John Roberts - Oak, Ash and Thorn

John Robert's offering in the Celebration and Homage portion of the performance, "Perception - a portrait of Tony Barrand".

[@Lord_Unchemael]

The audience singing along is beautiful.

[@GoodFoShizzle]

Shame this only has so few views, comments. Will adore this forever

[@cantehondo]

Yes..unforgettably beautiful..

[@ArvidVarg]

The two dislikes are from trees jelous of oak, ash and thorn.

[@FridayNight-zc4ir]

This is beautiful;, such lovely music should be forever sung. That people come together to sing this warms the heart. Good health and love too you all

[@johnnygoode2755]

to quote the king killer chronicles, "the voice ages like fine wine"

[@slimduster5468]

Beautiful, just love this song. I have English blood but am Australian. I have a longing to one day be on english soil

[@KyleEricksonPoetry1617]

Same. I’m Canadian with roots from Wiltshire. I was so pleased when I found that out because I’ve been obsessed with Stonehenge and that ancient landscape for as long as I can remember. One day we will go back.

[@mariaelenavilaralvarez3815]

​@@KyleEricksonPoetry1617When you come home to England, to your Wiltshire roots, try to walk the Clarendon Way. It connects two ancient cathedral cities, Salisbury and Winchester (so from Wiltshire to Hampshire). The countryside, woods and villages you will walk past are beautiful. Maybe the trees on the way will remind you of this song!

[@JoeSnodgrassworks]

Moving. Rich. Wonderful.

[@brightphoebus]

Joe Snodgrass yes

[@melindalemmon2149]

Joe Snodgrass, so true.

[@andrewlearmouth3106]

Hear, hear.

[@becc7]

I love that I just found this. Absolutely beautiful.

[@terraincognita9361]

May our Dear Saviour continue to preserve the English nation and her ancient culture ❤️

[@misdangered4326]

England lives and marches on…

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

Every time the audience sings along, my eyes fill up with tears- this is simply beautiful. What a treasure.

[@kathleenferguson3296]

We always did!

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

@@kathleenferguson3296 ❤️

[@smilly456]

This poem speaks to me in way that is ancient and unknowable

[@solwiin]

закрываешь глаза и чувствуешь и атмосферу какую то особую. невероятный голос!

[@DanSeLDN]

As a proud Englishman there is nothing better

[@dalej1]

As a proud Polish job thiew in The Shire I agree.

[@tabletbrothers3477]

Once again, I have returned to listen to this.

[@redwolf7929]

Love this song, seems to sum up the spirit of my ancestral lands ,peace from oz

[@lordcawdorofmordor2549]

Poem by Kipling in 1907, first noted setting to music by Peter Bellamy in 1970. But this performance is so wonderfully powerful that it feels far older.

[@nix.i]

Of all the trees that grow so fair Old England to adorn Greater are none beneath the sun Than Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn Surely we sing of no little thing Of Oak and Ash and Thorn Oak of the Clay lived many-a day Or ever Aeneas began Ash of the Loam was a lady at home When Brut was an outlaw‘d man And Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town From which was London-born Witness hereby the ancientry Of Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn Surely we sing of no little thing In Oak and Ash and Thorn Yew that is old in churchyard mould He breedth a mighty bow Alder for shoes do wise men choose Beech for cups also But when ye have killed, and your bowl it is spilled ‘nd your shoes are clean outworn Back ye must speed for all that ye need To Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn Surely we sing of no little thing In Oak and Ash and Thorn Ellum she hateth mankind, and waiteth Till every gust be laid To drop a limb on the head of him That anyway trusts her shade But whether a lad be sober or sad Or mellow with ale from the horn He‘ll take no wrong if he lieth along ‘Neath Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn Surely we sing of no little thing In Oak and Ash and Thorn O, do not tell the priest our plight For he would call it a sin But we‘ve been out in the woods all night A-conjuring Summer in And we bring you good news by word of mouth Good news for cattle and corn Now is the sun come up from the south By Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn Surely we sing of no little thing In Oak and Ash and Thorn Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good sirs All on a Midsummer‘s morn England shall bide ‘till Judgement Tide By Oak and Ash and Thorn

[@gryphon0468]

Why Thorn?

[@mintblackbeard3715]

@@gryphon0468 Likely short for Hawthorn

[@sandramorey2529]

He is w/o Tony Barrand. Did Tony pass? The 2 of them are so fabulous. John by himself is a terrific performer & really a teacher. He came to San Francisco a couple of decades back & did a sea shanty program on the Balclutha. It was wonderful & i have most of his music and the two of them on vinyl. I teach some of the songs I've learned from his recordings.

[@SteezyMPeezy]

I enjoyed reading your comment, thank you

[@LarboardAnimations9660]

@@SteezyMPeezy Same

[@sjsturgis]

In recent years John Roberts has performed often with Massachusetts-based singer Debra Cowan (who specializes in "great songs by other people," including many from the tradition). They've done at least one CD together: Ballads Long and Short (very good!). I've never heard Barrand & Roberts live (or Nowell Sing We Clear either) but have bunch of their CDs. Tony Barrand is, as far as Wikipedia knows, still alive. He's had MS for a long time, and that may be responsible for his absence from the rigors of "the road."

