performing "Humpback Whale" and "8th of July" at the 2014 English Folk Expo.
Filmed by Michal Shapiro.
This song � or songs� is admittedly a hybrid that has been though the �folk process� having started its life as a song by whaler Harry Robertson, called �Ballina Whalers� then recorded by folk icon Nic Jones under the name �The Humpback Whale� (In their introduction to their own version, Saul Rose of Faustus acknowledged this history, as is expected at a folk festival, where provenance counts.) and further merged by Faustus with an instrumental called �8th of July.� The song is about the true-life experiences of hunting down, killing and processing a whale, with the emphasis on the hardship and danger of whaling.
Faustus is: Benji Kirkpatrick (right) and Paul Sartin (center) and Saul Rose (left). All have glorious voices, and in their set they alternated taking leads on the various songs in a very strong performance at The Met�s Main Hall. The event was a combination of festival and business gathering, with the Homegrown festival (produced by The Met Arts Center) and the English Folk Expo (EFEx) coordinating efforts. Wish they had not stood so far apart on stage, but what�s a guerilla-girl to do but let the camcorders roll!
Editor's notes:If you would like to know more about the song "Ballina Whalers" and its writer, Harry Robertson, visit this site dedicated to his legacy: www.harryrobertson.net
It is also the editor's firm belief that everyone on the planet should know about the music of Nic Jones.
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Video and commentary ©2014 Michal Shapiro/Intermuse
