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While this isn't one of the Watersons' more significant albums, it's an important document of the group, for these Christmas carols, performed in December 1980 for a local Yorkshire radio station, were the last recordings of the group's earliest lineups (Norma Waterson, Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson, and Martin Carthy who replaced John Harrison in 1968) ever done. The quartet sing the seasonal tunes a cappella, interspersed with holiday stories and readings by wizened Yorkshire locals Kit Calvert, Norman Benson, and Mabel Race, drawing upon Christmas experiences of their childhood. As is the case for many radio broadcasts alternating music and spoken word, it's better heard as a whole on the radio than on the home stereo. But taken by itself, the music is good, the Watersons offering distinctive and stellar harmonization of the songs in a traditional English folk cast, imbued with the sparkling melancholy so particular to the genre. With good fidelity, it's certainly an above-average Christmas record, and one absent of the sentimental pandering so prevalent in much holiday music. The singing's good enough to make it enjoyable at all times, though by its very nature there's not as much variety here as there is on the Watersons' best recordings.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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John Harrison, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Nahum Tate, Composer - Martin Carthy, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Martin Carthy, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer - Rachel Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Mabel Race, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Martin Carthy, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Norman Benson, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
John Harrison, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
John Harrison, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
John Harrison, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Mabel Race, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Lal Waterson, MainArtist - John Harrison, Composer - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Martin Carthy, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Norman Benson, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
John Harrison, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Martin Carthy, Composer - The Watersons, MainArtist - Norma Waterson, Composer - Elaine Waterson, Composer - Michael Waterson, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Kit Calvert, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Mabel Race, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd Cherry Red Records Ltd
Album review
While this isn't one of the Watersons' more significant albums, it's an important document of the group, for these Christmas carols, performed in December 1980 for a local Yorkshire radio station, were the last recordings of the group's earliest lineups (Norma Waterson, Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson, and Martin Carthy who replaced John Harrison in 1968) ever done. The quartet sing the seasonal tunes a cappella, interspersed with holiday stories and readings by wizened Yorkshire locals Kit Calvert, Norman Benson, and Mabel Race, drawing upon Christmas experiences of their childhood. As is the case for many radio broadcasts alternating music and spoken word, it's better heard as a whole on the radio than on the home stereo. But taken by itself, the music is good, the Watersons offering distinctive and stellar harmonization of the songs in a traditional English folk cast, imbued with the sparkling melancholy so particular to the genre. With good fidelity, it's certainly an above-average Christmas record, and one absent of the sentimental pandering so prevalent in much holiday music. The singing's good enough to make it enjoyable at all times, though by its very nature there's not as much variety here as there is on the Watersons' best recordings.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 22 track(s)
- Total length: 00:53:31
- Main artists: The Watersons Kit Calvert Mabel Race Norman Benson
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Cherry Red Records
- Genre: Country
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd
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