SOLD OUT!

Please email liz@sparctheatre.co.uk to go on the waiting list for tickets.

We are delighted to welcome John to SpArC Theatre.

Taking its title from John’s unforgettable song telling the Nativity story from the point of view of the animals in the stable, this show is a heart-warming look at the timeless rituals found in the folklore and folk music of England at Midwinter.

This is also the official Launch of John’s new Album- Joy & Jubilation out on Fledg’ling Record Featuring members of Castle Carols who will join him on stage in the second half of the show and you can pick up a copy of the new record.

John peels away the commercial gloss of modern Christmas to reveal the powerful pagan urges that race through us all at this time of year, and the life and death struggle that is symbolised in so many traditional songs and customs.

And if that all sounds just a little too intense, then rest assured that the mysterious and murky goings-on in these magical songs of wassailing, wren-hunting, stirring the fire, and incessant feasting, all come dressed up in a glittering finery of toe-tapping tunes and cracking choruses. Add to the mixture a light-hearted smattering of hilarious original songs, a sprinkling of carols both familiar and unfamiliar, all stirred up with John’s usual panache and energy, and supported by his scintillating skill on a variety of squeeze-boxes, and you have an unbeatable recipe for having a rattling good sing, guaranteed to keep the spirits cheery and the cold at bay.

A BIT ABOUT JOHN KIRKPATRICK

John Kirkpatrick was born in London, joined The Hammersmith Morris Men as a twelve-year-old in 1959, and has been dancing, singing, and playing his way round the English Folk Scene ever since. Becoming a virtuoso on various squeeze-boxes, he’s worked in all kinds of groups, bands, and duos, as well as extensively in the theatre. Widely respected as one of the foremost champions of English Traditional Music in all its forms, he is also a prolific creator of new work – whether songs, tunes, or The Shropshire Bedlams. John was awarded lifetime membership of The International Concertina Association in 2002, the English Folk Dance and Song Society’s Gold Badge in 2003, and last year was appointed an MBE for his contribution to English Folk Music.