A memorable night with John Tams and Barry Coope

There really was something quite special about hearing and seeing the legendary singer and songwriter, John Tams in the intimate setting of our very own Second Time Around. He was accompanied by Barry Coope who provided vocal harmony and subtle backgroun keyboards but it was very much John Tams’ night.

Although Tams and Coope used PA and amps to help balance the voices against keyboards and guitar, the evening remained intensely intimate, helped by the packed room of some sixty of us. Between songs, Tams reminisced with tales from a fascinating and varied life: the fairgrounds of his youth, work as a local newspaper reporter or local radio presenter, his film and theatre career. His decency, humour and authenticity were very much in evidence as he sang from a varied repertoire: music hall style numbers like ‘It’s Nowt to Do Wi’ Me’, songs from the TV show ‘Sharpe’ (‘Over the Hills and Far Away’), one about his grandfather (whom he never met) and songs from his theatre shows such as War Horse and Lark Rise. to Candleford. As encore, he and Barry left us singing along with them on ‘Rolling Home’, a song of Tams’ that appears almost to have entered the tradition.

As we rolled home we knew we had spent a unique evening in the company of one the greats.

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