Day three of Fairport’s Cropredy Convention brings down the curtain on another fantastic festival with Fairport Convention closing things in grand tradition.

THE GERRY COLVIN BIG BAND

No Richard Digance this year but, by heck Fairport found a worthy substitute!  Gerry Colvin is no stranger to the Cropredy stage; debuting at Cropredy 2003, he provided half of the band name to folk-rock 5-piece, ColvinQuarmby.  ColvinQuarmby were back again in 2008 and Gerry returned again in 2017. It’s fair to say, there’s a certain fondness for this charming gentleman’s enterprises in this neck of the woods.

This year, Gerry brought his Big Band along – and NEVER has a group been more appropriately named.  14 musicians on stage even before Gerry invited any additional guests to join them.  And there are NO passengers.  Strings, brass, horns, accordion and a backing choir – they’re all here and every distinguished member plays an active part in creating the band’s signature full, almost orchestral, sound. “I didn’t think that anyone would be here at this hour of the morning,” quips Gerry, before encouraging us all to shed any inhibitions we may have brought along.

We’ve taken a guess at some of Gerry’s song titles and I hope that he’ll forgive those mis-named (and perhaps he’ll award a score for accuracy!). Opening number, Let This Summer Last., captures the festival mood.  Gerry is an athletic, irrepressible frontman; his enthusiasm is infectious and he immediately has the crowd swaying and waving to the music. The wonderful Marion Fleetwood steps forward for an early cameo with Still a Broken Man.  Her fiddle was divine and the backing vocals were stunning.  Gerry’s lyrics are always thought-provoking, with the audience fully on board for the chorus: “They fixed me, but I’m still broken.”

SUBLIME & SENTIMENTAL

Trish Power (accordion) and Tom Leary (mandolin) shine on Clown Shoes, Gerry’s satirical swipe at the scourge of county lines drug dealing.  The song is a nice, mid-paced, country-flavoured affair and the band deliver a big, refreshing, sound.  And, yes, we clapped along…

Airfix kit modellers resonated with the sublime, poignant and sentimental The Model of a Man.  Gerry noted that the hardware – and even the people – that constituted the kits were representative of real equipment and personnel and the song is a tribute to the model Danish airman included in a kit he discovered in his attic. 

REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES

So many of Gerry’s songs are inspired by his life experiences – and that’s certainly the case for The Priest of Carnaby Street, the story of an individual he encountered during one of his annual visits to London’s avenue of fashion.  As Gerry notes, it’s probably the only song ever written that includes the words: “The nibbled crusts from rounds of toast,” and the reference to Ralph McTell raised a rousing, well-choreographed cheer.  The song goes with a swing and, with Gerry in control, failure to sing along “…as the church bells rang out” isn’t an option. 

Gerry describes the bluesy I Killed a Flower For You Today as a ‘confessional.’ It’s kicked off by a lovely, sleazy sax lick.  Gerry delivers another passionate vocal, as the band switched between subtle restraint and unconstrained heft.

In 1965, the Welsh-speaking village of Capel Celyn in the Tryweryn Valley in North Wales was flooded to provide a source of water for the City of Liverpool.  Gerry recollects that event – and its repercussions – in the excellent This Was Tryweryn, a wistful song, crammed with some of the best trumpet and trombone sounds that you’ll hear anywhere.

“I wrote this song for Johnny Cash,” joked Gerry.  “I didn’t realise he was dead!”  PJ Wright stepped aboard to play bottleneck guitar on All Men Are Fools, and the Johnny Cash reference was strengthened by the Ring Of Fire fills between the verses.  And it rocked!

I LOVE SHOES!

Gerry’s time was coming to its close but there was still time to squeeze in a couple more.  “I love shoes,” said Gerry in his introduction to Someone Else’s Shoes – his attempt to compose a James Bond theme.  You know?  It’s a reasonable attempt, too, with a big brassy sound and appropriately mysterious lyrics – and the band even managed to squeeze a burst of Monty Norman’s original James Bond theme, just in case anybody was failing to get the point.

“This song is about my father, who is looking down on us.  He isn’t dead – he’s just very condescending,” joked Gerry, as he introduced set-closer From the Angels.  It was a stirring finale, given an extra dose of oomph by the returning PJ Wright.  And, as Gerry thanked the cheering, waving crowd, nobody was left in any doubt – he meant every word of those thanks. 

ROB JONES AND THE RESTLESS DREAM

As debut performances go at Cropredy, and there were a few this year, Rob Jones & The Restless Dream must go down as one of the best since Josh Burnell created a storm of interest. This group of young musicians led by Bolton born Rob Jones had plenty of catchy well crafted songs. They burst into life with Rising With The Sun; with some pedal steel fills to accentuate their Americana style.

