast, as black as the coal, the ground shook with his roar.

Then the man with the whip, he called for quiet,

not sound from those who were there,

“I’ve a crisp ten pounds for any man here who’s brave enough to wrestle the bear”.

Chorus

Bill and his family had come to see the show, his youngest newly born

The strongest man to ever walk the range, he could carry his weight in corn

He sized up the beast, with a glance at his wife, he slowly raised his hand

“I’ll have a go,” he heard himself say. Then up struck the band!

Stripped to the waist, Bill entered the ring, circling and bouncing round

First left then right, till he lunged right in, the crowd didn’t make a sound.

They twisted and they turned as they wrestled and they grappled

At the skin and the muscle and the hair

With a mighty roar Bill threw Sampson down, he raised his fist in the air.

And were you there in the clear night air

When William Sinclair he beat the bear?

Were you there to see William Sinclair when he wrestled the bear to the ground?

You’ve never heard a roar quite like it, the shouts split the midnight air

Bill was raised above all the heads of the crowd to the cheers of everyone there

And to this day when you see the name of the famous Bill Sinclair

Raise your glass and drink to the health of the only man to ever beat the bear.

The Brisbane River

John Thompson

The Turrbal people saw her born (the banks of the Brisbane River)

Their memories, they still live on (the banks of the Brisbane River)

The dreaming days they may be gone

But long may the dreaming continue on

We live the dreams and sing the songs

On the banks of the Brisbane River

A storm blew Finnegan and Parsons north (to the banks of the Brisbane River)

Mr Thompson never made it ashore (the banks of the Brisbane River)

To the Illawarra they were bound

But on Moreton Island they ran aground

They laboured north until they found

The banks of the Brisbane River

Lord Brisbane sent John Oxley north (the banks of the Brisbane River)

He anchored The Mermaid just off shore (the banks of the Brisbane River)

Though they thought him long since dead

Finnegan met them at the heads

The natives had kept that convict fed

On the banks of the Brisbane River

Named for the governor of New South Wales (The banks of the Brisbane River)

1823 saw white man’s sails (by the banks of the Brisbane River)

Thousands of settlers to her were bound

She soon became young Queensland’s town

Federation heard the cheers resound

By the banks of the Brisbane River

The bridges they stretch from side to side (The banks of the Brisbane River)

The mighty Story Bridge was Brisbane’s pride (on The banks of the Brisbane River)

The shipyards they are long since gone

And the ironwood wharves have been torn down

The banks have burst through the streets of the town

The banks of the Brisbane River

She saw our rise, she’ll see our fall (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Her gentle waters will outlive us all (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Long may her gentle waters run

Past the mangrove mud and past the town

That gave us our lives and gave her a name

The banks of the Brisbane River

The mighty serpent flows to this day (The banks of the Brisbane River)

Through a great glass town she winds her way (The banks of the Brisbane River)

From Stanley’s heights in the Great Divide

Dammed at Wivenhoe then on to the tide

When the city cats purr, she’s our joy and pride

The banks of the Brisbane River

National Folk Festival - the Infinite Song Contest

Nicole was a finalist in the Infinite Song Contest with a bit of an all-star scratch band!

The Infinite's theme this year was Top 100 songs of 1967, the year the National Folk Festival started, and I wrote a parody of Penny Lane, called Budawang.

Keith Donnelly enthusiastically agreed to back me on guitar and we spent a bit of time finding out how clever the Beatles were by looking up the chords on my phone. When we got to the Marquee for the heat, by happy accident Peter Grayling and George Butrumlis were backstage and also keen to make mischief, so a rather good instant band got through to the final, and actually got to sing the song, which is a bit of a love song to the festival's main venue, in the Budawang!

A few people have asked for the words, so here they are, to the tune of Penny Lane. A one two three..

Budawang (Infinite Song Contest 2016 finalist)

Nicole Murray

Penny Lane was once a bar down by the Budawang,

Where we would head to drink our pleasure, you know

And all the people that come and go, stop and say hello

On the corner is a busker with accordion

The Morris dancers laugh at him behind his back

And the busker doesn't make a zac, in the pouring rain

Very strange

Budawang is in my ears and in my eyes,

There beneath the blue Canberran skies

I sit and lean right back.

