Music inspired by the Elizabethan age, commissioned by the English Folk Dance and Song Society and Folk by the Oak, the annual music festival based at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth I.

Created at Monnington House, Monnington-on-Wye, 14-20 March 2014;
Recorded at Kennedy Hall, Cecil Sharp House, and The Old Palace, Hatfield House, on 22-23 March 2014;
Produced, recorded and mixed by Andy Bell;
Assistant engineer James Hodgeson;
Photography by Elly Lucas

Musicians

Martin Simpson: vocals, guitar, banjo;
Nancy Kerr: vocals, fiddle, viola;
Jim Moray: vocals, piano, harpsichord, organ;
Bella Hardy: vocals, fiddle;
John Smith: vocals, acoustic, tenor, electric and hi-strung guitars;
Emily Askew: recorders, violin, vielle, frame drum, bells, hurdy-gurdy;
Hannah James: vocals, piano accordion, clogs;
Rachel Newton: vocals, harps, viola

Tracks

1. The Shores of Hispaniola (4.13)
2. London (4.07)
3. Christopher Marlowe (2.24)
4. Love-in-Idleness (3.43)
5. Eve’s Apology in Defence of Women / Gather the Owls (5.01)
6. Broadside (2.57)
7. Elizabeth Spells Death (3.05)
8. Come Live with Me (4.39)
9. The Straight Line and the Curve (4.12)
10. True Lover’s Knot Untied / The Great Hall (3.36)
11. The Monnington Pavane / Ortiz Ground (2.57)
12. The Oak Casts His Shadow (3.36)
13. Hatfield (3.52)
14. Suspicious Mind (4.39)

Tracks 1, 12 Nancy Kerr;
Track 2 John Smith;
Track 3 Martin Simpson;
Tracks 4, 13 Bella Hardy;
Track 5 Rachel Newton, Emily Askew, Hannah James, words by Amelia Lanyer;
Track 6 Nancy Kerr, John Smith, Martin Simpson;
Track 7 Martin Simpson, John Smith;
Track 8 trad., Rachel Newton, Emily Askew;
Track 9 Jim Moray;
Track 10 Emily Askew, Hannah James;
Track 11a Emily Askew;
Track 11b Emily Askew, Diego Ortiz (1510-1570);
Track 14 John Smith, Nancy Kerr

Videos

The Elizabethan Session at Hatfield House, 20 March 2014:

The Elizabethan Session at Cecil Sharp House, March 2014:

Commissioned by the English Folk Dance and Song Society and Folk by the Oak as part of the “2015 Anniversaries: Parliament in the Making” programme.

Recorded at Village Farm, Allensmore;
Produced, recorded and mixed by Tom Wright;
Assistant engineer Matt Gordon;
Additional recording by Jamie Pryke and Chris Kreinczes;
Mastered by Tony Dixon, Masterpiece London;
Photography by Elly Lucas, Roswitha Chesher, Rosie Reed Gold and Hilary Smallwood

Musicians

Nancy Kerr: acoustic guitar, violin, vocals;
Martyn Joseph: acoustic guitar, vocals;
Maz O’Connor: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals;
Sam Carter: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals;
Patsy Reid: violin, vocals;
Nick Cooke: melodeon

with
Tom Wright: additional bass guitar and drums

Tracks

CD

Cecil Sharp House set list

[NC] Kingdom (3.13) [MO’C] Rich Man’s Hill (3.15) [SC] Am I Not a Man and a Brother (3.24) [MJ] Dic Penderyn (5.50) [NK, MO’C] Seven Notes (Adieu My Love) (4.53) [MO’C] This Old House (3.59) [MJ] Twelve Years Old (5.52) [NK] Lila (3.59) [MO’C] Broad Waters (4.35) [MJ] Nye (3.08) [SC] Dark Days (Goodnight and Good Luck) (2.23) [NK] Written on My Skin (4.02) [MO’C] Broken Things (3.11) [SC] One More River (3.29) Tracks 1, 5, 8, 12 Nancy Kerr; Tracks 2, 6, 9, 13 Maz O’Connor; Tracks 3, 11, 14 Sam Carter; Tracks 4, 7, 10 Martyn Joseph;

[MO’C] John Ball [Sydney Carter] [MJ] Dic Penderyn [MO’C] Rich Man’s Hill [NK] Written on My Skin [SC] Am I Not a Man and a Brother [MO’C] Broad Waters [MJ] Twelve Years Old [NK, MO’C] Seven Notes (Adieu My Love) [MO’C] This Old House [SC] Dark Days (Goodnight and Good Luck) [NC] Kingdom [MO’C] Broken Things [SC] Our Kind of Harmony [MJ] The Good in Me Is Dead [NK] Lila [MO’C] Fair England [MJ] Land of Evermore [NK] Fragile Water [MJ] Nye [MJ] Barsebäcke Polka [SC] One More River

Videos

Live recording of Sweet Liberties at Cecil Sharp House in November 2015:

