To book Cockersdale
Contact:
Jacey Bedford of
Jacey Bedford Tour Management
01484 606230
agency(at)jacey-bedford.com
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rouble in the Kitchen
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Cockersdale (UK)
Generally Available.
Soundclips: Tree
Song, Long
Long Road, The Cuckoo, Follow Me Home
Youtube video of Cockersdale at Shrewsbury Folk Festival in August 2007
Click in the image
to see the lager version
of the promo postcard
For many years Cockersdale has been one of the leading unacompanied harmony groups in the UK.
Originally formed by Keith Marsden to perform his songs, the group's reputation soon grew making them a major force in folk music. Following Keith's untimely death in 1991 Cockersdale reformed with Val Marsden, John O’Hagan and Graham Pirt, and they quickly re-established themselves on the UK folk scene. Although they now have a repertoire that stretches beyond that performed before Keith's death they still perform many of the songs that he wrote and for which he is justly famous.
“The quality and power of the harmonies has rarely been surpassed. The excellent individual abilities of those in the group combined to form one of the best groups of unaccompanied singers ever to grace the world of English folk music.” - John Connell - Folk on Tap.
Many of Keith’s songs have found their way into the tradition already and songs like ‘Bring us a Barrel’ and ‘A Pint of Old Peculiar’ have long been singers favourites at festivals.
“Keith's songs are underpinned by the skills of a fine wordsmith and an astute observer, and are immensely singable.” - folkmusic.net
Newly written songs still feature within the performances but are now more commonly from the pen of Graham, though Cockersdale is more rightly known for sumptuous vocal harmony interpretations of the tradition as well as for their spirited performances of the Peter Bellamy settings of the poems of Rudyard Kipling.
They have five CDs to their credit and a book based on the life and Times of Keith Marsden - Picking Sooty Blackberrries. With a history of appearances at most of the major festivals in the UK Cockersdale bring guaranteed enjoyment to any performance.
“Their two-men, one-woman sound is rich and evocative of the music (both modern and traditional) that they deliver: witness "Anderson’s Coast," about the Australian mining industry, the traditional "Poor Old Horse," and - the highlight - folk king Stan Rogers’ ‘Barratt’s Privateers.’” - a cappella.com (USA)
Lest We Forget: Cockersdale also present the poems of Kipling, set to music by Peter Bellamy, as a special show with songs and readings for festivals, arts centres, village halls and theatres. It features an extended cast of all three members of Cockersdale, Val Marsden, John O'Hagan and Graham Pirt plus Dave Webber and Annie Fentiman and John Morris.