In the Container is the Pride Choir for an hour or so

And their supporters are all dancing with the queens

With cups of coffee from the espresso team

With their clean machine

Budawang is in my ears and in my eyes

Coorong, Marquee, Carnival, Piazza

Meanwhile back

Behind a table in the middle of the session bar

The volunteers are selling Guinness from a tray

Surrounded by the violins that play

Through the night and day.

In Budawang we'd rather have another Fagans song

We see the audience all waiting for a sing

And then the Fiddle Rally rushes in, from the pouring rain

Very strange

Budawang is in my ears and in my eyes

With four-part harmony it flies, in autumn

Meanwhile back in

Budawang is in my heart and in my mind

There beneath the flags and sunny skies

Budawang

(performed by Nicole Murray, Keith Donnelly, Peter Grayling and George Butrumlis)

Clouded House!

CD LAUNCH - 2pm, Sunday 20 March, at The Danish Club, Brisbane.

We are at last celebrating our latest album, “Clouded House” and we're doing it in style - a double CD launch with our great friends, Rebecca Wright and Donald McKay, who are launching their brand new recording, “Over Burns and Braes” with us in Brisbane on March 20. The concert will showcase beautiful acoustic music from the heart, with luscious harmonies and instrumentation in a family-friendly Sunday afternoon show at the Danish Club, Austin Street, Newstead.

‘Clouded House’, our eighth album, combines traditional folk music and originals that we think are pretty compelling.  From flying monks and homeless beavers to convict escapees and desperate lovers, the album is packed with captivating Australian and Anglo-Celtic stories. The mix of originals and trad is a result of our regular touring, when we have taken Australia’s unknown stories to overseas audiences and collected choice songs to share at home, a very enjoyable cultural exchange!  We've enriched our sound by inviting our long-time collaborator Emma Nixon to join the band, adding viola, violin and voice to our mix. Emma loved touring with us in the UK in 2015, and as a triple Golden Fiddle winner, for her solo album and for teaching, she enhances our performances, and runs great workshops at festivals, too!

We are sharing the launch with the wonderful Rebecca Wright and Donald McKay, who finished their new album last month. Here's a little about it:

With a cover design that would be just as at home on a 19th Century bookshelf as it is on a modern day coffee table, Wright & McKay’s new album ‘Over Burns and Braes’ is a true work of art. Historic songs of Highlanders, pipers and convicts from Donald’s homeland transport listeners to another place and time, whilst Rebecca’s self-penned lullabies and true tales, along with a stunning rendition of Judy Small’s ‘Sky of the Southern Cross’, bring them back to Australia today. “We are very proud of this album, as it reflects not only our connection with Scotland and the past, but also explores our current journey of making a life together in Australia,” Rebecca said.

The Double CD Launch will take place at The Danish Club, Austin Street, Newstead, on Sunday 20th March. Doors open 2pm. $20 Adult, $15 Concession $40 Family. Tickets available from TryBooking.

Keep up with the event news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/549825091862733/

Touring Fun

We find ourselves in the delightful village of Tuddenham, outside Bury St Edmunds, with a night off that coincides with the magnificence of the Eurovision final!

Much cheering and dancing that is best imagined rather than described.

The gigs have been coming thick and fast, with many miles passing by.  It's been fun but the driving has taken a bit of getting used to.  It's been a particular delight to see old friends again.

Here's a pic from one of our early gigs in Coventry (thanks to John Wright for this one). We had a lovely time seeing Denise Bull and some of her family while we were there.

We've made a point of spending some time on this trip exploring some of the places where we've been playing.  After three previous trips, we finally took the time to visit Arundel Castle, for example.  The weather was kind and the trip was unforgettable.

Alnwick Castle was on the list earlier,

Along with Deal Castle,

and the occasional shopping arcade (we decided there was no room for the horsey)

Tomorrow we're heading off to the Chester Festival for a couple of days of fun and song.  But first a long drive!

More news to follow,

Love to all

John, Nic and Em

Onward we roll

We're over a week into the tour and it's proving to be an exhausting delight to be back.

Last night saw us at Deal in Kent. Lovely club.  We've already racked up 2000 miles, with many more to go. We took the time to enjoy the seafront today, along with a quick visit to Dover before heading back inland. Tonight we'll be playing at edenbridge (still in Kent but up the other end). The new songs from Clouded House are going down well (especially beaver!). Much fun.

The road rolls on.

On the road again....

And so we're back once more. 

Landed at Heathrow yesterday afternoon in a fog of sleeplessness and geographical dislocation. Immigration/customs (both official and strange local), then car, drive, hotel, food, shower, pillow slam.

