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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #1: Jean Ritchie sings ‘Barb’ry Allen’
There are many, many versions of this song, with many different tunes. Samuel Pepys knew it and referred to it in his diary in 1666 as ‘the little Scottish song Barbara Allen’. There is a good summary...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #2: Maddy Prior sings ‘Dives and Lazarus’
Maddy Prior is a legend on the English folk music scene, having been the lead singer of ‘Steeleye Span’ and then gone on to front several bands of her own as well as undertaking numerous solo...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #3: Chris Wood sings ‘Cold, Haily, Windy Night’
This song exists in at least two main versions: ‘Cold, Haily, Windy Night’ and ‘Cold Blow and the Rainy Night’. I first heard it in the second version; it was recorded by Planxty on their 1974 album...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #4: Fairport Convention sings ‘Tam Lin’
Today we have an old Scottish ballad of the ‘fantastical’ variety. ‘Mainly Norfolk’ tells us ‘This is a truly magical ballad. It was first mentioned in The Complaynt of Scotland in 1549 but no words...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #5: ‘Scarborough Fair’ (versions by Martin...
Most people don’t know that Simon and Garfunkel got ‘Scarborough Fair’ from Martin Carthy. Paul Simon learned the song from Martin in the early 1960s in London, and, sadly, went on to record it on...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #6: ‘The Lakes of Pontchartrain’, performed...
This is an old Irish/American folk song, done beautifully by many traditional singers. This live performance by Paul Brady is from 1977; Paul recorded the song on his 1978 album ‘Welcome Here Kind...
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Essential Traditional Folk Songs #7: ‘Blackwaterside’ performed by Bert...
Here is the late Bert Jansch performing his classic arrangement of the old Irish folk song ‘Blackwaterside’. I first heard Bert’s distinctive style of singing and playing on the first real folk album I...
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Down in Yon Forest
Here is a new 2014 recording of the old Appalachian carol ‘Down in Yon Forest'; this is my Christmas song for 2014 and comes to you with my love and best wishes and prayers for a wonderful Christmas...
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Happy birthday Nic Jones
A very happy birthday to one of my great musical heroes Mr. Nic Jones. Here’s a traditional song from his magisterial 1980 CD ‘Penguin Eggs’. Note: If you like this music, please buy it to support the...
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Leveret: Northern Lass / The Kings’ Barrows
Leveret is Andy Cutting, Rob Harbron, and Sam Sweeney. I first came across Andy Cutting’s playing on Kate Rusby’s albums, and I have come to believe that he is one of the finest melodeon players in the...
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Maids When You’re Young
A great version of an old folk song, performed here by Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project. A bit of background on English versions of the song is here. More information about Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project is...
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What Wondrous Love is This? (piano improvisation by Andrew Hicks)
Andrew Hicks, who sometimes posts comments here, has a wonderful improvisation on ‘What Wondrous Love is This?’ on his YouTube channel. Here it is. There are many more wonderful recordings on Andrew’s...
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The Diggers’ Song
This is a wonderful version of the 17th Century ballad ‘The Diggers’ Song’, recorded in 1988 by Chumbawamba on their album, ‘English Rebel Songs 1381-1914‘, and re-recorded by them in 2003 for their...
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Anne Briggs sings ‘Willie O’Winsbury’
One of the greatest voices ever to sing a traditional folk song gives the definitive performance of ‘Willie O’Winsbury’. More about the many recordings of this song at Mainly Norfolk. You can find...
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‘Blackwaterside’, as performed by Anne Briggs and Bert Jansch
Two of the most amazing talents of the 1960s and 1970s folk revival in England performing together on the 1992 documentary ‘Acoustic Routes’. Guitar players, feel free to be mesmerized by the...
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‘When I Sing, I Feel Past Generations Standing Behind Me’
In a recent article in the Guardian, English folk icon Shirley Collins (who turns 80 this year) was quoted as saying, “When I sing, I feel past generations standing behind me – and I hope I’m a conduit...
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Thank you, Jean Ritchie
The folk music world lost one of its great heroes this week with the death of Jean Ritchie at the age of 92. She was one of the last surviving people who learned traditional songs in the old way – from...
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Ruben
Martin Simpson, Nancy Kerr, and Andy Cutting have a new album out. If this track (which apparently appears on the special extended edition) is anything to go by, it’ll be worth getting. Album info at...
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Ray Coen and Mai Hernon play a great version of ‘The Rambling Siuler’
I love this old Irish folk song; like Ray, I think I first heard it on an old Planxty recording but I love Ray’s beautiful flatpicking in this version, which suits the song so perfectly. There’s a good...
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British Folk Revival
Songza is a streaming musical service that I have begun to really enjoy. My enjoyment increased exponentially when I discovered that it has a sub-genre of ‘Folk and Americana’ called ‘British Folk...
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