Albion Christmas Band 2007

[Angela]

The tour started tonight at Hailsham, it was brilliant.  If you're thinking of going to one of the gigs don't dither, get your tickets, they're on top form  

   ....more later.....

[Angela]

Hailsham Pavillion is a magnificent looking building from the outside and from the inside is a beautifully decorated cosy little venue, its only downfall being the lack of a bar.

We were entertained for the first half hour by the West Sussex singers, dressed in their 1700c garb, singing traditional Christmas songs, then the stage was quickly changed and the Albion Christmas Band were on.

They gave a fantastic performance with the usual mix of festive anecdotes, songs, tunes and dances. During the very long interval we were treated to wine, beer or soft drinks and plenty of nibbles which made up for the lack of bar facilities  The CD tables were well stocked and I was very pleased to come away with an old Albion Christmas Album from 1999 and the new hot of the press 'Vintage Albion Band' CD.

The highlight of the evening for Dennis...during the last song Ashley threw Dennis the tambourine to play! So now Dennis can say that he's played with the Albion Band.  As Simon said afterwards, another box he can tick

It was a fabulous nights entertainment, which really gets you into the Christmas spirit.  Very well worth the long journey there and back.

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[Ollie]

Great review. I was going to see them on Sunday, but it's our village carol service   Oh well, going to see Coope Boyes and Simpson do Voices at the Door the day before.

Dennis has a Pegg number of 2!!!!   Not every teenager can say that!

[Anne T]

I've been off work with a flu thing.   I will get better by Friday, I must get better...there, convinced myself  

[AndyCarter]

I'm going on Friday too, it's the beacon of light at the end of a particularly difficult week at work.

First time I'll have seen the Albion Christmas Show since the Woolwich Tramshed back in 1988. It'll be interesting to see how it's evolved.

[PaulT]

I'd like to know more details of the Vintage Albion Band CD referred to... tracks, lineup(s) etc... Angela, would you mind telling us (me)?

Thanks.

Paul

[PL (Peter)]

I'd like to know more details of the Vintage Albion Band CD referred to... tracks, lineup(s) etc... Angela, would you mind telling us (me)?

Thanks.

Yes, please.

[Angela]

I just happen to have said cd right in front of me, its been playing almost nonstop since Sunday
   

          Vintage Albion Band
                   
                          On the Road 1977-1981-1982.

1977
1 uncle bernard's/albion sunrise/jenny lind
2 bouree
3 the gresford disaster
4 la sexte estample real
5 hopping down in kent
6 buttered peas

1981
7  lemady/arise and pick a posy/down the road
8  don't be an outlaw
9  jacobs well
10 snow fall
11 galliard/bransle
12 dare to be a daniel


1982
13 snowdrop polka/high tea tango/seaside shuffle
14 the greatest show on earth
15 tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
16 london dance song medley
a) pell mell in pall mall
b) the kensington square square dance
c) (do) the aldwych

line ups....
1977 - tams,hutchings,taylor,picket,bullock,sanders,gregory,mattocks
1981 - tams, hutchings,protheroe,caddick,taylor,pickett,evans,gregory
1982 - lesurf,hutchings,whetstone,nicol,rasle,maxwell

available from your nearest Albion Christmas band show!

[davidmjs]

Nice one...'properly' released in Jan...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0010YOYCA/findhotelinth-21

[PL (Peter)]

Thank you, Angela & davidmjs

Peter

[PaulT]

Thanks Angela - another New Year purchase coming up!

[johnnysaint (John)]

We'll be seeing them at Bury this Thursday. Can't wait....it was a brilliant show last year
Oh, how the years fly by!
johnnysaint  

[Malcolm]

          Vintage Albion Band
                    
                          On the Road 1977-1981-1982.


available from your nearest Albion Christmas band show!

Just got the Talking Elephant flier and its available there, too.

[PaulT]

Anyone know if any of these tracks have been released before, as I have a couple of live CDs already & don't want to duplicate?  Thanks.

[Angela]

Anyone know if any of these tracks have been released before, as I have a couple of live CDs already & don't want to duplicate?  Thanks.

It's 'previously unreleased live material from 3 Albions -1977-1981-1982'.

[AndyCarter]

The 1977 and 1982 track listings look just like a "Live at the BBC" album I've got.

[DavidG]

The 1977 and 1982 track listings look just like a "Live at the BBC" album I've got.