Awoke to find the outskirts of Hounslow as inviting as ever.  Ah, Costa!

A long slow breakfast, slightly quicker packing of the car and then on our way.  Google said 6 and a bit hours so of course bank holiday Friday saw us arrive at Susan and Malcolm's just South of Alnwick Castle just shy of 11 hours after we left.  The sign that said "Queues Likely Until August 2015" seemed prescient.  An all-too-brief stop at Jacey and Brian's helped us to maintain reasonable caffeine levels.

Another bed beckoned but the lag of the jet sees me up and sort of about at the unfamiliar hour of 7 in the morning.

Slowly becoming used once more to the ways of the road.  

We settle in now for a for a spell of recovery, unsheathing the instruments and the employment of loin-girders for what lies ahead. 

More to follow.

John

The Secret History of Queensland - Wish List Productions

Tags: Sauna Recipes Food Suomi Wicca pagan

John and Nicole in the Brisbane News

Fond memories!

John Is Running Away To The Theatre

The big news that we've been keeping to ourselves is that John is joining the cast of the Australian production of War Horse, the wonderful play from the National Theatre of Great Britain.

Rehearsals start next week, with the show opening at the end of the year in Melbourne, before touring to Sydney and Brisbane.  At this stage, the show is expected to run into August, 2013, although further touring is possible.

John's role as the Song Man will see him narrating the show in songs, linking scenes, leading the cast in chorus and playing the piano accordion.  It is the role currently being performed by Bob Fox in the West End production.

While this is an immensely exciting turn of events, it does mean that cloudstreet will be taking a break from active performances during the Australian run of the play.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, visit warhorseonstage.com.

The next step in the journey!

Nicole and John.

Back from the big tour. Whatever can be next?

Our latest UK tour was a load of fun. We're back in the land of Oz, recovered from jet lag, and back with the delightful Morningsong Choir. Coming up in September, we'll be at the wonderful gathering that is the Neurum Creek Music Festival. In the meantime, we are sitting on some most wonderful news that will have a big impact on the world of cloudstreet. For now, all is hush-hush, but we promise to share as soon as we can.

Fiddle Icons: Portraits of Amazing Fiddle Players at NAFCo 2012

Fiddle Icons: Portraits of Amazing Fiddle Players at NAFCo 2012: Australian artist Nicole Murray has created portraits of iconic international fiddle players especially for the 2012 Nor...

Day Eleven of Eleven!

Day Eleven.

Stonehaven Folk Club.

I cannot believe this amazing Scottish weather. The fair, sunny days continue, after an early fog, through which I slept. I'm so tired, I could barely wake up, and I'm not as sharp as usual. John was up early, dealing with some business things in Australia on Skype, and when I finally woke I tried to ring my Aunty Wil for her birthday, but couldn't get through. I'll speak to her tomorrow, because now its the middle of the night in Brisbane.

We packed up. Again. I can hardly wait for the day when I don't have to do that in the morning. The more tired I get, the further I seem to be able to spread out my stuff. I had a huge dose of Vitamin C, which cleared my stuffy nose, and off we went along the highway. The route took us past the western side of Stirling, and the view of the Castle and Wallace Monument in the bright sunshine literally made us gasp.

By lunch time we were at Perth, and with a bit of cajoling from John, we went back to the Toby Carvery, because it was cheaper than buying picnic things at the supermarket, and I could have lots of veggies. The big picture windows looking out over sunny Perth are pretty good too. But there's still a 90 minute drive to Stonehaven, our destination.

These carvings are on the river walk in Perth.

Hours later…..and now we are done. We drove in to the pretty little town of Stonehaven, found the B&B, which is run by members of the folk club, Lorna and Dennis, and John had a sleep. I went to the beach!! It was ten minutes walk away, and the magical blue of the sea and sky met the shingle and sand beach, all looking glorious.

After dinner, we drove the tiny distance to the club. Stonehaven Folk Club has recently moved to new premises at the Community Centre, slightly out of the centre of town. They put up a backdrop and make the room comfortable, and are running it as a byo venue. With Eddi Reader on the same night, and a sunny beach just outside, we certainly drew a small crowd, but they were keen singers and did wonderful floorspots too. Everyone was friendly and chatty, and it was so relaxing to see the pale blue sea through the window as we sang, including Scots of the Riverina and Ship-Repairing Men in the set. We had a delightful night, and finished it by sharing some fiddle and concertina tunes with Sandy, who had played some fiddle tunes as a floorspot. So lovely to play Bethany's Waltz, Union Street Session and Josefin's Waltz!

