Various Artists - Midwinter

Free Reed's award-winning Revival Masters series of box-sets has so far explored the careers of some of the greatest folk and folk-rock stars. This UK label's next release dedicates four CDs and a 156-page book to the music and traditions of Mid Winter�. the period that Americans now refer to as the holidays. Most of the key elements and a great many of the songs that make up what we call the Traditional Christmas began life in America, but as this set shows there are midwinter traditions which stretch back hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus � including practices both pious and pagan, which were among the first exports from Britain to the New World. The set's 115 recordings include music and readings from both sides of the Atlantic and cover an astounding range of traditional genres � from Sacred Harp to the Sheffield Carols, big ballads to blues, singer-songwriters and tradition-bearers, living legends and recent stars. For the first time in its Revival Masters series, Free Reed is proud to include a who's who of stars of the American folk scene: Joan Baez, Jean Ritchie, Leadbelly, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Farina, Blind Boy Grunt, John McCutcheon, John Fahey, Mahalia Jackson, Jeff Warner, Debra Cowan. And the greatest names in British Folk: The Watersons, Peter Bellamy, Maddy Prior, Shirley Collins, Young Tradition, Sandy Denny, Martin Carthy. Folk Rock too: Richard Thompson & Jethro Tull offer unique tracks.Exclusive new recordings from (among others) John Tams, Steve Tilston, Martha Tilston, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Laura Hockenhull, Maggie Boyle & Gary Boyle. Rare source recordings from great traditional performers including Phil Tanner, The Copper Family, Scan Tester, Buell Kazee, Leadbelly, Sacred Harp, May Bradley and Fred Whiting. To complement the classic and new songs and tunes of the Midwinter season, the set features readings by John Betjeman, Robert Frost, T S Elliott, Tony Barrand, Jim Lawton, Boris Karloff and even a rare on-disc appearance of Free Reed's author-and-compiler Nigel Schofield.Never before has an exploration of the traditions that span the holidays of mid-winter brought together such a collection of essential recordings with an authoritative, in-depth and copiously illustrated text. Here you'll discover that Christmas traditions have deep and sometimes startling roots: among the scores of topics explored are - wassailing, mumming, feasting and fasting, traditional sports (including the only true game of football!), the evolution of Santa Claus, a range of Nativities and the question of just who were the wise men? Covering the time of year between Advent and Plough Monday, here's a set that proves that an Xmas album isn't just for Christmas � it'll last the whole season round.