Last night the Cambridge Folk Club held its 'A concert for John' in memory of John Gaskell, one of Cambridge's best local songwriters who died in the summer. It was a superb evening, with the first half closed by John's son Tom, and the second half ending with a performance of several of John's songs by The Wigan Crewe, four friends from John's home town.



Some very moving moments, especially three performances of John's song 'Time to say goodbye' - one a video of John playing the song at Cambridge Folk Festival. I played 'The ant and the grasshopper' (John was definitely a grasshopper and the audience supplied some interesting sound effects) and 'The last bus to Leeds'.

John had set up a Myspace page (www.myspace.com/johngaskell though there's no music there) and I had added the first (and only) comment to it. I miss John and his sensitive songs - as so often it struck me how much second rate music has commercial success while so many gems remain unknown, and many of John's songs merited much wider airplay.

It also struck me how a songwriter lives on through his or her songs and the whole evening was a very fitting tribute. I've uploaded some more photos in an album under 'View my pics'.

I'm listening to the CD of John's music 'Songs Part 1' and have just heard the rather prophetic words that close John's song 'Golden days':

'I recall the way you smiled
The way you whiled away my life
And now in my final hour will I rest in peace
Me and my teddy bear on the pillow case
Even in the windows of my shroud
The suns always lighten the clouds
Red rose horizon in the western sky
Silver stars in my gaze
And teenage delirium, wide-eyed innocence
Antediluvian golden days.'