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Baker's Dozen

Lodestars: Shirley Collins' Favourite Albums
Jude Rogers , July 8th, 2020 08:37

The return of Shirley Collins to song has been one of the most joyous music stories in recent times. Ahead of the release of her new album, the singer sits down with Jude Rogers to discus her 13 favourite records

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Ralph Vaughan Williams – Variations On A Theme by Thomas Tallis
One of the greatest bits of music of all time. It’s funny, because Vaughan Williams is well-known for collecting folk songs, of course, but I can’t bear his arrangements. The harmonies are awful to my ears. They don’t work! His hymn arrangements with solid chords and harmonies really do, though.

I also love how this is used in the Master and Commander film too, with Russell Crowe in it. I liked the books, but was a bit, ‘Oh Christ, this isn’t going to be very good,’ approaching the film, but it was wonderful. This plays in a scene of a sea battle, and it’s so gripping. It felt like the ships were rising with the music. It hit all my buttons. Another film song I like a lot is ‘The King Of Wishful Thinking’ by Go West. [laughs] I don’t know why I do, but I just love it! I’ll watch Pretty Woman again and again just to hear it. What a tune!