Drawing from forty years of musical experience in folk rock and traditional folk music, Dorset singer/songwriter John Anderson has become a prolific writer and composer of songs with their roots firmly based in acoustic folk music. Always having a love of vocal harmony John wanted to form a band of great musicians also capable of singing beautiful harmonies. Together with his wife Caroline, daughter Louise, Ray Tower, Gill Redmond and narrator Pete Coley, they make up the band 'Poacher's Moon'. They perform contemporary songs (written and composed by John) and a selection of well loved traditional songs. There are songs of love and loss, land and sea, ecology and history, together with songs that have their hearts very much in the south west of England. With powerful lead vocals and stunning harmonies, this six strong band play an array of instruments including tenor, six and twelve string guitars, bouzouki, keyboard, cello, flute and percussion

BBC Broadcaster and musician (member of Decameron) Johnny Coppin says

“With skillful arrangements of John Anderson’s instantly likeable songs, Poacher’s Moon are a very promising band.”

Poacher's Moon are thrilled that Johnny has just recorded 'Dream of England' on his recently released album 'Borderland'. Poacher's Moon have a new show for the end of 2018/9, named 'Seafarers', celebrating lives and times at sea, from the tall ships of old to the modern day. This show will be raising funds for the RNLI with raffles and all proceeds after costs. If you would like to book this show for your Village Hall please contact Caroline using the info at the bottom of the page.

New Show: Seafarers

Poacher's Moon have a new show for the end of 2018/9, named 'Seafarers', celebrating lives and times at sea, from the tall ships of old to the modern day. This show will be raising funds for the RNLI with raffles and all proceeds after costs. If you would like to book this show for your Village Hall please contact Caroline using the info at the bottom of the page.

Poppies Red and Cornflower Blue

With the beautiful musicianship, harmony and singing of Louise Anderson, Caroline Anderson, Ray Tower, Pete Coley and Gill Redmond; John Anderson’s new production, ‘Poppies Red and Cornflowers Blue’, premiered in Dorset in 2014, the the year in which we commemorate the Centenary of the First World War. This popular show is touring until 2018. Please scroll down the page to find the dates and venues for this show for 2017/18

Our story, told with original music and song, poems and narrative, with projected images as a backdrop, follows the lives of British soldiers from rural England - their excitement for adventure, willingness and patriotism for their beloved homeland. Often leaving a life of poverty, for better pay and decent food, we follow them from enlistment, through training, to the killing fields of France and Belgium to meet the foe.

Their dedication, selflessness, courage and heroism shall remain unsurpassed, for all of time. We dedicate this story to so many who gave their lives and fought for our freedom today.

In the wasteland of the Somme amidst the death and destruction rose the poppy and cornflower…….

‘Poppies red and cornflower blue
Shining out, across the feud
They do not rise to shear and plough
No ploughman treads these fields, just now
They rise in war torn troubled lands
And there defiant, bravely stand ’

© JW Anderson 2013

In The First World War 703,000 British service men and women were killed and 1,663,000 were wounded. If one is to include Commonwealth troops, these figures rise to 908,000 killed and 2,123,000 wounded.

Bookings and Merchandise

CDs which include all of the tracks from the show written and composed by John and performed by Poacher's Moon are now available for £11.50 (including postage). Please email castintime11@googlemail.com for details of how to receive yours. The CDs will also be for sale at our performances, priced £10. There is an accompanying booklet which includes the lyrics to the songs and the history of how each song came to be written; this costs £2.

We are now taking bookings for the autumn of 2018. The cast for this season includes John, Caroline and Louise Anderson, Ray Tower and Pete Coley as the 'soldier'.