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Many cite The Transports, written in an amazing four days, as Bellamy's greatest achievement. It relates the true story of Henry Cabell and Susannah Holmes, convicts transported to Australia on the 'First Fleet' in 1787 and the trials and tribulations which culminated in that historic voyage. The tale is presented as a cycle of new compositions in the idiom of traditional English folk song, linked by narrative passages in the style and to the melodies of broadsheet-ballads of the time. An in-depth description of the story may found here. The Songs |
The Transports will be presented twice at the festival, in Area 2: • Friday,
June 25
The 1977 Free Reed double LP featured a virtual who's who of the folk revival (Martin Carthy, The Watersons, Bert Lloyd, Nic Jones, Cyril Tawney, June Tabor among them) and a fully illustrated lyric book and poster commemorating the recording. Free Reed has recently released A 25th Anniversary Silver Edition of The Transports, re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released with a Free Reed de-luxe box-set accolade, including all the original materials - libretto, poster, other Transports ephemera and more, all restored to the set. Available for purchase at the festival. For more information, visit www.thetransports.com |
Peter
Bellamy's celebrated ballad opera,The Transports,
will be presented at the 2004 Old Songs Festival in what we
believe to be its first state-side performance. Performers
will include John Roberts, Tony Barrand, Louis
Killen, Dave
Webber, Anni Fentiman, George
Ward, Greg Clarke, Cindy Mangsen, Steve Gillette and
musical director Lisa
Preston.