Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland live on Scottish TV - sources give the year as 1976 although it may be late that year or sometime in 1977. Very rare footage of this line-up.
I've been a piper for close on 50 years now, and I have to say that although I have played this tune countless times over the years, I don't believe that I've ever done it the justice that this (then young) man does. Well done indeed.
I'm fairly certain that this was the line-up that we saw in Adelaide South Australia so long ago. Apart from a wonderful performance Simon described his dulcimer as 'an electric cricket bat'!
Have Loved these guys since the early seventies and only recently become aware of how great a guitarist Simon actually is. I guess he was always in the background a bit( his playing that is) with guys like Thompson ,Donohue and Allcock but he was superb.
Ohmy. Now that I have heard that electric dulcimer......must have! I already fell in love with the sound of the acoustic dulcimer, but this gives something more ethereal to it.
Wow - this just popped up on my watch list Was beginning to wonder if I had just imagined seeing it all those years ago - thank you, thank you for the post
Flowers of the Forest was in the set at Oxford Poly in June 1977, when many of us were trying to avoid the Queen's Silver Jubilee. It was as powerful and moving as anything that evening. I salute Dave Swarbrick; rest in peace.
Glad to learn that I was not alone i avoiding the first Jubilee. I was with Aberaeron Sailing Club who escaped to Ireland for the long weekend. On the grounds that it was, and is, a republic. My one compaint about Fairport, and Steeleye, is that they were so brilliant so early that in a few years that had fully developed and explored electric traditional folk, and did not leave much for their successors. Exceptions would be, for me Stivell (Breton) and Malicorne ( France)
I saw Fairport Convention live in London in 1979. They had a violinist in the group who had recently rejoined the group. In the song Green Fields of France by Eric Bogle, there is a reference to Flowers of the Forest being played at a soldier's funeral.
The guy singing harmony should have practiced with the lead singer….he was flying by the seat of his pants and making very unharmonious choices. Should left the singer alone!