A mellow guitar solo from Dan Catterall. enhanced St Maria with Ballerina also adding to their cheery, easy on the ear music. Jazzy tenor sax helps Tonight gather pace. Rob has abandoned a teaching career and in this song showed he is aware of the pitfalls of a travelling musician. But with songs of this quality and infective appeal he need not worry about the future.

CONFIDENCE OF YOUTH

A few snowflakes would have been welcome to cool the sweltering conditions but they made do with January Man which was as cool as fallow snow, again with pedal steel emphasising their country feel. Sax and keyboards add a jazzy feel showing how creatively they blend styles. A gentle harmonica intro and outro bookended Wherever We Go; a gentle love song.

The brash confidence of youth shines through as they bravely tackle Tom Petty’s rock classic Free Falling with New Zealander Grace Kelly taking lead vocals with panache.

A version of Travelling Wilbury’s End Of The Line strays far from the original before finishing with a song which has the potential of becoming a Rob Jones classic. Day By Day is a song of hope which the crowd spontaneously clap along with as each member of the band has an opportunity for a personal cameo spot. It may be a song of hope but hope will not be needed in the future for Rob Jones and his talented band which are destined to be festival favourites around the country in the future.

THE HAAR

Like the cold sea fog from which they take their name, The Haar offer a more portentous and bleaker alternative to what many folk would regard to be a customary array of songs from the tradition. When the songs off the set list see the likes of  The Wild Rover, Whiskey In The Jar, She Moved Through The Fair and Wild Mountain Thyme…there may be a sense of inevitability. But having lulled the listener into a sense of  false security…wham…The Haar dismantle and rout the tunes within an inch of their lives to leave us battered, beaten and bruised. And astonished.

They’re up for the game immediately. Their usual set tour de force, Willie Taylor, gets promoted to second in. A sign that they mean business. And what business it is.

When they finish She Moved Through The Fair, which to be fair, they own,  an ATB colleague commented how in the many times the songs has been performed at the festival, that was the best. And he’s been to every one. Which could also be said for the rest of the set that showcased some dazzling musicianship from the Grainger/Summerhayes Ciderhouse Rebellion duo and the genius and peerless bodhran of the ever affable Cormac Byrne. When he hits some of those cracks….gunshot or what? And he then calls out “the star of the show” for singer Molly Donnery. Their show? The whole show? Who’d argue?

SUBLIME MUSICIANSHIP

That musicianship, with Adam Summerhayes rivalling Richard Thompson for most notes played at the festival joined by the (could it be more black) accordion from Murray Grainger is the basis form quite some powerhouse. The men-in-black trio get heir moment in the spotlight as they take on some tunes and Cormac leads the audience participation “whoop” with a count-in, in Irish  – no excuses though – “you’ll know when it’s three because it’s three words!”

“Time to kill the mood,” says Molly as she returns for a sublime The Galway Shawl. Evidence that they’re equally adept at the aching ballads and musical subtlety,  where Molly heads into the ethereal in her flowing cloak,  doing the folk equivalent of Robert Plant squeezing his lemon. But she’s not just about transcendent emotion. Deep down there’s a darkness lurking that manifests as she prowls and leans and we try to follow Murray’s simple encouragement to “you know this, join in,” for Wild Mountain Thyme.

In turn, The Wild Rover gets subverted into a mini melodrama. Murray blows into something that from a distance could be an olde typewriter and the raucous and jolly drinking arrangement that we know (and some love) becomes a shadowy cautionary tale. In the same way, their Whiskey In The Jar is equally intense, as Molly again partners the deep voiced temptress with the wild abandoned siren. The traditional core taken on new adventures. Stunning.

BARBARA

At The Barrier has never hidden its admiration for Brighton fop-pop specialists Barbara. If you weren’t a Barbarette before you arrived in Cropredy, it’s a fair bet that many of you are now.

“How’s your energy?” asks compere AJ Clarke.  “You’re gonna need it”  And the Theme to Central Services, Barbara’s signature intro tune, boomed around the Cropredy airspace.   Barbara and – particularly frontman John Tydeman – hit the ground running.  Opening number, new single The Lycra We Live In, had John and his keyboard-playing brother Henry exchanging grins and Dean Llewellyn delivered the first of his many stunning guitar solos.

