VA - MidWinter: A Celebration of the Folk Music & Traditions of Christmas & The Turning of the Year [4CD Box Set] (2006)

Green Man Review by Mike Wilson

I approached this collection with equal amounts of caution and intrigue. However, from the first few tracks I immediately warmed to MidWinter and any caution was quickly abandoned as I became increasingly captivated. The four discs are accompanied by an exquisitely illustrated 136-page book [included in the torrent] that describes each track in great detail, alongside a good helping of seasonal anecdotes, bringing the whole project to life. There are recordings made as far back as the 1920s, with some tracks recorded this year, specifically for this collection. The breadth of material includes poetry readings, traditional music renditions as well as contemporary selections.

The first disc is titled Past & Presents, and takes a look at midwinter festivities and celebrations that precede Christmas as we know it today. The disc opens with a stark a-capella rendition of “The Gower Wassail,” recorded in 1937 and performed by the renowned Welsh singer and collector of songs, Phil Tanner — who, at the time of recording, was 75 years of age. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a short poem by the American poet, Robert Frost, which precedes a specially recorded version of “A Roving On A Winter’s Night,” by English musician Steve Tilston — featuring his trademark virtuoso guitar work and assured vocals. John Fahey’s composition, “Skater’s Waltz,” provides a shimmering backdrop to excerpts from the William Wordsworth masterpiece, “The Prelude,” and Arthur Ransome‘s “Autobiography.” There are a couple of distinctive tracks by The Watersons — “Christmas Is Now Drawing Near At Hand” and “Emmanuel” — which lend further weight to the predominately English sound of this disc. An obvious influence on The Watersons’ vocal style is the 18th century hymn, “Sound, Sound Your Instruments Of Joy” — the title of The Watersons’ 1977 album — represented here by a 1937 recording by the Mabe Choir of Cornwall. The vocal tradition is mined further with the inclusion of “The Meadowhall Carol,” by the astoundingly talented British a-capella trio, Coope, Boyes and Simpson.

Part two of the collection is a disc entitled Comfort & Joy, exploring the story of the nativity as told through traditional and contemporary folk music. The contrast between traditional and contemporary is evident on the first two tracks; the first being a 1964 recording of “While Shepherds Watched” by concertina player Louis ‘Scan’ Tester, followed by Johnny Coppin‘s full-band arrangement of Robbie Robertson’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight.” Maggie Boyle gives a typically stirring performance of “The Wexford Carol,” a Celtic tune that possibly has origins in the twelfth century. The English vocal tradition is again well represented on this second disc — of particular note is “The First Nowell,” performed to stunning effect by the singers of the Bacca Pipes Folk Club of Keighley, West Yorkshire, with a delightfully rousing and uplifting sound. There is commanding reading by T.S. Eliot of his poem “The Journey Of The Magi,” borrowed from a Christmas sermon dating back to the 15th or 16th Century. Medieval times are visited again with Joan Baez’s almost operatic recital of “The Coventry Carol,” a perfect showcase for her young soprano vocals. The disc closes with the Bach composition “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” given a markedly Celtic feel by American band, Druidstone.

Peace & Goodwill is the third offering in this set, and provides an insight into the season according to contemporary songwriters. Emerging folk artist Laura Hockenhull excels on a fine version of Janis Ian’s “In The Winter,” that considers the feelings of a mistress, forced to spend the season alone, whilst her lover returns to his family. One could argue that Martha Tilston — daughter of folk stalwart Steve Tilston — is no newcomer to the folk scene, as she has pretty much been brought up in the midst of folk music. However, her own fledgling career is very much in the ascendant and she is represented here with the track “Winter Flowers.” Martha’s haunting vocals are sure to touch the heart of many, and from the evidence presented here she is set to become an influential figure on the folk scene. Fishken & Groves add some lonesome dobro to the John Prine song, “Christmas In Prison,” giving it a raw, country sound, whilst Mike Harding gives a tender account of the 1914 Christmas truce, with his own composition “Christmas 1914,” sounding remarkably like Ralph McTell but with a northern twang! “Christmas Isn’t What It Used To Be” is a worthy exploration of the less salubrious aspects of Christmas in modern times by Tim Moon and Paedar Long, and a great souvenir of a bleak 1980s Britain in the midst of Thatcherism.

The final disc in the Midwinter collection is The Old & The New — a collection of songs and tunes celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Traditional wassailing songs make another appearance; firstly The Watersons’ “Apple Tree Wassail,” originally sung to encourage a prosperous crop of apples, which is followed by the Albion Band’s “Gloucestershire Wassail,” this time being directed at a farmer’s livestock, with lead vocals sung by Fairport Convention’s Simon Nicol. Though Fairport Convention are not themselves represented on MidWinter, there are plenty of Fairport connections to be found, particularly on this final disc. There is a glorious solo offering from Sandy Denny of her song “Bushes & Briars,” that illustrates perfectly the power she held in her relentlessly beautiful voice. Immediately following this is a solo outing from Richard Thompson of “Poor Ditching Boy,” originally released on his debut solo album, Henry The Human Fly, though the version here is a 1998 live recording, complete with his renowned guitar intricacy. Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band make an appearance with a desolate hymnal interpretation of a 1715 Isaac Watts poem, “Watts’ Cradle Hymn.” The pagan midwinter tradition of wren hunting is represented here with three tracks: “Hunting The Wren,” a field recording made in the Isle of Man, “The Cutty Wren,” by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, and finally Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick‘s “The Wren.” MidWinter is drawn to a close by a previously unreleased, live recording of Martin Carthy’s deliciously bleak performance of Dave Goulder’s “January Man,” followed by an excerpt from the 1939 Christmas broadcast by King George VI.

Almost every track included in this collection is worthy of individual mention, though beyond the scope of this review. The accompanying booklet does a fine job of providing fascinating detail about all aspects of the performances and associated history. The links between a few of the tracks and the themes of the individual discs are sometimes tenuous, but this doesn’t detract from this highly informative and enjoyable collection. MidWinter provides an ideal soundtrack for those of us who are growing increasingly weary of what the season brings in this day and age. It is exactly the meaningful connection back to tradition that will warm the heart and soul throughout those long, cold winter nights. Now then, where’s my mulled wine?