Karine writes: Just minutes after arriving on Eigg, I read a public information board at the pier, which mentioned that corncrakes still live on the Isle. These shy migrant birds, who arrive in western Scotland and Ireland in summer and leave for Africa in winter, were once plentiful across the British Isles. They're an elusive Red Listed conservation species now, due to the devastating impact of moving mechanisation upon their nesting grounds. I first heard this song sung in Girvan by an Ayrshire singer called May Mayberry. On the surface, it's a bonnie wee pastoral love song. But to me there's great added poignancy to it now, because the corncrake, once a familiar and welcome symbol of changing seasons, has been absent from many areas for a lifetime, pushed like other species to the environmental margins. The song's celebration of "rural joy...free for a'" also has a chilly ring to it, when so many of us have poor access to and understanding of the wider natural environment we inhabit. I think this disconnect between human beings and the living world is one of the great faultlines of our era.
credits
from Songs of Separation,
released January 29, 2016
Traditional music and lyrics arranged by Hazel Askew, Jenn Butterworth, Eliza Carthy, Hannah James, Jenny Hill, Mary Macmaster, Karine Polwart, Hannah Read, Rowan Rheingans, Kate Young
supported by 6 fans who also own “Echo Mocks the Corncrake”
a friend introduced me to this album two winters ago, and it's very quickly become a staple in my household (it isn't the holiday season until sing we all merrily plays).
the tracks that particularly strike me though are heading for home, the bear song, and the old churchyard - the way the world cycles on, the turning of the wheel, life and death in a beautiful dance. we could despair that our time is short, but we seek joy and love again and again.
I love this album. sophie
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018
Proceeds from this excellent new darkambient/neofolk comp from LEFT/FOLK goes to benefit American Near East Refugee Aid. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 10, 2024
The Alabama duo's fifth album exults in dusty Americana, showcasing rich vocal harmonies alongside blissful folk instrumentation. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 31, 2024