The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) and The Copper Family invite you to a day and evening event celebrating the life, work and legacy of this gentle giant of the folk world, Bob Copper.
On 24th January 2015, Cecil Sharp House, the home of the English Folk Dance & Song Society, marks the 100th anniversary of Bob Copper’s birth. They will host a day (now sold out) celebration of his life and works, culminating in a very special evening concert featuring some of the biggest names on today’s folk scene. Topic Records will also be reissuing the ‘Bob & Ron Copper’ CD, complete with Bob’s original sleeve notes.
Bob Copper was responsible for collecting and recording many folk songs, not only preserving the tunes and lyrics, but perhaps just as importantly, ensuring that the style in which they were sung remained true to that of his forefathers. A lively and much loved figure, he made an immeasurable contribution towards our understanding of English traditional song and culture. During his lifetime Bob produced not only a number of recorded collections, albums and material for the BBC, but also published several books, such as the award-winning A Song for Every Season. His legacy is continued by his family, who share, through their songs, recordings and books, the music lovingly preserved by their father and grandfathers.
Bob Copper hailed from Rottingdean, in East Sussex, where his family, who had lived in the area for over 200 years, were already well established as singers of traditional, unaccompanied English folk song. Through their recordings and concerts, the family provided a very valuable social history of the life of a Southern English countryman from the 1930s to the present day.
In 1898, Bob’s grandfather and great uncle came to the attention of Kate Lee, one of the founders of the Folk Song Society (later the English Folk Dance and Song Society). Lee, a singer herself, knew she had found something special when she encountered the Coppers.
Excerpted from Barry Callaghan’s film of the Copper Family made by Garland Films for the EFDSS.
James ‘Brasser’ Copper (1845-1924) and his brother Thomas (c.1847-c.1936) were made honorary members of the society, and ‘Brasser’ was prevailed upon to write down the songs that he knew. ‘Brasser’ had two sons, John (c.1879-1952) and Jim (1882-1954). Jim had two children – Joyce (1910-?) and Bob (1915-2004). John’s son was Walter Ronald, known as Ron (c.1913-1979). In the 1950s the family were ‘rediscovered’ and Jim, John, Ron and Bob sang at the Royal Albert Hall, London, where wider public attention followed with the broadcast of a six-part television series Song Hunter, presented by Alan Lomax. Bob wrote several books about the family and its songs, beginning with the widely acclaimed A Song For Every Season in 1971. The accompanying 4LP set (now a collector’s item) found Bob and Ron singing alongside Bob’s daughter Jill and son John, bringing a further generation into the family tradition. After Ron’s death, Jill’s husband Jon joined the core line-up, and some of Bob’s grandchildren began to appear with the group too. The six grandchildren now also appear as The Young Coppers, singing the same family repertoire. In 2004, the family, including Bob, were the subject of an hour long BBC Four documentary.
Various recordings of the family’s singing have been made since the 1950s and some are still available, notably Come Write Me Down (Topic Records). Bob Copper was presented with a BBC Radio Lifetime Achievement Award in (2001). He died in 2004, only a few days after receiving an MBE and having enjoyed a big party in Sussex in his honour.
Ticket Giveaway
EFDSS are giving a pair of tickets away to a lucky Folk Radio UK reader for the Evening Concert on Saturday 24th January at 7:40pm. This will be an unforgettable concert featuring:
The Copper Family
Martin Carthy & Maddy Prior
Oak
Spiro
A Trio of – Olivia Chaney – Lisa Knapp – Nancy Wallace
The Bootleg YT (Jon Boden, Fay Hield, Neil McSweeney)
Stephanie Hladowski & C Joynes
Heather Wood (The Young Tradition)
, Robin Dransfield,
Jim Causley
Longhill Ramblers
To enter just email alex@klofmag.com with Bob Copper in the subject and your name in the body of the email. Last entries by Friday 12 December 2014. A winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.
Event Details
Saturday 24 January, 2:00pm – 11:00pm
Cecil Sharp House, London – nearest tubes : Chalk Farm or Camden Town (northern line)
2 – 6pm Screenings, sing-around and presentations – SOLD OUT
Activities will include:
Screening of Copper Songs and A Song for Every Season
Sussex Sing Around
Shirley Collins on Bob Copper
7.40pm Concert – LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
The Copper Family
Martin Carthy & Maddy Prior
Oak
Spiro
A Trio of – Olivia Chaney – Lisa Knapp – Nancy Wallace
The Bootleg YT (Jon Boden, Fay Hield, Neil McSweeney)
Stephanie Hladowski & C Joynes
Heather Wood (The Young Tradition)
, Robin Dransfield,
Jim Causley
Longhill Ramblers
Plus surprise guests!
All profits for the event will be donated to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML). Promoted by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) and The Copper Family, produced by fRoots
Tickets via:
http://www.efdss.org/
Musicglue
WeGotTickets
0844 888 9991