TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

"Songs of Sandy Denny at the Barbican" on BBC4 10.05 pm on Friday 9 November.

The blurb in Radio Times says:
"A tribute concert to folk music singer/song-writer Sandy Denny at the Barbican in London. Featuring performances by Maddy Prior, Jerry Donahue, former Fairport violinist Dave Swarbrick, Green Gartside, Lavinia Blackwall and PP Arnold. Plus interviews are rare archive footage."

It's followed by the Fairport Documentary "Who Knows Where The Times Goes" at 11.35 pm which was first shown in mid-September.

Another night in watching the telly then!

Thanks for pointing this out...

Seconded!

Thirded.  ;D

The BBC programme page is now up, with clips of four songs cut from the broadcast:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nrp49
(UK viewers only, I fear -- well, we're the ones who pay for all this)

no matty?

Thanks Philip.

Blimey, after watching those 4 clips, I'm underwhelmed to say the least.

I hope the main programme is an improvement.  Sorry if I've offended anyone.   :-X

Was at the Barbican and knew they were filming. It was a fabulous concert though.

It was an absolutely wonderful concert, and a film could never capture the atmosphere of the sound that we heard from the Barbican speakers - which I'm still playing in my car ::)

Have to agree, but the venue and the artists have a unachieveable task in my mind, but I am still glad this is going to be broadcast, and hope it brings Sandy to a wider audience. I am sure I will enjoy it on the level that some talented artists are going to sing some brilliant songs, which will be great as long as I can stop myself making comparisons.

Pleasantly surprised by the whole thing, a great tribute concert, lots of highlights and no low points for me, everyone gave good account for themselves and showed they loved and understood the material they were performing, once again I hope this brings people to the joy that is the appreciation of sandy and her own work and interpretation of traditional songs.

Right then, have just watched this, and it was excellent. Highlights were Jerry D's immaculate guitar work throughout, PP Arnold, Blair Dunlop, Sam Carter, Joan As Policewoman, and Swarb on Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood. Thea Gilmore's extracts from Don't Stop Singing fitted in nicely too. The only slight low-point IMO was the mawkish and unnecessary lyric re-write for the 3rd verse of Solo (example "But her songs communicate with us, and I guess they always will").

Now, if the Beeb were able to give this show the wider attention it deserved, why couldn't they have done something similar for the Fairport Witchseason show back in 2009 ? Thank goodness for Youtube.

Mostly enjoyed this a lot.
I think the key was what Maddy said,that these were people's interpretations of Sandy songs and had to be accepted for that.
Sheen and I didn't think Joan as a policewomans voice worked with the songs,particularly WKWTTG.
Sheen loved PP Arnolds interpretations.
Swarb on Quiet Joys was stunning for me, it just evoked yrs of seeing him at his best,
I enjoyed the Thea G songs and will now have to find the album.
Really glad we caught it. The 'house' band were excellent.

I just watched it too.  I was...underwhelmed.  Nothing was horrible, though Green Gartside was hard to enjoy as a singer of Sandy's songs.  PP Arnold was good.  Blair was good.  But for me it suffered by being so....polite.  Nobody sounded like their soul was flying.  Disappointing, ultimately.

Jules

Agreed, I'll admit some of the songs did cry out for a bit of the Fairport edginess that was lacking.

It needed Richard Thompson!

Jules

Rediscovered Sandy's song 'Nothing More' through this concert.

Deep sigh because it leaves me speechless.  It hasn't aged a bit.  Rather like Sandy herself.  

A mixed bag. Lavinia was by far the star of the show, her version of Quite Joy was the only one that really moved me. Thea and Maddy were also excellent. PP Arnold is a great singer, but I didn't think her style worked at all for Sandy's songs and sorry but Joan was just wrong.

Of the male singers, I only thought Blair was reasonably good and Clark gave a it a good try (though I did have to ask on Fb who on earth he was).

Backing band were also very good.

I can understand trying to show how Sandy's music reached other genres, but if they had just left the vocals to Lavinia, Thea and Maddy it would have been a much better show.

I am watching it now, i saw it live at the Anvil and really enjoyed it.  I look on it as showing the strength of the songs, rather than the performers.

I enjoyed it. A nice mix of vocalists all putting their own spin on the songs. But the 'oldies' absolutely stole the show. Swarb, Jerry Donahue, PP Arnold and Maddy Prior. With Thea Gilmore coming up a close second. Really didn't like Joan Wasser (Who I'd never heard of before) much at all... No complaints really.

