Thurs 26 September | An Audience without Jake Thackray or Les Barker

John Watterson is delighted to announce his new show for 2024 – ‘An Audience without Jake or Les’, celebrating the life, songs and wonderful wordsmithery of the great Yorkshire chansonnier, and the hilarious poetry of ‘the finest Poet Laureate we never had. The set includes many Jake classics (Sister Josephine, On Again On Again, The Bantam Cock etc), anecdotes from the recent biography plus some recently discovered ‘lost’ Thackray masterpieces. Les Barker’s wonderful poetry is celebrated through such gems as Reg was a Lonely Glow Worm, Dachsunds with Erections, Spot of the Antarctic and Déjà vu.

John Watterson is the UK’s leading performer of Jake’s songs. As Fake Thackray he has toured with Fairport Convention and Jasper Carrott and has performed at festivals, theatres and clubs across the UK and on local and national radio, as well as appearing with Jon Richardson on ‘Meet the Richardsons’. He was a friend of the late Les Barker and continues to sell Les’ merchandise to raise money for Amnesty International, Les’ nominated charity.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Without Jake.

Leeds-born Jake Thackray (1938-2002) is increasingly recognised as being one of the greatest English songwriters of the twentieth century, a unique talent, whose songs are full of poetry, wit, irreverence and humanity. He became known to millions through his regular appearances in the 1960s and 1970s on programmes such as Braden’s Week and That’s Life. Since his death in obscurity there has been growing recognition of his genius and a resurgence of interest in his work. His admirers include Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner, Don Black, Thea Gilmore, Cerys Matthews, Benjamin Clementine and Neil Gaiman.

John Watterson is the UK’s leading performer of Jake’s songs. As Fake Thackray he has toured with Fairport Convention and performed at Latitude, Cropredy and the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. He has also played for Jake’s family. John has appeared many times on radio, including Radio 4’s Great Lives, a Radio 2 documentary on Jake presented by Cerys Matthews and Radio 3’s The Verb hosted by Ian McMillan. Most recently he appeared on TVs Meet the Richardsons with Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont.

Without Les

Before turning his hand to poetry, Mancunian Les Barker was a chartered accountant, working at the city’s town hall until 1982. But he found it boring. He discovered that his real talent was in writing silly poems, which he would perform at local folk clubs. He soon became a regular at folk clubs and festivals. By his side was Mrs Ackroyd, his dog and loyal companion. He toured America and Australia, and his genius and silliness were treasured everywhere.

His poems set to music were recorded by the US folk singer Tom Paxton, the English folk singer June Tabor, the English folk group Waterson:Carthy, and many others. The Financial Times praised his work as “a blend of Edward Lear nonsense, Stanley Unwin wordplay, the surreal inconsequentiality of Reeves and Mortimer and the demonic robustness of Stanley Holloway monologues”. Les Barker’s wonderful poetry is celebrated through such gems as Reg was a Lonely Glow Worm, Dachsunds with Erections, Spot of the Antarctic and Déjà vu.

Les had a serious side, too. He was politically aware and had an acute social conscience. His poems The Civilised War, with its opening line of “How goes the war on terror, George?”, and The Church of the Holy Undecided got him into trouble in America, leading to cancelled concerts and a refusal to grant him a work permit for his next tour.

Website – www.fakethackray.com

Testimonials

Sir Richard Stilgoe
“Jake would have loved the skill of the performance, the accuracy of the impression, and the affection it contains. Long may John continue to keep Jake’s memory alive so affectionately and skilfully, and introduce more people to one of the most remarkable talents I ever met.”

Mike Harding
‘Brilliant! We can’t have Jake back but this is the next best thing.’

Ralph McTell
‘John Watterson’s obvious joy in performing Jake’s wonderful songs has inspired him to record these Thackray gems, many of which are receiving their first ever release. My dear friend Jake was a modest and shy man, but I think he would be quietly grinning in approval. John’s collaborator, Paul Thompson, has immersed himself so deeply in Jake’s musicality that the new tunes he has written for some of the songs sound as if they were composed by the man himself. Jake lives again through this album, which is a wonderful contribution to the canon of a unique and sadly missed artist.’

Don Black (Songwriter and BBC Radio 2 presenter)
‘Terrific interpretations.

