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Albion Christmas Band

Venue: The Atkinson
Town: Southport
Date: 20/12/13

There's nothing like a Christmas concert to get you in the mood for the Festive Season and there is surely no better Christmas concert than that put on by The Albion Christmas Band [not to be confused with The Albanian Christmas Band].

The ACB boasts one of the best line-ups you could wish for, with original Fairport Convention legends Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol, together with ace melodeon player Simon Care and superb singer [with the "voice of an angel"] Kellie While.

This is the fifteenth year that the ACB have undertaken a Christmas tour and I have lost count of the number of times I have seen their show, so going to see them is like meeting up with old friends. Kellie, of course, grew up in Southport and so it was a homecoming for her. Kellie used to work in the much-missed Andy's Records in Marble Place, an establishment which I visited frequently in my lunch hour and we often chatted about music!

It's incredible to think that it was 1966 [6th July, to be precise] when Ashley first suggested to Simon Nicol that they form a folk-rock band with Richard Thompson. The rest, as they say, is history. Forty seven years on Simon and Ashley are still playing together.

What I like about the ACB's Christmas Show is that it is a most refreshing anti-dote to the commercialism of Christmas. Their show combines Christmas carols, traditional song and dance, poetry, humour and the best in contemporary songs. In other words, it's a variety show, in the truest sense of the word and a highly entertaining one at that. It is clearly put together with much thought and a great deal of Care.

The whole evening was superb but if I have to pick out some highlights, they would be these.

Firstly, it was great to hear Kellie's gorgeous voice on such seasonal songs as January Man [Dave Goulder], Winter Song [an old favourite of mine, by the late Alan Hull] and Mad World [by Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears]. The combination of Kellie's voice accompanied by Simon Nicol on acoustic guitar is simply stunning.

Another memorable moment was the performance, led by Ashley, of "The King", which featured on Steeleye Span's classic second album [from 1971] "Please To See The King". As Ashley explained, "The King" is the winter wren [or "cutty wren"] which was traditionally captured, placed in a cage and paraded as if it were a king, on St.Stephen's Day [December 26th]. I also enjoyed Ashley's reading and song which described the "Frost Fairs" held on the Thames when it froze over in the time of King James.

Simon Care put on a remarkable display of the traditional winter-time Monkseaton Egg Dance, in which he danced along a line of eggs whilst blindfolded, without so much as moving them, let alone breaking them.

As for humour, we a had a very clever monologue by Simon Nicol about the Old Testament origins of the internet and a hilarious letter from an elderly resident of a rest home, read by Kellie.

The evening finished on a rousing note with a selection of Christmas carols, with which the audience joined in with great gusto.

As with previous shows by The Albion Christmas Band, I left the concert hall with a warm glow and feeling full of the joys of Christmas. Long may they continue to entertain us at this special time of year.

Peter Cowley
photocredit:Neil King not taken at gig