John Roberts Back Onstage

[David Barnert]

Here he is in the mummers play in this afternoon's performance of Nowell Sing We Clear in Spencertown, NY.

A bit of their topical humor:

 

Tony Barrand [in drag]: In comes I, Harriet Meiers.

 

Father Christmas: If you're Harriet Meiers, I'm John Roberts!

[greenferry]

Here he is in the mummers play in this afternoon's performance of Nowell Sing We Clear in Spencertown, NY.

A bit of their topical humor:

 

Tony Barrand [in drag]: In comes I, Harriet Meiers.

 

Father Christmas: If you're Harriet Meiers, I'm John Roberts!

 

I want to see the pic of Tony Barrand as Harriet Meiers!!! So, does Tony do the routine on his moped? What did Father Christmas have to say to Harriet Meiers?? Was there a dragon?

[Animaterra]

Tony wore a fetching calico bonnet, Eastern-European-style flowered shawl, and what looked like a pointsettia-bedecked tablecloth over his lap for a skirt.

I saw them in Dublin, NH on Friday evening and they were in fine form. John had about 6 concertinas lined up and I'm pretty sure he used all of them. Tony has moved from the scooter to an all-terrain chair. This year he never moved from it; in past years he'd make his way to a tall stool.

But the energy and spirit, and outstanding blend of harmonies, were as vibrant and inspiring as ever! They sang their original "holly and ivy" which I heard for the first time in 1977 as a performer in the Hanover Revels- which was the first time I ever performed with John and Tony and Jack Langstaff.

 

And instead of "Rudolph" they encored with "Lord of the Dance"

 

I'd arrived too late to find a decent seat, but friends insisted on squeezing me into their pew in the very front row!

 

A fine time was had by all.

[David Barnert]

I want to see the pic of Tony Barrand as Harriet Meiers!!! So, does Tony do the routine on his moped? What did Father Christmas have to say to Harriet Meiers?? Was there a dragon?

Sorry, that's the only pic I took. I was using my cellphone and was too far from the stage to get anything usable there. This was in the aisle near me. I only took one of John to follow up on the thread I started in June (before you joined us, Barbara).

 

There was no dragon, just a bunny rabbit (John bonks Tony on the 'ead with it and Tony dies. Andy Davis (Pickle Herring) says "You've killed your own true love" and John says (looking adoringly at the bunny) "No, I think she'll be all right."

[David Barnert]

John had about 6 concertinas lined up and I'm pretty sure he used all of them.

I wasn't able to see how many he had from where I sat, but I did notice that he spent a lot of time playing English Concertina in addition to his more familiar role as an Anglo player.