The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113596   Message #4025053
Posted By: Joe Offer
26-Dec-19 - 11:25 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Singer's Request / Minstrel's Request
Subject: RE: Origin: Singer's Request / Minstrel's Request
I think this is the perfect song for this dark season that is sacred to so many peoples. I've always loved this song, and I'm fascinated to see that it came from Sir Walter Scott, whose Abbotsford home on the Scottish Borders I visited in September.

I'm looking for a nice online recording of Nic Jones singing this song. There's a nice instrumental version that begins at about 4 minutes on this cut (click), but no singing. This one (click) has singing, but it's a very poor recording.

What's the story behind this performance? Is that Nic Jones on stage, with John Wesley Harding singing the verses?

I learned the song from the Golden Ring recording (click) with Ed Trickett singing lead, and I will forever love this version.

I suppose the best-known cover of this song is the one by John Wesley Harding, but I'm not thrilled by it:

Here's a recording by the New Minstrel Revue, that I don't completely like:

I've learned a lot over the years from San Francisco area singer Celia Ramsay. She's a nice person, very knowledgeable, and a terrific singer. Here's her rendition, which I don't totally love: