Lark Rise to Candleford is the name of a trilogy by Flora Thompson. The titles of the individual volumes are Lark Rise (1939), Over to Candleford (1941), and Candleford Green (1943; all published by Oxford University Press and in paperback as a Penguin Modern Classic). The village names are fictional but based on real places: Candleford was Buckingham; Candleford Green is thought to be partly based on Fringford - where Flora Thompson spent her childhood - but this has not been proved.

More information about Flora Thompson and her books

Keith Dewhurst transformed the three books into two plays, both put on at the National Theatre, London and directed by Bill Bryden and Sebastian Graham-Jones: Lark Rise in March 1978, and Candleford in November 1979.

LP/Cassette: recorded in spring and summer 1980 for the Regents Park Recording Company at their St Johns Wood Studios, London;
Narrative by Keith Dewhurst;
Produced by Nic Rowley;
Associate producers Ashley Hutchings, John Tams;
Executive producers Michael Mc Donagh, Alexandra Cann;
Sound engineer Alan Jakoby;
Cover design Chess Creative;
Front cover photography Roger Perry;
Inside pictures Michael Mayhew, Brian Windsor

The Cast

Laura: Valerie Whittington
Pumpkin: Brian Protheroe
Boamer: Bill Caddick
Jerry Parish: John Tams
The Vicar: Brian Protheroe
Edmund Timms: Paul Davies-Prowles
Albert, Laura’s Father: Brian Protheroe
Thomas Brown, Postman: Martin Carthy
John, Laura’s Husband: Brian Protheroe

The Ensemble

The Albion Band:
Pete Bullock: keyboards;
Bill Caddick: vocals, triangle;
Ashley Hutchings: bass guitar, vocals;
Doug Morter: electric guitar;
John Tams: vocals, melodeon;
Graeme Taylor: electric guitar, vocals
with
Martin Carthy: vocals;
Shirley Collins: vocals;
Howard Evans: trumpet, flugelhorn;
Michael Gregory: drums;
John Kirkpatrick: vocals, button accordion, concertina, melodeon;
Brian Protheroe: vocals, keyboards;
Steve Saunders: trombone, euphonium, tuba;
Martin Simpson: banjo;

Tracks

Side 1

1. The Girl I Left Behind Me (1.33)
2. Lemady / Arise and Pick a Posy (Roud 193) (4.16)
   Martin Carthy, lead vocal; Doug Morter, guitar solo
3. All of a Row (Roud 1474) (2.31)
   Martin Carthy, lead vocal
4. Tommytoes (2.08)
   John Tams, lead vocal; Martin Simpson, banjo; John Kirkpatrick, concertina
5. John Dory (2.16)
6. Witch Elder (2.03)
   Shirley Collins, lead vocal
7. All of a Row (Roud 1474) (reprise) (1.29)
8. Abroad for Pleasure (Holmfirth Anthem) (Roud 1046; TYG 55) (3.01)
   Bill Caddick, lead vocal
9. The Day Thou Gavest (1.36)
10. Battle of the Somme (2.06)
    John Tams, harmonica; Graeme Taylor, electric guitar
11. The Grand Circle Dance (2.19)
    Ashley Hutchings calls; John Tams, melodeon; Martin Carthy, jew’s harp; John Kirkpatrick, concertina

Side 2

12. Speed the Plough (2.08)
    John Kirkpatrick, melodeon; Howard Evans, trumpet; Steve Saunders, euphonium
13. Snow Falls (4.06)
    John Tams, lead vocal
14. Cart Music (1.18)
15. The Holly and the Ivy (Roud 514) (1.53)
16. The Postman’s Knock (Roud 13177) (1.59)
    John Kirkpatrick, lead vocal
17. Hunt Music (1.29)
    John Kirkpatrick, accordion; Howard Evans, trumpet
18. The Scarlet and the Blue (2.22)
    Bill Caddick, John Tams, lead vocals; Brian Protheroe, piano
19. Dare to Be a Daniel (4.09)
    John Tams, lead vocal; Bill Caddick, lead vocal on verse 2;
20. Jacob’s Well (Roud 17703) (3.06)
21. Jacob’s Well (Roud 17703) (reprise) (1.41)

Recorded at Rooksmere Studios, Overstone, Northamptonshire, England, January-March 2008,
Executive producer: Ashley Hutchings;
Engineer and producer: Mark Hutchinson

Musicians

Ruth Angell: vocals, violin, viola, zither;
Simon Care: vocals, melodeon, concertina, morris dancing;
Judy Dunlop: vocals, speech;
Guy Fletcher: vocals, violin, drums, percussion, mandolin, acoustic guitar;
Ashley Hutchings: vocals, bass guitar, speech;
Mark Hutchinson: vocals acoustic guitar, electric guitar

with guests
Jo Hamilton: vocals, viola lead vocals [8];
Issy Emeney: melodeon;
Eadie Simons, Chloe and Jade Wildish, Laureen Bower, Leila and Sinéa Care: May songsters;
Poppy, Fig: strings [2, 11]

Tracks

1. Brighton Camp (Roud 23929) (3.32)
2. Bonny Labouring Boy (Roud 1162; Laws M14; Henry H576) (5.17)
3. Lark Rise (Alf’s tune) incorporating “All around from every quarter...” from the book (6.07)
4. “Most of the men sang or whistled...” from the book (0.41)
5. Poor Old Soldier (2.07)
6. Queenie’s Bees (4.36)
7. Two Morris Dance Tunes (4.01)
8. Bad News Is All the Wind Can Carry (2.39)
9. “The day came when the doctor called in the relieving officer...” from the book (1.46)
10. John Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559) (2.28)
11. Till the Time We Meet Again (5.10)
12. “The procession stepped out briskly...” from the book (1.09)
13. May Song (2.20)
14. “Before his arrival there had been no musical instrument of any kind...” from the book (0.56)
15. I Have a Bonnet Trimmed With Blue / In and Out the Window (3.13)
16. The Lark Rise to Candleford theme tune from the BBC series (3.05)
17. “The white tails of rabbits bobbed...” from the book (0.43)
18. Laura’s Song (3.07)

Track 3 Issy Emeney;
Track 6 Ruth Angell, Ashley Hutchings;
Track 8 Richard Thompson;
Track 11 Ashley Hutchings;
Track 16 Julian Nott;
Track 18 Ashley Hutchings, Cathy Lesurf

Links

A Mudcat thread about this album and book.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Tony Rees for details about the books and history. Thanks to Tony Webster of The Old Gaol Museum Buckingham for the information about Candleford’s origin.