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LATEST NEWS

  
2 Apr 2006:  Howard Evans dies
With great sadness, I have to report that Howard Evans, the trumpeter with Brass Monkey, as well as with The Home Service, died on March 17th. He had to leave the stage in great pain at a Brass Monkey gig in Nettlebed Folk Club in May 2004, and was consequently diagnosed with cancer of the intestines. After an immediate operation he had continuous treatment, and for some time the disease was well into remission, and Howard was able to fulfil his duties at his job in the Musicians Union. But although he kept hoping to meet up for a play through some tunes, he actually never played again, and went into a sudden decline in the weeks leading up to his death.

We had been friends and colleagues for nearly thirty years. It’s a stunning blow, and we shall all miss him very much indeed. At his funeral the rest of Brass Monkey said goodbye by playing The Old Grenadier, the military slow march that Howard had taught us,.
28 Mar 2006:  Two New J.K. CDs coming soon
Two new John Kirkpatrick CDs coming soon – both on the Fledg’ling label.

In May I shall be recording a new CD of Christmas and Midwinter material, provisionally titled “Carolling and Crumpets”. Since the “Wassail” project in the 1990’s I have continued to do solo Christmas shows, and have gradually amassed enough songs and tunes to fill a new record. There will be some traditional items, some self-composed - including last year’s Christmas Pudding Song - and the new title track, set amongst the cows in the stable at Bethlehem! This should be out in time for Christmas this year.

A new solo as-if-live studio recording of the current general repertoire will take place in the autumn. This will be similar in approach to the 1998 CD “One Man and His Box”, but probably with a bigger smattering of original compositions, both songs and tunes. Likely release date in early 2007.
21 Mar 2006:  Melodeon Videos onto DVD
The three volumes of melodeon video instruction that I did for Mrs Casey Music a few years ago are to become available as a two-DVD set, in time for this summer’s festivals. Part three – the Masterclass - will be added in full, in appropriate chunks, to the end of parts 1 and 2, so that the whole programme will be transferred to the new format. Details from Mrs Casey Music - or watch this news section for up-to-date release information.
10 Mar 2006:  New Songs for Brunel
As part of the two hundredth anniversary celebrations of the birth of the revolutionary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Folk South West have been awarded a handsome sum to set in motion "In The Footsteps of The Little Giant". All over the south west there are visits to primary schools by professional folk musicians, numerous community music days planned, and a touring play coming later in the year.

As part of this project I was asked to write two new songs, which are now, without doubt, constantly on the lips of every youngster from here to Lands End. "A Bright String of Pearls" is about The Great Western Railway, and "What a Builder of Bridges!" is about the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

More details from Folk South West on 01935 822911, or folksw@folksw.org.uk.
 
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