If you put four talented and experienced musicians together they would probably form a band. Maclaine Colston, Jennifer Crook, Beth Porter and Saul Rose became Winter Wonderband. For reasons that probably only they know Joy Illimited is their debut album although they started out together more that a decade ago. This being still November I refuse to use the C-word so this is a solstice album although there are wassails and carols within.
Joy Illimited is a double CD – one set of studio recordings and a live set recorded at Chapel Arts so there is plenty of room for variety. The studio album begins with Jennifer’s setting of Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Darkling Thrush’, beginning with four unaccompanied voices but it developed into a fully accompanied composition. I hoped to hear more unaccompanied singing but the band expanded ‘The Darkest Midnight In December’ – just four repeated lines – into an instrumental workout featuring Saul’s melodeon and Beth’s cello.
‘Shepherds Are The Cleverest Lads’ is a variant of a much recorded song attributed to many sources. This uptempo version comes from Saul’s time with Waterson:Carthy. Maclaine gets first dibs on Clannad’s ‘Lady Marian’, essentially a duet with Jennifer who also wrote ‘Apples’ which slides effortlessly into ‘The Exiles Jig’, and supplies ‘Soul Cake’ – a Samhain tradition – paired with ‘Reel À Bouche’ which Maclaine learned from John McCutcheon.
It is impressive how the four instruments work together. Maclaine’s hammered dulcimer rides on top over Jennifer’s guitar and harp with Saul and Beth in a remarkable engine-room supported by Stuart Bruce’s colabass (no, me neither) and percussion. The sounds blend seamlessly on the instrumental passages.
I finally got my wish for more unaccompanied singing with ‘Gower Wassail’ given an authentically agricultural setting and I mean that as a compliment. ‘The Coventry Carol’ is suitably haunting and although ‘Mrs Saggs’ was written by Chris Wood for cello Saul initially takes the lead before harp, cello and hammered dulcimer join in. ‘Gallant Poacher’ is possibly more autumnal than solstice oriented but the pheasant season runs until January so it’s OK. The hopes expressed for the fate of the gamekeeper are fanciful, however. Jennifer wrote the funky ‘Slow Down December’, Boo Hewerdine provides ‘New Year’s Eve’ and George Michael is responsible for ‘Last Christmas’ with added sadness by Beth. (The C-word crept in. Sorry.) Actually I found it quite funny and it doesn’t count towards Whamageddon.
Winter Wonderband don’t mess about with the words of the closing ‘Fairytale Of New York’ for which I am eternally grateful. Maclaine takes the Shane part with Jennifer doing Kirsty’s lines. All four sing the chorus and Saul has plenty to do playing the keyboard parts with Beth covering Spider’s whistle.
Five of the six tracks on the live disc also appear in the studio set beginning with ‘Soul Cake’ and ending, inevitably I suppose, with ‘Fairytale Of New York’. The exceptions is ‘For Love Lane’ a tune written and developed by Maclaine and Saul while the ladies were gainfully employed elsewhere. I expect they smoothed it out later. The mix and balance on the live set differ from the studio recordings and I think I actually prefer the songs this way. There is certainly an extra energy which only a live performance can provide.
The band are touring in December, mostly in the south and midlands, and if you can get to hear them in the flesh as it were I’d heartily recommend that you do so.
Dai Jeffries
Artists’ website: https://winterwonderbandfolk.com/
‘Fairytale Of New York’ – live (what else?):
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