"...And little Sir John and the nut brown bowl And his brandy in the glass And little Sir John and the nut brown bowl Proved the strongest man at last The huntsman, he can't hunt the fox Nor so loudly to blow his horn And the Tinker he can't mend kettle nor pots Without a little Barleycorn"
The judging panel is ISC's most impressive to date and includes 56 high-profile judges such as Steve Winwood, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Timbaland, Journey, McCoy Tyner, Wynonna, Michael W. Smith, Youssou N'Dour, Robbie Williams, and many more."
"Yet for many the 2009 festival will be remembered for the long-awaited Cropredy appearance of Steve Winwood, fresh from his acclaimed reunion with his old Blind Faith pal Eric Clapton. The ex-Traffic man opened with I’m a Man and instantly showed why he has long been regarded as the ultimate musician’s musician. Members of his top band were given all given opportunity to indulge in lengthy solos, with the man himself seemingly as brilliant on guitar as keyboards. Thankfully the sound system was worthy of such high-class musicianship as Winwood opened wide a stunning back catalogue with electrifying performances of Higher Love, Dear Mr Fantasy, Gimme Some Lovin’ and Low Spark of High Heeled Boys."