“Let’s become a Tolerant Nation,” cries John, before the song of that title. By the time they’d moved on to Property Owning Democracy, there was no doubt about it: Barbara had the whole place moving.  “Cropredy!  Look at your Cheshire Cat grins!” exclaimed John.  But no grin was wider than the ones that adorned the faces of each band member… Beryl, a dedication to the great artist, Beryl Cook was next, before John put on a special performance for the video cameras that were, by this stage, following his every bump, gyration and facial contortion. 

ARE YOU AN ODDBALL?

“This next song is dedicated to all the oddballs amongst you.  Are you an oddball?” asks John, by way of introduction to the excellent Isn’t She Strange.  The audience were now getting the idea – Barbara are purveyors of quirky pop at its very best. 

When we heard that Barbara would be appearing at Cropredy, we hoped they’d play Rainy Days in June, the song that first twitched our Barbara antennae.  It was great to watch as John writhed to Dean’s sublime guitar solo and Henry and bassist Jack Hosgood led the ba-pa-da-pa-da singalong.  And sing along we did; “That’s the biggest sway we’ve ever seen,” complimented John. 

“It’s audience participation time,” announced John in his intro to Stag Do, a new song that takes Barbara’s particular brand of silliness to another level, before the band delved deeper into its ever-expanding back catalogue for a blast through These New Communications.  Pretty Straight Guy saw John bringing the video cameraman into the action when pointing into the lens for the song’s “He does what he likes” payoff line.

DON’T SEND ME MESSAGES

The social media-slaughtering Don’t Send Me Messages was next.  And John even found the time to adjust Dean’s tie, as Dean played his blistering guitar solo.  “Atten…shun!” came the shout – to announce Mein Fraulein and the energy to play up to the cameras – and to the Cropredy audience didn’t fade one iota.

There’s so much going on during a Barbara performance that it would be great to be able to borrow an extra set of eyes sometimes.  Take new song It’s True What They Say About Love, for example.  John continued to work the audience in his own inimitable fashion, whilst Dean delivered yet another neat solo. Drummer Lawrie took his own share of the attention and Henry chipped in with some lovely piano. 

“Who wants another slice of Barbara?  There’s always room for a bit a pudding!” yelled John as Barbara launched their set-closer, The Contented Commuter.  John worked the crowd into an even frothier frenzy and the ovation was as raucous as it was deserved.  It was SUCH a pleasure to have Barbara grace the Cropredy stage.  We reckon they’ll be back. 

HAYSEED DIXIE

Rockgrass legends Hayseed Dixie need no introduction to folks in Cropredy. They’ve played on this stage a few times before. For the uninitiated, Hayseed Dixie have been around for just over a quarter of a century, wowing crowds with their heavy bluegrass…rockgrass, if you will.

With an array of drinks being quaffed, and a simple set up, the Hayseed Dixie kick off as soon as they’re ready, rather than waiting for their alloted kick off time. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap kicks things off. It was a slew of AC/DC covers that catapuled the band into the consciousness of many. They also include Hells Bells with Hippe Joe on reception bell and You Shook Me All Night Long.

John ‘Barley Scotch’ Wheeler fronts the band in enigmatic fashion. ‘There are four key ingredients in any song worth singing…drinking, cheating, killing and hell.’ The crowd chortle at the patter throughout. Crowd participation is plentiful and anecdotes regularly entertain.

CUTTING SHAPES

The rest of the band know how to cut shapes on stage. They throw down power poses as Paranoid, Ace Of Spades, Breaking The Law, Welcome To The Jungle and Don’t Fear The Reaper all get an airing. Whilst 3/4 of the band look like they’ve come from the local barn dance, Wheeler looks like he is dressed for a smart/casual event later in the evening.

I’m Keeping Your Poop In A Jar is one of Hayseed’s earliest original tracks and still raises a smile. They close out with a thumping rendition of Highway To Hell with snippets of Tiny Dancer and Freebird thrown in. Oh, and there is a bit of Purple Rain in there that has everyone swaying arm in arm. Hayseed Dixie are arguably THE perfect festicval band. It’s an easy claim to make, but it is true. The tunes, the wit, the fun, the frovility and the entertainment just always aligns in the right measure.

WILL POUND AND JENN BUTTERWORTH

A supersonicaly paced jig opens up their spot with Will Pound performing harmonica acrobatics and Jenn crashing out guitar chords at lightning speed. The pace is relentless during Reaching Barrowburn Reel. The Circular Reel may have been more tranquil at first but it accelerated considerably. So far, Will had performed amazing finger/hand and mouth manipulations. Jenn’s vocals were sweet and lilting in the more ballady tunes and showed her adeptness on guitar in the hornpipe tune Speed The Plough and Hesleyside Reel.

