On March 19, Peter Robinson and Martin Carthy took to the stage in York to perform Crimes and Ballads, a combination of a story by Peter Robinson and songs by Martin Carthy. Based on the English folk song Little Musgrave, Peter Robinson’s story sets out the tale of unrequited love. “At appropriate intervals Robinson takes a back seat and the space that presents itself allows Carthy to sing songs that complement the text. Tales of loss and longing and of heartbreak and stolen dreams.”
As reported by David Markham in York Mix:
To witness them individually would have been enough. To pair them together was inspired. I couldn’t help but think that in a world where we as a population are increasingly expected to embrace pace and change, tonight’s performance demanded that we stop and think and revel in the talents of two gifted men and the warmth of the community of people in the building. Sometimes the old ways are the best.
It was a moving performance, in an intimate setting in a converted church. There will be other performances in the future, and we’ll post information about them on the site.
Peter Robinson 