Jules Buckley brings together a selection of artists to join the BBC Symphony Orchestra for a unique celebration of Nick Drake, one of the great poets of the folk-rock movement who died half a century ago aged just 26.
There has never been an artist quite like Nick Drake, one of the great poets of the folk-rock movement. Fifty years on from his death at the age of just 26, the British singer-songwriter has found a new, cross-generational audience – many of them beguiled by his fragility and fatalism, his music’s mingling of the outwardly simple and the inwardly complex. For this tribute Prom, Jules Buckley brings together a selection of artists to join the BBC Symphony Orchestra for a unique celebration, with songs including ‘River Man’, ‘Cello Song’, ‘Time Has Told Me’ and ‘Northern Sky’.
This Proms concert was dedicated to the songs on the three albums that Nick Drake recorded in his short life. It was a fitting tribute to the legacy of his music, 50 years on from his death and a recognition of his now widely recognised status as a major songwriter, something that eluded him during his lifetime. It was also a brilliant example of how a series of songs originally recorded in small groups can be arranged for a large orchestral project.
Drake’s albums were well received critically, but were not successful commercially, and he died in relative obscurity. Since then he has become recognised by a huge multigenerational fan base, and many musicians now interpret his songs.
Certain of his songs have been taken up by jazz musicians, notably Brad Mehldau who has recorded “River Man” and “Things Behind The Sun”. Also, Nick Smart, head of jazz at the Royal Academy, has led a group featuring vocalist Christine Tobin performing arrangements of Drake’s songs. The group played Birmingham, and, as I recall, the mood of the music was quite dark, especially on “Black Eyed Dog”, the song about depression.
By contrast, the arrangements for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the interpretations by the guest artists often created a warmer joyful atmosphere, albeit with an underlying melancholy and with occasional moves into the darker songs from the “Pink Moon” album. Interestingly, “Black Eyed Dog” was not performed.
The vocalists were Olivia Chaney, Marika Hackman, Scott Matthews, BC Camplight, The Unthanks plus Drake’s sister Gabrielle Drake. In the first set each performed two songs, producing distinctive interpretations of the various songs. Olivia Chaney’s versions of “Hazey Jane 1” and “At The Chime of the City Clock”, Marika Hackman’s version of “River Man” and The Unthanks’ interpretation of a song by Drake’s mother Molly Drake, “What A Song Can Do For You” all stood out. For this latter song, The Unthanks were joined by Gabrielle Drake who declaimed a poem by Molly Drake.
In the second set The Unthanks returned with Gabrielle Drake, this time performing Molly Drake’s “Set Me Free” and another of Molly Drake’s poems. In this set it was the two male singers that stood out, Scott Matthews performing “Northern Sky” and “From The Morning”, and BC Camplight performing “Place To Be” and “Saturday Sun”.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Jules Buckley, the orchestra’s Creative Artist in Association. Jules arranged “River Man” other arrangements were by Sam Gale, Jochen Neuffer, Tom Trapp, Kate St. John, Adrian Mcnally/Peter Riley and Simon Dobson.
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