Folk ensemble Floyds Row is back with a brand-new release inspiring listeners to step back in time. The group blends early folk music with classical stylings, and, for their latest project, “The Carlisle Sessions,” the members play historical tunes full of entertaining and moving stories, from swashbuckling tales to romantic adventures.
Ensemble member Andrew Arceci shared with The Epoch Times that the track list offers a wide-ranging selection of styles. “It’s an eclectic mix,” he said. “But Floyds Row is an eclectic ensemble.”
He also shared that arranging the five-track EP was a fun process, and that the song selection will leave listeners traveling through the melodies of history right here in modern times. “We chose music that we were excited to play and that, taken together, creates an interesting journey for the listener,” he said.
Dance Tunes and Folklore Ballads
“The Carlisle Sessions” begins with “George Washington’s Favorite Cotillion,” a festive dance number often heard at the president’s social gatherings. While recordings of the traditional song often feature the violin, Floyds Row offers an original take with folksy instruments such as the accordion, the cittern (a stringed instrument stemming from the medieval and Renaissance periods), the mandolin, and acoustic percussion.
The sophomore EP offers a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. For “Jackaroe,” a ballad originating in the British Isles centuries ago, vocalist Emily Noël recounts the tale of a woman who dresses as a soldier so she can try to save the man she loves from a battlefield. Noël shared that she feels “a special connection” to the folk song, especially to its protagonist, whom she described as “determined.” She explained that not only is freedom at the heart of the story, but the song offers twists and turns that may surprise the listener.
“The Song of Robin Hood & His Huntes-men” offers a retelling of one of England’s folk heroes of the Middle Ages. The legend of Robin Hood, a woodsman and archer who defied tyrants and helped those in need, stems from the poetry of performing minstrels during the late medieval period. Floyds Row’s take on the legend, composed by group member and multi-instrumentalist Chris Ferebee, is anchored by text from a series of anonymous ballads about Robin Hood from 1865.
Ferebee explained that part of his creative process with traditional and historical works is getting into the headspace of artists before him. He said:
“I love to try and imagine what the original composer was thinking while being fully aware of my inability to fully grasp that person’s historical and personal context. … Without being able to see what that person saw and know what they actually thought, I’m only able to inhabit the form and contours of the music itself. Keeping the idea of the original musical intention at the center of my thinking then allows my modern sensibilities to kind of ‘take over’ by default, hopefully lending a contemporary approach to these old tunes.”
‘Connected to Another Time and Place’
Floyds Row formed around 2012, after a span of performances at the University of Oxford. The ensemble’s name is a tribute to one of Oxford’s historic streets situated near the Faculty of Music building on campus. The internationally touring group features several members, including guitar, cittern, and mandolin player Ferebee; viol and upright bass player Arceci; accordion player George Lykogiannis; soprano Noël; percussionist George Lernis; and violinist Asako Takeuchi.
Ferebee shared that Floyds Row came together over a shared love of old ballads and tunes. “We share a desire to reinhabit them, to utilize their languages—and to bring something of ourselves, of our time, to them,” he said. “It’s our way of playing a small part in keeping this music alive.”
When asked about incorporating historical and traditional instruments into revamped folk stylings, Ferebee shared that the process is fun but necessary. “Any opportunity we get to come closer to the physical sounds of the time period we’re trying to reinhabit is important to take,” he said. “It allows us to think differently about how we’ll play and form our modern retelling of this old music.”
For Floyds Row’s latest, Lykogiannis hopes “The Carlisle Sessions” can build a bridge to the past for listeners. “I hope listeners come away with a deeper appreciation for these songs and the traditions behind them,” he said. “If listeners feel connected to another time and place, and perhaps become curious about the stories behind these songs, then we’ve accomplished something meaningful.”
“The Carlisle Sessions” is available on major music platforms now.
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to features@epochtimes.nyc.
