Sorry if this is all rather tedious for some of you but my first encounter with Alan Simon's work in the form of Fairport's Fame and Glory left me feeling rather confused and I figured that others may be in the same position. Having blown all of my Christmas money on these albums, I think I understand it all a lot better now.
Excalibur I: La Legende des Celtes (1998). This is the story of King Arthur, the knights of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail. As you'd imagine, it is full of bravery, honour, love and betrayal – powerful emotions which are all reflected in the music, which is a combination of celtic, folk, rock and classical. The musicians and singers take the roles of the various characters and all of this is clearly explained in the CD notes, albeit in French! Had I bought this one first, I think everything would have made much more sense.
Excalibur II: The Celtic Ring (2007). This is the story of Merlin, set in the mystical land of Anwynn or Avalon. It features fairies, dragons and other mythical creatures. Magic, fantasy and other-worldliness abound. Each song/tune relates to a different event in the tale. This was the last one to arrive and I like it the least. Fairport have definitely captured all the best tracks on their Fame and Glory CD.
Excalibur: Le Concert Mythique(2005). This includes a DVD and CD of the live performance of Excalibur I in Rennes in 1999. You lose six tracks from the original (about 12 minutes in total) and gain seven (approximately 30 minutes). The extras include Fairport's Behind the Darkness and Fame and Glory – both brilliant in my opinion. There is also a documentary about the project which is in French with no subtitles. I am planning on taking it with me when I visit my sister during half term so that she can translate it for me – although as she pointed out, it is more than thirty years since she studied French at university so not to get my hopes up too much!
If I could buy only one of these, it would be Le Concert Mythique.
Please feel free to correct any mistakes I might have made, disagree with my opinions or comment on these albums