Coope Boyes and Simpson was an English vocal
folk
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trio, formed around 1990. Their sound was rich and often had unusual vocal harmonies.
The group comprised singers Barry Coope, Jim Boyes (formerly of
Swan Arcade) and
Lester Simpson
Lester Simpson is an English folk singer and radio presenter on BBC Local Radio in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midland ...
, and almost all of their music was sung entirely
a cappella, although they occasionally used accordion, guitar and drums very sparingly on recordings.
They performed a mixture of both traditional folk songs (though often creatively arranged), hymns and carols, and their own original compositions. Most of their albums have been released on the
No Masters label—the No Masters Co-operative is a recording and publishing company run by songwriters, singers and musicians based in the North of England.
Much of their music was political in nature, but they also performed sacred music, and released two albums consisting of
Christmas carols
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
and hymns, which receive extensive airplay on
Classic FM around Christmas time from DJ
Natalie Wheen.
In addition to the three vocalists, the nature of the line up was somewhat fluid, with additional singers joining in as required. Their Christmas recordings are sometimes accredited to 'Voices at the Door', while the trio was also part of the occasional
supergroup Blue Murder along with members of
Waterson–Carthy
Waterson:Carthy were an English folk group originally comprising Norma Waterson on vocals, her husband Martin Carthy on guitar and vocals and their daughter Eliza Carthy on fiddle and vocals.
They have a repertoire of predominantly British tradi ...
and
The Watersons
The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. They have been called the "most famous fam ...
. In December 2014 two members of the trio, Coope and Simpson toured with
Jo Freya and Fi Fraser with a show of Christmas songs. Together they produced the album "Hark Hark" on No Masters Cooperative Ltd.
In 2014 they issued ''In Flanders Fields'' on No Masters, a 2-CD album as "a homage to the music and song of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, having been involved with the
In Flanders Fields Museum
The In Flanders Fields Museum is a museum in Ypres (Ieper), Belgium, dedicated to the study of the First World War. It occupies the second floor of the Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) on the market square in the city centre. The building was largely dest ...
since 1993". The album includes recordings of wartime songs and their own compositions.
They also contributed tracks to 'original' compilation albums—e.g. new recordings to which different artists contribute songs, and frequently work with spoken word and performance artists as part of experimental collaborations.
Since 2005 they frequently collaborated with label mates
Chumbawamba, contributing vocals on their albums ''
A Singsong and a Scrap'', ''
Get On With It! Live'' and ''
The Boy Bands Have Won
''The Boy Bands Have Won'' is the shortened title of the thirteenth studio album by British music group Chumbawamba, released in 2008. Its full title contains 156 words (865 characters), and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest album ...
''.
In 2016 it was announced that they would be making their final tour in 2017. The trio gave its last performance in October that year, as part of the 2017 Derby Folk Festival.
Coope died after a short illness on 6 November 2021.
Discography
;Albums
* ''Funny Old World'' (1993)
* ''We're Here Because We're Here'' (1995) (with Willem Vermandere and Norbert Detaeye) (live)
* ''Falling Slowly'' (1996)
* ''Passchendaele Suite'' (1996) (with
Panta Rhei)
* ''Hindsight'' (1998)
* ''A Garland of Carols'' (1998)
* ''Christmas Truce / Kerstbestand'' (1999) (with Wak Maar Proper)
* ''Where You Belong'' (1999)
* ''What We Sing Is What We Are'' (compilation) (1999)
* ''Twenty-four Seven'' (2003)
* ''Fire and Sleet and Candlelight'' (2003) (with
Jo Freya, Fi Fraser and Georgina Boyes)
* ''Triple Echo'' (2005)
* ''Private Peaceful: The Concert'' (2006) (with
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytell ...
) (live)
* ''Voices at the Door: Midwinter Songs and Carols'' (2006) (with
Jo Freya, Fi Fraser and Georgina Boyes)
* ''as if...'' (2010)
* ''On Angel Wings'' (with
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytell ...
) (2012)
* ''Hark Hark'': (Coope & Simpson with Jo Freya, Fi Fraser) Released: 1 December 2014, No Masters Cooperative Ltd
* ''In Flanders Fields'' Released: 4 August 2014, No Masters
* ''CODA'' Released: 2016, No Masters
;Contributing artist
* ''The Rough Guide to
One Voice: Vocal Music from Around the World'' (1997,
World Music Network
World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music.
The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competit ...
)
* ''
The Rough Guide to English Roots Music
''The Rough Guide to English Roots Music'' is a world music compilation album originally released in 1998. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album features mainly English folk, with some tracks covering other cultures from ...
'' (1998, World Music Network)
* ''
No One Stands Alone'' (as part of Blue Murder) 2003
Topic
Topic, topics, TOPIC, topical, or topicality may refer to:
Topic / Topics
* Topić, a Slavic surname
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* Topic (chocolate bar), a brand of confectionery bar
* Topic (DJ), German musician
* Topic (g ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1990 establishments in England
2017 disestablishments in England
English folk musical groups
Blue Murder (folk group) members
Musical groups established in 1990
Musical groups disestablished in 2017