Voices : English Traditional Songs
Fellside Recordings FECD87 (CD, UK, 1992)
Singing is on of the basic human art forms; apart from humming, whistling or tapping some part of the body,
it is the only way of making music. We share the art with various other creatures on this planet and, as
far as we can tell, humans have always sung in one form or another and in every culture.
The collection of
songs on this recording belongs to a group called English Traditional folk songs and they are presented in
their simplest form - unaccompanied by musical instruments. To describe some of the singing here as simple
is to do the singers a grave injustice because you will find here some of the supreme stylists performing
within the genre; from the gentle nuances of Dave Burland's style, through the intricate decorations of
Maddy Prior and Martyn Wyndham-Read, all way to the outrageous mannerisms of Pete Bellamy. The harmony
singing takes in the highly structured part singing of Swan Arcade as well as the loose harmonies of
The Watersons.
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Track List
- The Blacksmith - Maddy Prior
- The Broken Token - Cyril Tawney
- Cob A-Coaling - The Watersons
- Go and Leave Me - Peta Webb
- The Mower - A. L. Lloyd
- Four Loom Weaver - Roy Bailey
- Two Brethren - Dave Weatherall & Martin Hall
- Up In The North - Linda Adams
- Constant Lovers - Martyn Wyndham Read
- Brisk Young Widow - Peter Bellamy
- Sweet William's Ghost - Hughie Jones
- The Fowler - Patti Reid
- 18th Day of June - The Wilsons
- Lord Randall - Bram Taylor
- Old Brown's Daughter - Damien Barber
- Banks of Green Willow - Frankie Armstrong
- King Jamie and the Tinkler - John Kirkpatrick
- Young Emma - Martin Carthy
- Come Write Me Down (Wedding Song) - The Arthur Family
- I Would That The Wars Were All Done - Roy Harris
- The Banks of Sweet Mossom - Shirley Collins
- William Taylor - Dave Burland
- Noah's Ark Shanty - Swan Arcade
- The Bonny Boy - June Tabor
- Felton Lonnen/Here's The Tender Coming - Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies