"Byker Hill was the first album on which Carthy and Swarbrick had more than two or three hours' studio time, and, as a result, which was actually rehearsed and programmed weeks in advance. The results are less spontaneous than their earlier work, but also show a level of professionalism that few folk albums of the era ever demonstrated. The differences lie in the careful nuances, and the sophistication of the paired voice and instruments, which are much more studied than anything previously heard. The music is glorious in its own unassuming way--Carthy's acapella performance on the haunting "Brigg Fair" (a Lincolnshire tune originally collected by Percy Grainger, and which was the basis for a classical piece by Frederick Delius), the interweaving of Carthy's voice and Swarbrick's violin on "The Bloody Gardener," the dazzling title track, and maybe the best version of "John Barleycorn" ever recorded, are among 14 of the most prized songs in their careers." (Allmusic)
"The 9 tunes on this CD were originally released on LP in 1978. Dave Swarbrick played with the two famous folk groups, Ian Campbell and Fairport Convention before making this record. Dave Swarbricks rowdy style and fine violin playing are a joy to hear. Swarbrick is accompanied by 6 friends from the folk music scene." [o.a. Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg & Bruce Rowland - AB] (Storyville Records)
"An astonishingly good album coming toward the end of Carthy's original partnership with Dave Swarbrick. The singing is, as always, first rate, nowhere better than on the haunting a cappella songs "Salisbury Plain" and the nine-minute "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard." Carthy's playing by this time had become less self-consciously complex and more confident, allowing him to accomplish more with less on his guitar. The resulting sound is spare but powerful, particularly on "Arthur McBride and the Sergeant" and "Polly on the Shore" -- his notes seem to chime like little bells on the latter. His playing on "Seven Yellow Gypsies" seems like the work of more than one guitar, and gives one a reason to listen to the song several times, taking in the playing and singing separately. Even more remarkable is the fact that the title track is another of Carthy's cut-and-paste jobs, assembled from fragments and melodies of several incomplete traditional songs." (Allmusic).
David Cyril Eric Swarbrick (New Malden (Londen, Engeland), 5 april 1941 3 juni 2016) was een Britse violist die voornamelijk folkmuziek speelde. Swarbrick werd geboren in Londen, maar groeide op in Birmingham, waar hij viool leerde spelen toen hij acht jaar oud was. Later speelde hij ook op altviool, mandoline en gitaar. Hij ging in 1960 spelen bij Ian Campbell Folk Group en vormde in 1966 een duo met Martin Carthy. Na het samenspel met Carthy werd hij in 1969 lid van de befaamde Engelse band Fairport Convention. In 1984 formeerde Swarbrick de groep Whippersnapper, maar in 1989 besloot hij om zich bezig te houden met een sololoopbaan. In 2004 ontving hij een Lifetime Achievement Award van de BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
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