Earlier this year, Jez was commissioned by the organisers of the annual Morpeth Gathering folk festival in Northumberland, to write a new song in hommage to the infamous Morpeth Olympics – a working-class sports event that ran annually from 1870 to 1959. Morpeth Gathering takes place this weekend, and as Jez is elsewhere, the new song is being sung by Benny Graham. Here’s the festival’s press release: On Saturday evening a world première will be held of a song all about the Morpeth Olympics. Kim comments, “We heard that north-east singer Jez Lowe was writing songs on the modern Olympics for the BBC Radio Ballads and thought with his track record there was nobody better placed to create a modern folk song about our own local Games. Like the Blaydon Races, it brings to life the characters involved and some of the scenes to be seen during Sunday’s archive film show. Jez actually wrote the song on tour in Australia and has just e-mailed us the result, and he’s done us proud. The tune touches on the Morpeth Rant melody, it’s got a good chorus for everyone to belt out, the numerous verses make very clever use of internal rhyme, and the whole thing celebrates the local working man dreaming of escape from daily drudgery, seeking healthy recreation, a chance to win some money and a good family day out. Jez can’t be at the Gathering himself, but the song will be premiered by another grand local singer, Benny Graham, who headlines the Saturday Winners’ Concert at the Town Hall.”