Folk Songs Collected in Cambridgeshire

Born in North Wales, Mary Humphreys settled in the Fens some years ago and immediately set about uncovering its song heritage. Much of the original recovery took place a century ago through the work of luminaries such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp. However, as Mary dug she found that a young blind woman from Cottenham called Ella Bull was an equally important source of many of the songs.

In all a collection of twenty two songs is presented, many well known but with tunes and words that have lain buried for a long time. The songs are supported with brief notes: much more significant is the historical background on both the singers and the collectors, together with a collection of photographs of the singers and the buildings in which they were living when the songs were recovered. In the last five years, Mary Humphreys and her partner Anahata have established a stellar national reputation as interpreters of these songs and of traditional tunes. Mary is a very theatrical singer, able to hold an audience spellbound.