The Holly Bears the Crown
Encyclopedia
The Holly Bears The Crown is an album by The Young Tradition
with Shirley
and Dolly Collins
.
This album was recorded in London
in 1969. A few weeks later musical and financial differences caused the break-up of The Young Tradition. The trio "The Young Tradition" (Peter Bellamy
, Royston Wood and Heather Wood) sang a cappella folk songs in a style similar to the Copper Family. Royston and Heather Wood (not related) preferred early music. Peter Bellamy later carved a solo career. He drove and spent recklessly, to the irritation of the others.
The liner notes show Peter and Royston carrying lunettes, looking more than slightly ridiculous.
Following the break-up, the record company refused to issue the album, which did not appear until 1995. By this time Royston, Peter and Dolly were dead. The Young Tradition probably wanted to have the medieval sound of the pipe-organ which Dolly had borrowed from David Munrow. Shirley Collins' voice blends well with Heather Woods' voice. Adam and Roderick Skeaping were members of "Musica Reservata" and had played on Shirley albums. The only tracks on which everyone appears is the first song ("The Boars Head Carol") and the last ("Bring Us in Good Ale").
Two tracks are Shirley and Dolly without the others. These later appeared on a compilation called "The Classic Collection" (by Shirley Collins) in 2004. Recorded in 1969 but not released in full until 1995. Running time 32 minutes 50 seconds. Produced by John Gilbert
. Photography by Brian Shuel. Cover artwork by David Suff.
The Young Tradition
The Young Tradition were a British folk group of the 1960s, formed by Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood and Heather Wood. They recorded three albums of mainly traditional British folk music, sung in arrangements for their three unaccompanied voices.-Biography:...
with Shirley
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 album was recorded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1969. A few weeks later musical and financial differences caused the break-up of The Young Tradition. The trio "The Young Tradition" (Peter Bellamy
Peter Bellamy
Peter Franklyn Bellamy was an English folk singer. He was a founding member of The Young Tradition but also had a long solo career, recording numerous albums and touring folk clubs and concert halls...
, Royston Wood and Heather Wood) sang a cappella folk songs in a style similar to the Copper Family. Royston and Heather Wood (not related) preferred early music. Peter Bellamy later carved a solo career. He drove and spent recklessly, to the irritation of the others.
The liner notes show Peter and Royston carrying lunettes, looking more than slightly ridiculous.
Following the break-up, the record company refused to issue the album, which did not appear until 1995. By this time Royston, Peter and Dolly were dead. The Young Tradition probably wanted to have the medieval sound of the pipe-organ which Dolly had borrowed from David Munrow. Shirley Collins' voice blends well with Heather Woods' voice. Adam and Roderick Skeaping were members of "Musica Reservata" and had played on Shirley albums. The only tracks on which everyone appears is the first song ("The Boars Head Carol") and the last ("Bring Us in Good Ale").
Two tracks are Shirley and Dolly without the others. These later appeared on a compilation called "The Classic Collection" (by Shirley Collins) in 2004. Recorded in 1969 but not released in full until 1995. Running time 32 minutes 50 seconds. Produced by John Gilbert
John Gilbert
John Gilbert may refer to:*John Gilbert , Bishop of Hereford, 1375–1389*John Gilbert , Archbishop of York*John Gilbert , land agent and engineer...
. Photography by Brian Shuel. Cover artwork by David Suff.
Track listing
- "Prologue from "Hamlet"" (spoken) (Shakespeare)
- "The Boar's Head Carol" (Trad)
- Ensemble. First published 1521 by Wynken de Worde
- "Is It Far To Bethlehem?" (Frances Chesterton/ Trad)
- Shirley and Heather
- "Lullay My LikingLullay, mine liking"Lullay, mine liking" is a Middle English lyric poem or carol of the 15th century which frames a narrative describing an encounter of the Nativity with a song sung by the Virgin Mary to the infant Christ...
" (Trad) (tune by Gustav HolstGustav HolstGustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
)- Lead by Peter Bellamy. From a fifteenth century text
- "The Cherry Tree Carol" (Trad) (tune by Shirley Collins)
- Shirley and Dolly. A tree bows down to the infant Christ
- "Shepherds Arise" (Trad) (Copper FamilyCopper FamilyThe Copper Family are a family of singers of traditional, unaccompanied English folk song. Originally from Rottingdean, near Brighton, Sussex, England, the nucleus of the family now live in the neighbouring village of Peacehaven.-History:...
)- Sung a cappella by The Young Tradition
- "I sing of a Maiden That Is Makeless" (Trad) (tune by Dolly Collins)
- Shirley and Dolly. From the fifteenth century Sloane MS.
- "Interlude: the Great Frost" (spoken) (Virginia WoolfVirginia WoolfAdeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
- "Orlando")- A winter scene in London in Jacobean London
- "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day" (Trad)
- The Young Tradition + Dolly and the Skeapings. A shortened version of the song.
- "A Virgin Most Pure" (Trad)
- Shirley and Heather. A carol printed in 1822.
- "The Coventry Carol" (Trad)
- Young Tradition a cappella. A song taken from the Coventry Mystery PlaysCoventry Mystery PlaysThe Coventry Mystery Plays, or Coventry Corpus Christi Pageants, are a cycle of medieval mystery plays from Coventry, West Midlands, England, and are perhaps best known as the source of the "Coventry Carol". Two plays from the original cycle are extant having been copied from the now lost original...
- Young Tradition a cappella. A song taken from the Coventry Mystery Plays
- "The Holly Bears the Crown" (Trad)
- Ensemble lead by Heather. Previously recorded by The WatersonsThe WatersonsThe Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies.-Career:...
as "The Holly Bears a Berry"
- Ensemble lead by Heather. Previously recorded by The Watersons
- "March The Morning Sun" (Royston Wood)
- Written by Royston as a carol for St Stephen's Day
- "Bring Us In Good Ale" (Trad)
- Ensemble + instruments. A song dated to about 1460.
Personnel
- "The Young Tradition" consisting of Peter Bellamy, Heather Wood and Royston Wood - vocals
- Shirley Collins - vocals
- Dolly Collins - pipe organ
- Adam Skeaping - bass viol
- Roderick Skeaping - recorder
- Narrations by Gary WatsonGary WatsonGary Watson is a retired British television actor who started out as a stage actor most notably acting in Friedrich Hebbel's 1962 play Judith at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, England with Sean Connery...
- Instrumental arrangements by Dolly Collins