Cropredy
I'm overcome with envy of those who were at Cropredy when reading the undernoted entry in Richard Thompson's official website - my pal Les was supposed to be going this year - LES, if you're reading this - let me know how it went.
Richard Thompson played three distinct sets at this year’s annual Fairport Cropredy Convention. The sold-out crowd enjoyed glorious sunshine throughout the weekend, dispelling the “rain-god” myth!
Friday Richard joined Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings and Dave Mattacks (with Chris While) to play, in sequence, the entire album, something that Fairport had not done for almost forty years. Richard’s more mature guitar style lent new dimensions to the classic collection of “traditional arrangement” songs.
After a short interval, the Richard Thompson Band headlined Friday night. In a set lasting almost two hours, the majority of was featured, along with a host of classics (including Wall Of Death and Mingulay Boat Song).
After an unexpected guest spot with Ian Matthews on Saturday afternoon, Richard joined Fairport for their marathon evening set. The performance included a reunion of the line up whose set included a rare outing for Doctor of Physick, and Mason’s Apron, which accentuated the playing of both Dave Swarbrick and Richard Thompson. Jerry Donahue and others joined the band for Sloth.
Much later in the set, Richard returned for a reformation of Fairport’s first album line-up (only the late Martin Lamble was missing) for Time Will Show The Wiser and Si Tu Dois Partir.
The event was recorded and filmed and the DVD of this year’s Cropredy will certainly be a treat in itself (for all who attended and those who unfortunately missed it.) As chance would have it, Richard’s previous Cropredy appearance is included on Dave Pegg’s four CD set which was launched at the festival. The set includes Let It Blow, in a band version, and Sandy Denny’s Solo, sung by Beth Neilsen Chapman, with Richard on lead guitar, both recorded live at Cropredy 2005.
