Frost and Fire

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Like many punk and post-punk records, it is an uncompromising listen. The Watersons sing together more often in unison than in conventional four-part or contrapuntal harmonies. Little ornamentation softens the ends of their phrases. The effect is like being met by four horns on a shore, trying to target their words to the elements in straight, direct blasts. When they talk about the purists that sniff at the most recent folk revival, they are also unforgiving. Waterson presses a button on the side of her reclining chair as she talks about it, and her legs lower to a sitting position, as if she is ready to pounce. Peter Bellamy & The Watersons on The Watersons: Mighty River of Song I Wish I Had Never Lal & Norma Waterson: A True Hearted Girl I Wish You Were Here Again Mike Waterson on Bob Davenport: The Common Stone Blue Murder on The Watersons: The Definitive Collection Al Bowlly’s in Heaven Norma Waterson: The Very Thought of You All For Me Grog The Watersons: The Watersons; Margalit Fox (25 June 2011). "Mike Waterson, Member of British Folk Troupe, Dies at 70". The New York Times.

In their post-court hearing press release, Celtic Music also promised a “programme of re-releases to cast new light on valuable folk music performances from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s” in 2018. It remains eagerly awaited. The band's original members were Norma, Mike, and Elaine known as Lal Waterson, with their cousin John Harrison from Kingston High School. They had a skiffle band in the early 1960s but moved on to playing more traditional material. They were briefly known as "the Folksons".The Watersons: Mighty River of Song Wilson’s Arms Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: Once in a Blue Moon; Jo Freya’s Lal Waterson Project: Lal Windham The Watersons: Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy Windy Day Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight: The Days That Shaped Me Winifer Odd Lal & Mike Waterson: Bright Phoebus; As Mike’s voice roves out, I also hear the young man he was, the old man he became, the dead man he is now. I hear Lal’s voice, gone to the world for nearly 25 years, and the voice of her big sister Norma, quiet for less than a year. I think about the lovers of folk songs who say that the best songs will last purely on their own merit. I think about the people that make choices that control how others are allowed to listen to them. The Watersons: Early Days Yold Yellow Legged Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight: The Days That Shaped Me Yorkshire Tup, The The Watersons: A Yorkshire Garland;

Norma Waterson on The Watersons: Mighty River of Song Cold Coasts of Iceland Coope Boyes & Simpson: Twenty-Four Seven Columbine Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: A Bed of Roses; Briefly reissued on CD in 2000. Remastered & reissued with a bonus disc of demos in 2017 by Domino Recording Company Ltd. Jo Freya’s Lal Waterson Project: Lal Birds Will Still Be Singing, The Norma Waterson: Norma Waterson; The Watersons: A Yorkshire Christmas Wealthy Squire, The Lal & Norma Waterson: A True Hearted Girl; Norma Waterson on Folk Festival Sidmouth There Are No Lights on Our Christmas Tree The Watersons: Mighty River of Song There Is a Fountain of Christ’s Blood Norma Waterson: Norma Waterson Thirty-Foot Trailer, The The Watersons: Travelling for a Living;Frost And Fire: A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs is re-released on 28.10.2022 on Topic Records. The sisters also became good friends with Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and Gift is dedicated to Kate, who died earlier this year. McGarrigle's death has affected Waterson profoundly. "When you lose a member of your family who is your singing partner, as well as your best friend and sister …" She shakes her head. "It's irreplaceable." This latest version comes in a sleeve which is a replica of the original, with minor adaptations, complete with the original sleeve notes from A.L.Lloyd. For many, however, the fact that this vinyl edition has been re-cut at 45 rpm will be the most important factor. I am no sound expert, but having consulted producer and mastering maestro Tony Poole he confirms the fact that 45rpm will always be higher fidelity than 33 and a third, and the fact that each side of the album is less than 20 minutes long means optimal quality, notwithstanding the fact that the entire album only has vocal information and no bass or instruments which would need compressing. The Watersons on The Season Round Heavenly Aeroplane The Watersons: Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy;

Mike Waterson: Mike Waterson (CD reissue) So Strange Is Man Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: Once in a Blue Moon Souling Song The Watersons: Frost and Fire; Mike Waterson on The Watersons: Mighty River of Song Meeting is a Pleasure Lal & Norma Waterson: A True Hearted Girl; But the songs that affect me most on this record are sung by Lal and Mike alone. On ‘Christmas Day Is Drawing Near’, Lal sings this moralising Christian song in a voice that suggests a heartbreaking submission to its sentiments. She surrenders to its mournful minor key, underlining the terrors of subservience. You hear the strange movements of the song’s melody in her songwriting in Bright Phoebus seven years later. Of course, ‘Harvest Song: We Gets Up In The Morn’ brings the song cycle to autumn. Then, ‘Souling Song’ touches the pulsed history of All Souls, All Saints, and (my much beloved) always spooky Hallowe’en. And the seasonal circle continues: ‘Jolly Old Hawk’ mentions a “ twelfth most day”, which matches with those twelve days of Christmas, or the mysterious “ twelfth night”, which ritualistically attempts to counter the darkest days of the year. Supernatural stars and souls (and perhaps even Shakespeare’s ghost) hover over the tune.

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What’s New for the 20th of August: Some favorite mysteries; jazz, country, RT, and a musical grab bag; a hoedown, a big dragon, Hellboy, and of course ice cream! Norma Waterson at the BBC Folk awards on 27 April 2016, where she received the lifetime achievement award. Photograph: Christie Goodwin/Redferns Norma Waterson on The Folk Awards 2001 Flowers of Knaresborough Forest, The Lal & Norma Waterson: A True Hearted Girl; Lal Waterson: Teach Me to Be a Summer’s Morning Shallow Brown The Watersons on Peter Bellamy: Wake the Vaulted Echoes;

With a fitting dramatic flourish, the album ends, as it began, with yet another ‘Wassail Song’. Indeed, everything—especially melodic magic—is always in search of the very circulus nature of the fallen Maypole Eden.The Watersons on The Season Round Green Fields of England, The Mike and Norma Waterson on Peter Bellamy: The Transports; Their style is a unique blend of originality and tradition. [2] The Watersons never learned to read music. They began by singing hunting songs, hymns and carols with their grandmother, ones that she probably sang with her parents. One family member would sing the melody, and the rest would join in, choosing a harmony note if the melody was out of their range. [3] The Watersons: A Yorkshire Christmas Her White Gown Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: Once in a Blue Moon Hilda’s Cabinet Band The Watersons on Richard Thompson et al.: Hard Cash;