Special Projects 1990 - 1994 - John Kirkpatrick

	www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk


Special Projects

1990 - 1994

1990
	SOLDIERS THREE by Tony Perrin, based on the writings of Rudyard Kipling. The New Vic. Directed by Bob Eaton. Rehearsed and arranged Peter Bellamy's settings of Kipling's poems for performance by a cast that included Peter himself.
	THE PASSION PLAY BBC Radio. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Another excerpt from The Mystery Cycle. Plainsong-style setting of several angel's speeches, plus recorded incidental music of traditional tunes.
	MUSIC BOX BBC Radio Four. Produced by Barry Gibson. Invited to co-present this programme for young children with regular host, Sandra Kerr. Sang, played, chatted, for five programmes
	THE DIRTY HILL The New Vic. Compiled and directed by Peter Cheeseman and Rob Swain. Wrote and composed songs for this documentary play about open cast coal mining. MD'd, appeared on stage performing, and arranged harmonies and choreography.
	FOLK ON TWO BBC Radio Two. Invited to present England's only national folk music programme for a guest spot of three weeks, during anchorman Jim Lloyd's holiday.
	THE MELANCHOLY HUSSAR BBC Radio Play. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Recorded incidental music, traditional and composed, to accompany this dramatisation of the Thomas Hardy short story.
	THE WITHERED ARM BBC Radio Play. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Another Hardy story as part of the celebration (150th) of his birth. Recorded composed themes.
	THE FOOL by Edward Bond. Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. Directed by Jane Collins. Taught some traditional songs, and advised on singing style and traditional mumming play techniques.
	BOUNCERS by John Godber. The New Vic. Directed by Rob Swain. Choreographed two disco/rapping routines and staged a parody of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. This production was reprised, with a different cast, in 1991 and again in 1996
	SQUEEZING ROUND THE WORLD BBC Radio 2. Produced by Geoffrey Hewitt. Selected and presented a series of six half-hour programmes featuring the music of the accordion family. Included interviews with Jimmy Shand, Jack Emblow and Martin O'Connor.

1991
	THE SUNSHINE MINERS Granada TV Programme for the schools series on Channel 4, "Geography Today". Songs and incidental music using material from the play 'The Dirty Hill'
	THE ACCRINGTON PALS by Peter Whelan. The New Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman. Recorded incidental score of music hall songs on the concertina for this play set in the First World War.
	LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET by Chris Martin, based on the novel by Mary E. Braddon. The New Vic. Directed by Chris Martin. Composed a dozen songs in Edwardian parlour style for the characters to sing to piano accompaniment.
	BOUNCERS by John Godber. The New Vic. Directed by Rob Swain. Choreographed two disco/rapping routines and staged a parody of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. A reprise of the 1990 production with a different cast.
	KINGDOM OF CROWS AND CARRION by David Culcutt. Directed by Nigel Bryant. BBC radio play based on characters in the Welsh legend ' The Mabinogion'. Composed songs and incidental music.
	JUNIOR DANCE BBC Radio series. Produced by Julie Beckett. Was one of the band assembled for a term's worth of country dancing for schools. Later released as an audio cassette pack by BBC Educational Publishing.
	THE SHEFFIELD STUDENT GAMES Collaborated with composer Nicholas Dodd to record the folk dance section of the massive opening ceremony for this international event
	THE MAD FOREST by Caryl Churchill. Drama Course, Manchester Polytechnic. Directed by Chris Martin. Choreographed a wedding dance for this play set in contemporary Romania.
	MORRIS ON THE SOMME by Mick Jones. BBC Radio play. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Traditional Morris dance music on the concertina for this First World War story about a dance team who enlisted and died together. Dancing by Wheatley Morris men in the BBC Car Park.
	THE CHERRY ORCHARD by Anton Chekhov, translated by Michael Frayn. The New Vic. Directed by Rob Swain. Recorded traditional Russian Jewish (Klezmer) music.
	JOHN KIRKPATRICK'S ENGLISH FOLK BAND BBC Radio session. Invited by the Folk on Two programme to assemble a ten-piece band to record arrangements of well-known English traditional tunes, with a view to making a first step towards some kind of national folk ensemble. Repeated due to popular demand, but the ensemble never materialised.
	TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES by Thomas Hardy, dramatised by Sally Hedges. BBC Radio drama serial. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Arranged and composed songs and incidental music for a three part dramatisation of the Thomas Hardy story.
	BBC YOUNG TRADITION AWARD BBC Radio 2 Invited to be one of the adjudicators for Folk on 2's National competition for young performers.

