 | | Reviews | | |  BARRY COOPE, JIM BOYES, LESTER SIMPSON, FI FRASER, JO FREYA, GEORGINA BOYES
Fire And Sleet And Candlelight
No Masters NMCD21
There's something in the sound of carols at Christmas that stirs the heart whatever your beliefs. Even the simplest has a certain charm but dig a little deeper, encounter the glorious repertoire of carols banished by Churchianity but ebulliently surviving in the pubs of Yorkshire, Derbyshire and elsewhere and you run the risk of lifelong addiction to the hair-raising beauty of these seasonal songs so alive in local communities.
The singers assembled on this CD are no strangers to this enormously vibrant and important tradition and make a rich contribution to its continuance. 1998's excellent A Garland Of Carols saw the powerful, utterly distinctive harmonies of CBS wrapped around similar fare, but here the additional vocal tones of the Fraser Sisters and Georgina Boyes produce a dense, resonant sonority that echoes the full-throated, rafter-raising carol sessions now starting the Christmas run-up.
On this journey through England's often-controversial history of sacred song we encounter some of the elaborate 'fugued' tunes of the Yorkshire/Derbyshire traditions with their intricate harmonized layers and unexpected codas: listen to Diadem for a huge, stirring swell of sound. Elsewhere there are seasonal house-visiting songs of wassailing and clementsing; the plangent 16th century Personent Hodie, Fi and Jo's version of The Cherry Tree Carol collected from Gloucester Travellers and the final, haunting thrill of Down In Yon Forest.
Substitute this album for the Xmas-O-Rama compilations that annually assault the ear in city emporia and the world would be a better place. Here are songs from Albion's past to be enjoyed at any season but since it's that time of year ... light the candles, sit close by the fire and wallow in the aural gorgeousness of CBSFFB.
Mel McClellan - November 2003
Have you listened to the album? Want to submit a review of your own?
Fill in the form below and tell us what you think.
 | | | |
| | |  |
| | |
|
|
Folk & Acoustic
