Simon Ritchie

Simon is well known on the traditional music circuit as an exponent of East Anglian Music, Song and Stepdancing. 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. He featured on a Radio 2 hour long special when his band were recorded live at Sidmouth festival, Stepdancing, playing and singing the East Anglian Anthem 'Oh Joe...'. The line up featured Barry Coope and Chris Wood. Old Hat recorded him for the BBC drama 'All the King's Men' starring David Jason and Maggie Smith in 1999, were he 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.

Simon's band, “The Posh Band”, had a well received CD called 'English', with numerous plays on John Peel's Radio 1 show, with tracks also being used on a cover CD for fROOTS magazine and the 2004 Topic records anthology of English Dance Music "Stepping it up", alongside the likes of Eliza Carthy and Reg Hall..

Simon also plays in his home town of Thaxted for Thaxted Morris Men and the twice-monthly Tuesday country dances in Margaret Street Hall.

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