LIVE REVIEWS (2024)
FATEA, August 2024
We wandered back to the woods for another magical set from THE FINN COLLINSON BAND. Recorder man Finn is joined in his band by two of the most in-demand folk musicians in accordionist and guitarist Archie Churchill-Moss, and Evan Carson on bodhran. Mixing Finn's original compositions with classical and traditional tunes including the upbeat 'Pool's Hole' from the Playford collection they added a spring in the step to the tradition. Archie occasionally utilised technology to loop and create electronic atmospherics most notably on original composition 'Big Smoke'. Finn's remarkable recorder playing meanwhile occasionally reminds me of the fluent flute playing of Sarah Allen of Flook. His affable onstage chat takes in his roots and influences, and like many others from the weekend he says a heartfelt thanks to John and Becky for their organising of the festival. He perhaps more than any of the other performers has been closely associated with it being involved from a young age and in turn running the Youth Moot workshops at the festival encouraging and teaching the next generation of folk musicians. Perhaps one of the great lines of the weekend however came when in between tunes the sound of The Dhol Foundation in full flight led to Evan [Finn actually – Ed.] asking the PA man if he could have 'a little bit less Dhol Foundation in the monitor please'. Their set concluded with a rousing rendition of the title track of his most recent album 'The Threshold' complete with the audience clapping along and stomping their feet in time, and celebration. A superb set from three very talented and deft musicians.
- Richard Penguin
NEWBURY TODAY, May 2024
When one thinks of the recorder, squeaky simple tunes badly played by small children might spring to mind, but nothing could be further from the reality of how the instrument sounds in the hands of Finn Collinson.
Accompanied by Evan Carson on bodhran Irish drum and Archie Churchill-Moss on accordion and acoustic guitar, this was a superb demonstration of what three hugely accomplished and talented young folk musicians can achieve.
There was a mix of traditional pieces and self-penned tracks drawn from their two albums to date as well as a selection of other tunes.
This lunchtime concert was very well attended and the audience clearly loved what they heard. A varied programme included everything from Italian Baroque to a piece based on a Purcell composition alongside several self-penned pieces.
There were Celtic influenced reels to get toes tapping and hauntingly beautiful and evocative sections as well as some well described informative/educational input from Finn, as he described the various different recorders he was playing.
Two pieces were based on the 17th- century Playford’s Dancing Master book, while Chain Cotillion (18th century) contrasted excellently with Big Smoke , which Finn wrote, inspired by studying and living in London, and The Threshold, the title track of the latest album.
This was Finn's second Newbury show – he previously played Ace Space in 2022. His return visit earned him a well-deserved encore, comprising of two solo recorder pieces. This concert proved that it is time to forget any preconceptions about the recorder as an instrument and accept that it can have a wonderfully varied and beautiful voice when played this skilfully.
Entertaining and hugely enjoyable.
- Brian Harrington
REVIEWS FOR SECOND ALBUM "THE THRESHOLD" (2022)
FOLKWORLD, December 2022
Finn Collinson is on a path to firmly establish the recorder as a folk music instrument by choice in the English folk scene. Many of us will reminisce the shrill recorder playing at school – quickly forget about that image, as Finn‘s recorder playing is ace and perfectly placed in a folk context!
"The Threshold“ is the second album of this young talented performer, and is once again highly commended. Largely original music, the album features six tunes and four songs. The instrumentation not only features Finn‘s recorders, but also, equally unusual in a folk band, the imaginative oboe playing of Emma Beach. Two of Sam Kelly‘s Lost Boys (and of multiple other bands and collaborations), percussionist and bodhran player Evan Carson and accordionist Archie Churchill-Moss complete the band - and their influence is clearly evident in many of the tracks. The tunes are clearly folk music, with Celtic inspirations, but beautifully take in classical influences - in fact one of the sets of tunes features a Gavotta from a sonata by Martino Bitti. The songs showcase that Finn is also an excellent folk singer and songwriter - two of the songs are his compositions; one of the others is the classic traditional “Banks of the Sweet Primroses”.
An inspired album which may well become a classic, for its brilliant introduction of the recorder and oboe to trad and folk music.
- Michael Moll
FATEA, November 2022
Once in a while, you get a real surprise in your inbox. "The Threshold" is one such surprise. It's a while since I reviewed Finn Collinson's debut album "Call To Mind", and also too long since I've played it. I described that debut as "a work of true quality", and with "The Threshold", released on 7th October, I can promise more of the same, but it also carries a maturity that bucks the popular myth about second albums.
