Andrew Curry writes: The Snow It Melts The Soonest was popularised by Anne Briggs when she finally got round to releasing her vastly influential self-named LP in 1971. Briggs had sung it in her performances during the 1960s, although Archie... Read more →
Colin Randall writes: two outings for Maddy Prior, two outings for the Latin language in this series of Christmas or winter songs. We've heard Prior's impeccable singing of In Dulci Jubilo, from her moonlighting role as part of the Carnival... Read more →
Andrew Curry writes: If it was cold when we visited Alan Hull’s Northumberland a few days ago, it is freezing today, on the South Atlantic whaling fleet in harbour over the winter in South Leith, South Georgia. We laboured seven... Read more →
Colin Randall writes: Paul Simon is entitled to be cross about how he and Art Garfunkel were perceived in snootier corners of British folk in the 1960s. To put it bluntly, many of us foolishly looked down on them, mocked... Read more →
Colin Randall writes: I spoke too soon, at least when I wrote in an earlier piece for this series that The Holly and the Ivy had been squeezed out. It is such a lovely carol that room was found. The... Read more →
Andrew Curry writes: Winter Song was on Lindisfarne’s first LP, Nicely Out of Tune, along with Lady Eleanor and We Can Swing Together. It was a low-key beginning for the band, but the huge success of Fog on the Tyne... Read more →
