Romantic Ballads & Scented Candles for Relaxing Evenings

Maddy Prior has had a stellar, nearly 50-year career in old English folk music, singing solo and with the Carnival Band, and in English folk-rock with Steeleye Span. This 1999 release is an all-star, live-recorded performance at the Cambridge Corn Exchange - part retrospective on her previous work, and includes a few medieval Christmas carols, which allows this music to be enjoyed year-round. The accompanying band includes members from the aforementioned-mentioned bands, along with June Tabor, and her daughter, Rose Kemp. You could also say that this is an "unplugged" version of this vocal music, and probably sounds very close to how this music would have sounded in olden times. Because the music is performed in front of an appreciative, live audience, there is a warmth not found in studio recording. The highlights include "Blacksmith" (from her Steeleye Span period), "All in the Morning" (acapella, sung by June Tabor), and "Blackleg Miner". Certainly, anyone who enjoys Maddy Prior's singing should try to obtain this recording.