Product Description

Holy Heathens & The Old Green Man is an album that Waterson:Carthy have been wanting to make for a long time. Songs and carols celebrating all the seasons of the year is a very English concept. The Watersons' first album in 1965 was the groundbreaking, highly revered and very successful Frost And Fire (A Calendar Of Ritual And Magical Songs), and the concept continues to fascinate them. With this new release Waterson:Carthy have eclipsed even that seminal album. These songs celebrate the diversity of the seasons as well as the religious, physical and economic impact each had upon people's lives and still resonate today with all the power they had in our past.

Waterson:Carthy has one of the most acclaimed lineups of any group in the world: Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson & Tim Van Eyken. Each member is a leading solo artist in his or her own right and each has individually won many awards. The sound on this album is a resoundingly full blooded one: the resonant sounds of ensemble singing bolstered by the young and exciting new vocal trio, The Devil's Interval, are further accompanied by guitar, fiddle, mandolin, melodeon, brass and percussion.

Reviews:

Rated as one of Songlines magazine's 'Top of the World' albums for January 2007:

"The playing is excellent...but the singing is the greatest delight." - Songlines magazine

Track Listing

1. New Year Carol
2. Sugar Wassail
3. St George
4. May Song
5. Christ Made A Trance
6. Falling Tear
7. Cherry Tree Carol
8. Reaphook And Sickle
9. Jack Frost
10. While Shepherds Watched
11. On Christmas Day It Happened So
12. Time To Remember The Poor
13. Jacobstowe Wassail
14. Awake Awake
15. Diadem
16. Jolly Old Hawk
17. Gloryland

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32604 in Music
• Released on: 2006-10-30
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

I must have missed the point
I know that everyone has their style but I came to the folk genre via Coope Boyes and Simpson and so I would urge those people who have given this CD rave reviews to buy 'What we sing is what we are' and you will understand why I found Holy Heathens such a disappointment. The vocal quality was poor in comparison and none of my nerves tingled.Hey ho!

Sheer Brilliance
If you missed the Waterson/Carthy/Devil's Interval tour at the end of last year, you missed a treat - but fear not, this album is a wonderful memento of some amazing music-making. The wide-ranging choice of songs is impeccable, covering the folk alamanac, and producing an expanse of near-perfect music.
About 40 years ago, the Waterson's produced "Frost and Fire", a landmark album that influenced generations of traditional music lovers. This album will undoubtedly have the same effect on further generations.
It would be invidiuous to pick out favourites - there are some real belters here, performed with the same Waterson/Carthy mix of authority, respect, love of the music, and sheer joy.
Did I mention The Devil's Interval? - they more than hold their own in this exalted company.
The First Family of Folk Music continue to produce exceptional music. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.

The very best!
You have to buy this album for 1 reason amongst others!

Gloryland (track 17):

There is a land beyond the stars
Glory land, Bright Glory land
Beyond the sunset's crimson bars
Glory land, Bright Glory land
A Land of Peace without alloy
Of Joy beyond all earthly joy
And Naught its calm can e'er destroy
Glory land, Bright Glory land!
__________
2)THe City of our GOD is there,
Glory land, Bright Glory land
It's Jasper walls with beauty fair
Glory land, Bright Gloryland.
It's Gates of Pearl like silver gleam
It's Skies with fadeless sunlight beam
And Through it flows life's crystal stream
Glory land, Bright Glory land!
___________
3)WE lift our eyes By Faith and see
Glory land Bright Glory land,
Where Christ Himself the Light shall be
Gloryland , Bright Gloryland
There songs of praise glad hearts shall sing
THe radiant air with music ring
Each voice proclaim our Saviour King
Glory land, Bright Gloryland!

This is the best track on the album and really gets under your skin, humming it and singing it like an infectious disease, the music and singing is superb and I defy anybody to produce a better folk album this year. Jolly old hawk (Track 16) is true vintage Christmas fare done magnificantly as are all the other tracks, this CD has been playing for 2 weeks in my car CD player and I now look forward to going out for a drive irrespective of the road conditions and traffic as I can hear Lisa sing Gloryland some more.

Keep up the good work folks.

Thanks for your recent concert in Enniskillen, it was sheer magic!