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The Music of Cry Havoc [Audio album from the English Folk Dance Project] Volume 1 of the Cotswold Morris series of recordings. 24 tracks of morris tunes recorded live by the Cry Havoc musicians. Includes the first ever recording of 'Dogs of war' by Paul Ferrett. Cat. LACR CD 5 £11.50 (inc.p&p) US customers should order directly from the Country Dance and Song Society [more info] |
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Track List Click on the 'Play' buttons [  ] for a sample in MP3 formatThese tracks are low-quality - about 74k each 1. Shave the donkey (Bampton). 2. Constant Billy (Headington). 3. Young Collins (Bledington) 4. Getting upstairs (Headington). 5. Jenny Lind (Lichfield). 6. Balance the straw (Fieldtown). 7. Banbury Bill (Bampton). 8. Hunting the squirrel (Headington) 9. Shooting (Adderbury). 10. Bumpus of Stretton (Ilmington). 11. Country gardens (Fieldtown). 12. Step back (Fieldtown). 13. Highland Mary (Bampton). 14. Dogs of war (Botley). 15. Haste to the wedding (Headington). 16. Black joke (Adderbury). 17. Vandals of Hammerwich (Lichfield). 18. Banks of the Dee (Fieldtown). 19. William and Nancy (Bledington). 20. Rigs of Marlow (Headington). 21. Ring o'bells (Lichfield). 22. Laudnum bunches (Headington). 23. Skirmish ('Bledington'). 24. Bobbing around (Bampton). |
All titles traditional, except 'Dogs of war', by Paul Ferrett.
Melodeons: Tim Clarke, Debbie Roberts Concertina: Kate Keen Fiddle: Ed Pritchard Accordion: Alison Paine Whistle: Pete Burow Mandola: Ed Pritchard Bodhrán: Mark Roberts Djembe: Mick Onions Triangle: 'Tinkly' John Keen Tambourine: Mick Onions Sticks, bells, stomps, and yells: The Cry Havoc Dancers Recorded, mixed, and produced by Ed Pritchard. |
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From Essex Folk News www.essexfolknews.co.uk This is another CD that should appeal on different levels. It is the first in a proposed series of CD’s recording English folk dance music as played now. It’s honest Morris dance tunes, played entertainingly at a tempo that you could actually dance to. The CD is very well presented including copious sleeve notes about the project, the history & folklore of Morris and the tunes. This project seems very worthwhile and deserving of support. My only complaint, if that’s the right word, is that the tunes recorded are all the common tunes that have been recorded in various guises many times. Perhaps the lesser known Morris tunes should have been recorded first? But, it is for this reason I would recommend every Morris side to buy a copy for when their musician fails to turn up for practice.
John New - Essex Folk News
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From The Green Man Review www.greenmanreview.com
Cotswold Series -- Volume 1: The Music of Cry Havoc will not be everyone's cuppa of tea. A project of the English Folk Dance Project, it is an attempt to document truly indigenous English dance music. What we have here is the music of a revivalist Morris group - Cry Havoc, from Botley, a suburb of Oxford. One publication, Music Traditions, said it was, and I quote, "unobjectionable, if exceedingly dull" and "I am puzzled, though, as to exactly who they would be useful to - Cry Havoc's fans and mums and dads might be the whole market, since I assume that no revivalist side would wish to emulate another one." I find the last comment to be a bit bitchy! Actually I found to this disc to be a bit odd but quite charming. After all, one does not hear true Morris music as recorded in an actual performance setting all that often, does one? And aren't all Morris groups essentially revivalist in nature? What the English Folk Dance Project is up to is clear from this statement as regards this endeavour: it will be "essential both for the academic and the fan of English folk music." I think what Music Traditions is bothered by the is the relative youth of the group. Their website notes, "Cry Havoc was founded in 1993 after someone had the bright idea of including a bit of Morris dancing in a pantomime." Only Helen Bell, former member of Cry Havoc, and Ed Pritchard, Havoc's musical director, produced and played on the album. What you get is 24 tracks of Cotswold Morris tunes -- played with great verve on melodeons, concertinas, fiddles, accordions, whistles, a bodhran or two, various types of percussion, and -- I kid you not, sticks, bells, stomps, and shouts. Bloody 'ell, give it a listen -- It's as good a look at Morris music as you'll ever hear!
Jack B. Merry - The Green Man Review |