Post Description

Folk, ballads, seasonal, acoustic.

The four songs from The Longest Night EP came together during a residency at Halsway Manor, the National Centre for Folk Arts, in November of 2021, which can be found close to Folk Radio HQ, nestled in the Quantock Hills of Somerset. The EP was recorded and mixed by Andy Bell.

They each take turns on lead vocals across four carols, kicking off with Lucy Farrell on the rather appropriately secular winter Halsway Carol in which they ‘sing for the coming of the longest night’, from which the EP takes its title. It’s a modern carol from two Hurdy Gurdy players – the words from Iain Frisk and the tune from Nigel Eaton (Halsway Schottische), who wrote the tune while staying at Halsway Manor. Nigel is still producing great tunes, as evidenced by a video, we recently shared here (alongside that well-known video of him stealing the show from Page and Plant in 1995 on a Gallows Pole solo). The Furrow Collective transforms the carol using beautiful atmospheric backdrops and warm harmonies that intensify that winter feel. That magic touch is applied across the whole EP…the musical equivalent of mulled wine.

Those same harmonies coat The Cherry Tree Carol with some winter magic as Alasdair Roberts takes the lead on a ballad that is thought to date back to the 15th Century (Child Ballad 54) and to which they provide a more traditional-sounding sway.

Rachel Newton takes the lead on The Lambskin Carol, another modern carol, this time from the pen of Maddy Taylor, who has been singing traditional songs and writing in the folk style since she was a teenager, which leaves Emily Portman to take the lead for the finale – The Wexford Lullaby, a traditional tune with words by the late John Renbourn.

As they say, this is an album to huddle around the fire to. So grab yourself a copy, put your feet up and pour yourself a mug of mulled wine whilst you enjoy these spine-tingling harmonies and festive carols.

Tracks:
01 - Halsway Carol
02 - The Cherry Tree Carol
03 - The Lambskin Carol
04 - The Wexford Lullaby

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.