[@capt_capstan]

Tony Barrand actually passed away after John Roberts

[@daphnewilliams5349]

@@capt_capstan 2022 John Roberts still alive & well.

[@MV-ix7tl]

This little world.

[@Aleesb]

Beautiful

[@lebboyo]

massive W for this guy

[@coldunquietgrave]

Can’t get better than this.

[@hmkiller2930]

I'm glad I got to see this

[@marcussmith9804]

This proud patriot of the USA that ancestors left England in the 1600s would like to return to his motherland. Great respect for my ancestors and my brothers, im proud to be an English-American.

[@britishginge4474]

Fantastic🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@sinistershenanigans965]

Brilliant 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

A great rendition. Thank you.

[@michaelodonovan7405]

Superb and authentic

[@GoldenToothBrush]

Everything about this is so wholesome, not least his humble smile at the end.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Real question is: how many of you are going to learn to sing/play like this? Who will carry on the tradition once this man and others like him (bless him) dies? It's no good talking about "defending your culture" if you don't actively participate in that culture.

[@arami777]

We have a group here in Victoria, BC, where this style is being actively continued and enjoyed! One of our singers is Graham Metcalfe, formerly of Yorkshire, UK. I'm sure there must be many folk clubs in England where they sing this way?

[@burritodoggo122]

There's a group called The Longest Johns that makes a lot of songs like this.

[@RenneAtha]

​@@burritodoggo122 I found this video because of them. I'm so overjoyed to find actual English folk. There's so much Celtic, Scandinavian, German, Baltic, Slavic, etc. etc. folk out there - which is absolutely amazing - but I've been into folk for a long time now and haven't found much English stuff.

[@martinhealy2902]

That is a great question to ask. And to show the beauties of folk culture to others too.

[@MrFlashpoint1978]

Nah, theres loads of groups out there. Don't be so fucking narrow minded.

[@patrioticarchive]

Wonderful!

[@Brslld]

Very nice performance sir.

[@jamescorbett5729]

That's how it's done.

[@kathleenferguson3296]

Surprise everybody! John Roberts is half Welsh. That Celtic sense of humor had me going when he told me "Morgan" jokes!

[@haroldwalton932]

Wow...wonderful

[@brightphoebus]

Surely no little thing. :'(

[@bigmanhugeman]

Amazing.

[@mugcheese100]

Support your local community by being brave and singing this song in your church and local centres. Keep these things alive… god save the king and England.

[@cokaorcola]

Queenie still lives my good man

[@marcussmith9804]

Isn’t this song pagan though?

[@cokaorcola]

@@marcussmith9804 isn't it a Kipling poem?

[@andurils]

@@cokaorcola about that…

[@kieranstimpson6308]

Don’t forget your roots Saxon ✊

[@Joemccxc]

Hail

[@kathleenferguson3296]

He's a Welshman. Where did think he got that singing voice?

[@1220b]

I'm a jute.

[@Bayernshinobi]

Germany?

[@orionriftclan2727]

@@Bayernshinobi ya

[@itisboon5923]

Treasure

[@tjsogmc]

Coyote Run's version of this song is well worth a listen

[@stevebaldrick9058]

Brilliant

[@mjm5899]

I cant find any concertina tabs or tutorials for this song

[@ildarmingazov2304]

Хорошая песня!

[@IllTractatesIll]

Is there any way to get the concertina sheet music for this?

[@tmikesecrist3]

I do have to wonder of Kipling was a pagan

[@slappy8941]

He wasn't a fool to be taken in by anyone's superstitions.

[@tmikesecrist3]

@@slappy8941 I don't know listen to the poem it draws heavily form mostly Celtic, but maybe some Germanic folk lore and even paganism/shamanism

[@slippintv8659]

@@tmikesecrist3 barring the clearly non spiritualist comment who seems to think learned people aren't superstitious, lol. I firmly believe he may have been. Many of his works point to it.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

He described himself as a "God-fearing Christian atheist". His work embraced all the religious traditions of these Islands--the Old Faith and the New.

[@roberttreborable]

@@tmikesecrist3 Kipling was such a prolific writer, you can probable find something to suit any argument you want to make about him .... Even that he was an anti-war pacifist....

[@BRaff-hl4ip]

Oak and Ash and Thorn do not differentiate between these magical sea faring nations on the western periphery of Europe.

[@alfathfajar6856]

ㅤ

[@rafaelbalsan4512]

­

[@bill2578]

And worth fighting for?

[@minimalgrammar1276]

Rudyard Kipling wasn't perfect, but damn could he write.

[@neilsmith6092]

Beautiful

[@alexanderwebb680]

Beautiful