Farewell to Music

[shewhomust]

I would have told you that the last time I saw Dave Swarbrick was with Martin Carthy at a Musicians' Benevolent Fund benefit at Cecil Sharp House, which LJ tells me was in 2012 - or maybe at his solo gig at the Waiting Room in Eaglescliff. But no, in fact it was just over a year ago, in concert at the Sage, once again with Carthy. But then, for over twenty years every time you saw Swarb could have been the last time.

There's a very good obituary in The Telegraph ("Well, they've had practice," says durham_rambler).

I was looking for some suitably solemn or melancholy piece to embed here - O'Carolan's Farewell to Music, say - and was tempted by Fairport's Farewell, farewell, which is thematically apt, but not really a showcase for the man's talent. But I couldn't resist this (and not just because I've been listening to Dorten Yonder rehearsing their own 'Chickens!' set:

Watch on YouTube

And, just for durham_rambler, a bonus track from the archives:

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

I was just watching that "Hens March" last night, and smiling. I wish I'd been in England more, to see him soldier on.

Nine

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

You seem to do pretty well for English musicians, considering...