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She was brilliant, played all the hits, engaged with the crowd, a real highlight.

The crowd singing along to Downtown was surely the best moment/few minutes of the whole weekend.

An inspired choice.

I am pleased to be proved wrong. An inspired booking. Still had a great voice and I loved the new songs as well. Perhaps I'm getting old, but one of the acts I enjoyed the most.

She was great considering her age, but she should have been on much earlier in the afternoon.
Apart from Downtown, the people around me just weren't interested.

Some of the most shameless name dropping ever, but she delivered a good set, love her version of Crazy, great to hear the Tony Hatch hits especially.

DW

Sorry, I was not impressed. Schmaltzy, showbizzy and not for me at all. I'm sure there's a place for this sort of stuff, but it isn't Cropredy.

I enjoyed some of her set, and she does it amazingly well for someone of her age, but some parts were a bit too schmaltzy (nice word, Mick!) for me.

Cabaret act in a field. Wasn't for me, but I watched and listened and she certainly nailed it. Give her that.

I thought she nailed it. A star.

Have you never seen Donovan?

Not my thing, but pleasant enough and the crowd clearly loved it.

Stayed for the first few then got bored with the name dropping of long dead stars. Not right for Cropredy (Sorry Dave Pegg). Sacrificed RT but knew he would appear on Saturday, and how did he! Fantastic.

Total class. Namedropping Charlie Chaplin is allowed if he's written a song for you. Another highlight of the weekend.

Can't deny that I sang along to Downtown, but I thought she sounded flat for most of the set. If she had headlined I would have probably gone to bed early. Stayed because of RT.

She got away with it, when nobody knew what to expect.

She was exactly the sort of act that a teenager (me) in the 1960s thought was from a bygone age then. So 50+ years later it sounded much the same, but I'm a little less dismissive.

Nostalgia done rather well.

Loved the set, inspired choise by the bookers.

Really was disappointing, an over all poor line up for the 50th year.

On the contrary, I believe that's exactly what Cropredy is about: Different types and styles of music, not just those we are (individually) comfortable with. I was not comfortable with her but realised it was a throwback to a different era and how things were then done (e.g. the presentation of flowers at the end).

And don't forget it was a leap of faith on her part, never having performed at a festival before. I'm told she was exceptionally nervous before going on.

How many 84-year olds would have the guts to do that?

Not my cup of tea, but immense respect for her and I enjoyed it for what it was, not what I wanted it to be.

Why book her for Cropredy?

A triumph - much to my surprise!

Total respect to the woman. 84 years old, for crying out loud  :o  And I reckon the way she sang 'Blackbird' would be beyond Macca's vocal ability these days. Certainly the biggest surprise of the fest for me.

It's easy to fall into the trap of not judging her in the same way other artists this weekend because of her age and the affection with which she is held.

She's a lovely lady, the band were extremely competent, but really she struggled with sustaining notes and some songs were clearly misjudged - Imagine was not a triumph.

The flowers at the end completed the illusion that she was playing to her audience at the Albert Hall, or the London Palladium.

I understand why she got booked and did like some of her set, but at best it was a misstep IMHO.

At least RT was on afterwards, not before. To repeat what happened to Joan Armatrading a few years back would have been unforgivable for a national treasure like Pet.

And yes, I sang along to Downtown. ;D

"Total respect to the woman. 84 years old, for crying out loud"

And total respect to you Gary, but being good considering the age doesn't cut it for me. You're either good enough or you're not. I did enjoy her - she knows how to put on a show -although getting flowers and disappearing without a stage call/bow was a bit diva-ish for me.

This might just be me but I really felt like she didn't "get" the crowd. Nobody goes to a festival so they can stand in a field listening to someone else list the various people you used to know for five minutes before the next song, it's like getting cornered by the boring nerk at the bar chuffed to bits because so-and-so followed him back on Twitter!

It might be a generational thing but I thought she was a really weird choice: I didn't know any of her stuff except Downtown and I never even liked that when Emma Bunton did it! I talked to someone at breakfast next day who said Petula did the original and Bunton was a cover, so maybe I'm being a young fuddy-duddy (is that a thing? If it is, can you still be one in your mid-30s??*) but I think if Richard hadn't been coming on afterwards I'd have written the whole thing off and gone to bed. As it was I grinned (well, drank) and bore it, and it was worth it for RT at least.

To be fair to her, I think she suffered from being after the Pierce Brothers who were really tough to follow, and she's got a good voice, but all the dull rambling interludes about the time she worked with George Lucas before he was famous and how she remembers what Sinatra looked like really killed the pace of the set and made the whole thing feel more like one of those awful old "An Evening With" shows than a festival. Pacing-wise she'd have done much better as an early afternoon appearance I think.

*This is probably a trick question because I've been into Fairport since I was 8 so I've probably always been a young fuddy-duddy  ;)

Brave choice for Cropredy and, as her first ever festival appearance, thought she carried it off well. Seemed to be well received generally especially the hits! Surprised myself as I enjoyed it

I did not have great expectations for this set and these were met.  She was a bit like the proverbial dog riding a bike; it does not do it very well but you are amazed that it can do it at all!

For an 84 year old singer her voice was better than could be expected, but she could not hit and sustain the high notes and at times was flat.  Yes I sang along to a couple of the number I knew and enjoyed it sitting at the back of the field but it did not engage me or make me want to hear more.  It was lucky for her that RT was on after her or I would have gone part way through the set.

i didnt really want to comment on Miss Clarke as my mother always liked her, but, she was a bit wobbly at times she murdered a few songs but got away with it , because of her venerable status and a cracking band.
   i still think it was gloriously bad decision to book her and hope that it doesnt presage a whole raft of ageing crooners at cropredy much as we have been inundated with prog for the last few years

Seems a few moans about the name dropping and chat between the songs. I think when you have been in the music business for 70 years you have earned the right. I am normally the first to moan about chat between songs, but I found most of her stories insightful and interesting.

