Description
The Larks – Pleasant and Delightful
CD review by Tony Smith
TN2610 40 – $20
TN180 Sep 26
This album of mainly English rural songs was recorded by Brisbane a cappella ensemble, The Larks, in 2026.
There are songs about farming, seafaring life, mining, love gone wrong and of longing.
They draw on the resources and compositions of Mainly Norfolk, the Copper family, the Watersons and English Folk Song generally.
The songs have ‘Roud’ numbers, a cataloguing system for works in the Vaughan Williams Library at the English Folk Dance and Song Society in London.
The title track, the pastoral ‘Pleasant and Delightful’, introduces another kind of lark, ‘and the larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day’.
These humans sing every bit as sweetly and tunefully as their avian namesakes.
They then present guest Irish Joe Lynch’s contribution of his own poetry ‘The Rock’, paired with a cover of Eric Bogle’s ‘Hard, Hard Times’.
Songs from other sources include ‘Foolish, Incredibly Foolish’ by Heather Wood of the ‘Young Tradition’ band – a warning to young women inclined to drink with the boys – and the mining song, ‘I Can Hew’ by Davey Dodds.
‘Robbers’ Retreat’ has a sparkling chorus.
It seems to have been a ‘forebitter’ sung in the fo’castle, although it would suit the pub as well.
‘Come Write Me Down’ tells of the ups and downs of romance so well that the group describes the song as ‘Pride and Prejudice in six verses’.
‘The Female Drummer’ belongs to that class of song describing the adventures of a girl so determined to be with her love that she disguises herself as a military man and enlists.
‘William Taylor’ is a classic tale of love betrayed and revenge extracted.
The lead voice on the verses is very tuneful.
‘The Jolly Ploughboys’ is a harvest song.
‘Sportsmen, Arouse’ is a hunting song with hounds, horn and hare.
‘The Dudley Boys’ rioted about the price of food.
Having an ancestor who was transported for joining the ‘Swing Rioters’ smashing harvesting machines and burning haystacks, I feel for these desperate people.
A sailor off to sea asks his lass to exchange rings and promises to write.
‘Adieu, Sweet Lovely Nancy’ is perhaps the best known of such songs.
Its final line is sobering, reminding us that when the money is spent, the sailor is off to sea once more.
Driving sorrow away does not depend on having riches of ‘Thousands or More’ but on having a happy outlook on life.
‘Apple Tree Wassail’, like other songs of this type, asks for hospitality in exchange for a festive song.
This particular song is sung to the apple trees to remind them to bear next year.
This is consistently fine harmony singing, particularly when the higher voices ring out.
The group consists of Sam Crittenden, Nonie Malone, Janet O’Brien and John Stafford.
While this ensemble clearly works as a team, it would be nice to know a little more about the individual voices.
They thank various supporters and note Michael Fix’s recording and mastering, Roey Fitzpatrick for graphic design and Mal Lloyd for photography.
Perhaps most importantly, they thank the custodians of the songs who have ensured the survival of these ‘old songs’.
A booklet enclosed with the CD gives the ‘back stories’ of the tracks and the group advises that lyrics are found on their website.
Few listeners will need to consult the lyrics because the singing of The Larks is always clear, crisp, clean and harmonious.
These songs will please and delight Australian audiences and listeners abroad, especially in their country of origin.
Ed. This album is available for sale from the Trad&Now website and may be heard from time to time on Trad&Now Live!
The Larks formed in Brisbane in mid 2022 with the aim of singing unaccompanied traditional folk songs, particularly of England. The original lineup was Sam Chittenden, Roey Fitzpatrick, Janet O’Brien and John Stafford. After singing at the Red Hill Folk Club and the Neurum Creek Festival that year, Roey left for health reasons and Nonie Malone, who also sang at the traditional singing session at Neurum Creek, joined.
Since that time work, family and travel commitments have limited their ability to get together. Despite these they have performed at most South East Queensland folk clubs and music festivals.
In 2026 they completed their first CD, Pleasant and Delightful, and are booked for the Canterbury Folk Festival at Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand at Easter.
They have fashioned a reputation for arranging English traditional folk songs with imagination
