2012 Set List

The set list for Northern Sky is shaping up to include some of our favorite songs, including

• Riverman / Northern Sky / Chime of The City Clock / Joey (Nick Drake)
• Bless The Weather / Don’t Want To Know (John Martyn)
• Edith & The Kingpin / Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
• Because of Toledo (Paul Buchanan / Blue Nile)
• Looking For Levon (Marc Cohn)
• Whipping Post (Allman Bros)
• I Shot The Sherriff – our non-reggae version (Marley)
• Blue Valentine (Tom Waits)
• Guilty (Randy Newman)
• Book Of Love (Stephen Merritt) we like Peter Gabriels version
• No Face, No Name, No Number (Winwood/Capaldi)
• Willin’ (Lowell George)

…. there will probably be a few more too …..

GIGS:

• March 29 at Cox’s Yard (Stratford) 40min set @ 10pm
• April 15th at Brasenose Arms (Cropredy) full set 6:30-8:30pm

see you there xx

& dont forget you can follow us by “like”-ing us at www.facebook.com/northernsky1

Northern Sky: the Nick Drake Gathering 2011

We were delighted to be invited to perform at the annual Nick Drake Gathering held in Tanworth-in-Arden on 23 July 2011. Nick’s old Cambridge University friend Peter Rice recorded Nick’s early performances and we were honoured that he provided the live sound and also recorded the 2011 Gathering concert.

Here is our performance of Nick Drake’s song “Riverman”:

and from the same concert our version of Nick’s “Northern Sky”:

The Gathering is held in Tanworth-in-Arden in Warwickshire, Nick Drake spent many of his childhood years in Tanworth-in-Arden at his family home of Far Leys and he is buried there in the family grave in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene Church. An annual event celebrating the life and work of Nick Drake has been held at the church and village hall every year since 2002, organised and attended by fans of Nicks work and has become an annual re-union for those who share a common interest and passion in Nicks work.

Although Nick’s work was largely ignored in the heady musical world of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s his record company decreed that his recorded music (comprising just 3 albums) should always be available and “in print”. The result has been a steady stream of new fans of Nick’s music – and through use of songs such as “Pink Moon” in international advertising campaigns (for VW) in the last decade Nick’s work has become loved and played across the world.

The Gathering remains a low-key event and a festival of rememberance as much as music, held in mid-summer amongst the fields and lanes invoked so beautifully in his music.

More information can be found here of this wonderful event  http://nickdrake.moonfruit.com/ .

Northern Sky – who we are

SHORT BIO

 

Northern Sky are an acoustic/electric quartet featuring the talents of blues guitarist Matt Thorpe, the keyboards and vocals of Julian Crook, together with the violin of Ursula Colville and viola of Mike Johnson (both of Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra). Taking their name from one of their favourite Nick Drake songs, “Northern Sky” play a number of Drake songs plus their own takes on other material from the period Drake was writing and performing – as well as original material. The combination of these classical trained musicians together with the blue-eyed soul of Crook and Thorpe make for something special, not to be missed.

 

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LONG BIO

 

Northern Sky are an acoustic/electric quartet featuring the talents of blues guitarist Matt Thorpe, violinist Ursula Colville, viola of Mike Johnson and the keyboards and vocals of Julian Crook. Old friends for many years, each have quite diverse musical backgrounds, Ursula and Mike in Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Matt steeped in blues and rock and with some of the biggest sales records on the Internet, and Julian part of the acclaimed band “The Cohen Brothers” http://www.thecohenbrothers.co.uk

 

Northern Sky formed following an invitation to take part in the 2011 Nick Drake Gathering http://nickdrake.moonfruit.com/ in Tanworth in Arden, an annual festival that celebrates the work and life of Nick Drake, a legendary Island Records artist of the late 1960’s / early 70’s who died in 1974, aged just 26. Although only recording and releasing three official albums, Drake’s work has gradually achieved wider notice and recognition and he now ranks among the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years. For the last 10 years the annual Gathering has attracted fans and artists from across the UK as well as Europe and USA. In 2011 the village hall and church host performances from visiting artists all of who play selected songs by Drake or songs influenced by him.

 

Taking their name from one of their favourite Nick Drake songs, “Northern Sky” play a number of Drake songs plus their own takes on other material from the period Drake was writing and performing – as well as original material. Playing around Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Birmingham during the summer of 2011, the group delighted audiences who persuaded them that “Northern Sky” should be far more than just the originally intended “one off” collaboration.

 

So, from all of us in Northern Sky, we look forwards to seeing and playing for you very soon.

 

Ursula, Mike, Matt & Julian xxxx