Recorded and produced by Phil Beer at Riverside Studios, Exeter
except track 13 recorded live at Dartmoor Folk Festival, August 2005;
Design by Bradley Waters;
Photography by Steph Cheesman, Simon Bishop, Steve and Carmen Hunt;
Photos taken at Exeter University, The Amber Rooms and Minster Lovell Hall

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals [1-4, 6-13], five string viola [1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-12], viola [2], violin [4, 8-9], D/G melodeon [9];
Martin Katey’s: D/G melodeon [1, 3];
Matt Norman: violin [2];
Emma Blackie: cello [2];
Jonathan Shoreland: wooden concert flute [4], veuze (Breton bagpipes) [10], B^♭ pastoral oboe [10], B^♭ flute [10];
Phil Beer: keyboards [4], guitar [5, 7-8], tenor guitar [5], percussion [10];
Ed Rennie: guitar [6], cittern [7], melodeons [9], harmonicas [9], spoons [9], Dartmoor step dancing [9];
Belinda O’Hooley: electronic piano [12]

Tracks

1. The Banks of Green Willow (Roud 172; Child 24; G/D 6:1225) (2.57)
2. The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter (Roud 15; Laws P36A; G/D 2:201, 2:202) (4.37)
3. The Streams of Lovely Nancy (Roud 688; Henry H520) (3.44)
4. Mormond Braes (Roud 2171; G/D 6:1142) (3.15)
5. I Wish It Was Last September / Ickbod (3.53)
6. Lord Abore and Mary Flynn (Roud 55; Child 87) (6.10)
7. The Flower of Northumberland (Roud 25; Child 9; G/D 6:1149) (4.45)
8. Lavender’s Blue (Roud 3483) / Mazurka (3.16)
9. The Staffordshire Maid (Roud 289; Laws L3; G/D 2:268) (4.22)
10. The Mistletoe Bough (Roud 2336) (3.03)
11. Rambleaway (Roud 171; G/D 7:1485) (2.47)
12. Broken Town (4.18)
13. The 14^th November (Roud 1915; Laws N1) (3.04)

All tracks trad. arr. Jackie Oates except
Track 5 Jackie Oates;
Track 10 words Thomas Haynes Bayly;
Track 12 Helen Bell

Recorded and produced by Phil Beer
except track 13 recorded and produced by Jim Moray,
and track 14 recorded live at the Ariel Centre, Totnes;
Design and illustration by Bradley Waters;
Photography by Steph Cheesman and Simon Gilbert;
Photos taken at Poltimore House, Devon

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals [1-4, 6-10, 12-13], five string viola [1-2, 5-6, 8, 10-11, 14], octave violin [1, 5, 10], shruti [1], descant, treble, tenor and bass recorders [4];
Steve Turner: accordion [2, 5, 14];
Andy Clarke: guitar [2, 14];
Becki Driscoll: violin [4];
Nick Wyke: violin [4];
Phil Beer: octave violin [4], tenor guitar [9];
Matt Norman: mandolin [5];
Gris Saunderson: nyckelharpa [6];
James Dumbelton: mandolin [5], guitar [7], whistling [7];
Sean O’Shea: vocals [6];
Tim van Eyken: air organs [10], vocals [10];
Nick Cooke: melodeon [9];
Jim Causley: electric and acoustic guitar [8], vocals [8], accordion [12];
Belinda O’Hooley: piano [11];
Jim Moray: acoustic, electric and tenor guitar [13], percussion [13], mellotron [13], sampling [13];
Andy Clarke, Steve Turner, Sean O’Shea, Hugh O’Shea, Jim Causley, Phil Beer: chorus [2];