This album of ten tracks includes four vocal tracks courtesy of Collinson himself, backed by the wonderful voice of long-time collaborator and oboe player Emma Beach, and Collinson's backing lineup both for the album and for this year's tour includes guitar and diatonic accordion from Archie Churchill-Moss (False Lights, Sam Kelly, Tom Moore & Archie Moss), bodhran and percussion from Evan Carson (The Drystones, Sam Kelly, Honey & The Bear), and guest contributions from Tom Leader (who also played guitar on "Call To Mind"), and Simon Chorley.
"Big Smoke I", by which one assumes Collinson is referring to his time in London, is a beautiful way to introduce an album. Both Finn Collinson and Michael Walsh have converted me to 'woodwind folk' (for want of a better expression) by using the flutes and whistles optimally during their works. Prior to that I wasn't a big fan, and still have nightmares about James Galway's Greatest Hits!
"Big Smoke II" follows on, with guitar backing bringing a more urgent rhythm to the piece. The blend between the two tracks is seamless, and this second part allows Collinson freedom to express his skills in a duet first with the diatonic accordion of Archie Churchill-Moss, and second with Emma Beach's oboe. The track builds in bouncing style with all instruments having played their part.
"The Ship That Never Returned" begins with Carson tapping out an edge of the bodhran rhythm, and is the first of the vocal tracks. Collinson has one of those truly English folk voices. The song reminds me a little of some of the more acoustic output from Levellers, with an instrumental melody that seems to fuse folk sounds from all corners of the British Isles and across the water in island.
The crisp guitar opening for "Pool's Hole" gives way to Collinson's flute dealing out a medieval rock sound, backed again with Beach's oboe and contemporary acoustic guitar rhythms. I don't know why, but for me this track evokes a smugglers' cave and has a lovely echo at the end of the piece that leads nicely into "Jerry Bundler", probably the catchiest folk song on the album, and certainly one of my personal picks from a very good album. It includes some 'Tull' moments and nicely placed background effects.
"John William's Schottische" would grace an album by any of the acclaimed Scottish contemporary folk instrumentalists, and again brings Collinson's flute to the fore.
"Banks Of The Sweet Primroses" is a much recorded 19th century folk song, well placed in an album that really brings the song a new life, blessed with some excellent folk guitar from Churchill-Moss and a beautifully blended vocal duet between Collinson and Beach. This is up there with the stand out tracks on the album. "Time For Bed" lifts the pace with guitar and flute combining to produce another vibrant, 'trans-Celtic' tune that hooks you in and holds you throughout. The track highlights Collinson's exceptional skill on his chosen main instrument, with a rhythm enhanced by Carson's bodhran.
"Twelve Floors" has a more reflective mood to it, and appears to be an autobiographical song, with a melancholy but at the same time positive mood. The album concludes with its title track. "The Threshold" again gives a nod to the music traditions on which British folk music is founded, with initial touches of baroque fusing with modern day folk rock.
"The Threshold" combines a number of music elements. Essentially a folk album, it manages to fuse traditional and conventional, historical and contemporary, to produce a unique piece of work that I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to. So Finn Collinson has blown out of the water any thought that a second album can be anything other than triumphal. This is a very fine piece of work and you should give it a deep listen.
- John Reed
CONGLETON CHRONICLE, January 2023
After a couple of plays we realised this rocking folk album is probably what ye Angus Younge of Tudor England or Ye Troubadors of Rush would have played. It’s heavy rock and prog played on traditional instruments.
Opener Big Smoke I is the Rush Farewell to Kings intro, the recorders making the ambient sound a rock band would make synths do before Big Smoke II firms up the sound with some shredding on the recorder, backed by acoustic guitar and oboe. The texture of song varies as much as any prog rock tune, the recorders switching from lead recorder to rhythm recorder in turn before the band all joins together for a rocky ending.
The Ship That Never Returned is a bouncy lament for a ship, well you can guess, but there’s some nice oboe and lots of percussion (bodhran), as well as a Celtic rock-out towards the end. Jerry Bundler is based on a ghost story and is bouncy tune with more fine oboe and a good lead recorder break.
