Selected and presented by Shirley Collins.

Originally released on Stefan Grossman’s Kicking Mule label in 1979, after the break-up of Pentangle. With Martin Jenkins, Nigel Portman-Smith, Luce Langridge — and Jacquie McShee on one track.

The Celtic harpist leading a dozen friends — guitar, piano, violins, flutes, zarb, zither — in spell-binding departures from Breton folk-song, originally released in 1976 but fresh and strange as a vermillion hydrangea in full bloom.

Noguès was to collaborate with Rabih Abou-Khalil, amongst others, but ‘we are reminded here of the Meredith Monk of Greensleeves, there the early albums of Brigitte Fontaine / Areski, elsewhere Emmanuelle Parrenin, Pascal Comelade… Noguès’ poetry is ever-changing: airy (Hunvre), cosmopolitan (Pinvidik Eo Va C’hemener), enigmatic (Ar Bugel Koar), profound (Ar Gemenerez), enchanting (Hirness An Devezhiou). And then there is Marc’h Gouez itself, between nursery rhyme and chamber music, weaving a fabulous, transfixing web. “Brittany equals poetry,” said André… Breton; and Kristen Noguès proves it to be true.’

Lovely stuff; dream-like, captivating; quite different. Check it out.

Fifties and sixties recordings by the great Irish singer, including many rarities.

The classic 1970 debut with Beverley Martyn. Rehearsed in Woodstock, with Levon Helm guesting on a couple, Joe Boyd producing. Lovely.

‘The Voice of the People’.

‘The Voice of the People’.

‘***** beautiful, deeply affecting… hard to beat as the year’s most worthwhile reissue’, The Guardian; ‘magnificent… wonderfully austere’, Time Out.

1955 field recordings made by Peter Kennedy: fiddles, tin whistle, accordion.

Previously unreleased recordings from 1978, 1981 and 1982, conceived for choreographers. The bandoneon-playing of the Argentinian Juan Mosalini, electric piano by Jacques Denjean, electroacoustics by Bruno Menny and Didier Malherbe from Gong are swirled into a mix of spinet dulcimer, flute, hurdy-gurdy and other-worldly singing (amongst other ingredients), all steeped in the sonic atmosphere of a vintage acid-folk freak-out.

‘Illustrating not only the distinctive arts of the older unaccompanied fiddlers but also the way in which the tradition is moving forward today.’

Several stretches of conversation, mainly in English, and eight songs in Gaelic composed by the crofter — who died in 1978 — accompanied by Roy Williamson and John Mackinnon, on flute and violin.

The legendary Gaelic concert singer, drawing on his vast repertoire — much of it learned traditionally, within the family circle.

Strathspeys, reels, slow airs, marches, waltzes and jigs from five different regions of Scotland, played by Hugh Inkster, Pat Shearer, Andrew Poleson, Donald MacDonell and Hector MacAndrew.

Artfully printed on differently-shaded coated and uncoated stocks, perfect-bound with marbled-style end papers, this 196-page hardback contains 79 poems written by Molly Drake from 1935 until her death in 1993; plus lyrics, a 14-page introduction by her daughter, precious family photos, diary extracts, song manuscripts and handwritten notes by Molly, as well as the essay Give Me A Place To Be, which previously appeared in the tribute to her son, Remembered For A While.
Also 26 short recordings across two CDs, performed by Molly, taped at home by husband Rodney in the 1950s and 1960s: her own exquisitely poignant, heavy-hearted songs,  steeped in loss and wonder, and a treasurable, posh kind of ‘Englishness’ (not the usual bollocks). Have a listen to I Remember.
Joe Boyd has called this compilation ‘the missing link in the Nick Drake story’, but that’s to do it down.
A beautiful Christmas present.

The three albums for John Peel’s Dandelion label, plus live material, and recordings made for the BBC between 1968 and 1972. Clickety-click, sixty-six tracks.
‘Bridget St John proved to be the closest Dandelion got to acid folk and psychedelia; her two later albums for the label contain flashes of avant- garde adventurousness, but are closer in spirit to Nick Drake or a post- Fotheringay Sandy Denny’ (Seasons They Change).
The discs are presented in mini LP sleeves; the booklet includes memorabilia and comprehensive notes.