The Lark in the Morn and Other Folksongs and Ballads

by John Langstaff

Overview

Long before he established the Christmas Revels (an annual winter solstice celebration that has become one of the most beloved annual musical events in the Boston area), baritone John Langstaff spent just over a decade living in England, where he performed both classical and folk songs in concert and in recordings for various record labels. The HMV label asked him to come to its Abbey Road Studios to make a series of records of traditional English songs between 1949 and 1956, and those recordings are collected here. Originally recorded on 78-rpm wax records, they have been digitally remastered and sound remarkably clear and fresh on this CD collection. To modern listeners, Langstaff's style may sound a bit stylized -- his style of singing is more classically refined than unpretentiously folky in tone. But his voice is so rich and his love of the material so infectious that it's easy to forget about the 50 years that have passed since these recordings were made and simply to give in to the sumptuous loveliness of the songs. The first half of the program consists of traditional songs with British roots, though some were collected in the United States; these include such familiar fare as "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" and "Lark in the Morn," as well as many that will be brand-new to most listeners. The second half consists largely of children's songs, many of which are actually of Dutch origin. This album concludes a four-disc series that brings back to market all of the folk recordings Langstaff made during the middle decades of the 20th century. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	04/06/2004
Label:	REVELS RECORDS
UPC:	0738871200426

Tracks

1. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair
2. Bingo
3. I Wish I Was a Child Again
4. Hares on the Mountain
5. The Two Magicians
6. The Trees They Do Grow High
7. Lady Maisry
8. Edward
9. As I Walked Through the Meadows
10. The Lark in the Morn
11. The Gypsy Laddie
12. The Go and Tell Aunt Nancy
13. Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry me?
14. Cripple Creek Girls
15. The Tottenham Toad
16. The Frog in the Well (Virginia variant)
17. Dance to Your Daddy, folk song
18. As I Was Going to Banbury
19. The Swapping Song
20. Dashing Away with the Smoothing Iron
21. O My Love, Will You Wear Red?
22. The Frog and the Mouse (English variant)
23. Cocky Robin
24. What'll We Do With the Baby?
25. The Mocking Bird (Hush Up, Baby)
26. Bye, Bye Baby
27. Tiny Man
28. Weekdays and Sundays
29. Oh Jacky, Stand Still
30. Turn Round, Turn Round
31. A Basket Full of Nuts
32. Our Baby Prince
33. All the Ducks
34. Polly Perkin
35. Follow the Leader
36. Poor Doggie
37. Baby's Song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Langstaff   Primary Artist,Baritone (Vocal)
Gerald Moore   Primary Artist,Piano
Nancy Woodbridge   Primary Artist,Piano
Sam Mason   Primary Artist,Piano,Piano

Technical Credits

George Martin   Liner Notes
Cecil Sharp   Arranger
Malcolm Taylor   Liner Notes
Simon Gibson   Remastering,Digital Engineer
Oscar Preuss   Compilation Supervisor
David Langstaff   Executive Producer
Margaret Davis   Compilation Supervisor
Sue Ladr   Design,Typography
Nancy Woodbridge   Performer
Gayle Rich   Manuscript Coordinator
Michele Langstaff   Producer
Doug Wechsler   Cover Photo
Judy Lockhart-Smith   Compilation Supervisor
Katherine Davis   Arranger
Traditional   Composer
John Langstaff   Liner Notes
Maxim Langstaff   Producer