Tracks

1. Lark in the Morning (Roud 151) (3.36)
2. The Bonny Labouring Boy (Roud 1162; Laws M14; Henry H576) (5.15)
3. Billy Reilley (3.34)
4. Hampton Lullaby (4.54)
5. Tobias the Grinder / Our Trip to Croyde (5.25)
6. Richie’s Lady (Roud 97; Child 232; G/D 5:1051) (4.15)
7. Young Donald (Donal Óg) (Roud 3379) (5.42)
8. Rob Roy (Roud 340; Child 225) (4.40)
9. Crockery Ware (Roud 1490) (2.26)
10. Summer’s End (4.51)
11. Goodbye to Beesands and to Magic (4.16)
12. My Ship’s Lost Its Rigging (2.53)
13. Wishfulness Waltz (4.50)
14. 3/8 Bourrées (4.20)

All tracks trad. arr. Jackie Oates except
Track 3 Bonnie Shaljean;
Tracks 5b, 11 Jackie Oates;
Track 10 Jim Causley;
Track 13 Jim Moray;
Track 14 Wistman’s Wood / Steve Turner

Produced by Jim Moray;
Mastered by Joe Rusby;
Photography by Steve Wheadon;
Sleeve design by Brad Waters

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, five string viola, octave violin, shruti, cello;
Jim Moray: guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, acoustic bass, banjo, tenor guitar, sampling, vocals;
James Dumbelton: guitar [4, 6-7, 10-11];
Alasdair Roberts: guitar [2, 9], vocals [2, 10];
Sille Ilves: open-tuned fiddle [4], bowed lyre [7];
Belinda O’Hooley: piano [11];
The Stringbeans Quartet: Bethany Porter: cello; Emma Hooper: viola; Sue Lord, Emily Travis: violins [8];
Bethany Porter: cello [2]

Tracks

1. The Miller and His Three Sons (Roud 138; Laws Q21; G/D 3:703) (3.06)
2. Hyperboreans (3.29)
3. Locks and Bolts (Roud 406; Laws M13; G/D 5:1012) (2.57)
4. The Pleasant Month of May (Roud 153; Henry H697) (3.53)
5. Past Caring (4.24)
6. The Sheffield Grinder / Mavis (4.03)
7. Young Leonard (Roud 189; Laws Q33; G/D 2:228; Henry H176) (4.32)
8. Birthday (3.08)
9. The Isle of France (Roud 1575) (2.59)
10. The Butcher’s Boy (Roud 263; Laws P35; G/D 2:200) (6.40)
11. May the Kindness (4.39)

Tracks 1, 3 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Jim Moray;
Track 2 Alasdair Roberts;
Tracks 4, 7, 10 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, James Dumbelton;
Track 5 words Henry Lawson, music Phyl Lobl;
Track 6a words trad., music and arr. John Scalfe;
Track 6b Jackie Oates;
Track 8 The Sugarcubes;
Tracks 9 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Alasdair Roberts;
Track 11 Dave Wood

Recorded during the winter months of 2010 and early 2011 by Richard Evans;
Produced by Richard Evans;
Mastered by Optimum Mastering;
Sleeve design and installation build by David Owen;
CD cover photograph by Emily Ings

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals [1-3, 5-7, 9-12], 5-string viola [1-6, 8], hardanger fiddle [3], shruti box [6], violin [10-12], octave violin [11], cello [];
Mike Cosgrave: piano [1, 7], accordion [3, 5, 8], guitar [3, 5];
Barney Morse-Brown: viola de gamba [1, 11], cello [9], backing vocals [9];
Steve Tyler: hurdy-gurdy [1-2, 5];
Neil Davey: mandolin [2], bouzouki [2, 4];
The Claque (Dave Lowry, Sean O’Shea, Tom Addison, Barry Lister): backing vocals [2, 10];
Tristan Seume: guitar [3, 5, 8];
James Budden: double bass [3, 5, 8];
Karen Tweed: piano accordion [4, 9-10, 12];
Katie Tyler: English border pipes [5];
Josh Clarke: percussion [5];
Jim Moray: backing vocals [6], piano [6], harmonium [6];
Richard Evans: plucked piano strings [6];
Ross and Melanie Henrywood: hand bells [6, 11];
Elizabeth Stewart: Cornish spoken word [7];
Ged Lynch: percussion [8, 10];
Belinda O’Hooley: piano [9];
Miranda Sykes: double bass [10]

