Kate Rusby Live - Botany Bay

Guess where I hope to be today

Kate Rusby Christmas at the Cadogan Hall 2024

Great to be there once again to hear Kate Rusby sing the Christmas carols, etc. Two sessions at Cadogan Hall thus year. We caught the second. All the usual favourites - the brass boys, a session for the boys in the band (with the brass this time), dressing up at the end (honouring 40 years since Band Aid this time with jokes at the expense of Bananarama, The Police, Boy George, etc), three While Shepherds, etc. And home by 10.15 pm. We really enjoyed it. New album coming out in May.

Seventy Christmas Songs

By my reckoning there must be some seventy Christmas selections available from Kate Rusby on the six different albums.

That breaks down to about

30 carols (including 6 versions of While Shepherds and 2 each of Hark the Herald, I saw three ships and Hark, hark).

9 novelty or joke songs - Kris Kringle, Santa never brings me a banjo, some Big Brave Bill tracks, The Ivy and the Holly, Hippo for Christmas, Arrest These Merry Gentlemen and Nothin' for Christmas

7 traditional Christmas songs - Paradise, Deck the halls, Serving Girl's Holiday, A miner's dream of home, We'll sing hallelujah, Mistletoe Bough and with bawdy humour, The Christmas Goose.

6 songs are Kate's own compositions - Home, Christmas is Merry, The Holly King and Celestial Hearts, Let the bells ring and The moon shines bright

5 modern songs - Winter Wonderland, Let it snow, I am Christmas, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and A spaceman came travelling.

4 more songs are wassailing songs plus Yorkshire Merry Christmas plus Poor old horse about a similar Christmas tradition.

2 sort of counting songs -  Seven good joys and The Dilly Carol.

2 more, The Wren and Candlemas mark post-Christmas celebrations

2 others, Drive the cold winter away and When the frost is all over are weather songs

1 slightly egregious track - Holmfirth Album

New Kate Rusby Christmas Album Out Today

The sixth Christmas album by Kate Rusby is avaiable from today. Kicking off with a nice version of Brightest and best of the sons of morning (Spean) followed by one of those atmospheric winter songs we have come to love (Glorious), the eleven track set is familiar in some ways yet fresh and will be much enjoyed over the next 25 days and beyond. Inevitbly, there is yet another version of While shepherds, of course. In the end it's that voice that's key. Wonderful.

Hoping to see her on December 11.

10 Christmas Traditions

1. Preaching six sermons or more on Christmas themes (all from Matthew 1 and 2 this year)

2. Singing most of the Christmas hymns in our hymn book

3. Watching the film Elf starring Will Ferrell

4. Watching University Challenge Christmas Special on TV (five watched so far)

5. Reading the novel Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

6. Reading some Christmas detective fiction (this year Val MacDiarmid)

7. Going through a book of devotions from December 1-24 or 25 (this year J C Ryle)

8. Burning down an advent candle December 1-24 (a red one this year)

9. Going to see Kate Rusby and her band doing one of their Christmas concerts

10. Listening to lots of Christmas music (I now have 575 items in my collection)

Kate Rusby Christmas Concert Croydon 2022

My wife Eleriu and I had a lovely trip down to Croydon on Tuesday to hear Kate Rusby and her band at the Fairfield Halls. Despite the remains of a cold kate was up to her usual high standard as she chatted and sang working her way through a selection of her five albums worth of Christmas music (another one on the way some time she said). Great evening. We had a five guys first and managed to get home before the ext day. Loved the dressing uop for the final number. Good fun.

Kate Rusby at the Cadogan Hall 2022

We went off to a concert last night down in central London. We took public transport to Sloane Square and had a nice vegan meal at a Wulf and Lamb. We were in our seats in good time for an excellent concert in two haves. We've only been to Christmas concerts before so it was good to see the regular type concert. We had lots of chat and lots of songs, mostly from Thirty and Hand me down (including Ghost, Three little birds, If I had a boat, Maybe Tomorrow, We will sing, Jenny, Cruel, Hunter Moon and Only desire what you have) and a short session from the excellent five piece band. We ended with Blooming Heather and then Underneath the Stars as an encore. Great evening.