We packed up slowly because I was chatting, drove back the long way to the B&B (oops), and I shared a couple of single malts with Dennis while John enjoyed some cheese! And so we reach the end of our eleven show marathon, and have TWO CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS IN ONE PLACE…. the weekend in Aberdeen!

Day Ten of Eleven.

Day Ten.

The Star Folk Club, Glasgow.

Edinburgh was basking in the sun when we awoke, and experiencing record high temperatures. John went out on a little foray and did some Field Agent jobs - he has been using an app to find little marketing jobs and earn small amounts of money to save up for his camera. When he returned we packed up and clunked down the 47 steps, stored our luggage and went for a walk round Holyrood Park, past the fantasy towers of Pollock Halls, part of the university student accommodation, and round to Parliament. The park was full of Scottish people startlingly dressed in shorts and singlets. "Did they just have them ready to go?" wondered John. It was winter till three days ago.

We found a terrific cafe called Foodie, with delicious healthy food and appealing cakes (though we couldn't fit one in). 

Asking Satnat lady for guidance, we joined the M8 and headed for Glasgow. On the way, John wanted to fit in a couple more Field Agent jobs, and we got a tour of some very dilapidated outer suburbs or villages along the route of the M8. Although many houses had nicely kept hedges, I don't think there is a sadder wall surface than mildew-stained grey pebble dash, one of the few building materials that is not cheered up by sunshine. 

A little sleep at the Travelodge got me ready to drag on the costume and boots again and set off into Glasgow to the remarkable St Andrews in the Square, where the Star Folk Club is held.

I am always astonished by this building, though I have seen it many times. In the sunlight it was particularly striking, with beautiful stone details on the columns and tower, and inside, the hall upstairs is a soaring space, with golden angels and thistles in the ceiling.

There is a 3.6 second echo in the room, and it can be fierce to sing in time against that, but Ian did a good job on sound. We had a very mixed audience, including our old friend Grant, Donald Mackay's mum and dad, and twenty young travellers from Salzburg.

There was a hot trad trio opening the night, playing formula-one-speed tunes on guitar, concertina and fiddle. Check them out at www.muran.co.uk/

One day to go. Then I can rest.

Day Nine of Eleven.

Day Nine.

Edinburgh Folk Club.

Ok, we're getting quite fatigued now. It takes a long time to get dressed. But it was helped somewhat by a night in the lovely, old-fashioned Links Hotel in Montrose, where the Folk Club is held. We have played there before, and our poster is one of the decorations in the hotel corridor. The room was so old-world it had a trouser press, and a king-size bed. 

We woke to another day of bright sunshine and clear skies, and on our way out of Montrose, stopped to take photos of the viaduct and little colourful boats scattered on the tidal mud.

A little further on, a wonderful wide beach with small surf was visible from the highway, so we made a detour and had a wander and a paddle on Lunan Beach, in sight of the ruined Red Tower.

It was still a long drive to Edinburgh, so we passed Claypotts Castle in Broughty Ferry without dropping in on my relatives nearby. I hope to see them on the way back. The Forth Bridge gave us breathtaking views of the Firth, and a huge cruise liner entering the waterway under the rosy railway bridge.

In Edinburgh we went to our B&B, climbed the 47 steps with all our luggage, moved the car around the block to the carpark, and had a rest. The room could best be described as Very Pink. The shower is a bit dicey but eventually delivers hot water. Doesn't want to let it drain away, though.

I was inspired by the balmy Edinburgh evening to walk the 1.3 miles to the gig. John drove. 1.3 miles turned out to be about half as long again as I expected, so I had to really leg it, but it was a beautiful walk, past wonderfully imaginative stone houses, and along a street with views of the hills beside Holyrood.

I recognised the club venue when I saw it, and we set about soundchecking and eating. The Edinburgh Folk Club is held in a university bar, which means uni priced meals and drinks, too. Jack, who was doing sound, was immensely obliging and very skillful. We drew a medium sized crowd and even had a support act - Kentucky singer Brigid Kaelin, who sang some great songs with guitar, then topped it all off by playing the saw, which John now wants to do.