Tracks

1. Sweet Nightingale (Roud 371) / Persephone’s Arrival in Bovey Tracey (5.01)
2. Marrowbones (Roud 183; Laws Q2; G/D 2:318; Henry H174; TYG 6) / The Year of Nonesuch (4.28)
3. Scarborough’s Fair Town (Roud 185; Laws K18; G/D 1:20; TYG 7) (5.29)
4. The Hills of Trencrom / Pedn Olva (4.51)
5. Young Johnson (Roud 56; Child 88; G/D 8:1929) (5.13)
6. Poor Murdered Woman (Roud 1064) (5.17)
7. The Trees They Are So High (Roud 31; Laws O35; G/D 6:1222) / Cornish poem (5.12)
8. Fin(n)ish(ish): Well Done Nigel / The Humours of Berry Pomeroy / Fin(n)ish(ish) (4.47)
9. IOU (5.39)
10. Four Pence a Day (Roud 2586; TYG 107) / The Oyster Girl (Roud 875; Laws Q13; G/D 2:304; Henry H725) / Off She Goes (4.58)
11. Brigg Fair (Roud 1083) (3.16)
12. Fortune Turns the Wheel (Roud 3798; G/D 3:667) / The Lovely Remains of My Little Adeline / The Road to Caparby (6.05)

Tracks 1a, 7a trad.arr. Jackie Oates, Mike Cosgrove;
Track 1b Jackie Oates, Mike Cosgrove;
Tracks 2a, 11, 12a trad.arr. Jackie Oates;
Tracks 2b, 12bc Jackie Oates;
Track 3 trad.arr. Jackie Oates, Tristan Seume;
Track 4 Neil Davey;
Track 5 trad.arr. Jackie Oates, Mike Cosgrove, Graham and Eileen Pratt;
Track 6 trad.arr. Jim Moray;
Track 7b Tim Saunders;
Track 8 Mike Cosgrave;
Track 9 Paul Metsers;
Track 10 trad.arr. Jackie Oates, Karen Tweed;

Recorded in Bath in October 2012 and in Reykjavik in early November 2012;
Produced by Richard Evans;
Strings recording: Valgeir Sigurðsson at Greenhouse Studios, Reykjavik;
Album illustration: Lizzy Stewart;
Album artwork: Brad Waters;
Photography: Laurence Foster

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5 string viola, octave violin, kantele, shruti;
Belinda O’Hooley: piano, vocals, accordion;
Chris Sarjeant: guitar, vocals;
Barney Morse-Brown: cello, guitar, vocals;
Richard Evans: guitar, mandolin, vocals;
Tristan Seume: guitar, dobro, vocals;
Mike Cosgrave: accordion, piano, mandola, vocals;
Bára Grímsdóttir: vocals, kantele;
Chris Foster: langspil;
Albert and Evelyn Hansell: guest vocals;
Hugh Nankivill: guest vocals;
Borgar Magnason: string arrangement [1, 3]

Tracks

1. Dream Angus (4.36)
2. Dandling Songs: Dance, Baby / Little Boy Blue (4.22)
3. Waiting for the Lark (4.17)
4. Alexander Beetle / Farewell Nell (4.44)
5. Bi Bi Og Blaka (1.56)
6. The Posy Rhyme (3.15)
7. The Worthy Wood Carol (3.58)
8. Sofuðu Unga ástin Mín / Sofi Sofi Barnið (3.23)
9. Philomel (Fairy Lullaby from A Midsummernight’s Dream) (2.53)
10. Wexford Lullaby (3.51)
11. Little Fishes / The Rainy Day Fisherman (3.38)
12. Junk (3.49)
13. Thy Cradle Is Green (0.31)
14. When I Was a Lady (2.36)
15. Sleepers Awake (3.59)

