The concoction of John Ferdinando and Peter Howell, two childhood friends from the hamlet Ditchling, Sussex, England, AGINCOURT was in fact not actually a band but rather simply a name given to the trio of musicians who recorded it (Ferdinando and Howell were accompanied by the female vocalist Lee Menelaus). Ferdinando and Howell recorded several albums in Ditchling during the latter sixties and early seventies, during which time they appeared at times as members and guests of various regional acts such as MERLIN'S SPELL and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS. The two (sometimes with Menelaus) also recorded albums under the names ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, ITHACA, FRIENDS and as simply FERDINANDO & HOWELL. The album Flay Away is a beautiful blend of folk and psychedelia -- carried off with a bit of a Sunshine Pop twist as well! The recording's got a homespun sort of feel -- one that's a lot less polished than other efforts like this of the time, in a way that really furthers the charming nature of the tunes. There's clearly elements of bigger, more established acts filtering through the music -- but the end result is deeply personal and homespun. John Ferdinando and Peter Howe sing in a harmony-based style on some of the best tracks -- more Sunshine than folk, despite the acoustic guitars on the set -- and the lovely Lee Menelaus also delivers some great vocals too, further sweetening up the sound! Many tunes have a catchy, jingly-jangly quality -- a bit like post-folk work from the west coast of the late 60s -- and titles include "Mirabella", "All My Life", "Going Home", "Joy In The Finding", "Get Together", "When I Awoke", and "Lisa". CD features 2 bonus tracks -- "Going Home (alt)" and "Though I May Be Dreaming (stereo)" -- plus a well-done booklet, filled with plenty of notes!This particular album is folkier than Ithaca, for example, but like the latter still has a strong Moody Blues influence, particularly on the best track Through The Eyes Of A Lifetime, which begins with a poem and ends with some lovely piano-dominated instrumentation. The opening cut When I Awoke is a very pleasant folky number with some lovely female vocals. Next up is Though I May Be Dreaming, which has a gorgeous acoustic guitar intro and more delicious female vocals. There's some nice flute work on instrumental Joy In The Finding, Dawn and Kind Sir. All My Life is a nice piano-led piece with a spooky sounding ending. All the material is written by either Ferdinando or Howell and whilst I'd be reluctant to recommend people to fork out hundreds on the album, the CD reissue is essential for fans of progressive folk. Line-up / Musicians Peter Howell/guitars,mandolin,piano,organ,percussion John Ferdinando/vocals,guitars,bass,auto harp Lee Menelaus/vocals Andrew Lowcock/flute Brian Hussey/drums Discography Fly Away 1970
1.When I Awoke 2.Though I May Be Dreaming 3.Get Together 4.Joy in the Finding 5.Going Home 6.All My Life 7.Mirabella 8.Take Me There 9.Lisa 10.Dawn 11.Barn Owl Blues 12.Kind Sir 13.Through the Eyes of a Lifetime (i) The Poem (ii) Peace of Mind (iii) Closing In
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