CMC Day 6: A Tapestry of Carols by Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band

If you are a fan of folk rock, especially the incredible Steeleye Span, you know the name and unique voice of Maddy Prior. The talented folk rock diva has been performing and advocating for traditional music since the late 1960s and is still going strong, as this fantastic disc demonstrates. 

I discovered this recording by accident while looking for a Steeleye Span CD, ordered it on a whim, and have loved it ever since. Although the tunes are classic, this is not a flavorless academic collection, but an alternately rollicking and haunting gathering of great music that provides a wonderful break from the pablum you’ll hear while shopping.

With her trademark voice – edgy and slightly nasal but true and always on pitch –  Maddy and her many creative partners have injected new life into old music on this wonderful album (and many others).  The selections range from raucously celebratory (Angels from the Realms of Glory, which sounds a little Klezmer-ish with its clarinet) to chill-inducing (The Angel Gabriel with its background chant accompaniment) and charming (Ding Dong Merrily On High). It also features one of the best versions of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen I’ve ever heard.

Other favorites include Personent Hodie (you will want to dance!) and On Christmas Night, a traditional carol from Sussex, as well as the Arthur Sullivan (of "Gilbert and" fame) version of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.  Various strings, bells, Uillean pipes, bassoon, recorders, crumhorns – or maybe shawms – and hand drumming are featured in the instrumentation, and it will be an instant favorite for lovers of folk music, along with anyone who liked “Golden Dance Hits of 1600” in musicology class. Highly recommended!