Seize the Day: based at Glastonbury, been described as the frontline of folk, relentless hard workers with a passion for wildlife & the Natural Environment & their music. Supporting & protesting against, GMO, developers etc.. ‘High Hills Lament’ is about the issue of quarrying at Whatley, Somerset, on the Mendip Hills. Tracks from the album ‘It’s your life… it’s our world’ by Seize the Day, 1998
Risky Chicks; Rachel Harland from Westport, Kath Brace, Over Stratton & Rose Hoskin, South Petherton. Previously unreleased, 2005.
The Lucy Lastic Band; are Jon Palmer from Uffculme, Devon, Jane Lewis, Rackenford, Devon, Richard Whiteside, Dunkeswell and Susan Heard Pontispool. Tunes are traditional 'Gilderoy with Dorsetshire hornpipe, Durham Rangers', with the LLB treatment applied. Tracks from the album 'Loose Elastic' 2001. '
Sue Merchant:
from Drayton. Won
Best out of 800 international folk & country entries;' Fool' scooped 1st
Place Honours at prestigious International Songwriting Contest run by the
BRIT Trust & the Music Aid Foundation, in association with BBC, The Guild of
International Songwriters & Composers & the British Academy of Composers &
Songwriters (July 2006). Also performing on the track: Martin Selwood, Mark
Barnwell & Viv Lynham. Track from the album ‘Fool’ by Sue Merchant, 2006.
Viv Lynham &
Chris Foden;
Viv Lynham &
Chris Foden;
performed Sue
Merchants song ‘No care for life’ Previously unreleased.
Tim Salter: from Wellington, up & coming singer/song writer. Track previously unreleased.
Carhampton Wassail 2006: Jim Binding born Porlock, Jim is the official Wassail Singer & has been for the past 20 yrs. The song is based on oral tradition & the position of wassail singer is passed down by invitation of the present incumbent. Martyn Babb From the Exmoor, wrote his song in response to 1989 storm (not to be confused with Michael Fish’s denial of the 1987 storm in the south east) & the devastation it caused to the orchard along with the threat of developers, the villagers campaigned & won. Now the orchard is community run & replanted. The other Wassailers on the night were Gerry Mogg & Mike Dibble. Wassail is from the Anglo-Saxon ' waes haeil' meaning ‘be healthy’. Recorded at the orchard at the Butchers Arms, Carhampton, One of the very few pubs which continues this ancient tradition of fertility rites & blessing of the apple crop. Field recording by Adam Thomas, BBC Somerset Sound on the 17/1/2006 on the old twelfth night, captured with the atmosphere of song, the fire, the wind & the people. Track 15 mixed with interview with Jim Binding and pub session, by Adam Thomas.
Old Spice Boys: are a collective of mature men, Tony Batten & Bev Blackmore from Milverton, Bill Radford & Geoff Cross, Wellington, Gerry Mogg, Bishop Lydeard, Giles Newman-Turner, Hemyock Devon. Tracks from the album ‘Bonny Bunch of Roses’ by Old Spice Boys, 2004.
Stephen Snow; 18 yrs old from Tiverton, Devon. Finalist in 2006 'New Roots' competition at St Albans, Herts. Studying Folk and Traditional Music Degree at Newcastle University. His cover version previously unreleased. Previously released by Blowzabella.
Jamie Lovell; up & coming singer /songwriter from Wellington, track previously unreleased.
Eddie Upton: Director of Folk South West, Montacute has done lot’s of work on preserving traditional songs from Somerset & the South West. Recorded at North Dalton, Yorkshire, Track from the album ‘ Songs of Somerset Folk’ by Eddie Upton, 1998.
The Visitors; from Bridgwater are Matt Bartlett, Brian Smedley & Kevin Freeman. Track from the album ‘ Post industrial dark’, 2004.
Margaret Lyons; from Charmouth, Dorset. Track from the album ‘Grey Skies’ by Margaret Lyons.
Tony Batten; from Milverton performing ‘The Seeds of Love’ the first song noted by the famous Cecil Sharp, Folksong Collector. Sung to him by John England, a gardener from Hambridge, Somerset, on the 22 August 1903. Tony's version previously unreleased.
Pressgang; based in Dorset, they are Damian Clarke, Miranda Sykes, George Whitfield, Maclaine Colston. Now newly reformed with a new line-up. Track from the album ‘ Dancing in our dreams’ by Pressgang, 2000.
George Withers: is in his eighties, from Horton . George stated he’s been singing ‘Someone in Somerset’ for most of 80 yrs, learnt from his mother, origin of song unknown. Traditional or it maybe even music hall. Tracks from the album ‘ The Land Remains’ by George Withers. 2004.
The Six Silly Sods: are aged between 10 & 11 yrs old. Nathan Storey, Tobias Faulkner, Liberty Williams, Ryan Leigh and Luke McCarter. All born in Somerset & live in Wellington. Connor Clegg born & lives in Devon. They all came together & formed ‘The Six Silly Sods’ for this album, all tracks previously unreleased