Comparisons with modern music aside, the music is largely dancing, jigs or reels, and Collinson has a gentle, ideal-for-folk voice. Simon Jones, who used to write reviews for this paper and has now moved onto bigger things cites “an unplugged Albion Country Band with oboes and accordions … instrumentals could have come from Gryphon’s debut album”.
- (Reviewer uncredited)
FOLKING, October 2022
Finn Collinson’s The Threshold is an album that wears its heart on its sleeve. The title describes where Finn feels his music is currently positioned: on thresholds waiting to be let in. Not an easy concept, but the inspirations are split between London – where Finn lived and studied for four years – and his native East Anglia. Between the urban and the rural. It’s a personal and thoughtful album, often introspective and reflecting on societal changes of recent years as well as Finn’s environmental concerns. Not that I want to give you the impression that this is a gloomy affair. Because despite soulful and melancholy moments, this album includes plenty that is joyful.
Although often associated with the recorder, Finn is a singer and multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar and mandolin, on this album. He is also very ably supported here by his regular touring band. Archie Churchill-Moss plays guitar and diatonic accordion, Evan Carson plays bodhran and percussion, while Emma Beach plays oboes and supplies backing vocals on the four songs included on The Threshold. There are also guest contributions from Finn’s sister Rowan on fiddle and strings, along with Tom Leader on guitars.
First up are two linked tunes, composed by Finn. ‘Big Smoke I’ and ‘Big Smoke II’ are inspired by Greta Thunberg, particularly her ‘Our House is on Fire’ speech from 2019. It opens with a recorder solo, over an atmospheric electronic backing. It’s a gentle tune with a melancholy edge, but one that always feels like it’s leading up to something. This feeling continues, as the tempo builds in ‘Big Smoke II’. The recorder remains the main instrument until an oboe springs to prominence later in the track. This is an atmospheric piece, with a sense of growing anticipation. I felt it was building towards a crescendo, that never quite arrived. The two tunes together provide a powerful opening.
‘The Ship That Never Returned’ was written by the 19th century American songwriter Henry Clay Work, who also wrote ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’. Somehow it found its way to Suffolk, where the late John Howson included it in his Songs Sung In Suffolk. For this album, Finn has supplied a new tune, and changed the words to relate it more closely to Suffolk. The unnamed ship of the original becomes ‘SS Lapwing’, a cargo steamer lost off of Southwold in 1917. The narrative concentrates on a sailor, who sets sail promising his wife that this will be his last voyage. Which it is, but not in the way he planned. The track starts with hand drumming, before starting to build as a guitar joins in.
‘Pool’s Hole’ consists of two tunes from the turn of the 18th century. ‘Pool’s Hole’ appeared in the 1690 edition of ‘The Dance Master’ and is followed by ‘Govatta’, a tune by the Florentine violinist and composer, Martino Bitti. Both arrangements are by Finn, and are played on the recorder, with a mostly guitar accompaniment, giving them a very authentic feel.
The ghost of a highwaymen features in Finn’s song ‘Jerry Bundler’. It’s based on a Victorian spine chiller, written by W. W. Jacobs, in which the title character haunts the house where he committed suicide, inflicting terror on later residents. The boisterous tune, which includes an impressive recorder sequence, has an appropriately menacing edge. This is another strong track.
After that excitement, a delightful tune is on hand to calm our nerves. Finn discovered that his home, while studying in London, was close to where his great, great grandfather worked. John William Jones was an optical instrument maker, who became a Freeman of the City of London, and ‘John William’s Schottische’ was written for him. A solo recorder begins before accordion, oboe and percussion join in. This is a short track, beautifully played by all four band members.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a Schottische before, so a quick look at The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Dance seemed appropriate. Despite its name, it’s not Scottish but Bohemian. This a type of slow Polka, that arrived in this country around the mid-19th Century.
I felt no need for any background research on the next track. ‘The Banks of the Sweet Primroses’ was widely collected and is enduringly popular. This version – the latest of many – works well with a simple, low-key accompaniment.
A set of three tunes follows. ‘8pm (Time for Bed)’ is a reel, written by Finn. He must be late after evening gigs! This is followed by another fast tune: ‘The Gravity Reel’, written by Fairport Convention’s Chris Leslie. The track opens with the reorder, accompanied by guitar. Things build from there, and the third tune – the traditional ‘Roddy McDonald’s Fancy’ – is the highlight of this set for me. It’s a fiery Celtic tune, and I enjoyed hearing recorder, accordion, bodhran and oboe together. The latter demonstrating how much like bagpipes it can sound.
