A Winter Union – Sooner After Solstice (Album Review)

A Winter Union – Sooner After Solstice (Sungrazing Records) 10th November 2023

You’ve got to be pretty confident to pay homage to one the greatest folk rock albums of all time (Fairport Convention’s Liege & Lief) with your cover art. But A Winter Union are bold as brass on their new Christmas album. It’s a rare treat, like mince pies with lashings of cognac butter washed down with the finest spiced cider.

With Christmas collections occasionally bordering on the twee and saccharine, it’s a relief to hear something earthy and vibrant. It’s a PROPER ALBUM, expertly played, performed and produced, featuring an all-star cast who only gather together when the nights draw in and there’s a chill in the air (sometimes the bones).

A Winter Union are two familiar duos, Katriona Gilmore (vocals, mandolin, fiddle) and Jamie Roberts (vocals, guitar), Hannah Sanders (vocals, dulcimer, guitar) and Ben Savage (vocals, dobro, guitar, lap steel and the record’s producer) alongside Ben and Katriona’s bandmate from The Willows, Jade Rhiannon (vocals, shruti box). It’s a winning combination, each adding their considerable talents to the mix. For Sooner After Solstice, they are joined by two guests, Ben Nicholls on double bass and Dan Day on drums.

It bursts into life with the celebratory opening track, Ring Out, Solstice Bells. It’s not easy to cover songs by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, and I can’t think of any that are as successful as this. It’s a joyous winter solstice celebration, with all the merrymaking and feasting. Hannah and Jade shine on lead vocals, and there’s a transatlantic twist on a very English song with the inclusion of Ben’s trademark dobro.

Next up, Minstrels is pure British folk rock, harking back to the classic 60s/70s iteration but sounding totally fresh. Again led by Jade, backed by Hannah and Katriona, with the rest of the band swelling on the chorus. This new tune, a setting of Wordswoth’s poem, will totally blow you away—magnificent – an instant festive classic.

The next song takes us beyond Albion to the Colorado-New Mexico border, with a splendid cover of Townes Van Zandt’s Snowin’ On Raton, led by Ben’s breathy vocals, with all the assembled adding authentic western backing vocals and a snatch of old time fiddle from Katriona. Another musical handbrake turn, and we are transported back to the 15th century for a new reading of the Corpus Christi Carol. Stripped of its overt Christian symbolism, Hannah brings out its mythical core, evoking the age of chivalry and King Arthur. It’s a stunning recording, another shining light.

While we spend much of December dreaming of a ‘white Christmas’, it seldom comes (down South where I’m from anyway). This is the inspiration for Ben’s song, White Christmas Somewhere, which is a lament for the lack of snow to match the Christmas cards and stories—another country-tinged tune with heartwarming lyrics, sung by Jade.

With such a strong vocal unit, it’s not surprising that we get a glorious seasonal chorus singing here at the heart of the album. Recorded live, the traditional Rise Up Shepherd demonstrates what a powerful unit they are. Be sure to catch these magnificent performers at a gig near you…(see dates below).

Jamie gets a chance to shine on vocals with his reworking of Graeme Miles’s Snows of Winter. It’s a haunting song, lamenting the bleak midwinter while longing for the hope of spring and the warmth of summer. Meanwhile, Hannah takes the lead on Ben’s celebration of The Trees of Old England, particularly those that produce apples and, ultimately, cider. Evoking the sound of mid-period Fairport, it provides a cosy resolution to the previous chilly track. Wassail!

Raise a Candle is a tender song from Katriona about the strange Neverland that exists between Christmas and New Year, a time for reflection on the past and hope for the coming year, but it’s not always an easy time for some. In The Bleak Midwinter will be familiar to most listeners, and this version of Holst’s setting takes its lead from Bert Jansch’s folky reading, albeit without the vocals. It showcases the band’s musical prowess, building from Hannah’s Appalachian dulcimer, weaving in Katriona on fiddle, Ben on Dobro and Jamie’s acoustic guitar. It’s a gentile, soothing respite before the penultimate track.

Like Jamie, I first heard Robb Johnson’s Boxing Day recorded by Band of Hope (Roy Bailey, Martin Carthy, Steáfán Hannigan, John Kirkpatrick and Dave Swarbrick) on their only album, Rhythm & Reds (1994). It’s a powerful and angry song about the injustice of how the privileged few still own most of the world’s wealth while millions more suffer in poverty. This provides a welcome shattering of yuletide merriment, and, as Jamie says, ‘the lyrics still ring true today.’ But the album ends on a more melancholy note with an evocative, brooding reworking of the traditional carol, I Saw Three Ships.

Festive albums don’t always have the best reputation; they are often throwaway and only feel fitting for a few weeks a year. But I’ve been listening to this in November as the nights draw ever darker, and I intend to continue listening until this spellbinding set conjures up the spring. It’s a stunning follow-up to their 2016 debut, featuring brilliant new songs and settings with an eclectic choice of covers. If you’re looking for a classy folk album to accompany the winter months, you’ve found it.