Promo Video

Recorded at Crypt Studios, London and Bristol, in June 2014 and at The Labour Exchange, Bath and Ben’s Room, London, in December 2014;
Original engineering/production by Ben Walker and Trevor Meadows with additional production by Richard Evans with Simon Emmerson
except tracks 6-7, 12 recorded and produced by Ben Walker;
Mastered by Simon Emmerson and Andy Gangadeen at Super Audio Mastering;
Photography by Darryl Everitt at Brown & Co Photography;
Sleeve design by The 16K Design Works

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5 string viola, violin;
Jim Moray: guitar, piano, percussion;
John Parker: double bass;
Jack Rutter: guitar, banjo, backing vocals;
Nick Hart: melodeon, concertina, hammered dulcimer, backing vocals;
Chris Sarjeant: guitar, electric guitar, cittern, Indian harmonium, keyboard, bass drum, backing vocals;
Calum Stewart: wooden flute;
Ben Walker: banjo;
Andy Gangadeen: drums;
Ruari Glasheen: bodhrán;
Tim Chipping: backing vocals;
Henry Webster: violin [2];
Barney Morse-Brown: cello [2];
Jennifer Crook: harp [2]

Tracks

1. John Blunt (Roud 115; Child 275; G/D 2:321) (2.56)
2. Can’t Be Sure (3.55)
3. Doffing Mistress (Roud 2133) (3.01)
4. The Spyglass & the Herringbone (4.14)
5. Hail! Hail! The First of May (2.37)
6. Take This Letter to My Mother (3.09)
7. Robbers’ Retreat (Roud 3314) (3.12)
8. The Yellow Bittern (Roud 5332; Henry H830) (5.35)
9. The Halsway Carol (4.17)
10. A Cornish Young Man (Roud 595) (3.01)
11. The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife (Roud 160; Child 278; G/D 2:320) (4.21)
12. Banks of the Bann (Roud 889; Laws O2; Henry H86) (3.07)

Tracks 1, 3, 7, 10-11 trad. arr. Jackie Oates;
Track 2 David Gavurin, Harriet Wheeler;
Track 4 Chris Sarjeant;
Track 5 Dave Webber;
Track 6 words trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Chris Sarjeant, music Shaun Davey;
Track 8 poem Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, Tomas MacDonagh, music trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Chris Sarjeant;
Track 9 Nigel Eaton, Iain Frisk;
Track 11 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Chris Sarjeant

Video

Jackie Oates sings Can’t Be Sure:

Tracks 1-2, 4-5 recorded, produced and mixed by Pete Brown at Henwood Studios, Oakley Wood, Wallingford;
Track 3 recorded, produced and mixed by Tom Excel at Henwood Studios, Oakley Wood, Wallingford;
Photography by Vicki Evans;
Artwork and sleeve design by David Owen at The Ink Corporation

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5 string viola, piano, Indian harmonium;
Megan Henwood: vocals, guitar;
Pete Thomas: double bass

Tracks

1. Love Vigilantes (3.42)
2. Bettystown (4.32)
3. What’s the Use of Wings? (4.34)
4. Setting of the Sun (Roud 166; Laws O36; Henry H114) (5.06)
5. Ghosts (4.11)

Track 1 Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook;
Track 2 Megan Henwood;
Track 3 Brian Bedford;
Track 4 trad. arr. Jackie Oates;
Track 5 Kris Drever, Adem Ilhan, Aidan O’Rourke, Martin Green

Produced, recorded and mixed by Simon Richmond;
Recorded at Jackie’s House, Wallingford in August 2016–February 2018;
Mixed at Simon Richmond’s House, St Leonards-on-Sea;
Mastered by Simon Heyworth, Super Audio Mastering;
Photography by Tom Oldham;
Artwork by Christina Alden;
Design by Amy Halnan

