Burnt Offering
The Druids emerged from the 60’s folk scene and, for a while, ran their own folk club on the outskirts of Derby. Their first album, Burnt Offering, was released on Argo after they impressed Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. It’s actual release date is obscure; some say 1971 but the production date on the LP is 1970 and the website of band member John Adams also says 1970.
It’s a good album, and a very good example of the quality of performers on the folk scene at the time. It sticks close to traditional song and dance and is easily able to hold it’s head up in the company of more celebrated ‘folk’ bands and records of the time, over which the shadow of ‘folk rock’ loomed large. This album has no truck with folk-rock (it sounds like the bass is acoustic throughout) and is the better for it.
It kicks off with a set of 6/8 jigs at a cracking pace, and its eighteen tracks contain only one self-written song, and it’s a good one. The harmonising on unaccompanied songs such as A Sailor’s Life is easily as good as anything you’ll hear from better-known groups, Judi Longden’s soprano nestling perfectly in the three male voices of Keith Kendrick, John Adams and Mick Hennessy.
However, you’re going to have to take my word for it. I listened on CD. It isn’t on Spotify, There are one or two tracks on YouTube, one of which is below.
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