Nick Cope is a children’s’ songwriter and performer who was appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival as part of the festivals ‘Making Music’ strand, celebrating the joy and importance of singing and song writing. Aimed squarely at families this event was a real celebration of music and was enjoyed by both young and old who were in attendance.
Faced with an audience of children ranging from 6 months to 6 years (not to mention a number of parents and grandparents) Nick took to the stage with his guitar, completely undaunted by what he saw before him. He is very much at ease with children and by the end of his first song some of the older toddlers had already gravitated to the front of the stage. Nick’s songs are full of fun and cover everything from counting and animals to how plants grow and are often accompanied by actions, demonstrated ably by Nick himself.
As the show progressed the number of children dancing in the aisles increased and on one particularly bouncy number a toddler mosh pit was created at the front! Great fun for all concerned, even for the watching parents. Indeed one of Nick’s strengths is that his songs are very listenable for parents as well as children. His melodic indie-pop makes a welcome change from so much other music aimed at this age group of children.
For Nick’s last number he handed out cardboard guitars and glasses (he is a wearer himself) and asked some of the more enthusiastic youngsters to accompany him on stage for his final number. They of course jumped at the chance and loved their moment of fame! Nick is a natural entertainer, clearly loves performing for children and put on a brilliant show that was enjoyed by all in the audience. I might even have been singing one of his songs as I cooked dinner last night…
Submitted by Duncan Wright
