The Enchanted Garden

The music of The John Renbourn Group was intended to jibe with our new found life styles. Not that too many of our West Country neighbours were steeped in EFDSS mores, or that we overexerted ourselves in farm work. But the thought was there. Playing together was social and frequent. I recall pleasant al-fresco interludes during breaks in the harvesting, and less pleasant formal recitals one of which prompted “Well I’ve seen it all now … Vivaldi … in Gumboots !”

Between us we could cover a wide range of music – one piece here ‘Sidi Brahim’ offers a glimpse – but mainly we chose to stay in the folk/early music strata in keeping with our adopted patois and allegiance to local produce. This, our second album, is pretty much in keeping – songs with mixed accompaniment, purely instrumental pieces, and some basic 4-part harmony singing. I have enjoyed making arrangements of that type for a long while. Pentangle had a go at Lyke-Wake Dirge and several others have surfaced since.