Product Description

Night Visiting features a selection of top musicians, including harpist Corrina Hewat of The Unusual Suspects, Chris Sherburn (concertina genius of Last Night's Fun), Hannah James of Kerfuffle, 422's Joey Oliver, and The Askew sisters. The eleven songs include Bella's interpretations of traditional classics from "All Things Are Quite Silent" and "Bonny Susie Cleland" to "Searching For Lambs", and Bella also demonstrates her song writing prowess in "Alone, Jane?" and the night visiting song "Three Black Feathers".

"Top Ten Folk Albums of the Year 2007: (9) Night Visiting - Bella Hardy" - Mojo magazine

Track Listing

1. Three Black Feathers
2. Dog & Gun
3. Young Edmund
4. Down in Yon Forest
5. Heart Hill
6. Searching for Lambs
7. All Things Are Quite Silent
8. Maying Song
9. Molly Vaughan
10. Alone, Jane?
11. Bonny Susie Cleland

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15563 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-22
• Number of discs: 1

fROOTS
"Bella Hardy is more than a new generation folk revivalist... Her potential is massive. Meanwhile this is an exciting, accomplished debut."

BBC Radio 2
"Superb debut album from the young Derbyshire singer/fiddler, aided by Corinna Hewat, Askew Sisters & others. Arresting delivery and arrangements of mainly trad classics; two original songs also shine."

Fish Records
"... an excellent English folk disc from one of the brightest young talents in the UK; her mesmerising vocals and fiddle playing are exceptional, and as a debut album it's one of the most striking in recent memory."

Customer Reviews

Vocal Perfection and Songs to Match.
I must admit I'm not normally one to allow the quality of the singing to take precedent over song quality and arrangement in assessing an album's qualities. My first reaction to hearing a beautiful voice is 'yes but what about the songs'? In this case I have to make a slight exception, as, from start to finish I found myself totally captivated by the sound of Bella Hardy's voice. It is as pure and clear a voice as you will hear, and in that it is not so unusual(particularly in the folk arena)but there is an underlying substance or weight, indefinable, that makes for comparisons to the greats. It is fairly common, these days to say 'reminds me of' Sandy Denny or Anne Briggs' meaning little more than that the artist is recording in a similar style, But in this case such comparisons seem reasonable.

And so to the album: A collection of eleven songs, two originals, a Kristina Olsen cover and Trad/arr... for the rest. The two self penned songs show an artist with enormous potential(if she could get an albums worth of this quality together...)and the other material has been well chosen as there is not a duffer amongst them. At this point I might be tempted to list the highlights, but since this would entail list most of the tracks on the album I shan't do so. The arrangements of the songs have a crisp modernity to them and all the backing(including her own fiddle playing)is faultless.

It should be remembered that this is a folk album and not one that has been watered down to extend its appeal but, having said that, its sheer class should see it reach a few people who might not normally be tempted.
Suffice it to say: Highly recommended.

Fantastic Brit folk
This is I think an amazing debut. Really memorable performances of all the songs-- and Krista Olsen's "Heart Hill" and the two by her
fit right in. I love the very well considered accompaniment too & her singing has a poignancy and mature expression beyond her years.
In some ways Hardy reminds me of Anne Briggs, but also very nice more contemporary singers like Kate Rushby and Cara Dillon, but not as
winsome. Beautiful stuff-- my fave trad. folk album of the year, and one of
my fave albums of any genre.