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5 string viola, bass violin, piano, recorders, harmonium, kantele;
Jack Rutter: guitar, banjo, bouzouki;
John Parker: double bass;
Barney Morse-Brown: cello;
Mike Cosgrave: piano;
John Spiers: melodeon;
Megan Henwood: backing vocals;
Simon Richmond: percussion, kantele;
Matt Allwright: pedal steel;
Rosie Worth: baby/toddler noises;
Isabel Parker, Mabel Whitehead, Charlotte Hull, Alice Hull, Theo Bissell, Sethie Bissell, Danni King: children’s voices

Tracks

1. Freedom Come-All-Ye (3.39)
2. Spring Is Coming Soon (2.26)
3. Mother / Spring Is Coming Soon Reprise (6.14)
4. Virginny (Roud 1488) (3.12)
5. Rosy Apple (Roud 6492) (1.27)
6. The Joy of Living (4.55)
7. My Shoes Are Made of Spanish (Roud 13171) (2.38)
8. Unicorns (4.13)
9. Nay Ivy Nay (2.53)
10. Catch Me If You Can (Roud 1028) (4.43)
11. The Bird (2.11)
12. Hey Ho, to the Greenwood (Roud B221397) (2.22)
13. Constellations (3.18)
14. Sweet Farewell (Roud 6916) (4.08)
15. The Last Trip Home (3.51)
16. Rolling Home (2.02)

Track 1 Hamish Henderson;
Tracks 2, 3b Jackie Oates;
Track 3a John Lennon;
Tracks 4-5 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Jack Rutter;
Track 6 Ewan MacColl;
Track 7 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Jack Rutter, John Spiers;
Track 8 Bill Caddick;
Track 9 words trad., tune Lorraine Irwing;
Tracks 10, 14 trad. arr. Jackie Oates;
Track 11 Lal Waterson;
Track 12 Williym Byrd;
Track 13 Darwin Deez;
Track 15 words Davy Steele, music John McCusker;
Track 16 John Tams

Video

Jackie Oates sings The Joy of Living:

Tracks 1-4 recorded by Jackie Oates and John Spiers on a Thursday afternoon in January 2020, at Richard Evans’ house in Bath;
Tracks 5-12 form part of a longer, radio ballad entitled The Lace Makers – The Lost Art of Telling in which songs weave around spoken word and narrative. The songs explore the rhymes and ‘tells’ that were once sung by bobbin lace makers who learned their trade at lace schools around the Southern Midlands.
Produced and mixed by Richard Evans at The Labour Exchange, Bath;
Mastered by Nick Cooke Mastering;
Artwork by Jon and Em Nice;
Design and layout by Charlotte Lloyd

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5-string viola;
John Spiers: melodeons, vocals;
Mike Cosgraves: piano

Tracks

1. Congleton Bear / Whittlesey Straw Bear (4.28)
2. Beatrice Hill’s Untitled / Old Hog or None (3.01)
3. Gallons of Brandy / Fox Tell (3.34)
4. The Cottage in the Wood (Roud 608; G/D 5:983; TYG 36) / The Queen’s Delight (3.20)

Stitch Upon Stitch

5. There Was a Lady All Skin and Bone (Roud 501) (2.59)
6. The Bone Lace Weavers Song (Roud 1144) (2.45)
7. Traveller’s Joy (1.42)
8. Come Away, Come Away, Death (Roud V44546) (1.53)
9. Death and the Lady (Roud 1031) (3.20)
10. Lace Makers Tells (3.17)
11. Cattern Day Tells (2.47)
12. L’P’tit Quin Quin (The Little Child) (2.34)

Track 1a John Tams;
Tracks 1b, 2, 4, 6, 9 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, John Spiers;
Track 3 Jackie Oates, John Spiers;
Tracks 5, 11 trad. arr. Jackie Oates;
Track 7 Janet May;
Track 8 William Shakespeare;
Track 10 words trad., tunes Jackie Oates;
Track 12 Alexandre Desrousseaux, translated by jackie Oates, John Spiers

