Love, Death and the Lady
Encyclopedia
Love, Death and the Lady is an album by Shirley
and Dolly Collins
.
This is a companion-piece to Anthems in Eden (1969), but with a darker tone to it. Many of the same instrumentalists are present (Musica Reservata), but used more sparsely. The figure of Death appears as a character in the title track. "The Oxford Girl", sung unaccompanied, is about an apparently motiveless murder of a woman by her erstwhile lover. The long instrumental sections which were such a feature of the original album, are absent, apart from the start and end of "Plains of Waterloo". It is an epic track, at 8 minutes. The male chorus is present on only one track, "The Bold Fisherman". The thematic unity of the album centres on murder, class conflict
and betrayal. "The Outlandish Knight" concerns a serial killer. The album was produced by Austin John Marshall, Shirley's husband at the time. Rejected love plays a part in some songs, and this echoes the fact that Shirley and Austin were on the verge of divorcing each other.
Arrangement are provided by Dolly Collins (Shirley's sister), who plays flute-organ and piano, and gives a minor key accompaniment to some songs, something which lesser singers would have found hard to sustain. It is almost as if the singer and the instrumentalists are in different worlds. On the tracks which have harpsichord accompaniment (Christopher Hogwood), the contrast lies in the intricacy of the instrumental line, compared to the straightforward vocal presentation of tragic events.
The most cheerful of all the sings is "Fair Maid of Islington" , where a female cellar-keeper gets the better of a treacherous vintner. There is a laugh in her voice. It was the only one of the songs that she recorded again, once she had married Ashley Hutchings
. The next time she sang it with even more of a laugh. Terry Cox
, who was a member of Pentangle
at this time, plays understated percussion.
The last four tracks were recorded at the original studio sessions, but were excluded by reasons of time constraints on long-paying records. They are of high standard. The album was chosen as "Folk Album of the month" by Melody Maker
, and was short-listed for album of the year. Shirley comments, "It wasn't easy music to listen to, I'm surprised anybody bought any of it at all". Recorded 1970. Running time 65 minutes 21 seconds (including the bonus tracks).
(* Bonus tracks not available on the original LP. They were recorded during the original studio sessions)
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
and Dolly Collins
Dolly Collins
Dorothy Ann Collins, known as Dolly Collins , was an English folk musician, arranger and composer. She was the older sister of Shirley Collins....
.
This is a companion-piece to Anthems in Eden (1969), but with a darker tone to it. Many of the same instrumentalists are present (Musica Reservata), but used more sparsely. The figure of Death appears as a character in the title track. "The Oxford Girl", sung unaccompanied, is about an apparently motiveless murder of a woman by her erstwhile lover. The long instrumental sections which were such a feature of the original album, are absent, apart from the start and end of "Plains of Waterloo". It is an epic track, at 8 minutes. The male chorus is present on only one track, "The Bold Fisherman". The thematic unity of the album centres on murder, class conflict
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
and betrayal. "The Outlandish Knight" concerns a serial killer. The album was produced by Austin John Marshall, Shirley's husband at the time. Rejected love plays a part in some songs, and this echoes the fact that Shirley and Austin were on the verge of divorcing each other.
Arrangement are provided by Dolly Collins (Shirley's sister), who plays flute-organ and piano, and gives a minor key accompaniment to some songs, something which lesser singers would have found hard to sustain. It is almost as if the singer and the instrumentalists are in different worlds. On the tracks which have harpsichord accompaniment (Christopher Hogwood), the contrast lies in the intricacy of the instrumental line, compared to the straightforward vocal presentation of tragic events.
The most cheerful of all the sings is "Fair Maid of Islington" , where a female cellar-keeper gets the better of a treacherous vintner. There is a laugh in her voice. It was the only one of the songs that she recorded again, once she had married Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...
. The next time she sang it with even more of a laugh. Terry Cox
Terry Cox
Terence William Harvey 'Terry' Cox played drums in the British folk rock bands The Pentangle, Duffy's Nucleus and Humblebums....
, who was a member of Pentangle
Pentangle
Pentangle may refer to:*another word for a pentagram, a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes*Pentangle , a British folk-rock band*The Pentangle, the 1968 album by the band Pentangle...
at this time, plays understated percussion.
The last four tracks were recorded at the original studio sessions, but were excluded by reasons of time constraints on long-paying records. They are of high standard. The album was chosen as "Folk Album of the month" by Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, and was short-listed for album of the year. Shirley comments, "It wasn't easy music to listen to, I'm surprised anybody bought any of it at all". Recorded 1970. Running time 65 minutes 21 seconds (including the bonus tracks).
Track listing
- "Death and the Lady" (Trad)
- "Glenlogie" (Trad)
- "The Oxford Girl" (Trad)
- "Are You Going To Leave Me?" (Trad)
- "The Outlandish Knight" (Trad)
- "Go From My Window" (Trad arranged Collins and Wood)
- "Young Girl Cut Down In Her Prime" (Trad)
- "Geordie" (song) (Trad)
- "Salisbury Plain" (Trad)
- "Fair Maid of Islington" (Trad)
- "Six Dukes" (Trad)
- "Polly on the Shore" (Trad arranged Collins and Wood)
- "Plains of Waterloo" (Trad)
- "Sailor From Dover" (*) (Trad)
- "Young John" (*) (Trad arranged Shirley and Dolly Collins)
- "Short Jacket and White Trousers" (*) (Trad)
- "The Bold Fisherman" (*) (Trad arranged Bob Copper)
(* Bonus tracks not available on the original LP. They were recorded during the original studio sessions)
Personnel
- Shirley Collins - vocals
- Chris Hogwood - harpsichord
- Alan Lumsden - sackbut
- Adam Skeaping - bass viol, violene
- Roderick Skeaping - bass viol
- Eleanor Sloan - rebec
- John Fordham - recorder
- Dolly Collins - flute-organ and piano
- Terry CoxTerry CoxTerence William Harvey 'Terry' Cox played drums in the British folk rock bands The Pentangle, Duffy's Nucleus and Humblebums....
- percussion - Peter Wood - concertina
- Uncredited male chorus includes John Fordham and Royston Wood