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Maddy Prior - Tapestry of Carols (1987)

Made for Saydisc with the Carnival Band,this is a recording made in a Quaker meeting house near Bristol,of Christmas carols both known and unknown and using mediaeval instruments for authenticity. An outstanding piece of work with fine versions of "Angels from the realms of Glory" and "It came upon the midnight clear". Maddy Prior sings carols as they are supposed to be sung. Her voice is clear, like a boy treble, and simply amazing, and must be heard to be believed. No awful dirges, but great uplifting singing. Recommmended for Maddy Prior fans, folk fans and carol fans.

Track Listings

01. Sans Day Carol

02. In Dulci Jubilo

03. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

04. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

05. Holly and the Ivy

06. Coventry Carol

07. Ding Dong! Merrily on High

08. Angel Gabriel

09. Angels from the Realms of Glory

10. Infant Holy

11. Virgin Most Pure

12. Unto Us a Boy Is Born

13. Rejoice and Be Merry

14. Joseph Dearest

15. Personent Hodie

16. On Christmas Night (Sussex Carol)

Personnel:

Maddy Prior - vocals

Bill Badley - lute, baroque guitar, guitar, gittern, banjo, mandolin, mandocello, cittern, vocals

Andrew Davis- double bass

Charles Fullbrook - small and medium tabors, Basel trommel, glockenspiel, small bells, woodblocks, cowbell, triangle, antique cymbals, tambourin provencal, vocals

Giles Lewin- violin, recorders, vocals

Andrew Watts - flemish bagpipes, bassoon (c.1815), curtal, clarinet in C, recorders, shawms, vocals

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Sleeve Notes

Maddy Prior is known mainly for her work with Steeleye Span, a group formed to use traditional English music in an electric band setting. Formed in 1969 they achieved commercial success and critical acclaim through the 70's. They recorded 13 albums and gave concerts all round the world. Despite a `farewell tour' and a few years apart the band reformed and continues to record and tour extensively.

Apart from Steeleye she has worked with June Tabor, a singer known for her virtuosity in the unaccompanied ballad, and they made an album together called Silly Sisters which has become a classic in the traditional field.

When Steeleye went its separate ways, she began to write songs. Songs of social comment and observation, about relationships and women's reality. She has recorded four albums of this material plus songs written in collaboration with her husband Rick Kemp.

Not a person who sits still for long, she has also appeared as a guest on many albums including Mike Oldfield's Incantations, Jethro Tull's Too Old To Rock'n'Roll: Too Young To Die!, Tim Hart and friends' My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record and she sang some songs from Carmina Burana for a young Japanese musician Ayuo Takahashi.

With her husband Rick she has been involved in writing and performing music for television. Among them was a series `The Song and the Story', a dramatic presentation of traditional material, and also `Stookie', a serial about Glaswegian youngsters.

Further yet she has done works at the National Theatre in several productions of folk/drama promenade performances of the Mysteries, Lark Rise, etc.

She is married to the aforesaid bass player and writer Rick Kemp and they have two children and live in Cumbria.

The Carnival Band was formed in 1984 to perform popular medieval, renaissance and traditional music, not in an `authentic way' but on a mixture of old and modern instruments. The musical background of the five players encompass folk, early music, classical and contemporary music. Their repertoire ranges from Bolivian carnival tunes to Yugoslav dances and Renaissance theatre songs, the only common thread being the spirit of Carnival. Out of this melting pot comes a style full of energy, a sense of fun and immediate rapport with the audience.

A few months after its formation, producer John Forrest asked the Carnival Band to accompany Maddy Prior in a recording of Christmas Carols for BBC 2. The recording was made in Scotby village hall near Carlisle, with Maddy appropriate enough expecting a child. In spite of interruptions from a village cat and friendly neighbours, the recording was a success. The performers went their separate ways, but the magic of the carols had begun to work on them. A little over two years later they met again in similar circumstances - this time an eighteenth century Quaker Meeting House near Bristol - to make this record.

It comes as a surprise to discover that many of our `traditional English carols' are neither traditional nor English in origin. Less than half the songs on this record fall into that category. Of the others, some are translations of Christmas songs from other European countries and some are tunes which originally had nothing to do with Christmas but were appropriated by nineteenth century hymn-writers. Ding Dong Merrily on High, a dance tune, is a good example. Nevertheless they have won an unrivalled place in our affections because like the best of all popular culture the words and tunes have a freshness and vitality with speak directly to us.

In making this record, Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band deliberately shut out all memories of cathedral choirs, brass bands, and supermarket jingles. We took the tunes and words just as we would any other song and allowed them to dictate the style, speed, harmonies and instrumentation. The result surprised us.

Of course our own experience and backgrounds affected the arrangements and we have taken liberties too. These are not authentic versions. Somewhere along the line Angels From the Realms got changed from a French folk tune into a mixture of Cajun fiddle and New Orleans marching band, but we have always tried to follow the spirit of the original. In this way we trust we have been true to the carols and to the meaning of Christmas.

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Lyrics & Recording Details

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Rating:
2.5 out of 5 by Book123