Description
Maddy Prior – Seven For Old England CD
‘Seven for Old England’
“An absolutely fabulous album” BBC Radio 2 Mike Harding
“In a career that has already been full of memorable moments, ‘Seven for Old England’ is set to be yet another fascinating development. One of the world’s most purest, most magical vocalists being heard in her most natural form, singing the songs that have inspired her and generations of singers before her” Phil Udel
“There is a stately air about Maddys singing, there is also a freshness that makes this set a winner. Five Star Review Rock and Reel ***** Dai Jeffries
Maddy Prior made her first appearance on record, alongside Tim Hart on the seminal Folk Songs Of Old England Vol. 1. It was the beginning of an amazing career, although the reality of it may come as a surprise to many. The band with which she made her name, Steeleye Span, have built a career on the traditional rock format of bass, drums and guitar. Outside of that legendary group, Maddy has built a solo career that has made increasing use of modern studio technology to create a musical landscape that is both familiar and challenging. In her work with the Carnival Band she has found herself performing alongside a range of medieval and unusual instruments. As a writer too, Maddy has continued to explore new ground. Always inspired by the myths and legends of the British Isles, she has combined both traditional numbers with her own interpretation and increasingly complex song cycles.
Seven for Old England is a record that shares more than just a similar title with that famous debut. Ensconcing herself in Cecil Sharpe House in London, working through the vast archive of traditional material, this has grown into a project that sees Maddy both looking forward to a new exciting chapter as well as revisiting her very earliest days in music. She is accompanied on this journey by two of the most respected musicians working within the genre today. Benji Kirkpatrick is the son of legendary accordion player John, himself a member of Steeleye Span in the seventies while Giles Lewin is the fiddle player with the Carnival Band. Both are members of the acclaimed English folk collective Bellowhead.
Track Listing
- Dives and Lazarus (Roud 477; Child 56) (4.15)
- Trooper’s Nag (2.33)
- Jock of Hazeldean (Roud 250; Child 293; G/D 5:1029) (4.33)
- The Collier Lad (2.05)
- Martinmas Time (Roud 2173; G/D 1:161) (4.11)
- Love Will Find Out the Way (3.27)
- In Sad and Ashy Weeds (3.12)
- Bold General Wolfe (Roud 624) (3.26)
- The Cuckoo (Roud 413; G/D 6:1157) (4.44)
- I Heard the Banns (3.12)
- Came Ye from Newcastle (2.35)
- Trimdon Grange (Roud 3189) (4.02)
- Staines Morris (3.25)
- North Country Lass (Roud 1367; G/D 5:1058) (4.02)
- Come Again (2.41)
- Magpie (21.48)
All tracks trad. arr. Maddy Prior, Benji Kirkpatrick, Giles Lewin except
Track 3 Sir Walter Scott;
Track 12 Tommy Armstrong;
Track 15 John Dowland;
Track 16 Maddy Prior