The last song on The Threshold was written after a prolonged inward search. ‘Twelve Floors’ has poetic and quizzical lyrics, with a suggestion of looking down at the World, reflecting on the fragility of everything. “Everything balanced high on a wing, looking down, lost and found.” The guitar accompaniment works well, helped by some good fiddle playing from Rowan.
The final track, ‘Threshold’, is another set of three tunes. It opens with a hornpipe written by Henry Purcell, as incidental music for the 1693 play ‘The Double Dealer’. Led by the recorder, it’s a lively tune, but with a slightly courtly feel. That changes as we move into a traditional Northumbrian pipe tune, ‘Sir Charles’ Rant’. The final tune, ‘Threshold’, is another of Finn’s own compositions, with an unmistakeably Celtic feel.
Finn regards the final track as reflecting some of his strong musical interests, and his musical development in recent years. It’s easy to see why as it takes in the 17th Century, English dance and a lively Celtic finale. It also reflects the musical arrangements prevalent on The Threshold, moving from some great solo recorder at the start, to lively ensemble playing later on.
The musicianship is a real strength throughout The Threshold. Finn is regarded as a leading exponent of the recorder, and deservedly so. Hearing it played as well as it is here, makes me wonder why it’s not heard more in folk music. All the supporting musicians contribute, but I particularly enjoyed Emma’s oboe playing. By using both the standard oboe and the tenor version – the cor anglaise – she expands the range and shows how atmospheric and effective they can be in traditional music.
Finn Collinson has a lot going for him. He’s talented, versatile, has a good band and is young. This is only his second album, following 2019’s Call To Mind, but I think we’ll be hearing lots more from him.
- Graham Brown
SPIRIT ROCKS, December 2022
Widely regarded as one of the foremost recorder players on the English folk circuit, Finn is a founder member of recorder quartet Aurai and is in demand as a ceilidh musician, notably with Ceilidh Tree and Stroma. His regular touring band support him here: Emma Beach on oboes and vocals, Archie Churchill-Moss on guitar and diatonic accordion, Evan Carson on bodhran and percussion, plus guests Tom Leader and Simon Chorley, mixing and mastering by Josh Clark and Nick Cooke, and artwork and strings by Finn’s sister Rowan Collinson: the album is a creative and collaborative effort.
This is his second album and he still looks like he should be at school! Across its six instrumentals and four vocal tracks, subject matter ranges from the driving folk-rock of Victorian ghost story Jerry Bundler to the layered soundscapes and sparkling melodies of climate-change inspired Big Smoke, or the baroque sensibilities of Pool’s Hole. Finn’s distinctive tune style ties together the material, with a respectful eye on the past but a strong grounding in the present. Finn Collinson has been steadily gaining a strong reputation for his energetic and creative performances and this album showcases that perfectly. Boundary-pushing.
- David Pearson
REVIEWS FOR SINGLE "JERRY BUNDLER" (2022)
FOLK RADIO, September 2022
While often labelled as a young folk recorder pioneer, Finn Collinson is actually a man of many hats, as he demonstrates so well on his new single Jerry Bundler. Finn and his band knock the ball out of the park on this one. It’s refreshingly original, full of character and movement, reminiscent of early pioneering folk-rock, sweeping up influences that add a unique colour and zest. The interplay and atmosphere delivered by Emma Beach’s gorgeous oboe and Archie Churchill-Moss‘s accordion are so intuitive. At the same time, Collinson’s mid-point recorder solo is superb, all underpinned by the faultless driving rhythm of Evan Carson‘s bodhran and Collinson’s driving guitar playing. It’s an unexpected vocal track from Collinson, and it works so well; I’ll venture further to say it’s his best yet, which must bode well for his forthcoming album The Threshold being released on 7th October.
Jerry Bundler was inspired by a Victorian ghost story of the same name by W W Jacobs (1863-1943). Charting a notorious London highwayman whose unexplained death results in the patrons of a country inn being haunted at night, this is the first time Finn and his band have performed a self-composed song.
“I’m often drawn to create music inspired by stories I read, both fictional and real-life”, explains Finn. ”I especially enjoy short stories and this song grew from one I read last year.”
