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A.L. LLOYD - Turtle Dove: England And Her Traditional Songs Vol 2

A.L. LLOYD - Turtle Dove: England And Her Traditional Songs Vol 2
Fellside Recordings FECD260

This is the fifth (and probably the last) collection of Bert Lloyd’s songs that Fellside intend to offer and the theme, as the title suggests, is “love songs”, in all their various moods and guises. As with all Fellside’s productions, sound quality is excellent, with the result that Bert’s singing is given a freshness and immediacy that can do nothing but enhance an already impeccable reputation.

There really is nothing new to be said about the singing itself; it’s all been said before. But I will just quote from Paul Adams’ sleeve notes: “Bert Lloyd’s straightforward presentation – often unaccompanied – of the storytelling still remains a focal point in getting into the songs and is an object lesson for aspiring singers.” Amen to that, and I’d add that it’s a lesson to any of us who enjoy singing – we can all benefit from listening to singers of this calibre again.

Nearly all the songs here are, or have been, ‘standards’ around the folk world, but don’t let that make you think you know them. Listen to them again, as presented by Bert Lloyd, and you’ll hear something different, whether the additional meanings achieved by altering a few words, changing the pace, or altering the timing and emphasis, the result is consummate storytelling.

One of the most fascinating aspects of listening to these songs, familiar as they are, is that of being able to trace the influence that Bert had on his contemporaries (and indeed on many others since) and follow it on down through generations of singers to the present day. The fact that his influence is still so tangible is no mean accolade.

Fellside are to be congratulated on completing what must have been a labour of love with this final Bert Lloyd CD. We owe them a vote of thanks and I can think of no better way to express that than to buy the end result.

John Waltham

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This album was reviewed in Issue 101 of The Living Tradition magazine.