1992
	PRS COMPOSER IN EDUCATION SCHEME Worked for two three day sessions with the Crabapple Band of Wyndham School, Egremont, Cumbria, with workshops on dance music style. Composed a tune for the band and encourages the pupils to do the same, (with spectacular results) in this joint venture organised by the Performing Rights Society and Folkworks.
	INTO THE WEST Full length feature film. Session musician on the soundtrack, particularly in evidence on accordion in the cinema scenes.
	THANET MUSIC AND DRAMA FESTIVAL Sole adjudicator of the folk music section of this event in Broadstairs, Kent, dealing with singing, instrumental music, dancing and story-telling.
	SWEET TALKER Full length feature film. Contributed to the soundtrack composed by Richard Thompson.
	THE NIGHT BEFORE THE MORNING AFTER SHOW The New Vic. JK contributed songs to this show of sketches and songs.
	THE TEST VALLEY TAPESTRY SUITE Commissioned by the Test Valley Borough Council, based in Andover, through local folk music project TAPS, to arrange 40 minutes worth of traditional Hampshire tunes, in eleven pieces, for three concert performances. JK and five others, including members of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Timed to celebrate the completion of a series of embroidered panels depicting life along the Test Valley.
	THE JOLLY POTTERS Written by Rony Robinson and Peter Cheeseman. The New Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman. Composed and arranged songs in the style of Primitive Methodist hymns for this documentary play about the 1842 Potteries uprising. MD'd and also devised choreography and stylised movement.
	HENCEFORWARD by Alan Ayckborn. The New Vic. Directed by Rob Swain. Composed and recorded a telephone answering machine jingle and the final 'Love' theme.
	RETURN TO BURSLEM SQUARE BBC Radio Stoke. Produced by Mervyn Gamage. Provided songs and music for this historical documentary programme, using material from 'The Jolly Potters' play at the New Vic.
	FOLK DANCE BBC Educational Publishing. Audio cassette pack release of 1991's country dance Radio programme 'Junior Dance'.
	BORDER ROOTS AND REVIVAL West Malvern, Worcestershire. JK was invited to be one of three guest speakers at a day of lectures on different aspects of Border Morris Dancing, in an event organised by the Morris Federation. JK discussed the history, development and philosophy of the team he founded in 1975 - The Shropshire Bedlams. This talk was later printed in the American Morris Newsletter in 2000. Read it here...
	SPIRIT OF TREES Channel 4 TV. JK extensively interviewed, as a know-all local resident, on the history and significance of Aston-on-Clun's unique Arbor Tree, in a feature in the TV series presented by Dick Warner. JK also seen Morris Dancing.

1993
	TIME TO MOVE BBC Radio 4. Produced by Julie Beckett. Played on one term's worth of schools dancing programme.
	THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS by Sean O'Casey. The New Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman. Researched the songs specified in the text and taught them to the actors. Mostly traditional Irish. Also arranged and recorded incidental music.
	FRIENDS Commercial Feature Film. Featured on soundtrack on concertina.
	SQUEEZING ROUND THE WORLD BBC Radio 2. Produced by David Corser. Second series of six programmes chosen and presented by JK, with interviews with Christian Oller and Jacques Yvert, C J Chenier and Neil Wayne.

1994
	OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens. BBC Radio Play. Directed by Nigel Bryant. Composed incidental music for this new adaptation by Nigel Bryant and recorded it with self on concertina and Katherine Lock on cello. Later released as a cassette on BBC Radio Collection.
	NICE GIRLS The New Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman. Choreographed two rapping routines in the new documentary play about miners' wives occupying the pit.
	SWEENEY TODD by C G Bond. The New Vic. Composed and recorded incidental music on concertina for this melodramatic play (not the musical).
	THE MUSICAL THREEPENNY BIT BBC Radio 2. Produced by David Corser. Researched and presented a Squeezing round the World Special programme to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the patent for the concertina. One hour long, featuring several interviews with prominent players and enthusiasts.
	ALONG THE LINE Shropshire poetry project organised by Bishop's Castle Community College. Set some of the specially written poems, based on The Heart of Wales Railway Line, to music and performed them at the unveiling of the work.
	THE TINDER BOX by Peter Whelan. The New Vic. Directed by Peter Cheeseman. Arranged Peter Whelan's songs for the company and composed incidental music and choreography. Partly recorded, mostly arranged for the actors to play live.
	TIME TO MOVE BBC Radio 4. Produced by Julie Beckett. Played for another term's worth of dancing for schools.