organ

Album review from Organ issue 282... Nov 13th 2008...

NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA – Birds (Oof!) - It needs to be said, because no one ever does, the North Sea Radio Orchestra are very influenced by that delicate, much loved Cardiacs offshoot known as the Sea Nymphs (and indeed even more so by Sea Nymphs' early eighties' incarnation, Mr & Mrs Smith and Mr Drake). No accident of course, for North Sea Radio Orchestra leader Craig Fortnam was part of the camp following back then and, via his part in Lake Of Puppies (and later Shrubbies) with one William D.Drake, pretty much part of the extended Cardiacs family – not as “wholly unique” as some would have you believe, then, (there are dues to be paid, things to be acknowledged). That said, North Sea Radio Orchestra are blossoming in a rather fine way now with their inviting mix of delicate English prog and 20th Century classical pastoral folk. Harmonically rich and fluid in a Henry Cow, Art Bears, Incredible String Band kind of way (quite a bit of Stars In Battledress in here as well). Recorded at (Peter Gabriel's) Real World studios and Tim Smith's Apollo 8 in the depths of Wiltshire by ex Cardiac Mark Cawthra with additional production from Tim Smith (leader of said Cardiacs and indeed Sea Nymphs). A fine mix of delicate English folk and something that has evolved out of fine traditions of chamber music. Acoustic tunes, woodwind, violins, clarinets, bassoon, oboe, solo voices and ambitious choral pieces. 'Personent Hodie' is a highlight: their version of a fourteenth century canticle, arranged quite delightfully... you may know it as a hymn called God Is Love, His The Care, and their version carries on the tradition of evolving hymns in a rather moving way. 'Move Eastward, Happy Earth' is quite uncannily like Mr &Mrs Smith and Mr Drake, to the point it wouldn't surprise to hear the aforementioned Drake had a writing hand in it (no detailed notes on this promo copy, so it may well be another early music arrangement).
'Birds' is an album pulling gently in two distinct ways. One direction; nice, simple, sitting in a sunny field, female-voiced acoustic folk, the other towards a rarer thing, this fusion of English medieval progressive classical, chamber orchestral music, via Vaughn Williams, Cardiacs, Vernon Elliot, Henry Cow. In the end, it all works as a melodic spirited integral classical whole. Always more than just decorating modern music with classical instrumentation, at its core a real orchestra, this is something that’s both timeless and enchantingly beautiful – a very fine, very enjoyable rather magical album. www.nsro.co.uk