First Night: Hal Willner, Harry Smith's Project Meltdown; Royal Festival Hall, London: Star collective pays homage to folk collector
Hal Willner, Harry Smith's Project Meltdown Royal Festival Hall London
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.WHO IS Harry Smith, and why would Bryan Ferry, Beth Orton, Nick Cave and others want to pay tribute to him?
The films shown at the start of the evening show an old man in New York. But pictures from the Fifties, when he completed his epic Anthology of American Folk Music, show a sharply dressed young man with shades and a goatee, cooler then than many of the rock names who last night played some of the old songs he salvaged from 78rpm obscurity.
Beth Orton provided a personal interpretation of Mississippi John Hurt's "Frankie" and Eric Mingus delivered "Gonna Die With A Hammer In My Hand" accompanied by his own upright bass. Gavin Friday contributed an epic version of "When That Great Ship Went Down" at the end of which veteran crooner Jimmy Scott intoned "Nearer My God To Thee".
Kate and Anna McGarrigle introduced some more recognisable "folkiness" but confounded expectations by playing a bizarre cover of a song by The Fugs, whose first album Smith produced.
There was a spirit of mutual support throughout butthere was a special thrill in seeing Van Dyke Parks provide a sensitive accompaniment to Eliza Carthy and Bryan Ferry and perform his own romantic arrangement of "East Virginia", returning it to its source in what he described as the "Celtic diaspora". Finally Nick Cave, the Festival's curator, strode on to perform a terrifying "John The Revelator" with the McGarrigle's on stirring backing vocals.
John L Walters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments