Special Projects 1980 - 1984 - John Kirkpatrick

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Special Projects

1980 - 1984

1979-80	CANDLEFORD by Keith Dewhurst, based on the books by Flora Thompson. National Theatre, London. Directed by Bill Bryden and Sebastian Graham-Jones. Sang and played with The Albion Band in this sequel to 'Lark Rise', and danced over a broomstick.

1980
	PLAIN JOS by Joyce Cheeseman. The Victoria Theatre, North Staffordshire (The Vic). Directed by Peter Cheeseman, with Jules Wright. Arranged and MD'd eighteenth century songs, tunes and dances for the acting company with four-part harmony and various combinations of instruments in a documentary play about Josiah Wedgwood.
	THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare. The Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman, with Nigel Bryant. Arranged sixteenth century music for a recorded score of self, oboe, trumpet and guitar. Composed some themes for incidental music.

1981
	CROWN OF THORNS The Vic. Adapted and directed by Nigel Bryant. Arranged medieval and traditional music and songs for this adaptation of the English Mystery Cycle. Created several dances for the Company.
	SIR HENRY AT RAWLINSON END John Peel's Programme, BBC Radio 1 Band member for a sequence of songs comprising the next episode of Vivian Stanshall's wildly eccentric creation.
	BEAUTY AND THE BEAST by Rony Robinson., The Vic. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Taught a pantomime horse to clog dance for the children's Christmas Show. Made the front page of the local paper!
	TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare, The Vic. Directed by Jules Wright. Arranged the traditional song/tunes for the company and composed some original settings and incidental music. Part recorded, partly arrangements for the cast playing three guitars.
	PRECIOUS BANE by Mary Webb. BBC Radio Play. Directed by Vanessa Whitburn Helped to arrange and perform traditional children's songs and singing games for this dramatisation of Mary Webb's novel.
	London Weekend Television JK asked to play some pieces on the concertina (from the repertoire of Tommy Williams) in the style of an old man, complete with deliberate, unnecessary mistakes, to provide the signature tune and incidental music for a programme about old folks!
	MEDLEY MANIA English Dance and Song Article in the EFDSS magazine trying to persuade people to play a tune for dancing more than two or three times before changing to another one. Oft quoted. Read it here...
1981-86	Ceremonial Musician for the many and various ceremonies connected with the building of the New Victoria Theatre in North Staffordshire, held either at the old Vic theatre or on the site of the New Vic.

1982
	SONS AND LOVERS by D H Lawrence. BBC TV series Arranged brass quartet parts and played concertina for John Tams' incidental music.
	A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare. The Vic. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Devised choreography to Jeff Parton's Grecian music and played on the recorded score.
	HONEST JOHN The Vic. Provided songs and music for a one-off programme about the life and poetry of John Clare, with wildlife slide illustrations by naturalist, Roy Went.
	HILDA SHEPHERD - A DERBYSHIRE CHILDHOOD BBC Radio Derby. Produced by Ashley Franklin. Invited to record appropriate concertina music for the signature tune and incidental music throughout.

1983
	THE BEGGARS' OPERA by John Gay. The Vic. Directed by Nigel Bryant Choreographed several dances in Eighteenth Century style.
	AESOP'S FABLES by Peter Terson. The Vic. Directed by Mark Dornford-May. Choreographed several dances to Jeff Parton's music.
	SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN by Rosemary Sutcliff. The Vic. Adapted and directed by Nigel Bryant. Composed music, songs and dances for this dramatisation of the story of Boadicea. Extensive recorded score of fanfares with battle scenes, love songs and dances, and high ceremonial. Created a whole world of early British ritual, with Pagan carols and stylised fights. The dramatisation, by Nigel Bryant was published as a play, with all the music and songs, by Heinemann Books.
	CHESHIRE DRAMA COURSE Invited by Peter Dornford-May, the Country Head of Drama, to teach sessions of traditional dancing at the county summer school for sixth form students.
	THE TRUMPET MAJOR by Thomas Hardy, dramatised by Tony Perrin. The Vic. Directed by Chris Martin Arranged some traditional country dances for the company.
	THE TRANSPORTS by Peter Bellamy. Queen Elizabeth Hall, London's South Bank. Directed by Ted Stevens and Mike Bettison. Completely re-scored Peter Bellamy's song cycle (double LP in length) about the first convict ships to Australia. Four piece band of trumpet, trombone, oboe, dulcimer and self on concertina and vocals. One concert performance only.

1984
	CIDER WITH ROSIE by Laurie Lee, dramatised by Nick Darke. The Vic. Directed by Mark Dornford-May. Arranged and rehearsed traditional songs and singing games and created some dances to accompany them.
	COMMODITY, FIRMNESS AND DELIGHT The Vic. Chose and arranged traditional music for a special one-off programme as part of a Festival of Architecture.
	ALFRED WILLIAMS - FOUNDRYMAN AND POET The Vic. Researched and presented traditional music and songs from England and India for this special one-off programme about the work of the Swindon folk music collector.
	A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens Full length feature film starring George C Scott as Scrooge. Appeared in opening shots as a whistle-playing wait and a concertina-playing carol singer.
	THE PASSION PLAY Adapted and directed by Nigel Bryant. Orchard Theatre, touring company in SW England. Another version of The Mystery Cycle with traditional tunes and songs, some recorded music, and dances specially created.
	THE SONG OF TRISTRAN by Rosemary Sutcliff. Orchard Theatre. Adapted and directed by Nigel Bryant. A similar involvement to Song for a Dark Queen in 1983. Created music, songs, dances, stylised battles and ceremonial, to an extensive recorded score.
	SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN The Play based on Rosemary Sutcliff's novel. Published by Heinemann Educational Books Ltd. Nigel Bryant's dramatisation (from 1983) with JK's music, songs and dance notations.