435:, describing the latter album's raw interpretations of supernatural ballads as imaginary versions of what they would be like as parts of magic rituals. He paralleled Wicca's "patchwork invention" and untrustworthy claims of authenticity with folk music, writing that their elements of transmission and adaptation do not make them invalid as modern religion and music. In 2015, the magazine
331:" tells the story of a young mother who kills her secret baby with a penknife and buries it, after which the dead child appears on a church porch and curses her. The song has been collected in many versions from all over Britain. "Alice Brand" is about a runaway couple in conflict with an Elfin King. Like "Broomfield Hill", it features Jones on fiddle.
31:
375:
was released by Leader's label
Trailer Records. The release year is uncertain: the album sleeve says "First released 1970" but the vinyl names 1971 as the copyright year, and neither Dave, Toni nor Leader remembered when it was released when asked in 2021. The cover art features Dave and Toni Arthur
430:
is the most notable of Dave and Toni Arthur's albums, and that their interest in paganism and witchcraft gets a "sinister edge" from Toni's vocal range. Writing in 2011, the music journalist Rob Young called the album "one of
English folk's great lost recordings", due to its unavailability. He
409:
in 1971. Palmer wrote: "There are many good things here, of which the title, the most pretentious I have seen for a long time, is not one." He described the
Arthurs' singing style as "clear, clean and musical" and complimented how they vary between solo and duo and between harmonies and unison
176:
duo who recorded albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They married in 1963, released their first 7" record in 1965 and their first album in 1967. Their musical approach was minimalist and they gradually came to focus on obscure songs with uncanny, magical and potentially
463:, it is significant that "The Witches' Chant" and the phrase "hearken to the witches rune" appear on the cover but not on any album track. Partridge says this communicates that the album is meant as something beyond entertainment and turns it into a "sacred artifact".
410:
singing. He said the accompaniments are varied but the tone and mood lack in variation. Overall, he said the album is "very worthwhile", although "Tam Lin" uses "illegitimate dynamic variations" and "The Fairy Child" suffers from overuse of
213:. They concluded that Wicca was not based on folk tradition but came up with ways to combine the two. Dave later stressed that the interest was from an academic viewpoint and that he is non-religious. Toni is a
376:
in red robes against a dark background. The photograph was taken in the Leader family garden and was lit using Leader's car lights. The album title is taken from "The
Witches' Chant", a poem by the Wiccan
140:, recorded in 1970 and released by Trailer Records. It features English folk music with a focus on uncanny and magical elements. Ahead of making the album, the Arthurs held discussions with the
380:. The chant was not recorded for the album but a version of it, adapted by Sanders, is printed on the back cover. The album includes a four-page booklet titled "Magic in Ballads".
459:
among listeners interested in folklore and occultism. Its unavailability in other formats than vinyl has contributed to its lore. According to the religious studies scholar
327:. The Arthurs thought the way the Findlaters interpreted it was perfect and made no changes to it. It was one of the album's most obscure song selections. "
272:
and enlists help from a woman, Fair
Margaret, leading to a power struggle that involves Tam Lin being transformed into a wolf and an adder. The version on
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319:" tells the story of a maiden who uses magic to protect her virginity from a knight and was a well-known folk song. The recording features
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meetings and studied the ritual books of contemporary witches. They wanted to see if there were connections between contemporary
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422:
385:
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on fiddle. "The
Standing Stones" is a ballad performed in the version of John and Ethel Findlater, a couple from
411:
268:" is a Scottish ballad which can be traced to the 16th century. It is about a man who wants to be free from an
30:
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and tells the story of a mother whose child has been abducted by fairies. It features Packie Byrne on
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as one of the "greatest lost albums", writing that the album's ballads appear "as though performed
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in a forest clearing", and called "The Cruel Mother" the "most chilling version ever recorded".
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elements. They did extensive research by interviewing farmers and folklorists. When they made
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contrasted the sunny mood of the artists' 1967 debut album with the nocturnal aesthetics of
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has not been released in any other format. The rights were bought by Dave Bulmer of
156:'s poem "The Witches' Chant". The album has not been rereleased and has developed a
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narrated by Dave Arthur. "The Fairy Child" is based on a 19th-century poem by
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284:. It is sung without accompaniment. "A Fairy Tale" features the Irish fiddler
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133:
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is an amalgamation of several sources, including the lyrics collected by
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900:"Casting The Runes: Dave and Toni Arthur's Hearken To The Witches Rune"
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along with the rest of
Trailer Record's catalogue in the early 1980s.
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149:
141:
38:
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The Lyre of
Orpheus: Popular Music, the Sacred, and the Profane
293:
880:(1971). "Hearken to the Witches Rune. Dave and Toni Arthur".
