John Kirkpatrick

John Kirkpatrick is an English player of free reed instruments

In Shropshire

In 1973 Kirkpatrick moved to Shropshire and married Sue Harris. After seeing a dance team called Gloucestershire Old Spot Morris Morris Dancers he formed Shropshire Bedlams to perform local dances, in the so-called Border Morris style. In the early weeks some girls turned up and rather than have a mixed morris team, Harris took the girls aside to form Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish; both teams are still flourishing. By this time John Kirkpatrick was an expert player of melodeon, anglo concertina, and accordion. Ashley Hutching's project, "The Battle of the Field" floundered when the Albion Country Dance band broke up. They had recorded not quite enough material for an album. John had appeared on several of the tracks with Martin Carthy and offered to record two extra tracks with his wife in 1973. It was not released until 1976 but is highly regarded. Sue Harris sang and played oboe and hammer dulcimer, an unusual combination. In 1974 John Kirkpatrick and Ashley Hutchings produced a themed album "The Complete Dancing Master", a history of English country dancing. He 1976 he teamed up with Martin Carthy for Plain Capers, a collection of morris dance tunes.

Related Topics:
Shropshire - Border Morris - Melodeon - Concertina - Accordion - Martin Carthy - Oboe - Hammer dulcimer

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