THE CEREMONY OF MAY – Garry & Rose Blakeley
Attitude Records: garryblakeley@aol.com

This is the most outstanding celebration of the 1st of May and Jack-in-the-Green we have ever heard. Tunes, songs and narration all delicately weave into one another like the leaves and branches of the green man himself. The words are taken from Rose Blakeley’s book ‘A Pathway Through The Seasons’. Her ‘Green Man’ poem begins “Step into the forest, warm and bright. Drink from the cup of golden light”. The music is highly mystical and uses keyboards to good effect – Garry is a multi-instrumentalist and a superb fiddle player. The arrangements range from folk-rock to subtle acoustic moments and provide an evocative atmosphere for the narration by Jane Downes. Garry’s son Edd provides a wonderful orchestral arrangement of the Green Man. We’ve noticed that the green man is featured in many cultures, not just English – in the writings of Rumi he’s called Khidr. It’s interesting to see how many young folk, especially in the morris, who follow the old ways. This CD, the show and the book will entertain and be of interest to everyone.

Kathy & Bob Drage – Around Kent Folk

<< BACK