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Sublime Vocal Harmony

Andrew Shaffer | JAPAN | 06/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Young Tradition were Peter Bellamy, Heather Wood and Royston Wood, whose love of traditional English folk music brought them together during the 1960's. On this two-album disk, their distinct individual musical strengths and styles embody both the creative, innovative spirit of the then colorful folk revival scene and the subtle, solemn beauty often attributed to traditional, unaccompanied harmony singing. On the first listening, some songs--in particular dirges derived from centuries-old manuscripts--may sound a bit raw and discordant to the unaccustomed ear, but the harmonies, the enthusiasm, and intensely interesting and often obscure subject matter blend into an unmistakenly immaculate whole."

The Voices and The Words

pinxet | USA | 04/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The british folk boom had many great moments to be proud of. To those of us who were treated to that music -- think of Steeleye Span or Pentangle -- those wonderful old songs were presented in lovely fashion palatable to the modern ear. They brought us access to an unfamiliar genre.
But there was cost in that. In all the flowery music, the audience was distanced from the words, the lyrics -- much like Baez rendering Dylan distracted (to me at least) from the content by shrouding it in hypnotic sound.

If you're familiar with the genre, I would make the extravegant claim that you've probably never really *heard* the beauty of traditional folk lyrics until you've heard it from the Young Tradition.
If you've never listened to traditional british folk at all, it will sound strange to you -- most of my friends say it reminds them of madrigals-gone-astray by recognizably great acapella singers -- but with an eccentric twist.Close your eyes with an open mind, and be abducted by voices which mesmerize you to words. Archaic words in the old grammar.
Words from a brusque world, where people are butchers or prey, who live in fear of the now and the after, and who lust and love in furtiveness or openess.
Simpler words from arguably simpler times, where the full universe of feelings we all possess were expressed in a line, a clause; in the turn of a phrase, a lilt in the voice, or a pause. I am almost 50.
Of all albums, of all music, this -- originally two albums -- have been my favorite since I was 16.
It was not Dylan, John Lennon, or Paul Simon who made me collapse beneath the spell of expressive words.
It was the Young Tradition, carrying them here from anonymous folk who lived long ago."

So Cheerfully Round

Myra Schjelderup | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA | 07/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD can be classified as New Age, Folk, or World in its genre.

In this CD you get a whole 22 songs, sung by three great singers. The songs are purely vocal, with no instruments; some people find this irritating or boring, but the harmonization is wonderful. The CD comes with a little booklet that does not have lyrics, to my disappointment, but has a few things to say about some of the songs, and also a little section about the singers.

1. 2:00 Byker Hill is done also by The Barely Works.

2. 4:28 Bold Fisherman

3. 3:11 Betsy the Serving Maid is about a serving maid, Betsy, who gets employed in a squire's household. She and his only son fall in love, but the mother overhears them talking. She takes Betsy away and sends her off in a ship to become a slave in America. The son dies of a heartbreak.

4. 4:41 Henry the Poacher

5. 2:49 Lyke Wake Dirge is the best song on the album.

6. 2:48 Banks of Claudy is a well known song, sung by many artists, all with different wording and sometimes a slightly different part of the story. Versions of this song are also sung by Loreena McKennitt, and versions of this story by Relativity and Sinead O'Connor. The basic story is of two lovers, and the man goes off to be a soldier/salior. He comes back, in disguise, and meets the lady. In disguise he asks her to marry him, she says no, then he tells her that her love died [on the sea or in war]. She falls into despair, then he knows she has been faithful and he tells her that he's not really dead (and they live happily ever after).

7. 2:47 Innocent Hare

8. 5:37 Dives and Lazarus is about a rich man (Dives) and a poor man (Lazurus). Lazurus comes begging at Dives's door, but Dives each time has Lazurus beat or chased by dogs (and so on). Then both men sicken and die eventually, and angels come from Heaven to lead Lazurus there, and demons come out of Hell to lead Dives there.

9. 2:54 Derry Down Fair

10. 1:45 Truth Sent From Above

11. 1:42 Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth is about a man who leaves his lover to go to sea, and when he comes back she is married.

12. 3:15 Daddy Fox, also known as The Fox, a version is sung by Nickel Creek as well. It is about a daddy fox who goes and steals birds (great goose) and takes them back to his den for his wife and little ones.

13. 4:03 Season Round

14. 2:21 Bold Dragoon I have heard before, sung by Cester LaRue. It is the story of a rich lady who marries a poor soldier, and when her father comes to kill him he fights off her father and his men.

15. 3:12 Watercress-O is one of my favorite songs, but I haven't really listened to the lyrics all the way.

16. 3:54 Old Miser is about a rich girl who is in love with a poor sailor. Her father does not approve of the match. The girl disguises herself as a sailor (to either meet her love or run away with him, I can't remember), and walks along the beach. When she is walking she meets her father, and he, thinking she is a man, her lover, kills her. When he realizes what he has done, he kills himself. Then her lover comes along (right then or later I do not know) and then I think he kills himself.

17. 1:43 Foxhunt

18. 4:45 Knight William is a very good song.

19. 2:37 Single Man's Warning

20. 5:27 Pretty Ploughboy

21. 3:52 Hungry Child is about a hungry child who keeps begging his/her mother for bread, then when the bread is finally in the oven he is dead.

22. 2:18 Whitsuntide Carol

Many of these songs are sad, as you can see, but all of them are beautiful."