”I’m perhaps more known as an instrumentalist but I love the creative process of arranging vocal tracks. This is actually the first time I’ve released a song of my own composition. It’s definitely at the rockier end of the scale in my band’s repertoire – brilliant fun to play live!”
I strongly recommend you take every opportunity to catch them live.
- Alex Gallacher
FATEA, September 2022
Jerry Bundler is the latest single from Finn Collinson, taken from his forthcoming second album. Calling himself a contemporary folk musician, one of the feature instruments here is Emma Beach's Oboe which gives this a decidedly medieval feel, as does Collinson's recorder solo. "I'm often drawn to create music inspired by stories I read, both fictional and real-life", explains Finn. "I especially enjoy short stories and this song grew from one I read last year." Anyone who likes the folkier end of progressive rock should certainly try this song as it has a feel of Jethro Tull about it in places. His new album 'The Thershold' Is out soon and is a subject for investigation based on this single.
- TM
REVIEWS FOR DEBUT ALBUM "CALL TO MIND" (2019)
FATEA, August 2019
It is really quite a rare thing these days to hear a folk album based on the recorder. Instrumentalist Finn Collinson has chosen to release his debut album “Call To Mind” with such a focus, but before you all shout in horror that it will be like ‘Emily playing her school recorder through the wall of the adjoining semi’, this is a work of true quality. If schools had any sense this is the kind of stuff they’d be teaching their music pupils.
“The January Walk” provides the album with a vibrant start, driven along by bouzoukis and acoustic guitars, with “Elk River Blues / Chain Cotillion” giving a more sedate mood. The first of these is a beautiful Air, and the second has a hornpipe quality to it introducing Archie Churchill-Moss on diatonic button accordion, the first of a number other acoustic, woodwind or percussive inclusions. It’s a measure of Collinson’s quality that he was able to recruit such a high quality of ‘special guest’ musicians to play on this album: Churchill-Moss (Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys – guitar and button accordion), Katriona Gilmore (Gilmore & Roberts – fiddle), and Josh Clark (Kate Rusby – percussion, electric bass) together with Emma Beach (oboe, cor anglais, vocals), Jonno Gaze (drums, percussion), Tom Leader (double bass, guitars), and his sister Rowan Collinson (fiddle).
Continuing with the traditional “Hanging Johnny” Collinson provides the vocal for the story, with “Evie’s & Emma’s” beginning as an Air and building into a foot tapping folk tune, with superbly crafted acoustic guitar rhythms. “Ordinary Streets / Orange in Bloom” introduce an almost medieval atmosphere with Collinson’s recorder backed by subtle melodeon and a percussion section that I am struggling to describe as anything other than ‘Elizabethan’. It’s a unique mix, and for me creates one of the stand out pieces on the album.
Collinson duals the lead vocal with Emma Beach for “Banks of the Nile”. The voices are as flawless as the playing that pervades this excellent album. Starting as an almost acapella song this takes a traditional tune and builds in a contemporary beat and instrument mix that Seth Lakeman and his band would be proud of. The pace slows with the delicately structured and quite gorgeous “FolkEast Waltz”, and while the album combines a variety of songs and tunes that are differently paced, nothing feels out of place.
The curiously titled and rhythmic “Aardvark” showcases some of the finest recorder playing on the album, and reminds me of the instrumental offerings on Wolfestone’s 1997 ‘Pick of the Litter’ album. Terrific stuff. “Black Mountains” begins with Collinson playing solo, delivering a tune that will pull at the heartstrings, blending melancholy with hope, recorder with oboe.
The acoustic guitar beginning to Jimmy Rankin’s “Orangedale Whistle” changes the mood, adding gentle cajun dimension to this classic song. It feels like the musicians had fun with this one. The album concludes with “Tune for the Bullfinch” is stunning, and a fitting way to end a record of this quality. It feels like a reflection on what has gone before, the calm after the occasional storm, played with exceptional care and is an absolute gift.
The playing is magnificent, the tunes and songs on this fine piece of work are carefully crafted, and if you haven’t heard more of Finn Collinson before this year is out I will eat my hat (the cop-out here being that I don’t own one). A BBC Young Folk Award semi-finalist, this album will surely make you wonder how he didn’t win the competition outright. “Call to Mind” is one for the collection.
