Traditional and historical carols and seasonal songs

Barry Coope, Jim Boyes, Jo Freya

Fi Fraser and Georgina Boyes

With stories of Waits and Wassailers, earnest reformers and unregenerate singers

A G a r l a n d o f C a r o l s provides a lively and unusual history in words and music of carols and seasonal songs from villages and towns across England .

A rare opportunity to hear English traditional acappella from this outstanding combination of voices whose recordings of carols last year drew floods of delighted calls from listeners to Classic FM and BBC Radio 3.

“Utterly transcendent…. a glorious sound ringing round the theatre.”

“There are carol singers and then there are Coope Boyes and Simpson. Add Georgina Boyes and the two Fraser sister, Jo and Fi, and you have a combination that manages to put the magic back into Christmas.”

REVIEWS OF ‘A GARLAND OF CAROLS’ with Coope Boyes & Simpson, Fi Fraser, Jo Freya and Georgina Boyes at The Electric Theatre, Guildford, 21 December 2001.

Surrey Advertiser 4 Jan 2002 – Theatre Arts Review

Christmas Garland goes back to the best

There are carol singers and then there are Coope Boyes and Simpson. Add Georgina Boyes and the two Fraser sister, Jo and Fi, and you have a combination that manages to put the magic back into Christmas.

Their presentation at Guildford ’s Electric Theatre of A Garland of Carols, a collection of carols ancient and modern selected from around the country, was a real delight.

It was also something of an eye-opener too as, interwoven with the singing, they related the history of the Christmas carol from its medieval beginnings. At one time apparently, carols became so associated with lewd and rude behaviour that their singing was banned from the church. But outside the churches they flourished, with towns and villages throughout the land developing their own festive songs and tunes.

It was this tradition of vigorous, popular Christmas song that was celebrated in the show at the Electric Theatre, which treated us to familiar and no so well-known carols – and those that were familiar were sung to tunes that were less so. We had two versions of While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night, both to different tunes – neither the standard version and both in fact considerably more uplifting and enjoyable. The singing, unaccompanied throughout, was simply magnificent, making this show a real festive treat. Alan Golden

Surrey Folk News Feb/March 2002

Those of us who thought that Coope, Boyes and Simpson probably made the most sublime sound in folk music, myself included, were wrong. Add the Fraser sisters and Georgina Boyes to the mix and you have something utterly transcendent.

The theme of the evening’s symposium was a history of the carol researched and written by Georgina and no, it was not at all dull, concentrating on the more scurrilous and ironic aspects of the story while slipping in fascinating facts. Now I know why the ‘standard’ setting of ‘While Shepherds Watched’ is the most boring tune in the universe….

And then there was the music: favourites of church and pub and lesser known gems from the Yorkshire and Derbyshire traditions: a glorious sound ringing round the theatre….

At the end Barry was a little disappointed that we hadn’t joined in more – but what would have been the point? When you hear perfection, why spoil it? Dai Jeffries

CONTACT - GEORGINA BOYES

Tel / Fax 01790 375 063 - georgina@nomasters.co.uk

www.nomasters.co.uk