Produced by Richard Evans;
Recorded and mixed by Richard Evans at The Labour Exchange, Bath, in January-June 2022;
Mastered by Nick Cooke, Nick Cooke Mastering;
Photography by Anna Fuchs;
Artwork by Jo May;
Design by Charlotte Lloyd

Folking.com review by Dai Jeffries

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5-string viola;
John Spiers: melodeons [2, 7, 10], Anglo concertina [10], vocals [7];
Jon Wilks: guitar [1, 5-6], piano [6];
Mike Cosgrave: accordion [3, 8, 11], piano [3, 8], guitar [3, 8, 11], mandolin [8];
John Parker: double bass;
Megan Henwood: guitar [4, 9], vocals [4, 9], backing vocals [2];
Richard Evans: mandolin [1, 9], whistle [2];
Simon Emmerson, Tom Crook: backing vocals [11];

Tracks

1. When I Was A Fair Maid (Roud 226; G/D 1:182; Henry H497) (4.37)
2. Robin Tells of Winter / Gracious Wings (5.08)
3. Tammy Toddles (Roud 2497) (3.25)
4. La Llorona (4.28)
5. The Ship in Distress (Roud 807) (4.45)
6. On and On (4.22)
7. Iruten Ari Nuzu (I Am Making Wool) (4.28)
8. Roobarb & Custard (3.36)
9. Looking for My Own Lone Ranger (2.47)
10. Lament to the Moon (Roud 906) (4.49)
11. Time Time Time (5.12)

Tracks 1, 5, 7, 10 trad. arr. Jackie Oates, Jon Wilks;
Tracks 2ab Jackie Oates;
Track 3 trad. arr. Jackie Oates;
Track 4 Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood;
Track 6 The Longpigs;
Track 8a James O’Grady;
Track 8b Mike Cosgrave;
Track 9 Charlie Dore, Ricky Ross;
Track 11 Tom Waits

Video

Jackie Oates and John Spiers perform Iruten Ari Nuzu (I Am Making Wool):

An album of live recordings

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5-string viola [1-5, 7-9, 12], shruti box [6, 10-11];
Mike Cosgrave: piano [1-5, 7-12], accordion [6], backing vocals;
John Parker: double bass

Tracks

1. The Trees Are All Bare (Roud 1170) (3.11)
2. Nay Ivy Nay (3.06)
3. Christmas in the Room (4.31)
4. Sister Winter (3.27)
5. The Joy of Living (5.14)
6. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (2.52)
7. Waiting for the Lark (4.10)
8. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (3.48)
9. Come Away, Death (Roud V44546) / O Mistress Mine (4.22)
10. Mother (3.52)
11. Sleepers Awake (3.51)
12. May the Kindness (5.17)

Track 2 words trad., tune Lorraine Irwing;
Tracks 3-4 Sufjan Stevens;
Track 5 words Ewan MacColl, tune trad.;
Track 7 Bill Caddick;
Track 9 William Shakespeare;
Track 10 John Lennon;
Track 11 Mike Heron;
Track 12 Dave Wood

Musicians

Jackie Oates: vocals, 5-string viola, octave violin, recorders;
John Spiers: vocals, melodeons, concertina, recorder, cajon, djembe, clavicle

Tracks

1. Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending (Roud 46380)
2. Gloucestershire Wassail (Roud 209)
3. As I Lay on Yoolis Night
4. Twelve Joys of Mary (Roud 278) / The Sussex Carol (Roud 597)
5. O Come O Come Emmanuel (Roud 26859)
6. Welcome Noble Winter / Harvey Darvey
7. The Halsway Carol
8. The Broomsquire’s Bird Song
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Somerset Wassail (Roud 394)
10. Bergers, Écoutez La Musique (3.57)
11. Sofðu unga ástin mín / Sjóferðabæn
12. Y Ceiliog Llwyd / To Drive Cold Winters Away (Roud V9375)
13. The Trees Are All Bare (Roud 1170)

Track 7 Nigel Eaton, Iain Frisk;
Track 13 words trad., tune Lorraine Irwing;