Tag: A Colloquy Of Birds

This album, a collection of songs inspired by the folklore of birds, has been many years in the making and it is a privilege and pleasure for boutique label Sonido Polifonico to bring it into physical being. This is a collaborative album written and recorded by two highly regarded artists working in the world of folk music, Alison O’Donnell and Gayle Brogan. 

Alison O’Donnell needs no introduction to anyone with even a passing interest in the world of psych-folk/folk. Alison has been involved with creating and performing folk, traditional, jazz and cross-genre music for almost 60 years with Mellow Candle, Flibbertigibbet, United Bible Studies and many other collectives and bands over time. She is probably best known for her time in Mellow Candle, producing one of the classics of 70s psych folk with Swaddling Songs, once thought of as a forgotten record and now regarded as a touchstone of both era and genre. Alison has never stopped playing and recording and indeed her collaboration with newer generations of musicians such The Owl Service and United Bible Studies is a testament to her standing in the music echelons. 

Gayle Brogan is likewise a musician of depth and variety. She is a solo artist who records beguiling drone hymnals to the natural world under the name Pefkin. She is a skilled collaborator, playing in innovative folk duo Burd Ellen as well as with modular synth wizard Jonathan Sharp in Greenshank (a project that explores estuarine habitats) and with psych-folk trio Meadowsilver. Gayle is an avid birdwatcher with an in-depth knowledge of all things avian. 

Although a generation of space and time separate these two artists, they have come together to produce a wonderful collection of songs regarding the Folklore of Birds. Their natural interest in the subject makes for a well-researched and knowledgeable colloquy of both well-known and esoteric folklore. While we live in times that are seeing such a precipitous decline in bird numbers, it feels vital to remember the importance that birds hold in our superstitions, beliefs and folklore. 

Musical collaborators on this project include Grey Malkin (Widow’s Weeds, Meadowsilver), Alan Davidson (Kitchen Cynics) and David Colohan (United Bible Studies). 

Label website: https://www.sonidopolifonico.co.uk/