Commissioned by Folk by the Oak

Recorded by Tom A. Wright on the Shake the Chains tour on 23-27 February 2017;
Mixed and mastered by Stu Hanna;
Design by Katy Coope;
Photography by the band

Musicians

Nancy Kerr: acoustic guitar, violin, vocals;
Hannah Martin: violin, viola, 5-string banjo, tenor guitar, vocals;
Findlay Napier: acoustic guitar, vocals;
Greg Russell: acoustic guitar, bouzouki, vocals;
Tim Yates: double bass, vocals

Tracks

1. Through the Trees (3.57)
2. E.G.A. (3.11)
3. Bulding Ships (2.52)
4. Yarl’s Wood (3.42)
5. If I Had a Hammer (2.52)
6. Poison Apples (3.56)
7. Glory of the Sun (3.59)
8. Ding Dong Dollar (2.40)
9. Bunch Nest Door (2.49)
10. Musician from Chile / Victor Jara of Chile (6.58)
11. Shake the Chains (3.44)
12. Song of the Jay (4.38)
13. Side by Side (3.01)
14. Freedom Come All Ye (3.10)
15. We Shall Overcome (4.32)

Tracks 1, 6 Nancy Kerr;
Tracks 2, 9 Greg Russell;
Tracks 3, 11 Findlay Napier;
Tracks 4, 7, 12 Hannah Martin;
Track 5 PeterSeeger, Lee Hays;
Track 8 Glasgow Song Guild;
Track 10a words Denis Kevans, music Kate Fagan;
Track 10b words Adrian Mitchell, music Arlo Guthrie;
Track 13 Tim Yates;
Track 14 Hamish Henderson;
Track 15 Charles Albert Tindley

Video

The Lost Words: Spell Songs is a musical companion piece to The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris (Hamish Hamilton 2017, ISBN 978-0-241-25358-8).

Commissioned by Folk by the Oak

Spells by Robert Macfarlane;
Illustrations by Jackie Morris;
Photography by Elly Lucas;
Designed by Alison O’Toole

Folk Radio UK review by David Weir
Upon photographing “The Lost Words - Spell Songs” by Elly Lucas

Musicians

Karine Polwart: vocals [1, 8-9], shruti box;
Julie Fowlis: vocals [2, 8, 10];
Seckou Keita: vocals [1, 4, 10, 12], kora;
Kris Drever: vocals [3, 11], guitar;
Kerry Andrew: vocals [7];
Rachel Newton: vocals [6, 12], harp;
Beth Porter: vocals [3, 11], cello;
Jim Molyneux: vocals [5], accordion, keyboards, percussion

Tracks

1. Heartwood (3.29)
2. Selkie-boy (5.05)
3. Kingfisher (4.37)
4. Heron (3.62)
5. Little Astronaut (3.21)
6. Acorn (3.36)
7. Ghost Owl (4.05)
8. The Snow Hare (2.13)
9. Conker (Magic Casket) (1.31)
10. Papa Keba (3.25)
11. Charm On, Goldfinch (4.29)
12. Willow (4.03)
13. Scatterseed (3.37)
14. The Lost Words Blessing (4.06)

Videos

The Lost Words Spell Songs ensemble at the Hudson Records Listening Club on 19 April 2020:

Commissioned by Folk by the Oak

Produced, recorded and mixed by Andy Bell;
Recorded at Real World Studios, Box, in May-June 2021, Gorbals Sound, Glasgow, in July 2021, Pre-Production Greta Hall, Keswick, in April 2021;
Mixed at Hudson Studios, Sheffield, Summer 2021;
Wildlife sound recordings:
Urban fox: Chris Watson Sound Recordings Ltd;
    curlew, blackbird and swift: Magnus Robb and the Sound Approach;
    moth: Leonie Thomas;
    St Kilda wren: Jenny Sturgeon;
    Edinburgh schools climate strike 2019: Karine Polwart;
Songs inspired by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane;
Photography by Elly Lucas

Folk Radio UK review by Billy Rough

Musicians

Karine Polwart: vocals [1, 9, 13], tenor guitar, Indian harmonium;
Julie Fowlis: vocals [2, 8, 15], whistle, oboe;
Kris Drever: vocals [3, 11], acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar;
Rachel Newton: vocals [4, 14], electroharp, acoustic harp, viola;
Seckou Keita: vocals [5, 12], kora;
Beth Porter: vocals [6, 10], cello, ukulele, recorders;
Jim Molyneux: vocals [7], piano, rhodes, synthesisers, drums, percussion

Tracks

1. Bramble (3.44)
2. St Kilda Wren (2.12)
3. Oak (4.49)
4. Swifts (3.26)
5. Jay (4.04)
6. Daisy (1.44)
7. Swallow (4.35)
8. Bird of the Blizzard (4.34)
9. Thrift (Dig In, Dig In) (4.24)
10. Gorse (3.27)
11. Red Is Your Art (3.38)
12. Barn Owl (3.37)
13. Moth (4.09)
14. Curlew (4.20)
15. Silver Birch (4.15)

Videos

Oak: