January - The Kimberleys

Esbe - Blow the Wind Southerly New Cat Music NC222

This is Esbe’s eighth studio album and includes a cappella versions of some well-known folk songs in a mix of folk and classical styles. The tracks include a couple of nursery rhymes, Three Blind Mice and Oranges and Lemons, and a Christmas carol, the Coventry Carol. There are also well-known folk songs such as Blow the Wind Southerly, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Scarborough Fair, Greensleeves and others. The opening track, Summer is Icumen In, also includes the sounds of sheep and birds and other tracks include the sounds of the sea, animals, and other effects. It is difficult to decide who the target audience really is, but it certainly shows imaginations and is worth a listen.

Janice Burns and Jon Doran - No More the Green Hills JBDO002

This is an album of traditional English, Scottish and Irish folk songs from an Anglo Scottish duo who met on a Newcastle folk degree course. Jon, from Gloucestershire, plays guitar, bouzouki harmonium and fiddle and Janice, from Glasgow, plays mandolin, guitar, harmonium and piano and both provide the vocals. The 11 tracks include She Moved Through the Fair, As I Roved Out, The Greenmore Hare and the Weary Cutters. Jon was a finalist in the Young Folk Awards in 2019 and won the Future of Folk award at Bromyard Folk Festival. They have already played at many of the major English Folk Festivals. Their arrangements of all these songs are pure and simple with their vocals clear and precise. I would like a chance to see them live in concert or at a local folk club.

Luke Daniels and the Cobhers - Gael Productions Gael CD022

The Cobhers, pronounced Covers, are Luke on melodeon, guitar and vocals with Matt Tighe on fiddle, Michael Biggins on piano, Scott Turnbull on guitar and Eleanor Dunsdon on clasarch and backing vocals. The track list starts with the Bee Gees, Staying Alive which is a bit of an odd choice for the opening track but it works. Other tracks include some written by Luke and a couple of more traditional or at least in a traditional style such as a set of jigs entitled Doodly, Doodly Dank. There is also a traditional Syrian Longa and a folk sounding version of Superstition from one S. Wonder. Carron Bridge showcases the work that the Cobhers have been doing to research and perform traditional tunes from Lanarkshire. The CD comes with useful and interesting sleeve notes. Luke does a lot of work with children and young people across Scotland and England and has performed at Broadstairs Folk Week.

Alan Castle (Editor)

The Guisers Are Coming Zoom: Wednesday 5th January 2023 (Twelfth Night) 8pm

Pete Castle’s sort of Christmas Show. A traditional, secular, left wing, alternative Christmas based around traditional songs and stories. There will be the odd carol, and perhaps a mention of Father Christmas and presents, but much more about poor people going guising to raise money to buy their Christmas dinner. For the poor the whole of the Christmas period was difficult and they needed to go guising, or mumming, or hoodening or whatever else they called it locally— perhaps just carol singing—to survive. For the better-off Christmas did last a whole 12 Days with partridges in pear trees and lords a-leaping. Christmas Day itself used to be just a holy day, the main day for celebrations and presents was 12th Night so that’s when we will celebrate. Bring a bottle of your favourite tipple and some left-over Christmas cake and join Pete for a ‘different’ Christmas event which will include several of his favourite and most popular stories. Tickets are £5.00 each and all profits will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (https://www.dec.org.uk) for use in whatever appeals they are concentrating on at the time. Tickets are only available from Tenterden Folk Festival online at https://www.musicglue. com/tenterdenfolkfestival/tickets/ Make sure you enter your email address carefully as it will be used to send you the Zoom link.