We very much look forward to welcoming folk singer, songwriter and entertainer Pete Morton to his first gig at Pickering Book Tree. Pete is an astounding live performer, as those of you have seen him before will attest to!

Since the 1990s Pete has toured extensively throughout the UK and the world including the US, Canada, and Europe. He has also toured Pakistan, Malaysia, and Singapore on behalf of the British Council.

Pete’s diverse repertoire ranges from songs of love to social commentary to historical classics and beyond. Described by R2 Magazine as “a writer who manages to express everything, from the highly personal to the truly international”, his albums and live performances are rich with music and stories to make you laugh and cry.

About the Show

This new show of Pete’s is a tour de force, it is honestly a revelation, and a real joy, to see a performer at the top of his already deeply impressive game … It’s one of the very best things I’ve ever seen — Pete Kenny

The Ghost of a Sailor is a new show of singing together, comedy and storytelling. The 17th century ghost is a shipwrecked sailor who has remained resident in a harbour tavern to the present day, telling his tales in an unruly mix of stand-up, tales and popular chorus. The show is primarily a community singalong that crosses the centuries with well known traditional ditties, music hall and modern day popular classics, with songs for all generations.

The sailor’s ghost winds his way back and forth through time, interacting with the audience, observing the world and history, whispering to famous characters, dancing with revellers and falling in love. The show is wrapped in the style of the talking blues — a simple guitar and spoken word technique invented by Woody Guthrie, and later made famous by Bob Dylan in his early recordings.

Drinks will be available to purchase at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. The concert will be in our atmospheric upstairs event space, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams.

Doors will open from 7pm, and the performance will start at 7.30pm.

Tickets can be booked below, by contacting Pickering Book Tree, or at the shop counter. We hope to see you there!

About the Musician

Pete is everything we want our singer-songwriters to be. Fiercely creative, proudly independent, skilful, talented, and terminally unpredictable — MOJO Magazine

Pete Morton is a singer and entertainer who is often referred to as an old time troubadour. He delivers an unruly freewheeling mix of storytelling, comedy and song that weaves its way around the folk tradition. His current show The Ghost of a Sailor’s talking blues is a joyful ramble through time (not necessarily in the right order), in the style of the talking blues, as well as unleashing popular singalong chorus from the last 400 years.

Pete is known for his songwriting skills. He has recorded a wealth of material over the years. His two most recent albums are The Golden Thread and Fair Freedom.

His most famous song Another Train has been performed and recorded by various artists including Sally Barker, whose version you can listen to on YouTube here.

Originally from Leicester, Pete discovered the acoustic music scene at 16 and has been on the never-ending tour internationally ever since. With his powerful, euphonious voice storytelling and compelling stage presence he continues his merry niche, singing songs and entertaining with a fun-loving and approachable style.

As a chronicler of the human condition and wry observer of history and the march of progress, Morton is up there with fellow Englishmen Richard Thompson and Chris Wood — Glasgow Herald

Find Out More

Follow Pete on Facebook or Instagram

Read more about Pete on his website, his Ghost of a Sailor tour page or his Wikipedia page for a full bio and discography

Find Pete’s music on YouTube or his two most recent albums on Bandcamp