Review:'Maxwell Hutchinson & Judge Smith' 'The Kibbo Kift The 1976 Rock Musical'
- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Seventies'
- Release Date: '1.5.26.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1231'
Our Rating:
The Kibbo Kift was the 1976 Rock Musical put on at the Edinburgh Festival written by nowadays renowned architect and minister Maxwell Hutchinson and Van Der Graf Generator's Judge Smith who were backed by Robert Pettigrew, Chris Murray, Mike Shearer and George Murray, Christina Matthews, It also ran at the Crucible in Sheffield. The musical is a short history of the Kibbo Kift the breakaway movement from the Scouts, who were into non militarism, woodcraft and world Peace in the 1930's and founded by John Hargrave, who attended the opening nights at both Edinburgh and Sheffield.
The musical opens with a military drummer on the Overture before the guitars come in, that are a bit prog, giving way to some gentle piano, readying us for this deep dive into the world of the Kibbo Kift one of the UK's most oddly charming youth movements of the interwar years. They have come back and you can become a member of the Kibbo Kift if you want too.
Father Dear Father is a letter home to explain why they have joined the Kibbo Kift and are ready to become fully paid-up members of the woodcraft folk. Tunbridge Wells is a short biography of John Hargraves the founder of the Kibbo Kift whose dad became a pacifist after world war one, when there was a rift in the scouting movement he formed the Kibbo Kift as a non-militaristic alternative.
An Empty Clearing describes the children's uniforms, they set up camp with some squiggly guitar and swinging piano, before the chants of the Ashdown Foresters who are in love with woodcraft in the weald.
To Live In Civilization is all about wanting to make the world a better place, more in tune with nature and less materialistic, the intentions are laid clear, they want an age of global peace, if only they had succeeded. And So We Joined explains why they wanted to join the Kibbo Kift over some spry guitar. The Band Song sees them trying to have some fun, over some very pastoral music dreaming of sniffing cocaine during the general strike and other weird goings on.
The Children's Song explains how the Kibbo Kift live a natural life and know the names of all the trees, getting back to nature and the camp craft they need to know so they can live in the wilds of nature, probably on the outskirts of Chingford as an alternative to Gilwell Park.
Five Four is about going to a magical gathering, that they have persuaded their parents to allow them to attend, will it be as much fun as advertised, with the chance to meet the head of the Kibbo Kift along with 300 other kinsmen to greet them. Harken Kindred Of The Hark is some dark ceremony with fire and other elements over the gentle piano and squalling guitar, they all get ready for the pow wow.
The Leader Song that magical moment has come, the leader is standing before them, espousing all of the movements aims, making clear why they had joined up to bring the power and the glory back to the world, in a glorious age where the Kibbo Kift have taken over.
The Kibbo Kift Song is an anthem for the ideals of the movement, anti-military and pro back to nature, with no church associations. And So We Joined (Reprise) explains they joined the Navy after leaving the Kibbo Kift, obviously having picked up some skills along the way.
Social Credit was one of the latter day aims of the Kibbo Kift, trying to make a far more equitable society, they all learn what Hargraves is on about and they are all enamoured of the ideas, if only he had managed to build a wider movement, the principals would have helped create a far less greedy world than our current one
Saying Goodbye that moment when real life intervenes with your time in a youth organization, no more fighting for Social Credit and spending time in the woods, they hope that they can overcome the difficulties of continuing friendships when back in the real world.
Only Fifteen and in love both with a young girl and being a member of the Kibbo Kift, he moves up the non-hierarchical organizations ranks, he know teaches the younger members the skills to be real woodcraft people.
We're The Greenshirts was a rallying cry of one camp, the movement had started having more formal uniforms, to the earlier home-made outfits. The kinsmen mix with the newer elements and work on getting along with each other. How Many There well how many members are in that cult you've joined, they are asked by there parents, well not too many but they are all in with being a member of the Kibbo Kift.
The Heckling Song not everyone is on side for the manifesto they set out, a bit like the current idea for a universal income for a post work world, they are heckled by the black shirts and are damned as being socialists. No Bloody Fear has a slow military drumbeat and carefully played electric guitar, they tell us they want to bring down the banking movement and will be all action in bringing about this revolution.
Street Fighting Song they have been attacked by the black shirts and other malcontents, they gave as good as they got until the police showed up, then they disappeared to the safety of the woods. The Campfire Glow meeting other members around the campfire and trying to find a childhood sweetheart among the crafters feeling the young pains of love on this rather sweet folk duet, he's met his Boudicca from Maidstone and is entranced.
Conclusion Song they are leaving the kibbo Kift, having outgrown such youth organisations, they know now they are followers rather than leaders, the slow piano is evocative of the sadness that they will no longer be able to camp in the woods with their fellow Kiftsmen.
Finale feels like the anthem they will sing at the last day of camp, before going back to normality, with the feel of a march, various things are discussed, while they all march out of the camp site to this rather triumphalist tune, the guitar solo comes in, so does the audiences applause.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/575705-maxwell-hutchinson-judge-smith-the-kibbo-kift-the-1976-rock-musical https://www.kibbokift.uk/ https://thinklikeakey.bandcamp.com/album/the-kibbo-kift-the-1976-rock-musical https://www.facebook.com/JudgeSmithsProjects
