If you've been lucky enough to see the great Martin Carthy in concert at any point over the past 50 years, there's a very good chance that you would've heard him perform the daunting 17th century ballad, 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'. As well as being an a staple of his live repertoire, Carthy has also recorded the 32 verse epic on several occasions throughout his career, firstly on 'Shearwater' in 1972 (listen below), again on 'Waiting For Angels' in 2006 and finally the intimate spoken word interpretation on last year's 'Transform Me Then Into a Fish'. There was also an Andy Kershaw session version in 1988, an appearance on limited live album 'At Ruskin Mill' in 2005 and another on a Leigh Folk Festival compilation in 2011.
I've seen Martin Carthy play 'Famous Flower of Serving Men' perhaps a dozen times over the years, most recently in 2024 - a beautifully frail and hesitant performance. He spoke that day of how the song had captivated him and that he'd returned to it time and again because he never felt that he'd quite nailed it. He was wrong of course. He nailed it every single time. Sadly there will be no more opportunities to see this remarkable man in concert, or to hear further renditions of the song that he's wrestled with for so long. Last month Martin was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's Disease, scuppering plans for a farewell tour with his daughter Eliza that was due to start in the middle of February.
1 comment:
You haven't got time for blogging, you've got 37 record shops to visit today.
Apart from that, this song is possibly the highest point of a career full of high points.
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