Patricia Hammond

Description

Folk meets Renaissance with a tiny smidgeon of jazz! Scroll down for reviews.

1 Tourdion
2 The Larks they Sang Melodious
3 Sally Free and Easy
4 Paul’s Steeple
5 Searching for Lambs
6 Can She Excuse my Wrongs?
7 God if I Saw Her Now
8 The Log Driver’s Waltz
9 The Cuckoo
10 The Three Ravens
11 Pastime With Good Company
See the trio live here: https://youtu.be/pv8rIl6CDpU

REVIEWS:

Roger Pettit, Roots and Shoots on Felixstowe Radio, Oct 2021
” ‘Whistlebow are both comfortable and inventive in the ground linking Traditional Folk and Early Music. Very strong vocally and instrumentally.”

Around Kent Folk, Aug/Sept issue 106:
Whistlebow Trio – Whistlebow Cabin Creation Records CC06 This, the debut album from the Whistlebow Trio is due for release on International Crumhorn Day, 3rd October 2021. The trio comprise the flutes and crumhorns of Will Summer, cello from Rupert Gillett and vocals from Patricia Hammond. Tracks range widely from Cyril Tawney’s Sally Free and Easy to Henry VIII’s Pastime With Good Company, by way of The Cuckoo, Searching for Lambs, and Tourdion by Cesar Geoffray. Some of the arrangements owe a lot to traditional folk, while others owe more to jazz and early music and perhaps the influence of The City Waits. The musicians’ backgrounds are obviously diverse but they blend together well and provide and interesting sound. Well worth a listen and I would like to see them live.

Shire Folk, Graham Hobbs Aug 20
“The musicianship and beautiful singing cannot be faulted”
“I would certainly recommend everyone giving it a try”

Folk London, Pal Carter Oct-Nov 2021
“The clarity and expression in (Patricia’s) voice are most impressive.”
“The courtly style of 16th and 17th-century music is perfectly captured here. Having said all that, the best track for me is the traditional The Three Ravens. It has a lovely, creative arrangement, sensitively sung with a dreamy, mournful atmosphere.”
“Gillett’s cello features throuhout the album. It combines beautifully with the flute and crumhorn of Summers and the arrangements on all tracks are imaginatively and creatively done.”
“There is one instrumental track, Paul’s Steeple, which illustrates the considerable accomplishments of both musicians. The very cheerful little tune on the recorder is underpinned by a mostly pizzicato cello forming catchy rhythms and a joyful feel.”
“Diverse collections of songs may not always work well but it certainly does here. I shall look forward to more.”

Unicorn Folk, Carl Filby

A trio of wonderfully accomplished classically-trained musicians who explore their interest in folk and early music and also go by the name of Whistlebow. I think it’s a brilliantly original take on a number of quite familiar songs in the folk and traditional genre.

Whistlebow comprises Patricia Hammond on Vocals, Will Summers on Flutes & Crumhorns and Rupert Gillett on Cello, Guitars & Vocals. You can read their impressive CVs on the Whistlebow website.
The insert that comes with the well-packaged CD of the same name says that “In 2021, for reasons well known to future historians, Rupert, Will and Patricia at last had time to meet and experiment with their favourite early music and folk songs.” For my part I am very pleased to see something so positive and worthwhile come out of the last few months. There are 11 tracks on the CD which are a mixture of traditional songs and those credited to a diverse range of other composers from Cyril Tawney to Henry VIII. Critically, all of the arrangements are by Whistlebow.
The thing that shines through from the outset is the joyful rendition of all the music on the album. Patricia Hammond is described elsewhere as being a mezzo-soprano and she certainly does have a very fine voice which interprets the mood of each piece brilliantly. Will Summers is steeped in the practice and study of early music and his fine playing underpins the feel of the whole album. Rupert Gillett gets an extraordinary, at times jazzy, sound from the strings as well as being credited with the recording, mixing & mastering of the CD.
I had not the slightest clue of the existence of Whistlebow before the CD dropped on the front doormat for review, but I always had a passing interest in medieval music which has now been revived. However, first and foremost this a high quality performance and modern interpretation of some very familiar early music and folk song. Anyone who enjoys listening to such music; any of the instruments played on the album, or wonderfully vibrant singing is likely to enjoy listening to this. It is a real pleasure to be able to appreciate separately the constituent parts of the music as well as their marvellous sum.
I have listened to the album at least 6 times now and find something different with each playing. I can’t choose a favourite track for that reason nor can I even identify the one that I like least. I do hope Whistlebow play some concerts that I can attend in the near future and I also hope that their busy schedule allows Patricia, Will and Rupert to get together again to produce another album at some time in the near future.
I imagine that possibility will also depend in part on sales from this album which is, appropriately, to be released on International Crumhorn Day on 3rd October 2021. I can’t recommend it highly enough