365 Albums 346-355

1. Appelsientje Kerstconcert Dick Bakker & The London Symphony Orchestra 1991
2. Angels and Men Kate Rusby 2017 
3. Advent to Christmas Page CXVI 2013* 
4. Sweet Bells Kate Rusby 2008
5. Holly Head Kate Rusby 2019 
6. Joy to the world Thijs van Leer & Family 1996 
7. The Frost is all over Kate Rusby 2015 
8. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh & The Carnival Band 2001 
9. Three Ships Jon Anderson
10. I got the Blues for Christmas Peter Green & The Men in Blue 1997#

(# Not the Peter Green, some other bloke)

365 Albums 330-345

1. Hymns - Lullabies Page CXVI 2012*
2. And Winter came Enya 2008
3. Drive the cold winter away Horslips 1985
4. Christmas Variations Rick Wakeman 2000*
5. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Jethro Tull 2003
6. Music per la Notte de Natale Thijs v Leer, Louis van Dijk, Rogier van Otterloo 1976*
7. We Three kings The Roches 1990
8. Chris Squire's Swiss Choir Chris Squire 2007
9. The Christmas Album Keith Emerson 1999
10. December The Moody Blues 2003
11. The Dawn of Grace Sixpence None the Richer 2008
12. While Mortals Sleep Kate Rusby 2011
13. Kerst met Thijs van Leer en Elly Ameling in de Grote Kerk Te Monickendam Thijs v Leer & Elly Ameling 1979* 
14. Carols & Capers Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band 1991
15. A Tapestry of Carols Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band 1986

365 Albums 226-240

1. Hand me down Kate Rusby 2020
2. Seth Lakeman A Pilgrim's Tale 2020
3. What we did on our holidays Fairport Convention 1969
4. Focus 11 Focus 2019
5. The Focus Family Album Focus etc 2017
6. A Hard Days Night The Beatles 1964
7. Pendulum Creedence Clearwater Revival 1970
8. Full House Fairport Convention 1970
9. Liege and Lief Fairport Convention 1969
10. Unhalfbricking Fairport Convention 1969
11. Past Masters Vol 1 Vol 2 The Beatles 1988
12. The Glorious Album Thijs van Leer 1999*
13. Fairport Convention Fairport Convention 1968
14. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Simon & Garfunkel 1966
15. Focus 8.5 (Old Skin) Focus 2005

365 Albums 91-105

1. Profile Jan Akkerman 1972
2. Focus in Time Jan Akkerman 1996
3. Uam Julie Fowlis 2009
4. Life in a paper boat Kate Rusby 2016
5. Introspection 2 Thijs van Leer 1975*
6. Planxty Planxty 1973
7. Focus Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer
8. Focus 3 Focus 1972
9. Brainbox Brainbox 1969
10. Ommadawn Mike Oldfield 1975
11. Springfever Joachim Kuhn 1976
12. Lent to Maunday Thursday Page CXVI 2014*
13. Good Friday to Easter Page CXVI 2014*
14. Love Beatles 2006
15. Chieftains Tears of Stone 1999

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

365 Albums 16-30

1. Graceland Paul Simon 1986
2. Laser Love After the Fire 1979
3. Book of Invasions Horslips 1976
4. The Slider T Rex 1972
5. Philosophers, poets and kings Kate Rusby 2019
6. New York City The Peter Malick Group ft Norah Jones 2003
7. Angel on the mantlepiece Charles O'Connor 1999*
8. Solitude Standing Suzanne Vega 1987
9. Shepherd Moons Enya 1991
10. Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel 1969
11. Play to Win Gabrielle 2004
12. China Vangelis 1979
13. Cyril Cyril Havermans 1973
14. Hyperborea Tangerine Dream 1983
15. The Race for Space Public Service Broadcasting 2015

