Nottamun Town: British and American Folksongs and Ballads

by John Langstaff

Overview

This is one of several CDs released on the Revels label with the purpose of bringing John Langstaff's classic folk recordings from the 1950s and 1960s back to market. On Nottamun Town, which was originally recorded and released on the EMI label in 1964, Langstaff divides his time between powerful a cappella renditions of songs like "False Knight Upon the Road" and "St. James Hospital" and others, equally fine, on which he is accompanied by guitarist Martin Best. In a couple of cases -- notably the wonderful "Seventeen Come Sunday" -- Best's elegant fingerpicking almost upstages Langstaff's powerful baritone voice, but in general this is Langstaff's show. Or, as he might insist, it's the songs' show: as rich and cultivated as his classically trained voice is, he delivers these songs without any particular showboating or self-aggrandizing fanfare, instead showcasing each one as if it were a rare jewel. Which, particularly in the case of "Golden Vanity" and "She Moved Through the Fair," is exactly what they are. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	10/07/2003
Label:	REVELS RECORDS
UPC:	0738871200327

Tracks

1. The False Knight Upon the Road
2. The Little Turtle Dove
3. Seventeen Come Sunday
4. Sir Patrick Opens
5. Blow Away the Morning Dew, folk song
6. The Trees They Grow So High, folk song
7. The Crawfish Man's Street Cry
8. She Moved through the Fair, folk song
9. The Golden Vanity
10. The Rich Old Lady
11. Nottamun Town
12. John Barleycorn, folk song
13. The Jolly Ploughboy, folk song for male chorus or unison chorus & piano (Folksongs for Schools No. 1)
14. St. James Hospital
15. The brisk young widow, for voice & piano (Folk Songs, Vol. 5)
16. Six Dukes Went A-Fishin', folk song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Langstaff   Primary Artist,Vocals
Martin Best   Guitar
Martin Best Medieval Ensemble   Guitar

Technical Credits

John Langstaff   Notes Adaption,Liner Notes
Cecil Sharp   Arranger,Collection
Simon Gibson   Remastering,Digital Engineer
Maxim Langstaff   Producer
Douglas Kennedy   Liner Notes,Introduction
David Langstaff   Executive Producer
Colum   Lyricist
Sue Ladr   Design,Typography
Maud Karpeles   Foreword,Liner Notes
Michele Langstaff   Producer
Jermone Epstein   Composer
Padraic Colum   Composer