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Nic Jones sings ‘Ten Thousand Miles’
This version of the traditional song ‘Ten Thousand Miles’ is taken from Nic’s 1977 album ‘The Noah’s Ark Trap’, now sadly unavailable (by legal means, anyway). For those who are unfamiliar with Nic,...
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Kate Rusby: ‘The Fairest of all Yarrow’
This is a live solo performance from back in 2001. Kate was already such a polished presenter of traditional songs. Kate recorded this song with a band on her 1999 CD ‘Sleepless‘. It was re-recorded in...
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Gordon Lightfoot: ‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’
This is going to be an all Canadian music weekend, for obvious reasons connected to July 1st! Let’s start with a classic traditional song, beautifully performed on this 1972 TV program by Gordon...
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Daoirí Farrell: ‘The Creggan White Hare’
I’ve long suspected that the ideal folk festival for me to attend exists in Britain, not in North America. The lineup at this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival is proving me right. For example, here’s...
View ArticleNic Jones on the John Peel Show, 1976
This is Nic Jones at the height of his powers. Simply glorious, in my view.
View ArticleCongratulations to Matthew Byrne!
The album from which this song is taken just won the award for Traditional Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards! Congrats to Matthew Byrne for a richly deserved win for ‘Horizon Lines’!...
View ArticleRachael McShane and the Cartographers: ‘The Molecatcher’
This cheeky little traditional song is found on the album ‘When All Is Still’, a superb little gem by Rachael McShane and the Cartographers. If Rachael looks familiar to traditional folk music fans,...
View Article‘Reynardine’ (performed by Anne Briggs)
This traditional song was recorded by Anne on her 1971 album ‘Anne Briggs’. Bert Jansch learned the song from Anne and released it a few years later on his album ‘Rosemary Lane’. He created a very fine...
View ArticleSteeleye Span live at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2018
Steeleye Span is 50 years old this year. Through the years they’ve gone through several different lineups, but lead singer Maddy Prior has always been at the heart of their sound. They first made a...
View ArticleNew Music from Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span continue to renew themselves with fresh faces joining the old stalwarts. They were always a strong band vocally, but I count six out of seven joining in the singing on this track. This is...
View ArticleBrian Peters: ‘All Around My Hat’.
Steeleye Span had a big hit with this song in the 1970s. Turns out they actually combined the chorus and tune to ‘All Around My Hat’ with the verses of another song called ‘Farewell She’. This version...
View ArticleTwo by Steeleye Span
A couple of Steeleye Span tunes to wake you up on a Saturday morning! The first is a fiery instrumental, the second demonstrates conclusively (in my view) that vocally, this current lineup is one of...
View ArticleFarewell to Nova Scotia
Well, it’s time to start the Canada Day weekend music rolling! Here’s Gordon Lightfoot with a great version of ‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’ from 1972.
View ArticleGreat Big Sea: ‘Banks of Newfoundland’
The Canada Day song gala continues. Newfoundland has some of the best Caandian folk songs, and here’s one sung a capella by the inimitable Great Big Sea.
View ArticleMatthew Bryne: ‘True Love Knows No Season’
Matthew Byrne is the finest interpreter of traditional folk songs in Canada today. Here’s a good example of his playing and singing, Canada Day folk music continues!
View ArticleThe Dardanelles: ‘The Eastern Light’
Speaking of Matthew Byrne, here he is with his band, the Dardanelles, singing ‘Eastern Light’. The Canada Day fun continues!
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Hands Down My Favourite New Christmas CD This Year…
…was Megson’s brilliant ‘A Yuletide Carol’! The blurb says: ‘It features a sparkling mix of traditional carols, Elizabethan yuletide songs as well as two Megson original tracks all arranged for...
View ArticleThe Week Before Easter
Here’s my version of the old traditional English folk song ‘The Week Before Easter’. My guitar arrangement is inspired by an instrumental version recorded by Martin Simpson. The tuning is CGCGCE. You...
View ArticleWhat Wondrous Love is This?
Here’s an old American folk hymn; it seems appropriate for Good Friday. You can learn more about the history of this hymn here.
View ArticleCara Dillon and Sam Lakeman Live at Cooper Hall
Cara Dillon and her husband and musical partner Sam Lakeman have produced a number of beautiful CDs over the years, including some with a little more instrumentation. But this stripped-down concert...
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