Swarb was breathtaking. He made it look so easy...

it was ok, they messed about with the running order and left two of the show stoppers Lavinia singing "a sailors life" and Ben Nicholls version of "matty"
JAPW was the low point of the show when we went to see it live and Maddy's delivery wasn't right for Sandy's songs,all a bit jolly hockey sticks for me.

Didn't Swarb say something along the lines that he found it difficult to deal with the reverence shown as he knew Sandy and what she was like.

I don't think they'll be calling up Maddy Prior to appear on Strictly Dancing or whatever that atrocity is called.

I wasn't able to get to the tour, and found last night's broadcast wonderful.  I admit I wouldn't have chosen some of the singers myself, but as a tribute to Sandy it was great, and I was happy that the singers largely let the songs speak for themselves.  Maybe it was a bit 'polite', but I enjoyed it.

Joan Wasser is great doing her own stuff, but I agree that she didn't do Sandy's songs any favours.

Whenever the show cut to audio of Sandy doing the singing it was night and day.  Then I realised what was really missing - Sandy herself.

Jules

Andy T sums it up for me. Lavinia was by far the best performer (along with the backing band). P P Arnold did absolutely nothing for me, similarly Joan Wasser. We all know that Maddy tends to dance around a bit but I found it slightly embarrassing in this context. Swarb, of course, was the star of the evening, closely followed by Thea. Lovely to see it again though, after the show at Warwick Arts Centre.

I completly accept the point accept the point about politeness to the point of being reverential.
This is the point i have been trying to make about recent, Fairport, Steeleye and even Swarb solo gigs. Sometimes it 's the venue but I'm starting to believe it's just an aging audience. Then again i still get annoyed at gigs where people talk and don't listen so you can't have it both ways. Thea was v reverential but I don't suppose you go on stage and reveal  the personal weaknesses and behaviours of the person whose songs you are celebrating and i suppose the evening was about a body of work and not Sandy herself.
The , 'Sandy died aged 31' hit me though, it made seeing her in the 70's feel a v long time ago.

I was at the concert, and thy edited out the bits were Maddy Prior and PP Arnold forgot their lines- which would have added some warmth and humour to the TV show. Other than that, I didn't think it was that bad. I think the running order may have been filmed out of time though....

We recorded it to watch at our leisure, so will probably watch tomorrow. Of any "low points" there may have been at this concert, none so low as the ignorant, uneducated oik black cab drivers near the Barbican who refused to take customers ::) ::)

Well, here's a dissenting voice who thought that PP Arnold and Joan Wasser were his stars of the show... I liked Maddy more than I usually do too.

I thought Joan was brilliant (but I like her anyway).  PP was fab, as always, but her treatment of the songs didn't work - too much 'waveyourhandsintheairlikeyoujustdon'tcare' ness about it for me.

Hmm, well fwiw I thought that Lavinia Blackwell just attempted a Sandy Denny impression, which was not only boring but inevitably didn't do her any favours, whereas PP Arnold and Joan did something a bit different.  For me No More Sad Refrains and I'm A Dreamer, together with Thea Gilmore and Sam Carter were the highlights of the show.  Maddy Prior was dreadful, no feel for any of the songs, embarrassing dancing (does she always do that?) and while Green Gartside was clearly a fan, he hasn't got the right sort of voice for the material.  Jerry Donahue was the heart of the show musically but as others have said, it would have been nice if that mightily talented backing band had been allowed to do a little more.

Have to fundamentally disagree with you about Lavinia (but then I'm a big Trembling Bells fan too)...and, almost uniquely amongst people I went with and on here, I thought Mr Gartside was fab :)

It's a really strange thing - singers covering Sandy have always divided opinion - think of all the ones who've tried with Fairport for a start - from Cathy to Vicky to June to Simon etc etc etc  I guess she just inhabited the songs so deeply that nobody else really stands a chance.  I'm sort of glad that some of them still try, and not just ones who have similar voices.

The fact it did divide opinion, and the fact it wasn't just a 'soundalike' gig to me means on some level at least it succeeded.

Everyone has to like something and dislike something else,  and don't forget - Sandy most likely only wrote her songs for Sandy to sing  ::)

for "doing them straight" as it were I think Chris While is the best I've heard

And what a backing band she had!!

http://youtu.be/62I63wO5BN0

Didnt think Maddy was that bad.Quite liked PP Arnold.

