Simon Ritchie - Short Biography Simon Ritchie - Short Biography
Fairly well known on the traditional music circuit as an exponent of East Anglian Music, song and stepdancing and melodeon player for The Posh Band. Simon like most melodeon players is self taught and learned largely from the traditional players and singers which once frequented many of the country pubs in Suffolk and rural Essex where he lives.
As a member of 'Old Hat' Simon has played most of the relevant festivals and clubs and appeared on a number of Radio and TV items, and also featured on a Radio 2 hour long special on the band recorded live at Sidmouth festival, stepdancing, playing and singing the East Anglian Anthem 'Oh Joe...' as the finale in a line up also featuring Barry Coope and Chris Wood. Old Hat recorded for the BBC drama 'All the King's Men' starring David Jason and Maggie Smith in 1999 and featured on the soundtrack CD.
Simon's solo recordings have been played by Andy Kershaw, Phill Jupitus and Mike Harding and tracks have been used on Coronation Street, Spitting Image and MTV2's SpongebobSquarepants.
The Posh Band's well received CD 'English' had numerous plays on John Peel's Radio1 show and a tracks has been used on a cover CD for fROOTS magazine and also on the 2004 Topic records anthology of English Dance Music "Stepping it up" alongside the like of Eliza Carthy and Reg Hall who is the Posh Band's usual piano player.
He has guested on other artistes' albums, most recently with Bob Davenport, and The Bismarcks.
Simon also plays in his home town of Thaxted for Thaxted Morris Men and the twice-monthly Tuesday country dances in Margaret Street Hall.
P.J.
