The Gathering

Marianne Segal, featuring Circulus

Back in the early 1970's, at the tender of 21 Marianne Segal wrote a set of songs that formed the album Fly On Strangewings, she recorded it as the group Jade with Dave Waite and Rod Edwards. That was in 1970, in 1971 they split leaving that one album to go on to become one of the definitive folk rock albums of that era. Well, now she's back with an album that completes the journey to 2008.

You may well have noticed her tie up with Circulus on their first album A Lick On The Tip Of An Envelope Yet To Be Sent; Michael Tyack persuaded her to record a song she wrote at the time of Jade called Swallow. The energy of their cumulative talents crackles through the whole song, for them not to have recorded more together would have been a crime.

With The Gathering Marianne has written songs that evoke her folk rock roots and carry the experience of the thirty years since then. Her voice is in fine mettle, and Michael Tyack's production is sparkling.

The musicians on the album come from many different backgrounds, and all lend a little magic to the sound, from Amy May of Paris Motel and her string arrangements to Bill Steer of Firebird and his cracking electric guitar. There is something enchanting around every corner of this album, she mentioned to me in a recent interview that they considered the album as having a 'soundscape' to it, what they have conjured up is a sound that is entirely new and of it's own whilst being shot through with seams of timeless folk-rock references.

References to the natural world abound, from passing time in September Song, a minstrel under a silver birch in Lapis wings and the knobbly knees of Root People. It's the pastoral wonder of a misty Summer morning captured in music. Segal has carried this torch from the beginning of her career, with this album she has musicians and arrangements that live up to the material. It sends a shiver down your spine.

There are serious epic songs that swirl with majestic strings and woodwind (Saints On Tapestry), and songs that are pure unadulterated fun (Root People). Short musical vignettes separate some of the songs with guitar, lute, harpsichord and the legendary crumhorn of Will Summers. Marianne has given something wonderful to everyone who wondered where she has been for the last few decades. Now let's see some live dates!

Iain Hazlewood