On March 18th 2011, eight artists
Steve Knightley
Jackie Oates
Andy Cutting
Caroline Herring
Jim Moray
Patsy Reid
Leonard Podolak
Kathryn Roberts
gathered together at Henley Farmhouse in Shropshire for a seven day residential, with an artistic brief to create new works that have a 'resonance and relevance' to legendary song collector Cecil Sharp, and, in particular, the Appalachian travels and song collecting he undertook in America between 1915-1918.
The residential was immediately followed by three concerts (one in Shrewsbury, and two in London; the latter at Cecil Sharp House in Camden). The group and songs were recorded, and then mixed and produced by Stu Hanna.
Guardian Concert Review, Robin Denselow (**** 4 stars)
'it worked because the songs were unexpectedly varied and the mood bravely and cheerfull ynon-reverential…It was a Who's Who of the new British folk scene…The new songs ranged from the poignant to the critical. Ghost of Songs was a moving tribute to those who gave Sharp their songs’.
The project was a joint commission between Shrewsbury Folk Festival and EFDSS
Track listing
1 Mining for Songs
2 Mother England
3 Jeff Sturgeon’s / I Like You, You’re Common / When Lenny met Andy met Patsy
4 Cecil’s Greatest Hits Vol.1
5 Dear Kimber
6 Lover’s Lament
7 The CooCoo Bird
8 Meadows of Dan
9 Ol’ Groudhog
10 Black Mountain Lullaby
11 Child’s Song / Barbara Allen
12 Aunt Maria
13 Beautiful Maud
14 Veggie in the Holler
15 Earl Brand
16 Ghost of Songs
17 The Great Divide
18 Maud and Cecil
review 24 June 2011