Will was badly in need of a breather as they played a couple of bourrée’s; the French Bourrée and All Roads Lead To Caernarfon showing he was equally skilled on the melodeon. Jenn’s nifty finger work during Rosemary Lee was equally matched by Will’s dexterity during Sheba. They responded to each others moves brilliantly for a breathtaking performance warming everyone up nicely for the much anticipated final Fairport Convention extravaganza.

FAIRPORT CONVENTION AND FRIENDS

Well – what can we say?  Cropredy 2026 was yet another corker.  We say this every year but it’s reasonable to ask: Was Cropredy 2026 the best one yet?  It just might have been – but, we’re getting ahead of ourselves – there’s still one more act to cover.  And not just ANY act.  We’re talking about the guv’nors; the headliners.  Yes – we’re talking about Fairport Convention – The (officially) Greatest Folk-Rock Band of All Time…

Using Fiddlestix as their stage-entrance music really raises the level of audience excitement by a few extra significant notches.  And that’s definitely what happened here. After a brief flirtation with Come All Ye, Fairport have reverted to kicking off with Walk Awhile.  It’s perfect for Cropredy – it seems to somehow pull the crowd together as they sing along to the familiar verses and chorus.  “Here’s a song from the same era, written by the same cohort – one of whom was on this very stage just 24 hours ago…” announced Simon, by way of introduction to Crazy Man Michael.  It’s a song that has matured gradually and organically over the years and Chris’s low whistle – one of the more recent innovations to grace the song – resonated around the field, the village and the whole parish.

Chris’s song, Rui’s Guitar, named after an instrument gifted to the band by a Portuguese friend, was debuted here back in 2010, and it’s good to see it revived for another run in the Fairport setlist. 

BACK TO 1979…

“We’ll take you back to 1979 now – which none of you will remember, because you weren’t here,” said Peggy.  Sorry to disappoint you Dave, but some of us were – and we’ve got the photos to prove it…  Peggy then went on to relate the chain of events that led to the establishment of the Woodworm records enterprise, one of the first fruits of which was Steve Ashley’s excellent Family Album.  And – Steve Ashley was here, and ready for action.  The final track on The Family Album was The Grandfather’s Song (Rough With the Smooth).  The song was written from the perspective of a young man observing the sayings and attitudes of an older man.  Of course, most of us nowadays view life from the opposite perspective and Steve wittily – and subtly – altered the song’s lyrics to reflect that change.  “I love it when a song grows into itself,” commented Simon.

DM switched across to keys for a beautiful version of Sandy’s song, Fotheringay, and his place at the drum stool was filled by Guy Fletcher – a chap who having a busy weekend, having already having provided the percussive drive behind The Gerry Colvin Big Band.  Peggy’s instrumental, Bankruptured, has now become a central feature of Fairport’s live set and Ric’s intro – which requires the audience to complete a well-loved Morecambe and Wise catchphrase – is a hoot.  The tune isn’t to be under-estimated, though, and it offers Simon, Peggy and Ric the opportunity to dazzle in their respectively special ways.

Chris urged everyone to visit Lyme Regis to see the seafront statue of fossil hunter Mary Anning in his introduction to The Fossil Hunter, another song making a welcome return to the Fairport line up after a lengthy period of rest.  Then – a special guest…

FLOWERS OF THE FOREST

“We spotted Ralph McTell backstage and asked him if he’d like to sing a song,” said Peggy.  And onto the stage walked the great man himself.  “This is a song written by a 22 year-old – and it’s stayed with me for 60 years,” said Ralph.  Earlier in the festival, I’d heard a whisper that Ralph might appear to perform a Bob Dylan song, and here he was.  And the song he’s chosen?  One Too Many Mornings.  And the comments arising from all the people around me in the field  all related to the enduring quality of Ralph’s voice and the undiminished skill of his guitar-playing.

Dave Mattack’s song introductions are always dryly amusing and his recollections of his early days in Fairport – and particularly the recruitment of a shy, retiring, bass-player called Dave Pegg – were hilarious.  He was working his way around to introducing Flowers of the Forest, an oft-overlooked track from the magnificent Full House album.  Simon played the dulcimer and the rendition was stately.

Sticking with Full House, Sloth doesn’t require an introduction, and it didn’t get one.  The song is, of course, the definitive showcase for Fairport’s awesome musicianship and tonight’s version was a corker.  One stunning solo – guitar, bass, violin – followed another and special mention is, perhaps, due to Dave Mattacks, who mesmerised the entire audience with his mastery of the sticks.  All this, and Ric’s howls into the nether reaches of his violin echoing around the district…  Who could ask for more?

