Indulge in a bit of what you fancy and some frivolity and fun with Christian and Paul Reynolds. Bygone Error specialise in turn-of-the-century British Music Hall songs and recitations, novelty songs, verse, and other detritus that floats out of their well-stocked memory banks. They present most of their material with minimal or no accompaniment in order to bring their vocal interplay and harmonies to the forefront (and to avoid forgetting their words!) They perform some of the well known pieces, but also a lot of previously forgotten material, full of double meanings and general absurdity. They have also been known to perform the occasional non-comic song as serious relief.
Although Paul and Christian normally like very different types of music they both come together with a passion for turn-of-the-century British Music Hall songs and recitations, novelty songs, silly verse, and whatever other bits of material that floats out of their well-stocked memory banks.
Think back to 1890 or thereabouts, Conan Doyle had just published The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Strand Magazine, and Thomas Hardy Tess of the D'Ubervilles, and in England the Music Hall reigned supreme as form of popular entertainment with over 100 Halls in London alone. Great performers strode the stage, such as the energetic and exuberant Harry Champion (Boiled Beef and Carrots, Any Old Iron), the phlegmatic Gus Elen (If it wasn’t for the ‘ouses in between) and the saucy Marie Lloyd (The Boy I love is up in the gallery).
Many of the songs and recitations had a rough vigour, and they certainly could be exuberant, but they also had many other and richer qualities and it is those that are more lasting and more interesting, and it this feeling that Paul and Christian try to bring to audiences. They truly reflected the concerns of the time, and were seen as an escape from the drudgery of normal life by most people. Their heyday passed soon after the Great War, although the TV series “The Good Old Days” recreated much of the feeling of the time and brought music all to a new audience and a new popularity.
As Bygone Error, Paul and Christian have performed at several festivals and entertainment evenings and intend to continue to do so while still digging out forgotten nuggets of songs and trivia from old bookshops and op shops.
"Many people are throwing out old vinyl records, song books and other pieces of valuable nostalgia" says Paul. "We have found several great pieces we did not know before in garage sales and secondhand bookshops. There is great fun in hunting this material down as well as learning the songs, jokes and patter of the time".
"It is also great to talk to people who remember being taken to see some of these performers when they were children. Their reminiscences are incredibly valuable because there is little information left about some of the great performers and the great Halls where they performed".
