In honour of Katy’s birthday I have chosen to share with you the music of group that she loves and that we had the privilege of going to see on a barge (I think it was in Gloucester but I may be wrong!), where were able to sit in the front row. Whippersnapper was an folk band formed in 1984, consisting of Dave Swarbrick (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Chris Leslie (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Kevin Dempsey (guitar, vocals) and Martin Jenkins (mando-cello, flute, vocals).
Their music was a deceptively complex brand of progressive folk, driven by the presence of four full-fledged virtuoso players. They spent most of their first year honing their sound and repertory, which started out fully formed, drawing on the songbags of all four members. As a result, their debut album, when it came time to do it — recorded for their own label — came together very quickly. The Promises LP was recorded in December of 1984 and in stores just about eight weeks later, and well received by fans and critics.
A second LP, Tsubo, didn’t appear until 1987, and it was similar in form and structure to the first. A third studio album was intended, but in the interim the quartet issued These Foolish Strings, a compilation of four years’ worth of live recordings.
Swarbrick left the group in 1989, and the band continued as a trio until 1993, with the only album recorded that line-up being Stories. During that time, Dempsey and Leslie released an album called Always With You as a duo. The band split when Jenkins left the group in 1993. However, they did tour briefly again in 1994. Following Swarbrick’s recovery from illness, Whippersnapper toured again as a full four piece in both 2008 and 2009.
Their version of the Hard Times of Old England seems amazingly appropriate for these days in which we live. The song which dates from the 18th century comes to us from the Copper Family in the 1950’s and been recorded by many artists since. Here are some of the lyrics for your contemplation. They remind us that nothing really changes for those at the bottom of society.
Provisions you find in the shops, it is true
But if you’ve got no money, there’s none there for you
So what are poor folk and their families to do
You go to the shop and you ask for a job
They answer you back with a shake and nod
Ain’t that enough to make someone turn out and rob
And you can see our poor tradesmen out walking the street
From morning till night for employment to seek
And scarcely have they any shoes to their feet