John's voice was completely recovered and we really enjoyed singing together and pushing into those harmonies till the room rattled. People sang along terrifically, and we had a relaxed and lovely gig. In the last two shows we have done Scots of the Riverina, which is a huge emotional contrast to our more joyful Australian material, like Stringybark and Greenhide. The combination we're choosing creates an emotional journey through the set.

After the show, Paddy Bort, the organiser, informed us they were repairing to Sandy Bell's, and in the hope of a session, I dropped tired John off at the B&B, and went along. There was a small session happening, but I ended up enjoying a conversation with Paddy and Alan from the club, and John, who was Eric Bogle's agent. Quite a lot of the conversation centred on Paddy and Alan's anticipation of a Paul Kelly gig coming up in August in Edinburgh!

Day Eight of Eleven

Day Eight.

Montrose Folk Club.

We stayed under the lee of the Ochill Hills with Brenda and Richard last night, and they gave us good directions to get to Clackmannan tower. I wanted to see it because I painted a representation of it in my portrait of Alasdair Fraser. The weather continued to be dreamily sunny and wispy, and I couldn't think of more perfect conditions to see the tower, last lived in by the last of Robert the Bruce's line, Lady Catherine, in the late 1700s. Built in pink sandstone, with crenellations, it was an evocative sight, set on a hill with a panoramic backdrop of the Ochills. John used his new camera to take lots of creative shots. Now he wants a polarising filter. The other feature of Clackmannan was this intriguing stone edifice....

We stopped for lunch in Perth. We meant to just drop in, but everything was so gorgeous in the sun…. We came across the Toby Carvery straight away, and had been given a two-meals-for-ten-quid voucher earlier in the trip, so we used it! If you are up for a roast lunch, this isn't a bad way to get one, lots of vegies, choice of meats. We sat in a sunlit booth overlooking the River Tay and Perth city. After lunch we walked across the bridge to buy a paper, and I've never seen the Tay look so inviting, I almost could have jumped in, but the fisherman wouldn't have liked it!

I saw a little bit of art in Perth, and enjoyed a walk around, but frustratingly, found the huge art gallery with no time to spare to look inside. We drove on to Montrose, admiring the countryside and getting excited when we glimpsed the sea.

Montrose Folk Club is held at the Links Hotel, where they also put us up. Its a classic old hotel, quite big and full of fading grandeur, like huge mirrors, small sculptures and some really wonderful stained glass windows by the aesthetic movement pioneer, Daniel Cottier. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Cottier)

We had a keen crowd and some terrific floorspots including poet Rachel Fox, who presented a chapter of her epic poem about the mental hospital in Montrose. For all of her poem, look here: http://balladoffearandnow.blogspot.co.uk/

Day Seven of Eleven

Day Seven.

Stirling Folk Club.

Scotland!! The drive up from Newcastle to Scotland is full of glorious vistas and picturesque stone villages. The sun is gone again but the moors are still beautiful.

We stopped in Wooler, where John went to the Angel pub and I walked up and down the town, seeing some very interesting landscapes in The Design Room gallery, and having lunch at Ramblers Cafe, where Dawn and Ivan make good coffee.

We had another change-of-driver stop at Lauder - we swap driver every hour - where there was another interesting gallery called the Flat Cat.

In Scotland the weather cleared to broad blue skies. We had sweeping views of Edinburgh and the Forth as we drove in and up to Stirling. We parked at the Rugby Club, where the folk club meets, and so does a very noisy aerobics class. The grounds of the club have a spectacular view of the Wallace monument and its escarpment. We walked into town in the beautiful sunlight. Our way took us over the footbridge where the Battle of Stirling happened in the 14th century, and past the lovely river bank, through the pedestrian tunnel and up the hill past St Mary's, to  the town centre, which is a carbon copy of high streets everywhere. But either side of the central section the shops get more interesting. We ate in town and walked back to the Rugby Club, entering it through a swarm of sweating aerobicists.

This is a club that really knows how to sing, and when Big John did three songs to start off, he did one with a quirky story about a beggar who gets conscripted. It reminded me of Bert Murray, my grandfather, both the way he sang and the stories he loved.

We stood in front of the high-octane tartan curtains and started with The Briar and the Rose. There was a visitor from Glenfarg Folk Club, Issy, and I could tell we'd won her heart with that one.

We had a terrific night with everyone at Stirling. John's voice is still not 100%, because he hasn't been able to rest it this week, but he is taking care of it and singing well. Quite amazing.