As the people of Britain embrace the reopening of our ‘houses of heritage’, experimental folk song and storytelling trio Harp & a Monkey TODAY release a new single that celebrates the value of our public museums, galleries and archives.
The Ballad of Wisbech Museum is a timely reminder (in song and imagery) of the vital role that cultural centres play in our lives, and the pride and care involved in maintaining them.
Harp & a Monkey front-man Martin Purdy explains: “For many of us, places like museums provide an oasis of calm in a frantic world. As soon as you enter and the door closes behind you, the chaos of the street disappears and it’s like being embraced by a special kind of stillness. Many of us find these places totally immersive and magical – somewhere we can have a quiet thought in our own heads.
“This sector, not unlike our own in the music world, has faced – and continues to face – very tough times. We’ve done a lot of projects with museums, archives and galleries in the past and we were pleased to be asked to help celebrate the important role they play, and must continue to play, in archiving our past and providing vital lessons for our future.”
The Lancastrian trio’s commission came via the Arts Council and The Library Presents, which is Cambridgeshire’s arts and cultural outreach body. The challenge was to write a song inspired by the The Wisbech and Fenland Museum, which is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the UK.
Harp & a Monkey’s relationship with this particular facility dates back to late 2019 when they launched their acclaimed fourth album, The Victorians, with a live show in the facility.
In keeping with the founding history of the building, for this particular project the trio used a pre-existing song from the period of its birth (1847) for their initial inspiration. The song they chose was unearthed by the outfit’s banjo player Andy Smith, and is an old Victorian Broadsheet called The Electors of Cambridge, which was itself a reworking of an even older ballad called Fly Not Yet.
The Ballad of Wisbech Museum, which is released digitally today, is accompanied by a short art film put together by the band’s harpist Simon Jones, who is an internationally recognised art photographer and animator.
Like the tracks on their last album, The Ballad of Wisbech Museum has been mixed by the in-demand Darren Jones, whose clients include the likes of Stormzy, Tom Walker and Harry Styles.