Well, this is it, the final post of 2015. The post where I resolve to read more, eat less and be a better all around human being (for a couple weeks anyway). Before I get to the three featured songs tonight, a big thank you to all of you who are following and have followed this blog for the past nine years. The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll check-in around Thanksgiving 2016, and get back to it on December 1, 2016.
I’m featuring three songs tonight.
Tar Barrel In Dale is a tune from the Unthanks. Tar Barrel in Allendale is an annual New Year’s Eve festival that says farewell to the past 12 months and dates back to the Dark Ages. You can read more about it here.
The Unthanks is a folk band from Northern England and is led by sisters, Rachel and Becky Unthank. Their music is very moody and very original. I first discovered them back in 2011 when they released their fourth record, Last. Here’s a link to the title track. Last is a beautiful recording.
Secondly, All Glory Be To Christ is a Kings Kaleidoscope song with lyrics sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. I featured Kings Kaleidoscope back on December 3. You can read up on them here. It’s a wonderful take on the old New Year’s Eve classic.
Finally, I’m featuring an absolutely beautiful, straight up take on the Robert Burns poem from Eddi Reader.
Reader hails from Glasgow and has been singing professionally since the early 80’s when she was a background vocalist for the punk band, Gang of Four (i remember them well from my college radio days).
In 2003 Reader released Sings The Songs of Robert Burns. Reader’s fellow Scotsman, Robert Burns is credited with writing Auld Lang Syne in or around 1788, but there is some dispute as to the song’s origin.
Reader’s take on the song is pretty much a straight up version with the original Scottish lyrics. It is perhaps the most beautiful vocal of the song I’ve ever heard.
That’s all for 2015. Happy New Year. See you in 2016.
Tar Barrel In Dale – The Unthanks
All Glory Be To Christ – Kings Kaleidoscope
Auld Lang Syne – Eddi Reader
Tom's Christmas Music Blog 