Didn't like Maddy doing John the gun but the rest I enjoyed I thought the rest of her contributions were fine, even the dancing. Lavinia was fine but she makes you realise Sandy was blessed to have such strength at both ends of her range. Green was Green, I never expected anything else. I have been going through "The" boxe set today and none of the performers were Sandy, but I am glad, if I wanted that I would have listened to Vicky Clayton, Linde Nijland or possibly Chris While, but as we all know the person who was best at singing Sandy was Sandy and the the sad fact is she didn't live long enough to ever get bad at it, 31 was so young, but to have produced so much quality whether her own songs, other peoples or the interpretation of the tradition is astounding, and someone with that much talent is a very thing which shoudl be cherished. We are blessed with a band that contained several people who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

Thanks, that's a U bend clip of Ralph I haven't seen before.

I thought Thea's comment on poison chalice, writing the music to unrecorded Sandy songs can apply to anyone singing the songs. Either too like her or not like her enough.

I wasn't embarrassed by Maddy dancing and I don't suppose she was. It shows she's still alive even if she's slowed down a bit.

Hi Jeremy, my apologies for agreeing with you, (again) Sheen and I didn't like Lavinia's interpretation.
However , for me Vikki Clayton, in her pomp was my favourite Sandy interpreter.

That's ok Dave :-)  Never liked Vikki Clayton, technically great but never felt she had much soul.

On Maddy's dancing it wasn't that it was bad but that it was inappropriate to the songs.

I tuned in to watch the show. I felt it was one of those very special shows. I was at a similar tribute event for John Martyn at Birmingahm Town Hall. A mixture of old muscial comrades and established/establishing muscians paying tribute to the master. Essentially, we are all there because we loved so much the original, and because the original was so original. I thought the house band were superb, and I felt we were treated to some wonderful performances and interpretations - not least Maddy Prior, and of course Swarb. The fact that we had a fair variety of other contemporary artists joining with the party only makes for a better session. Let's not be too critical, let's celibrate!

I truly hope that some of the revenue of this show go towards Georgia and her family.

C x

The above statement from Brendan sums it all up for me. Virtually every singer on the show struggled in my opinion.

The peerless JD was the star of the show, I reckon Sandy would have been pleased with his 'contribution'.  

Just finished watching the show, and thought it was all wonderful, no complaints at all, can't wait to extract the sound and combine with the rest of the show ;)

As one of them said, they stripped the songs back to the bones and started from there so each singer brought their own style to the proceedings. I personally think that was better than getting someone like Chris While or whoever along to do some sort of tribute act. Highlights for me were Sam Carter (loved his take on Bushes & Briars), Thea Gilmore, Joan Wasser (if you looked past the pained facial expressions) and I though PP Arnold's performance was incredible on the song she did at the end.

Gerry and Swarb's playing was excellent and having them there made that connection back to Sandy in the same way that Danny Thompson did at the Nick Drake show. I enjoyed Green Gartside's singing of Nick's songs more than his singing of Sandy's.

And I thought Thea bringing on her 5 year old son to play was a nice touch.  :)

My Mum watched it - rang me to say that Swarb's playing on "Quiet Joys" brought tears to her eyes - she thought it was "one of the most beautiful pieces of music" she's ever heard.  

So if you read this, Swarb, you made at least one person very happy. Thank you.  :)

I watched this not expecting much but really really enjoyed it.
My word the lady wrote a good song or two

Swarb's playing was sublime. It brought tears to my eyes, too, and I was only listening to it on my laptop (missed it on TV).

Thanks to Philip W of this parish, who posted the youtube clip.

I particularly like the way the cameraman focused in-and-out on Thea and Lavinia's faces as they watched Swarb work his magic...

Finally got round to watching this.  I must say I was impressed.  I understand the comments about some of the singers, but I'm glad there was such a variety of styles as it showed that the songs were capable of being interpreted in a number of ways.  I'm only sorry I wasn't able to see it live.

i loved the show live, but hated the way they edited it for tv, the music is beyond reproach

I enjoyed most of this show.  Opinions seem to be mixed re Lavinia.  But I felt the performance of "Quiet joys of brotherhood" was quite lovely, and especially Lavinia's lead vocal (and Swarb, obviously).  For me it was up there with Julie Fowlis singing "Farewell, farewell" at Cropredy a few years ago (which also made me blub!).

I don't think either Lavinia or Julie were trying to "be" Sandy.  Who could?

Went out and purchased the thea gilmore album the weekend......Lovely stuff

Agree Bill, it's a beautiful album, such a fine voice.

It's a shame the BBC had to cut 'A Sailor's Life' (for reasons of length). That was another lovely performance from Lavinia on the night, with Jerry D to the fore in the instrumental.

We have the broadcast on Freesat recorder, for future transfer to PC and burning to DVD when I can figure out how to do it - perhaps over the Christmas break ;)

The word over at www.facebook.com/Sandydennyofficial is that there may be a commercially released DVD and, if there is, it will include everything.