This week was a box of stuff, that in the past, I would've cast aside, but, as I seem to find myself on a journey (back) through a lot of folk and folk-rock, discs full of traditional Scottish and Irish ballads, albeit by the sort of artist I'd generally avoid like the plague it seemed worthwhile to invest in a few - at a buck apiece, what the hell.
So, I grabbed a couple o' items by the like o' th' Alexander Brothers (och aye, I didn't take 'em all!!), The Second Festival of Welsh Mixed Voices (I like a good choir) and others, also some British Music Hall stuff including some George Formby. All the discs were in almost new condition, obviously stashed since gawd knows when.
Anyway, the gem of the lot is a disc by Jean Redpath, "Laddie Lie Near Me", an absolute spine chilling voice on songs either solo or with acoustic guitar. Jean is the kind of artist that I'll now hunt down and find more of (and there seems to be a bit aboot). I like good passionate female vocals be it Diamanda Galas, Catherine Ribiero or Siouxie Sioux.
A wee choon onna Youtube
So, the afternoon went from Jean Redpath through the likes of Maddy Prior and June Tabor on their 'Silly Sisters' album (had it for years, since my first wave of folk appreciation way back when)- its all in the voices, see, that clear high soprano, does it for me every time.
And then on to Rose Kemp 's "Unholy Majesty" that I picked up earlier this year and fell totally in love with, especially when I discovered that Rose is the daughter of Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp of Steeleye Span fame. Anyway, got hold of Rose's first album 'Full of Hurricanes' this morning and I'm certainly determined to get hold of Maddy Prior's 'Bib & Tuck' which is an acapella rendition of traditional folk featuring amongst others, her daughter, Rose.
Rose Kemp in full tilt -->
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