Angeline Morrison’s The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs Of Black British Experience, voted No 1 in our Top 100 Folk Albums of 2022, is released on Vinyl today (20th January) via Topic Records.
The album was reviewed by David Pratt here, who said:
Angeline Morrison‘s ‘The Sorrow Songs’ has generated a tremendous amount of interest since the announcement of its release on Topic Records, with it being hailed as one of the most significant and most anticipated releases of 2022. The obvious question of whether The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs Of Black British Experience meets these expectations is a resounding and unqualified yes. It would not be facile to suggest that the album will be viewed as an important, landmark release in the canon of British folk music.
In an earlier interview with Folk Radio UK (read it here), Angeline told how she wanted the stories of historic British Black ancestors retold through song. She adds, “…telling stories through song is common to all cultures and the people whose stories are made into songs are those we remember”. The Sorrow Songs tell those stories so well, and they are now there for future generations to be remembered.
The Sorrow Songs is a ground-breaking album; the music is excellent throughout, beautifully enhanced by the album’s exemplary artwork and packaging. The additional notes are not only informative and enjoyable to read, but they also encourage you to explore this history further.
As a gift to the folk community, The Sorrow Songs will connect with the hearts and emotions of the listeners; as a gift to her ancestors, Angeline has more than done them proud.
Deemed a landmark album in the canon of British folk music upon release, the album will finally be available in vinyl format for fans to enjoy on wax (20th January) via Topic Records.
Recorded in Cornwall during lock-down, the inspiration for the album came following Arts Council-funded research into the history of black experience in Britain and is, in itself, a work of what Angeline calls ‘re-storying’:
“The traditional songs of the UK are rich with storytelling, and you can find songs with examples of almost any kind of situation or person you can think of. But whilst people of the African diaspora have been present in these islands since at least Roman times, their histories are little known – and these histories don’t tend to appear in the folk songs.”
With the release of the vinyl edition, Angeline begins what is shaping up to be a very busy 2023, with scores of UK performances, including a special show in Glasgow at Celtic Connections on 30th January – a double bill also featuring her album producer and UK folk icon Eliza Carthy MBE (see all live dates here). Angeline also features in BBC Radio 2‘s exciting new project 21st Century Folk.
Order The Sorrow Songs on Vinyl here
Upcoming Live Dates: https://www.angelinemorrisonmusic.com/live
More details here: https://www.angelinemorrisonmusic.com/