Sweet England, the long unavailable 1958 debut by the grande dame of English folk Shirley Collins, conjures a simpler world, where children learned Cecil Sharp’s Folk Songs For Schools in assembly.
Yes, there’s a whiff of Kenneth Williams’ folk singer character Sid Rumpo in the hey nonny vocaleese, and Shirley herself writes “as I matured, the lighter banal songs disappeared from my repertoire”, but she is unnecessarily critical of her “youthful and naïve singing”.
The austere and emotionally direct simplicity of her version of The Cherry Tree Carol cuts to the mystic essence of faith and myth, immolating all rational thought.
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Al Murray, Comedian
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John Robins, Comedian
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Idrie, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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A D Ward, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Bosco239, youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Stuart, Chortle
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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FBC, finalgear.com
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter