This was a two and a half week tour. We met in Copenhagen, I flew in and Ray drove down. The shows took us to Wendland and the old border between West and East Germany where differences still remain, to Flensburg in Schleswig-Holstein, the farthest north and close to the Danish border, to Lower Saxony, near the border with both North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany and Holland, then up to the coast near Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and down east to south-east of Berlin and a church from 1450 in the state of Brandenburg. Germany is indeed a big country, the land area is half as big again as the UK.
Ray’s music is very well received here. Audiences numbers varied with many saying people are still not comfortable going to indoor venues. The exception being in the Klostergarten of Bad Doberan where the indoor show was part of their weekend festival and they had to bring extra chairs into the packed hall. The outdoor concerts were very well attended – both in the vineyard in Bad Bentheim where Ray premiered a new song and outside the church in Altlandsberg.
The tour began at the Milkmaid Folk Club in Bury St Edmonds and then into London for a matinee at the Green Note cafe in Camden Town. It continued in Wales at the Lost Arc in Rhayader, then the Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath Birmingham and The Stables Milton Keynes. The final two dates were at St Ediths in Sevenoaks followed by The Seagull Theatre in Pakefield, just outside of Lowestoft.
The Milkmaid Folk Club, Bury St Edmonds
Performing at the Lost Arc in Rhayader
The Stage Door for the Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath, Birmingham
I assisted Ray as tour manager, driver and roadie. We covered just over 1000 miles (when you add the final journey into London). We visited the Eastbourne Folk Club, the Kitchen Garden Cafe, The Milkmaid Folk Club in Bury St Edmonds, a house concert in Wellingborough, the Victoria Hall in Settle, a two night stay in Barnoldswick where we recorded an interview and four songs for Home Stage, Cubley Hall in Penistone, Farncombe, ending with a matinee at the Green Note Cafe in Camden Town, London.
You can view the Tuesday Folk Session on the Home Stage website by clicking here.
tp-ents provided tour management support for Ray Cooper in his tour of Western Canada over 25 days in January and February 2020. The full story is on the website thekingwintertour which was designed, built and maintained by tp-ents. It uses WordPress as does the site you are reading now.
Wednesday 13th York – The Black Swan
Thursday 14th Settle – Victoria Hall
Wednesday 20th Stroud – The Prince Albert
Friday 22nd Alton, Hants – Holybourne Theatre
Sunday 24th (Matinee at 2.30pm) St Mary’s Tower Hornsey.
with House Concerts on the dates in between
(click here for information on house concerts)
Ray Cooper, otherwise known as ‘Chopper’ from Oysterband, is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Ray returned to Oxford’s Holywell Room with a totally acoustic preview of his then forthcoming album ‘Tales of Love, War and Death by Hanging’.
Ray gave only 3 preview shows before joining Oysterband for their tours of Denmark and Canada, in March and April 2010. The solo shows were in Rugby, Oxford and Sweden.
At these shows, Ray accompanied himself on cello and guitar (but not both at the same time!). The wonderful acoustics of the Holywell Room allowed him to perform without any amplification.
This was a rare opportunity to see Ray perform in the intimate setting of the oldest surviving public music room in Europe, built in the 1740’s for natural music.
A very special evening of music with beautiful and original songs from legendary singer-songwriter Ray Cooper and alt-folk trio White Sail.
Click here to see Ray’s website
Click here to see more about White Sail
Click here to hear excerpts from Ray’s latest album
Ray Cooper, otherwise known as ‘Chopper’ from Oysterband, is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
