Oak, Ash and Thorn? (group)

Subject: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: Chris Blackwell
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 07:05 PM

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has any information on a group called "Oak, Ash and Thorn" which was singing traditional English songs about twenty years ago? I went to a number of performances and had a tape of them when I was a lad (in Berkeley, CA if that helps) and I would love to get a recording of them again. Any help would be appreciated. I'll check back here, but if you could e-mail me with any information I would be grateful.

Thanks!

Chris Blackwell [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: SeanM
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 09:09 PM

Hi Chris! Nice to know that there are more Californians out there...

From a moderately in-the-know source, the band is currently almost defunct. For those who don't have a clue who they are, OATh are a fairly wonderful tight vocal act from the Northern California Renaissance Faire scene... they have been trying to regroup, but I don't believe that their efforts are meeting with much success (anyone else from this particular scene who's heard anything from 'Hard Times' is more than welcome to post. I'd love to find out what's up with them). In any case, their rep tends towards vocal arrangements of traditional English folk songs, with occasional forays into whatever sounds good. They're a local phenom, so those of you from outside of this scene probably have no clue... sorry...

M

Subject: RE: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 12:42 PM

How nice to see that someone remembers us. Oak, Ash & Thorn is picking itself up off the brewhouse floor and singing again. Dale is living in Alabama and unavailable to us for the forseeable, so Tom and Doug and I are re-arranging, researching and rehearsing. Chris might have a copy of a tape from the years we sang with Mitchell, who now lives in Holland and makes his living as a Baroque musician. We've a couple of private gigs coming up this spring, and hope to see whether we can attract a crowd for our ressurection this fall. Doug is hard at work in the studio. The last time we recorded anything, it was pressed on vinyl. Now we're learing to sing in ones and zeros. Cheers! Dave Swan. Oak Ash & Thorn

Subject: RE: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: LEJ
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 01:07 PM

Good luck Dave! Be sure and post if you plan any touring outside the west coast.

Subject: RE: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: Barbara
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 02:35 PM

I certainly enjoyed your music when I heard it in the 70's Glad to hear you're regrouping. I think I knew Dale (the old memory ain't what it used to be) from madrigals and shape notes and renfair thingies. Short, opinionated, colorful, uhm, other things, had a really penetrating bass voice, lived in the Claremont District near the freeway?
I can remember his correcting me when I said "eye-do-MAY-ah" for Idumea (shape note). He said it was "ih-DOO-me", cause that's how they say it down south. I can remember that clear as a bell, but can't recall his name.
Beautiful harmony stuff you used to do.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Oak, Ash and Thorn?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 12:10 AM

Yup, that's Dale.