efn Reviews

"A Trip to the Lakes” The Boat Band
Harbourtown HARCD047

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Although better known in southern England as a Cajun dance band The Boat Band have deep roots in traditional English music, guitarist Greg Stephens being well known as an authority in the music of the North West as well as having once been accompanist to the great clog dancer Sam Sherry. The rest of the line up is Kate Barfield on fiddle, Mike Burke on melodeon and percussion and Tony Weatherall on melodeon. The notes do not state who is playing on which track.

The CD itself consists of 14 tracks, made up of 29 tunes and two songs with a running time, according to my PC, of 48 minutes and 48 seconds. The material itself is all traditional and most will be new to many readers.

With Stephens playing tenor banjo and guitar as well as taking a turn on melodeon the arrangements are varied without ever sounding contrived although with so much good stuff it is difficult to single anything out for particular praise. Perhaps the lovely old fashioned feel to Cumberland Waltz which I really could not imagine being used for a modern dance like Rosa or perhaps the solid session like feel to the jig Cumberland Reel (aka King of the Cannibal Islands or Hilly-go, Filly-go All the Way).

Curiously, there are no notes on the individual tracks, instead the insert contains a substantial essay by Stephens on the nineteenth century Lakeland fiddler William Irvine who was the source for some of the material.

To sum up I must just say that this passed my "good CD test". I put it in the car CD player and didn't get around to taking it out until I had to sit down and write this review.

Full track listing

1. Trip To The Lakes
2. Carlisle Reel/Haul Away The Hawser/Trip To Cartmel
3. Cumberland Waltz/Kendal Waltz
4. Robinson's/Honeymoon/Bonny Lass To Marry Me/Cumberland
5. Keswick Bonny Lasses/Stables' Grand/Hornpipes
6. Birds Upon The Tree (song)
7. Cumberland Reel/Carlisle Races
8. Dear Tobacco/Bonny Cumberland/King's No 1/King's No 2
9. Stybarrow Crag/Iron Legs/Calgarth
10. Corby Castle (song)
11. Kendal Ghyll/When I Parted/Ulverston Volunteers
12. Westmorland Waltz
13. My Love She's But A Lassie Yet/Whitehaven Volunteers/Through The Wood Spinning
14. Trip To Galloway