FTX-062 - THE LICHT BOB'S LASSIE

ISABEL SUTHERLAND

ISABEL SUTHERLAND (1921-1988) an outstanding singer & collector of the post-war British Folk Revival and a pioneer of the Lowland Scots unaccompanied style of ballad-singing in London Folk Clubs. Coming from Edinburgh, she was encouraged by the folklorist, Hamish Henderson, in Scotland, but it was in London & Southern England where she had most influence. Here she includes a varied selection from her repertoire. 10 unaccompanied, 4 are accomp. on solo harmonica by John Cole and 4 on harmonica and guitar played by Steve Benbow.

1. THE LICHT BOB'S LASSIE - 1'52"

2. 'S'ANN AN ILE (It was in Isla) with harmonica - 2'59"

3. THE FORLORN LOVER or FALSE BRIDE - 4'23"

4. THE ROVING PLOUGHBOY with harmonica & guitar - 2'20"

5. THE LADY O' THE DENTY DOON-BY - 2'45"

6. THE TWO BROTHERS (Child #49) - 4'25"

7. THE AULD MAID IN THE GARRET - 2'55"

8. DOWN BY THE GREENWOOD SIDE-I-O (THE CRUEL MOTHER) with harmonica & guitar - 2'00"

9. LORD LOVAT - 4'28"

10. I'M A YOUNG BONNY LASSIE with harmonica - 2'25"

11. THE BEGGAR-MAN - 3'15"

12. THE OVERGATE with harmonica & guitar - 1'46"

13. MY BONNY LAD IS LANG A-GROWING - 3'31"

14. THE BLEACHER LASSIE O KELVINHAUGH with harmonica - 3'27"

15. Dance-songs: (a) REEL OF TULLOCHGORUM/ (b) I LOST MY LOVE AND I CARE NOT - 1'15"

16. THE MOON SHINED ON MY BED LAST NIGHT - 3'36"

17. O LOVE IS TEASIN' with harmonica & guitar - 3'08"

18. THE FOUR MARIES - 4'22"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy, London, December 1959. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975. (NOTE: This album pre-dates the recordings released by both Topic Records & The English Folk Dance & Song Society).

ISABEL SUTHERLAND (1921-1988) was born in Edinburgh, where her father was an antique dealer. Her mother came from the village of Tannochside in Lanarkshire, where Isabel's grandfather and uncles were coal-miners. A major musical influence was her grandmother, who sang as a girl at local events accompanied on the small-pipes by her brother, Andrew Waters. Isabel also spent a great deal of time with her Aunt Lizzie at Portobello, "who sang from morning till night".

She became involved in the beginnings of the Folk Music Revival in Edinburgh at the home of her friends, Simon and Ella Ward. She was also a pioneer of the London folk scene in the 50's starting with "The Good Earth Club" in Soho (1954) and "Folksong Unlimited" (Summer 1958). Hamish Henderson was to prove an important influence on the growth of her ballad repertoire when he introduced her to the various Scottish tinker traditions in 1955. Isabel, and her husband, Theatre Workshop actor, Joby Blanshard, became collectors themselves, particularly in the North-East of Scotland, and their recordings are deposited in the FOLKTRAX Archive. Some of them are included on FT-183-5.