Yes, indeed ... those two shows were previously released on "The Albion Band Live in Concert" - an original sound recording made by BBC Radio 1 "Live in Concert". Definitely the same recordings, the only difference seeming to be the editing away of the spoken introductions to the songs and the omission here of the "Postman's Knock/Black Joke" track.

The 1981 tracks are new to me. They are good performances, of course, but may come from a good off-air recording rather than the studio tracks themselves which the other shows are taken from. Much better audio quality than other similar examples I've heard over the years, though.

[Jan_]

We arrived home just after midnight – not bad timing, given that the roads were icy and Doris Satnav had difficulty working out where she was at the start of the journey.

But to track back a few hours ...

The venue was The Assembly House, Norwich.  We had come to hear the Albion Christmas Band -  that's Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol, Simon Care and Kellie While to those who are unfamiliar.

*****

Rounding the corner from the car park, we were greeted by the sight of a beautiful Georgian building lining three sides of a formal garden and looking like something straight out of a Jane Austen novel.  I could almost imagine Elizabeth Bennet stepping from her carriage as she arrived at the Meryton public ball.  The illuminated fountain and twinkling lights all added to the Pride and Prejudice-like scene but it was here that the similarity ended ... thankfully.

And so on to the concert itself.  There was a good proportion of traditional music but it wasn't in the least bit like the ballroom music of that romantic regency comedy.  Instead it was much more like that of the common people and I thought there was a very folky feel to the whole evening.  The show opened with Past Three O'Clock – a rousing Carol which echoed the musical style of the night watchmen of old who not only kept an eye out for danger during the dark hours but also served as an alarm clock for the workers. Other favourites were The Holly and the Ivy, Frosty Reception and Somerset Wassail.  Julian of Norwich was particularly apt.

But the Albions are not stuck in the past and the set list also featured  some more up to date material, like Jackson Browne's Rebel Jesus, Joni Mitchell's River and Winter – songs with a serious message for this time of year.  They made me think, unlike the Xmas muzak we had just endured  in a restaurant before the concert.

Kellie’s readings were taken from a book by Guy Browning called Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade.  One was on the subject of shopping and the other was about colds.  They were both very funny with the latter being very graphical in its description of snot!  One of last year's readings (how shy people become acquainted with the curtains at parties) also came from the same book.

As is usual, we were treated to two dances from Simon C.  The first was a new one and the morris dancers in my family were very impressed with his spring capers.  How does he manage to jump so high?  The second looked quite tricky as he jigged expertly in between and around two antique, long-stemmed, clay pipes which were placed in a cross on the floor.  Understandably, there was a look of intense concentration on his face while he jigged but we were gifted with a beaming smile at the end.

My favourite song of all was God Bless The Master because I just loved the harmonies and the way all four voices blended together.  Speaking of voices that fit together well, Simon N’s voice and Kellie’s voice were pleasingly complementary and their guitars sounded brilliant together too.  Maybe they should make an album.

The evening finished, like last year, with some communal singing of well-known Christmas carols, which we all enjoyed immensely – there's nothing like a good singsong for raising your spirits, is there?  The fact that we were the best singers on the tour so far (I bet they say that to all the audiences!) made it even better.

A very lovely evening with a very lovely group of people.

Thanks guys (and gal).


P.S.  A note to Angela: they have tinsel now!

[steve-n]

Venue - The Mill, Banbury - now thankfully recovered from being several feet under water!  Short but very cold trip from home, arriving at the bar at the same time as Mr Nicol.

Our first experience of the Albions in Christmas mode and we enjoyed every minute of it. No surprise, but the set sounds as though it was pretty much the same as Norwich, although Simon Care's fishing tale was amended to reflect the venue! Really gets you into the Christmas mood without being over-sentimental or religious - although both sentiment and religion took their place.

A particular pleasure was being able to exchange a few words (and in Ashley's case folding money/CDs) with the chaps and Kellie beforehand and during the interval - really made us feel part of something really special.

S&J

[Anne T]

I agree wholeheartedly with what Katy's Mum said about the show (although I saw it in Maidenhead, not Norwich) - and particularly about how good Kellie and Simon sounded together. She would make a great guest vocalist if Fairport were to include a laydee on any future CD they might make. Anyway, it fair cheered me up after a bout of flu.

We didn't get any readings about snot in Maidenhead, you know. We're far too posh for things like that