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

Christmas with Kate Rusby on the Southbank 2019

As noted we were at the Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday evening for another of these annual Kate Rusby Christmas concerts. The format appeared to be similar to previous years - about 16 carols and other songs, lots of talking, a short period when Kate is off stage and Damien and the boys do some instrumentals, an audience video for Facebook and a two song encore. About half the twelve songs on the new album were done along with pieces from the other albums. One quibble our Barnsley nightingale suggested that many of the carols sung in pubs were kept out of the church by the Victorians. That would suggest that Kate has never heard of Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos or Sankey's Sacred solos and sea shanties as some humorously call it. There aren't many carols in Sankey it is true but Rolling downward, Once in royal David's, While shepherds watched, Hark the herald, etc are all there. Great evening.

Day Off Week 50 2019

Yesterday's day off had a real Christmas theme. I did some blogging but mostly I was either reading about Christmas or listening to Christmas music. The snow goose is not really a Christmas book but it has a winter vibe. I enjoyed reading it again, especially in the edition I own illustrated by Angela Barrett. I also have a Wordsworth children's book 'Twas the night before Christmas which is a Christmas anthology. I read Clement Moore's poem, Louisa May Alcott's Christmas dream, a shortened version of A Christmas Carol done by Dickens himself and Hans Christian Anderson's The Fir tree. All full of god morals. In the evening Eleri and I went down to the Royal Festival Hall to see Kate Rusby and her band singing Christmas music. Very nice - more on that anon.

Another Christmas album from Kate Rusby

Once again Kate Rusby has released a December Christmas album. This is the fifth one and it is called Holly Head (hard not to say that in a North Walian accent for some of us). It follows a similar format to previous albums and so seemed a little tame at first but I am getting into it.

We kick off with Salute The Morn an eighteenth century hymn with some nice guitar work from husband Damien O'Kane. Christmas Is Merry is the first of three originals but with a traditional tune.  The Holly King is very much on the pagan side of things. Hippo For Christmas revives a forgotten novelty hit from the fifties, complete with tuba accompaniment.

There are four traditional carols on the album next. Yorkshire Three Ships, Lu Lay (or the Wexford or Coventry carol) and a laudable sixth version of While Shepherds Watched follow each other in swift succession and are done well. We have to wait one track until the great Victorian hymn Bleak Midwinter done to a Yorkshire tune.

The Mistletoe Bough turns to an 1844 song apparently published in Songs, Ballads and Other Poems. By Thomas Haynes Bayly (of Home Sweet Home fame) and Sir Henry Bishop it is based on the sad story of The Mistletoe Bride which, first related in 1823, tells of how a young bride suffocated on her wedding day unable to get out of a large chest where she had hidden in an ill-fated game of hide and seek. The legend has been ascribed to several different counties, this one is about Lovell Hall, Oxfordshire. It is a jolly song despite the tragic content.

Celestial Hearts is a Yorkshire variant of ‘New Celestial’, arranged by Rusby and O’Kane and I Am Christmas is a simple treatment of a 2010 song written by Bill Meek and John Conolly,

The album closes with another episode in the story of Barnsley's own Big Brave Bill B.B.B.B is Bill, Beryl, Belinda and Bob this time. This time he gets rescued.

Sorry not to hear any banjo this time. The brass and guitars, etc, are here still. Great arrangementss but it is the voice that wins it. The Barnsley lass seems to have pulled it off again. We are looking forward to seeing her soon.

Kate Rusby 'Jenny' from the new album

10 Female Artists on my ipod

There's a bit of a thing about women in music again I notice. Good excuse to give you a list of ten of my favourites.

1. Gabrielle
2. Blondie
3. Norah Jones
4. Sade
5. Julie Fowlis
6. Kate Rusby
7. Enya
8. Tracy Chapman
9. Joan Armatrading
10. Bojoura

10 Lesser known Christmas Songs 9 Angels Song

Robert Lowry
(Photograph, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

This song was written by Robert Lowry and I have it on Kate Rusby's Angels and men where it is listed as Rolling downward

Rolling downward, through the midnight,
Comes a glorious burst of heav’nly song;
’Tis a chorus full of sweetness—
And the singers are an angel throng.

