I know. I know. Why isn't this above the line? I don't know... I just felt like it.

I just posted to another thread about music by "Harmonium", a band who first produced, in the 70's, in Quebec, Canada, a mix of French Canadian folk, rock, orchestral (or should that be called "long hair", anyone?) and jazz. It was truly magic; a joy to listen to.

I am wondering, what other bands do you know that have successfully or originally combined the old with the new.

The first that comes to my mind, and, perhaps the ultimate success in this regard, in my feeble mind anyway, is Jethro Tull. JT is one of, if not the first, "Heavy Metal" bands, but, so much of their music is old English style folk combined with rock and orchestral. The music of the minstrels, repleat with the musical instruments of those days of yore (Middle English - minstral) is prominent and is blended into the extreme at both ends of this music mix, almost to the point of turning it down, as it were. The result is true music magic (if you ignore some of the more distasteful subject matter found on the odd cut).

I am also reminded of 10cc, who have combined French cabaret with rock and orchestral. Perhaps the caberet could be twisted to be a sort of French folk so it may be accomodated in this forum? Non?

From nearby me, we have Rawlins Cross who "Reel and Roll" with bagpipes and dirges with rock vocals; and Natalie McMaster who can take that jig and jazz it up just fine; and Great Big Sea... well, forget GBS - their gone off on a tangent of their own lately which defies definition and which appeals to few.

So, who else?