Presumably everybody left after RT and Joan played to half a dozen people and some cows?

"Presumably everybody left after RT and Joan played to half a dozen people and some cows?"

As I recall the cows had buggered of to bed as well

It was so-o boring. And as for stage presence, she looked like a school dinnerlady. I only stayed to the end because I'd come a long way to be there and thought I'd hold out for my money's worth, but I certainly trudged back to the tent disappointed.

She covered Gnarls Barkley, gotta be one of my more surreal moment.  I think she did alright and I enjoyed it, aye she lost her notes sometimes but hey not everyone can be Shirley Bassey.

Sorry but I am impressed that she is 84 and still belting them out in a festival.  



Aye? H&S mate you wouldn't be allowed to wear floaty scarfs, unless I was too far back I missed her nylon tabard?

Not my choice of music but she put on a good show, irrespective of age.

Not really my sort of music, but I thought she did well for her age. And it was good hearing the Finian's Rainbow stuff again.

Paul

I dont know how many brave souls stuck around for the whole of ms A's set but the first 20 minute's were dreadful  and I decided that life was too short to listen to a 70s/80s relic amusing herself, and judging from the exodus from the field and chats the next day I was not alone. Pet for all her faults was immeasurably better than that.

My biggest issue was that she didn't get a proper intro. An 84 year old veteran of the music business travels hundreds of miles to entertain us and doesn't get a few words of introduction? Poor show Fairport  :(
As for her set it was great! She sang some old and new songs and attempted to connect with her audience with some anecdotes. What's wrong with that? I've got used over the years to having bands at Cropredy that I wouldn't listen to normally as they're not my pint of dark, but they've always been great musicians. Petula was as good as some other bands and better than others. I would be more than happy to have a Legends slot at Cropredy. Is Tom free next August?  8) ::)

Do you mean Mr Paxton? That would be great!

Tom Robinson!

I am guessing Mr Jones.

Clearly but I was trying to avoid the obvious and the one which I have no desire to see

I did mean Mr Jones (obvs!!!) and he puts on a superb concert  :D he still has a great voice and does quite a bit of bluesey stuff live. |But it's unlikely with what he charges so no need to worry!

 But really. ...the stage at Cropredy covered in knickers?  Not too sure about that   :-[

There's quite a gap between the people at the front and the actual stage.  Most people would need a good following wind for the knickers to reach the stage!

Or really big nickers

Or put rocks in them?
(Sorry, Sir Tom   ;) )

Reading the comments on name dropping made me think of David Niven's intro to Bring On The Empty Horses -
" If you re sitting down to dinner with Chairman Mao, it makes little sense to talk about the butler."

Not sure Sir Tom would be out of their price bracket (especially if they can book Alice Cooper). He played Lytham Festival two years ago which was a smaller crowd. Was brilliant too and convinced me he would be a great headliner. Would probably be a draw too.

84 years young eh? Amazing . Would I buy any of her music? Erm perhaps not, but I am after buying her autobiography . Bless her .

Is she the oldest person to play at Cropredy?

Possibly the oldest person to play anywhere  ;D

Nah. George Burns was still performing at 100..

I thought she did great. Enjoyed her much more than I thought and I was pleased, perhaps thanks to RT, we didn't do a Joan Armatrading on her.

She got away with it  ;D

I must have been in the wrong field, after the Pearce brothers got the crowd going it brought the crowd down and killed the atmosphere. A lazy booking for such a special night.

Have to agree with Moscar. Pierce Bros didn't really do it for me either but they had energy and the field was buzzing.  Swapping their slots (PB and PC) would have a better move, and PC could have been on during the "supper time and wander back to the tent" slot.

didds

Presumably chicken in a basket followed by Black Forest Gateau to catch the mood of the set?

With a pint of Red Barrel and a port and lemon for the ladies ;D

nope, not for us ... we did use the time to wander about the stalls, and pick up the latest FC cd ... another 'strange' Cropredy booking ioho  :-\

I admit that when I found out that Pet was on, it didn't have the same impact as when Alice was announced, but as I've said elsewhere, I love festivals because it gives me an opportunity to see something I wouldn't go to see under other circumstances, and I give them a fair go.
I quite enjoyed her set on the whole...there were more songs that I knew than I thought....the Finian's Rainbow stuff was a treat..I'd forgotten that I saw the film during my headbanging years and was puzzled at the time why I enjoyed it so much - How Are Things in Glocca Morra? is hardly metal is it ?
 I Couldn't Live Without Your Love is still ear worming me to this very morning, despite the fact that I've been to two festivals and bought and listened to forty odd albums this month.
 I wouldn't say it's an adequate substitute, but Steve Winwood didn't play anything from Arc Of A Diver when he played Cropredy, so it was nice to hear something from one of my all time fave albums.
I met Joe Brown at the top of the field during her set, grinning his big grin, which was another highlight, albeit not related to her in anyway..
She did ok.
Interesting that Andy mentioned the billing. I met an old band mate at the boot fair - he's David Gilmour in a Floyd tribute - and he thought that both the Thursday and Friday top spots should have been swapped around - fair enough for Trevor Horn and the Divine Comedy - I can see that, although I don't agree. But Pet and R.T ? Possibly for the current Cropredy demographic who seem less interested in Fairport than in days of yore. I don't know, but I'm one of the people who DID enjoy Joan Armatrading, along with a couple of cows - at least, Daisy agreed, even if Lulubelle III, was unsure.

edit: Tom Jones would be fab....his bluesy version of Danny Boy is great.