This is the follow-up album to Belshazzar's Feast's One Too Many whose review can be read right here.
Like the previous album, it comes highly recommended in terms of musical and recording quality. But, unlike One Too Many, this album is Paul Sartin (oboe, violin and vocals) and Paul Hutchinson (accordions) all by themselves, "in response to pleas for a recording which reflects the duo's live performances, as opposed to a studio album with guests..." (quote directly from the CD's liner notes). It is a very eclectic collection of tunes, hailing from traditions all over the world, but it's clear that great care was taken mixing and matching the tunes. The source for all contributions is well documented in the accompanying booklet.
The album opens with a medley of two reels called "The May Reels," written by Paul Sartin as a wedding gift, presumably for friends. Lucky is the couple who had this music composed for them!
The two traditional jigs, "Half Hannikin/The Recruiting Officer," are played with a courtly air. I could easily imagine people in silks and satins, curtseying and bowing while dancing together as I listened to this one. A lovely oboe accompaniment adds counterpoint to the other instruments.
"The Miller of Dee," another traditional song, may be the most familiar to many listeners (I remember playing it as a beginning piano student as a child) and is sung a capella in Paul Sartain's classically trained baritone. This is followed by "La Belle Jardiniere," an instrumental piece done with fiddle and accordion. Its minor-key theme echoes very closely the tune in the "Miller of Dee" and allows these two tunes to segue quite nicely. The last number in this mini-set is an instrumental version of a hymn tune by Thomas John Williams, which might be familiar to church-goers as "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, No. 442 in Congregational Praise."
Showing off their Continental chops, Belshazzar's Feast next give us a French tune called "La Petite Nette" and a Danish piece called "Fransk Morgenstjerne." "La Petite Nette" is from the Massif Central Tune Book 2, a collection of traditional French melodies from the Massif Central region. (Yes, there is a first volume as well, and luckily they are both still in print. For more information about these books, each of which contains over 100 tunes transcribed specifically for the hurdy gurdy or bagpipes, visit this Web site for information from the compiler, Mel Stevens. A U.S. source for these books is the House of Musical Traditions.)
Next, we go to Wales for a couple of tunes, "Ffarwell Ned Pugh" (for once, the Welsh doesn't need much translation, at least not for me!) and "Mae Mwh'n D'wedyd," (I wonder where I put that "How To Speak Welsh" book I once bought for my daughter!). The first tune, perhaps fitting for a farewell, is a rather mournful oboe and accordion composition. The second tune picks up the tempo but continues the minor-key theme.
Mr. Sartin returns again with two self-penned tunes, "Mister Costa/Beggar's Roost," whose description in the liner notes is too enjoyable not to share with you in its entirety: "A bit fat hairy tune for a big fat hairy friend. Followed by a tune named after a house." Since by now you are probably itching to get up and move about, you will have the opportunity to do just that with this set of tunes. If you don't want to actually get out of your chair, you can at least tap your feet or clap your hands!
We're off to France next for two traditional polkas, "The Auverne Polka/Cafouillee."
Like its intriguing title, the next tune, "Four Babies' Rants," written by Paul Sartin, starts off slowly but winds up very much like babies really do, in both tempo and stridency. Musically, we have just fiddle and accordion here. Just whose babies these are we don't know, but "In this set, the girl has the last word..." (And not a peep out of you male readers out there about that)!
However, the next song, "Twenty, Eighteen," a traditional number from Norfolk (sans its chorus) is one of the few "songs" (i.e., music with words) as opposed to tunes (no words) on this album. Picking up on the theme of who gets the last word, the liner notes say "The man gets the last laugh, so it's probably not based on a true story." Hmmphh!
"Air," another one of Sartin's tunes, is a pensive piece with a slightly melancholy oboe lead. Good for kicking one's shoes off and de-stressing, says I. It's actually one of my favorite tracks on the album.
The album closes with two more tunes from the Massif Central Tune Book 2, "Brouillard/Les Cloches." The first tune again is a slower, thoughtful piece; the second picks up the pace and ends the album on a sprightly note.
I find this a thoroughly enjoyable album, as I did the last one. If you want high-quality music, both in concept and in production, and you are a fan of traditional English music, you cannot go wrong with this CD. Do have a listen to some sound samples of either of their albums (or anything else this label provides) at the Wild Goose Web site.