367:, original version followed by the version on the album cover
300:
tunes. The instrumental music functions as illustration to a
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and witchcraft with
Sanders, were invited to Wiccan
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Electric Eden: Unearthing
Britain's Visionary Music
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209:practices and the magical content in traditional
232:in 1970. It was recorded in Leader's bedroom in
339:
264:. At the time, it was a rare song to perform. "
280:in the 19th century and a melody uncovered by
8:
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20:
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363:The opening of "The Witches' Chant" by
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7:
16:Studio album by Dave and Toni Arthur
344:Hell's dark mistress Heaven’s Queen
14:
927:The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
172:were an English husband-and-wife
132:is a studio album by the English
1059:Albums recorded in a home studio
242:reel-to-reel audio tape recorder
357:Here I come to call thee forth
351:Darksome Night and shining Moon
342:Darksome night and shining Moon
152:meetings. The title comes from
1044:Albums produced by Bill Leader
1039:Folk albums by English artists
978:"Uncut's greatest lost albums"
552:
478:
1:
423:Encyclopedia of Popular Music
1049:Wicca in the United Kingdom
453:Hearken to the Witches Rune
443:Hearken to the Witches Rune
433:Hearken to the Witches Rune
428:Hearken to the Witches Rune
401:Hearken to the Witches Rune
382:Hearken to the Witches Rune
373:Hearken to the Witches Rune
355:Hearken to the Witches Rune
346:Harken to the Witches' Rune
274:Hearken to the Witches Rune
226:Hearken to the Witches Rune
183:Hearken to the Witches Rune
148:and were invited to Wiccan
129:Hearken to the Witches Rune
24:Hearken to the Witches Rune
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353:East South West then North
197:in London. They discussed
185:, they were interested in
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490:
482:
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883:English Dance & Song
406:English Dance & Song
348:Diana, Lilith, Melusine!
960:Oxford University Press
932:Oxford University Press
950:Partridge, Christopher
360:
583:"The Standing Stones"
461:Christopher Partridge
999:Young, Rob (2011).
863:, pp. 147–148.
806:, pp. 445–446.
667:, pp. 262–263.
548:
474:
278:Francis James Child
546:
472:
189:and contacted the
1054:Alexandrian Wicca
1016:978-0-86547-856-5
969:978-0-19-975140-2
941:978-0-19-531373-4
636:Alexandrian Wicca
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625:
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535:"The Fairy Child"
288:, who performs a
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596:The Cruel Mother
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329:The Cruel Mother
282:Hamish Henderson
248:Music and lyrics
228:was produced by
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1007:Faber and Faber
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986:. 17 April 2015
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403:in the journal
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378:Doreen Valiente
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365:Doreen Valiente
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317:Broomfield Hill
292:of three Irish
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236:, London, on a
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154:Doreen Valiente
109:Trailer Records
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898:(March 2021).
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861:Partridge 2014
853:
851:, p. 263.
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839:, p. 445.
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822:, p. 445.
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794:, p. 118.
780:
778:, p. 118.
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736:, p. 147.
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726:
724:, p. 147.
722:Partridge 2014
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641:Neopagan music
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524:"A Fairy Tale"
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457:cult following
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158:cult following
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618:Total length:
611:
609:"Alice Brand"
608:
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467:Track listing
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256:" includes a
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147:
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136:duo Dave and
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40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1005:. New York:
1001:
988:. Retrieved
981:
958:. New York:
954:
925:
910:. Retrieved
903:
896:Fischer, Bob
887:
881:
856:
844:
816:Fischer 2021
811:
799:
788:Fischer 2021
783:
729:
718:Fischer 2021
713:
706:Fischer 2021
660:
496:Alison Gross
455:developed a
452:
451:
442:
436:
432:
427:
426:(2006) says
421:
418:Colin Larkin
416:
404:
400:
395:
386:Celtic Music
381:
372:
371:
361:
341:
314:
306:Samuel Lover
273:
254:Alison Gross
251:
225:
224:
195:Alex Sanders
182:
167:
146:Alex Sanders
128:
127:
126:
55:1970 or 1971
39:Studio album
18:
1034:1971 albums
878:Palmer, Roy
849:Larkin 2006
792:Palmer 1971
776:Palmer 1971
665:Larkin 2006
286:Kevin Burke
270:Elfin Queen
260:, an Irish
234:Camden Town
230:Bill Leader
170:Toni Arthur
138:Toni Arthur
120:Bill Leader
45:Toni Arthur
1028:Categories
930:. Oxford:
837:Young 2011
820:Young 2011
804:Young 2011
753:Uncut 2015
647:References
397:Roy Palmer
302:fairy tale
262:frame drum
187:witchcraft
174:folk music
164:Background
134:folk music
74:Folk music
652:Citations
441:selected
399:reviewed
392:Reception
321:Nic Jones
221:Recording
168:Dave and
43:Dave and
952:(2014).
924:(2006).
630:See also
547:Side two
473:Side one
215:Buddhist
115:Producer
96:Language
60:Recorded
52:Released
41: by
871:Sources
511:Tam Lin
447:skyclad
335:Release
310:whistle
266:Tam Lin
258:bodhrán
211:ballads
193:leader
144:leader
99:English
1013:
990:5 July
966:
938:
912:2 July
560:Length
486:Length
412:slides
325:Orkney
290:medley
207:occult
191:Wiccan
142:Wiccan
80:Length
983:Uncut
908:(403)
622:37:47
557:Title
483:Title
438:Uncut
238:Revox
203:coven
199:magic
179:pagan
150:coven
105:Label
69:Genre
1011:ISBN
992:2022
964:ISBN
936:ISBN
914:2022
612:4:24
601:6:38
586:3:52
575:4:07
538:4:26
527:7:14
516:4:22
501:2:44
298:reel
296:and
240:A77
63:1970
553:No.
479:No.
420:'s
294:jig
1030::
1009:.
980:.
962:.
934:.
902:.
888:33
886:.
827:^
818:;
790:;
760:^
741:^
720:;
672:^
606:4.
591:3.
580:2.
565:1.
532:4.
521:3.
506:2.
491:1.
414:.
312:.
244:.
217:.
160:.
89:47
85:37
1019:.
994:.
972:.
944:.
916:.
890:.
755:.
708:.
598:"
594:"
572:"
568:"
513:"
509:"
498:"
494:"
315:"
252:"
87::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