Fri 27 September | The Big Dorset Michaelmas Ceilidh

Join us for what is fast becoming a local tradition as Dorset ceilidh band Tatterdemalion return with their Big Dorset Michaelmas Ceilidh. As before there will be a special session for young families and caller Teresa Williams will teach the steps, so no experience is necessary. Nor is a partner; there’ll always be someone to take your hand. A great way to meet up with friends again after the busy summer. A treat for those who enjoy the simpler things in life, such as fine company, good music, and energetic dancing!

Thurs 3 October | A Pocket Opera – CarmenCo.

CarmenCo’s “Pocket Opera” is more than a concert: It’s a performance of Spanish and Spanish inspired music presented as a play, inspired by Bizet’s opera Carmen, told from her point of view. Dare you consult the cards with her? What does she think of the men in her story? Did she foresee her gruesome ending? And does she like the opera that was written about her?

A fun-filled evening of fantasy, comedy, drama and tremendous music arranged from Bizet’s Carmen and Spanish and Spanish-inspired music by Boccherini, Falla, Garcia -Lorca, Rodrigo, Tarrega and Albeniz, all arranged by the musicians for guitars and flute / voice.

CarmenCo will have the audience in turn laughing out loud, and listening with absolute silence to the immersive and evocative music. It’s a brilliantly accessible and fun way to present classical music

Emily Andrews flute/mezzo – David Massey and Francisco Correa – guitars

REVIEWS

“An unusual, highly entertaining evening… The three first-rate musicians rose to the challenge of acting and dancing as well as musical performance… Superb range of musical colour and artistry throughout the programme” – Ayrshire Post

“What an outstanding performance by the extraordinarily talented and delightful CarmenCo ensemble. We were mesmerised by the story CarmenCo told, and the virtuosity of their flute and guitar playing and singing. It was a magnificent evening ending with rapturous applause” – concert organiser, Arts in The Langfords

“The feedback from your concert has been huge, universally everybody loved it. The number of times I have been stopped in the street this week to compliment the performance is countless.” – concert organiser, Portesham for ArtsReach Dorset

Thurs 17 October | Mike Denham & Speakeasy joined by Pete Allen

Clarinet/sax player Pete Allen has a particular affinity with the music of New Orleans jazzman Sidney Bechet. Bechet cemented his reputation in France, a country Pete has toured many times. Tonight, with Mike Denham at the piano, the programme will feature famous numbers, and some less well-known ones from that period.

A soloist and successful professional band leader for 45 years, Pete has consistently delivered high quality, entertaining traditional jazz. He is even an Honorary Citizen of New Orleans, the cradle of jazz. Not many British musicians can say that!

Over the years he has played alongside any number of USA jazz legends and leading UK jazzmen including Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk.

Thurs 24 October | Ignite – Mi Flamenco

An unmissable opportunity to see international flamenco company Mi Flamenco back at Dorchester Arts with their new show, Ignite.

Soul-stirring original music by virtuoso guitarist Uri Tal, gut-wrenching vocals from Jerez with charismatic flamenco singer Luis Vargas Monge “El Mono” and the extraordinary hypnotic cello of Nick Squires. Heart-thumpingly thrilling dance from Ester Tal and Tomas Arroquero completes this captivating combination of artists and emotions: a truly compelling flamenco experience.

“stunning flamenco dancing backed up by hugely talented guitar players and singers”

(Docklands Review)

Fri 1 Nov | The Tannahill Weavers

Traditional Celtic music at its best! With fire-driven instrumentals and songs, haunting ballads and a good dose of humour, the Tannahill Weavers have transformed traditional Scottish material and brought it into the modern world, vitally alive and kicking.

Members of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, the Tannies have been joined by exciting piper and fiddle player Iain MacGillivray, who is Scotland’s youngest Clan Leader. Iain, a fluent Gaelic speaker, has worked on Outlander and Men in Kilts as well as other high-profile productions.

“Formed from a Paisley pub session in 1968, seminal trailblazers the Tannahill Weavers now also rank as national treasures.” Glasgow Celtic Connections 2018

“They’ve always been an exciting live act, but over the decades the Tannahill Weavers have acquired a degree of musical sophistication that places them among the most influential Celtic bands in history.” Rob Weir, Sing Out Magazine

“An especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new.” New York Times