Glory! glory in the highest!
On the earth goodwill and peace to men!
Down the ages send the echo;
Let the old earth begin again!

Wondering shepherds see the glory,
Hear the word the shining ones declare;
At the manger fall in worship,
While the music fills the quivering air.

Christ the Saviour, God’s Anointed,
Comes to earth our fearful debt to pay -
Man of sorrows, and rejected,
Lamb of God, that takes our sin away.

Kings with riches see the splendour
Bringing treasures from a far off land
Join the chorus full of wonder
While the music sounds across the land.

Rolling downward, through the midnight,
Comes a glorious burst of heav’nly song;
’Tis a chorus full of sweetness—
And the singers are an angel throng.

10 Lesser known Christmas songs 7 Awake arise good Christians

Awake, arise good Christians, let nothing you dismay,
For unto us our Saviour was born upon this day!
The self-same moon was shining that now is in the sky,
When a holy band of angels came down from God on high!

Hosanna! Hosanna! To Jesus we'll sing,
Hosanna! Hosanna! Our Saviour, our King.

“Fear not, we bring good tidings, for on this happy morn,
The promised One, the Saviour, in Bethlehem's town was born!”
Up rose the simple shepherds, all with a joyful mind,
“Then let us go in haste,” they say, “This Holy Child to find.”

And like unto the shepherds, we wander far and near,
And bid you wake, good Christians, the joyful news to hear:
Awake, arise, good Christians, Let nothing you dismay,
For unto us our Saviour was born upon this day!
(repeat first verse and chorus twice)

This is abother Yorkshire one sung by Kate Rusby on Sweet Bells

10 Lesser known Christmas songs 6 Drive the cold winter away

Census at Bethlehem
(Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

This is an Elizabethan song, again from Kate Rusby's The Frost is all over

All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights that double delights,
As well for the poor as the peer!
And good fortune attends each merry man's friend,
That doth but the best that he may;
Forgetting old wrongs, with music and songs,
To drive the cold winter away.

'Tis ill for a mind to anger inclined
To think of small injuries now,
If it's wrath that you seek, do not lend her your cheek
Nor let her inhabit thy brow.
Cast out of thy books malevolent looks,
Both beauty and youth's decay,
And wholly consort with mirth and sport
To drive the cold winter away.

Oh this time of the year is spent in good cheer
And neighbours together do meet,
Oh to sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
Each other in love to greet.
And old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
And sorrows aside they all lay,
The old and the young doth carol this song,
To drive the cold winter away.

When Christmas tide comes in a like a bride,
With holly and ivy clad,
For twelve days of the year are spent in good cheer
In every household is glad.
Then the country guise is then to devise
Some gambols of Christmas play,
And every young man does the best that he can
To drive the cold winter away.

This is another version

All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights that double delights,
As well for the poor as the peer!
Good fortune attend each merry man's friend,
That doth but the best that he may;
Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs,
To drive the cold winter away.

This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
And neighbours together do meet,
To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
Each other in love do greet;
Old grudges forgot, are put in the pot,
All sorrows aside they lay,
The old and the young doth carol his song,
To drive the cold winter away.

To mask and to mum kind neighbours will come
With wassails of nut-brown ale,
To drink and carouse to all in the house,
As merry as bucks in the dale;
Where cake, bread and cheese is brought for your fees,
To make you the longer stay;
At the fire to warm will do you no harm,
To drive the cold winter away.

When Christmastide comes in like a bride,
With holly and ivy clad,
Twelve days in the year, much mirth and good cheer,
In every household is had;
The country guise is then to devise
Some gambols of Christmas play,
Whereat the young men do best that they can,
To drive the cold winter away.

When white-bearded frost hath threatened his worst,
And fallen from branch and brier,
Then time away calls, from husbandry halls
And from the good countryman's fire,
Together to go to plough and to sow,
To get us both food and array;
And thus with content the time we have spent
To drive the cold winter away.

I also have instrumental versions by Horslips to the traditional tune