BASS PYROTECHNICS

If a being from another planet or galaxy ever did decide to visit us here on Earth, I can’t think of a better place – or time – for they to land their craft than Home Farm, Cropredy, during the second weekend of any August.  They would be assured of a warm and loving welcome.  Chris’s joyful, UFO-sighting song, Year of ’59, pre-empts such an event.  And, with Chris Leslie as our Commander, that – or those – extra-terrestrials would be singing and doo-wooping along with rest of us to the song. 

A real treat came next.  Ric, Vikki Clayton and bassist Fred Thelonious Baker (whose bass pyrotechnics had amazed us on Thursday evening when he appeared with Soft Machine) have got form.  And they reignited their past relationship for a few minutes to perform White Dress, a song that Swarb wrote with Sandy in mind back in the mid-70s.  Vikki’s vocals were divine and Fred confirmed the growing suspicion that two of the world’s finest bassist had been sharing the same stage this weekend.

It wouldn’t be Cropredy without a dose of Hiring Fair and, as soon as DM struck the opening chords on his piano, everyone just knew what was coming.  There was no harvest moon tonight – the stars have to align for that – but the calm around the field compensated for that omission.  Simon once said: “That song always has a special resonance when it’s performed in this field.”  It still does.  And Ric’s violin exercises were ‘pretty damn cosmic,’ too.

The spirit of Sandy has pervaded every single one of Fairport’s Cropredy appearances and Peggy dedicated the lovely Rising For The Moon to her.  Chris sings the song beautifully but I know I wasn’t the only one left wondering why Vikki hadn’t been invited to step forward…?  

A SPECIAL RESONANCE

Ric’s Portmeirion is another tune that takes on a ‘special resonance’ whenever it’s played at Cropredy.  DM shifted back to keys, whilst the overworked Guy Fletcher returned once again for yet another stint on the drums.  And they both stayed in position for a welcome run through James Woods’ Cider Rain. And the song’s author emerged from the audience to join the band on vocals as they performed his song.

We’ve said this so many times.  The quality of the artists that Fairport select as their opening acts for their Winter Tours is breathtaking.  This year, they were supported by Jenn Butterworth – a singer, songwriter and guitarist of awesome ability.  During the tour, the ‘changeover’ song that was chosen was Jenn’s Little Sparrow – a track from Jenn’s excellent Her By Design album.  And it was lovely to hear the song – with Fairport in ‘support’ – reprised for the festival.

annA rydeR – another Fairport Winter Tour alumnus – was the next guest.  She’d brought her accordion – and her voice – along to add a special something to Chris’s wistful My Love Is in America.  And, by the expression on her face, it was clear that annA was truly relishing being back on that stage.

ROSIE

Now: before this year, how many of you knew that Paul McCartney and his band used to soundcheck by playing Swarb’s piece-de-resistance, Rosie?  I certainly didn’t, but the cat is out of the bag now.  Swarb, no doubt, would have loved to have known that.  But, ex-Beatle or no ex-Beatle, there’s nobody owns this song like Fairport do.  Chris sang with a passion that could only come from someone who knew the inner workings of Swarb, Vikki and annA provided a heavenly backing chorus and Ric played a soaring, stirring tribute to the Swarbrick man himself.

“It’s a wacky story, so I’m not going to tell it,” said Ric in his cryptic intro to Claudy Banks.  I think I’m right in saying that Fairport first performed this rather cruel ‘broken token’ song at the 1990 festival (or was it 1989?  Please feel free to write in…) and it’s stayed with them, pretty much ever since.  And, somehow, at 11:40pm, in an Oxfordshire field, it felt so very right.

The end was approaching and the temperature was dropping, so Chris’s pair of North West Passage anthems seemed, somehow, appropriate.  He dedicated I’m Already There and Mercy Bay to “…my dear brother, John – who’s unable to join us this year.”  That’s another pair of Cropredy epics that to tick off.

THE RELENTLESS MARCH OF TIME

Time moves relentlessly in one direction and, as Chris donned his banjo, we all knew what was next.  Matty Groves of course.  Another great version but, really, these guys are so nice that when Simon scowls – and howls – “I’ll kill you if I can,” it’s stretching the imagination to believe that he really would.  They’re only playing…

And that, was almost that.  “Thank you Cropredy,” said Simon.  “Dare we hope for another one?”  I’m sure we do.  We’re all clocking on a bit, but 80 is the new 50.  There’s plenty of zero-carbon energy in the tank yet…

And, as we hugged and swayed, it felt like all the love in the world was concentrated in one special field.  Meet On The Ledge.  We’ll be back.

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