Regular readers know I love my Prog Rock. These bands write albums with themes and the tracks can be over ten minutes long.
In August I was lucky to see Kaprekars' Constant at two festivals in Oxfordshire and in Kent.
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Kaprekars Constant at A New Day Festival in Kent.
I had seen David Jackson who is in Kaprekars Constant at Loreley at The Night Of The Prog Festival in Germany in 2017. He was playing in the David Cross Band and was a former member of Vander Graaf Generator. Who formed at Manchester University.
Any way Kaprekars' Constant recorded a song called Hallsands. It's about a Devon village washing away due to dredging. It's four minutes long and well worth a listen. I think it's a masterpiece. Please give it a listen and let me know your thoughts about the song or the ill-fated village? Thanks!
.Bunty Annual Award to me for saying it was a Cornish village when it was really in Devon!
I loved it. Good to hear Jackson on pipes and flute and then I listened to some other stuff of theirs on YouTube. Thanks for the introduction to them.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can't listen to the song, you inspired me to look up Hallsands and its fate. I found a very interesting article about it on the Maritime Archaeology Trust website. Heart-breaking stuff. Thanks Dave.
ReplyDeleteI am really pleased you liked it Rachel. His daughter is the female vocalist. A brilliant Prog band.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking caused by man's greed JayCee. There's some great videos of the photos of the ill fated village on good old YouTube.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated this song and the story it told - previously unknown to me. Somehow, it seems to belong to the English folk tradition. I found this on Wikipedia: "In the 1890s, following a scheme proposed by Sir John Jackson, it was decided to expand the naval dockyard at Keyham, near Plymouth, and dredging began offshore from Hallsands to provide sand and gravel for its construction. Soon, up to 1,600 tons of material was being removed each day, and the level of the beach began to drop, much to the alarm of local residents."
ReplyDeleteThanks for that YP. I think it's an amazing song and it chronicles Hallsands village fate.
ReplyDeleteThe music put me in mind of Jethro Tull, one of my own favorites. I loved the song, and I also wandered off to read more about the subject. How very sad that so much was lost. To think that the people themselves were alarmed at what was happening, but could not stop the project.
ReplyDeleteI saw Jethro Tull in August for the fifth time Debby. Ian Anderson's voice isn't very good these days but he's still a brilliant flautist and showman. I am glad you liked the song. Kansas and Thin Lizzy are my two favourite bands. Both of whom I have been lucky to see live. It is a very sad story and it's good that Kaprekars Constant recorded a song about Hallsands. Thanks.
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