Greg Harper

Greg is looking forward to returning to Ropetackle Arts Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex, on Saturday 21st November for their Saturday Sessions event 1-3pm.
He will be accompanied by Nigel Ratcliffe (keyboard) for this performance.

Entry is free, but ticketed, as capacity is limited. Please book your place direct with Ropetackle Box Office on the following link: Ropetackle Arts or call their Box Office on 01273 464440 Mon-Sat 10am-4pm.

We look forward to sharing your company for the afternoon.

Greg is looking forward to returning to Purbeck Folk Club, at Langton Matravers Village Hall, Dorset, for a dual-headliner concert on 5th November. He will be accompanied by Nigel Ratcliffe on keyboard for this performance.

Full details of the evening are below. 

‘Gibbet Wood’ is an original song written by Greg Harper about the true story of Sussex highwayman Jack Upperton, who robbed the mailman near the town of Arundel, West Sussex, in 1770. The song follows Jack's story to its gory conclusion.

The song was captured live at Purbeck Folk Club.

However don't despair! The historic story ends in this tranquil, beautiful, bluebell wood. A peaceful place to lay.

GIBBET WOOD 

You ask my name, it’s Jack sir 
And brothers I have one 
We’re paupers from the country 
And money we have none 
I don’t say we was right sir 
To do what we done 
To rob the coach at Blakehurst 
To rob the mail and run 

They say that there’s no honour 
Honour amongst thieves 
But of the two, there’s one sir 
Waiting beneath the eaves 
Waiting for the gallows 
To do what must be done 
But still there’s no names rollin’ 
Rollin’ off my tongue 

For two long years I hung there 
Tarred, above the ground 
My accomplice still rides free sir 
Free, and unbowed 
And me I lie in Gibbet Wood 
Just off the Monarch’s Way 
Under the trees in a bluebell wood 
I still lie there today 

You ask my name, it’s Jack sir 
I ain’t proud of what I done

To celebrate Earth Day on 22nd April, Greg has released a live performance video of Gossamer Wings, filmed last autumn at Purbeck Folk Club, whilst being accompanied by Nigel Ratcliffe on keyboard. The song was originally released on his ‘Bricks & Dust’ album. It has been described by Philip Lymbery, the CEO of Compassion In World Farming as "a beautiful, poignant and haunting song”.

The song's message gets more and more important, as nature, and our time left to act, both slip silently away.

GOSSAMER WINGS 

I thought I saw a bumble bee 
Busily buzzing by 
It seemed to me when I was young 
They filled the whole of the sky 
I thought I saw a butterfly 
With beautiful gossamer wings 
But it’s been awhile 
Since I’ve seen 
Either of these things 

I thought I saw a beautiful sight 
A meadow full of flowers 
We used to play there everyday 
All of our waking hours 
But I guess it’s just a trick of the light 
Reflecting off the corn 
If you shield your eyes 
It breaks the disguise 
And the colours are all gone 

I remember the song thrush singing 
Waking me up at dawn 
I remember watching them catch 
All the worms upon my lawn 
But that was many years ago 
And now they’re all long gone 
I thought I heard a song thrush call 
But I guess that I was wrong 

I thought I saw a bumble bee 
Bimbling through the sky 
I thought I saw a butterfly 
Slowly flitter by 
But to tell the truth all I saw 
Was a plain and empty sky 
The reason they’re gone 
Is the saddest of songs 
It’s simply you and I 
The reason they’re gone 
Is the saddest of songs 
It’s simply you and I