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Anthems in Eden
Anthems in Eden
Studio album by Shirley and Dolly Collins
Released	June 1969 (UK)
Genre	Folk
Length	50:30
Label	Harvest
Producer	Austin John Marshall
Shirley Collins chronology

Anthems in Eden is a 1969 album by Shirley and Dolly Collins,^[1] with the Early Music Consort of London, directed by David Munrow. The album originally consisted of a 28-minute set of folk songs plus seven other individual pieces performed by the same group. The musical arrangements for these eight pieces included early music instruments, such as viols, recorders, sackbuts and crumhorns. In 1976, six new songs were recorded with a different assortment of accompanists, to replace the original seven individual songs. This 1976 album consisting of the 28-minute set plus the six new songs was released by Harvest Records under the title Amaranth. Subsequent releases have combined all fourteen pieces under the original title, Anthems in Eden.

Recording history

The original recording of eight tracks was made in 1969 and was released as the original vinyl album. Track one is a suite, "A song-story", lasting 28 minutes, 7 seconds and is the centrepiece of the album.

In 1976, a further six tracks were recorded with musicians mainly from the Albion Band and a new version of the album was released, with the original "A song-story" suite on one side and the new recordings on the other. This album was issued under the name Amaranth.

In 1993, a CD with all the tracks was issued. This whole album lasts 69:56.

Musical content

Side 1 of the original album consists of "A song-story", a suite of folk songs which depict the changes in rural England brought about by the First World War, and the disconnection that this created with folk traditions. Recorded with an ensemble of early music instruments, it was a completely unique approach to recording English folk music and was to be influential on bands such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span in the way that they addressed the traditional folk repertoire. The importing of early instruments into popular recordings is believed to have influenced other bands such as Amazing Blondel and Gryphon.

Musicians

Original 1969 album

Tracks 1 to 8: Settings by Dolly Collins, directed by David Munrow.

Shirley Collins – vocals
Adam Skeaping – bass viol
Roderick Skeaping – rebec, treble and bass viol
Oliver Brookes – bass viol
Michael Laird – cornett
Richard Lee – descant and treble recorder
Alan Lumsden – sackbut
Christopher Hogwood – harpsichord
Dolly Collins – portative organ
Gillian Reid – bells
David Munrow – soprano and alto crumhorn, bass rackett, tenor sordun, treble recorder
"The Home Brew" (Michael Clifton, Ray Worman, John Fordham), Royston Wood, Steve Ashley and John Morgan – backing vocals on "A Song Story", "Nellie The Milkmaid" and "Gower Wassail"

1993 CD

Tracks 1 to 8 as above.

Tracks 9 to 14:

Shirley Collins – vocals
John Rodd – anglo-concertina
Christopher Hogwood – virginals
Simon Nicol – acoustic and electric guitar
Pat Donaldson – electric bass guitar
Dave Mattacks – regal, drums
Roger Brenner – alto sackbut
Colin Sheen – tenor sackbut
Paul Beer – tenor sackbut
Martin Nichols – bass sackbut
John Sothcott – vielle, recorder
John Kirkpatrick – melodeon, button accordion
Terry Potter – mouth organ
Ashley Hutchings – acoustic and electric bass guitar
John Watcham – anglo-concertina
Chorus and bells by Albion Morris Men (David Busby, Mike Clifton, Dots Daultry, Stuart Hollyer, Roger Rigden, Ada Turnham).

Track listing

Original 1969 tracks

1- "A song-story" (A Beginning/ A Meeting/A Courtship/ A Denying/ A Forsaking/ A Dream/ A Leaving-taking/ An Awakening/ A New Beginning)

The songs are: "Searching for Lambs", "The Wedding Song", "The Blacksmith", "Our Captain Cried", "Lowlands", "Pleasant and Delightful", "Whitsun Dance", "The Staines Morris" All traditional apart from "Whitsun Dance" (words by A J Marshall)