A FANTASTIC night of folk rock by legendary band, Home Service, raised the rafters at St Alban’s Church, Hindhead, at the latest Grayshott Folk Club event last Saturday night

The church was packed to overflowing for the rare appearance by eight top—flight professional musicians with impressive folk credentials, who not only put on a virtuoso performance but clearly enjoyed every moment of it.

Any worries that the regrouped band, which has three new members, might be a letdown was immediately dispelled. In fact the changes in the line up have injected a whole new creative momentum.

Former Steeleye Span and Albion Band member, singer songwriter lead vocalist John Kirkpatrick, gripped the audience - complete with accordion - with songs originally made famous by John Tams.

Verging on a mini-orchestra, the eight-piece ensemble, which includes a three-strong brass section, woodwind, guitars and piano, is held together by its “beating heart”, former Albion Band drummer Michael “Greg” Gregory.

Celebrating its changed line up, Home Service has released A New Ground album, with 11 supercharged tracks, including new compositions and inspired twists on traditional arrangements.

The band kicked off with a feisty new arrangement, featured on the CD, of traditional anti-war song Arthur McBride, written by Kirkpatrick and lead guitarist Graeme Taylor, which set the dynamic pace for the night’s set and a succession of powerful ballads Home Service drove home each time.

As well as a thumping rendition of an old hit, 1930s protest song Peat Bog Soldiers, there was the haunting Snow Falls, from the National Theatre play Lark Rise to Candleford and jazzy Cheeky Capers from the new CD, featuring tenor and soprano sax. Ever versatile, Home Service’s album title track, A New Ground, was inspired by a 17th-century Henry Purcell round song re-arranged as 12-bar blues, while another track The King’s Hunt, was a fresh take on a 16th-century arrangement for virginals.

Coming back for an encore, Home Service thrilled for the last time with Kirkpatrick’s searing Dirt, Dust, Lorries and Noise, a protest song against a controversial 1990s open-cast British Coal proposal, that proved to be so powerful it won the day for campaigners.

• The new Home Service album A New Ground is available to download at www.home serviceband.co.uk.

For more information about Grayshott Folk Club go to www.grayshottfolkclub.co.uk