Search - Maddy Prior :: Ballads and Candles

It may not have taken exactly that long to come together, but in a very real sense Maddy Prior's Christmas tour of 1999 was 35 years in the making. The year's landmark first came to attention several months earlier, during the making of the Ravenchild album. A quick trawl through the history books and it dawned that this was indeed Maddy's thirty fifth album in as many years. A year later and the live album of the resulting show is ready for release, bearing witness to the three nights of magical music that took place that December. Aside from the singer, the tour and album features a few of the extraordinary musicians that she has worked with over the years - many of which had never even met, let alone played together. Nick Holland and Troy Donnockley have been stalwarts of Maddy's solo campaigns of recent years. Steeleye Span are represented by two of their most famous names - Peter Knight on fiddle and Rick Kemp on bass. In the Carnival Band corner is Steve Banks, providing not only drums but also violin. Having made two albums together as the Silly Sisters, Maddy and June Tabor had not sung together for nearly ten years but were to relish the opportunity of performing as a pairing once more. With the past taken care of, there also had to be a nod to the future in the shape of Rose Kemp - Maddy & Rick's daughter. Oh what a night!