- John Reed
ARTREE, September 2019
Finn Collinson is a stunningly talented young multi-instrumentalist with seemingly endless talents and a host of successes to his name but this month saw the release of his official debut album Call to Mind; an endearing and playful jaunt that pushes on the boundaries of contemporary folk music and ushers him further into the spotlight.
Whilst Call to Mind is Collinson’s official debut album and arguably a solo affair, it is actually a rather star-studded affair with the likes of Sam Kelly & the Lost Boys’ Archie Churchill-Moss and even Katriona Gilmore of Gilmore & Roberts performing alongside him to bring to life an indelible collection of work that whisks you away with its whimsical notions and stirring ballads. Especially refreshing and atmospheric are the delicate reimagining’s of classics from throughout the ages such as Hanging Johnny, a firm fan favourite around the globe but with Collinson’s own unique and playful twist on it. Alongside these elegant reworkings Collinson has paired up with eight original tunes which are brought to life with a certain charismatic grace that is rarely seen on stage.
His music is in a word, elegant. Its sounds are delicate and intricate and no doubt that it is just that, but there is such a warming and resonant power that is held within his tender melodies that Call to Mind actually comes together as a virulent and robust collaboration of sound. Enigmatic blends wash over you as Celtic inspired tunes meld together with the jubilance of an almost nautical style and everything bubbles and spills over into a clashing genre of its own. Surrounding himself with dancing fiddle melodies and luxurious whistle and recorder, Collinson adopts a variety of instruments with which to bring his thoughts to life. An album that focusses almost entirely on the music and with the absolute minimal singing, what’s always startling is to find an album such as this where without a word, an image can be painted in your head as clear as day. From rippling waves crashing on the hull of a ship to the wind-swept grass on a craggy shoreline; Collinson paints as easily as any artist with a brush and firmly imprints these images in your mind.
Call to Mind is a versatile and stunning album that has a wealth of versatility with which to apply Collinson’s undeniable talent as he turns his hands to recorder, guitar, whistle, mandolin and bouzouki to produce a collection of masterpieces. With Call to Mind you can find a soothing calm or a slipstream of frivolity, whichever tickles your fancy.
- Joe Knipe
FOLKING, August 2019
We’ve all played a recorder sometime in the dim and distant past, whether we wanted to or not, but we never played like Finn Collinson. These days we usually hear recorders played in baroque ensembles or slightly fey folk groups but they don’t play like Finn Collinson either. Finn is a multi-instrumentalist but he makes various recorders the lead instruments on his debut album, Call To Mind, its title a play on the Latin recordari. He is supported by Emma Beach on oboe and cor anglais, Archie Churchill-Moss on button accordion, Rowan Collinson and Katriona Gilmore on fiddle with bass by Tom Leader and Josh Clark and percussion by Clark and Jonno Gaze.
The opening set, ‘The January Walk’, has all the hallmarks of the Celtic tradition but comprises three modern tunes while the second pairs the old-time ‘Elk River Blues’ with the old English ‘Chain Cotillion’ for a lovely slow set. Unexpectedly, Finn switches to song with a jaunty take on ‘Hanging Johnny’ which, as he points out, has nothing to do with execution. He also features banjo and mandolin on this one. ‘Evie’s & Emma’s’ are two of Finn’s own tunes which he plays on F whistle but he reverts to recorder for ‘Ordinary Streets’ which he pairs with the Morris tune, ‘Orange In Bloom’.
The second song is ‘Banks Of The Nile’, given a driving beat with the lead vocals shared with Emma. That is followed by three original tunes, ‘FolkEast Waltz’ (did I forget to mention that Finn is from East Anglia?), ‘Aardvark’ and ‘Black Mountains’. The third and final song is, appropriately, Jimmy Rankin’s ‘Orangedale Whistle’ before the record closes with the 18th century ‘Tune For The Bullfinch’ from a volume of tunes supposedly used to teach birds to sing. Did it actually work?
Simply by changing the emphasis of lead instrument, Finn has produced a lovely album which wouldn’t work anywhere near as well with all strings. Call To Mind is not revolutionary and it won’t scare the traditionalists’ horses but its delightful style should bring his name to a wider audience.
- Dai Jeffries
MARDLES, August 2019
This is the first full length album from East Anglian young musician Finn Collinson. An interesting and varied collection played by Finn on mainly alto and tenor recorders, also whistle, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin and vocals. Other musicians called in to assist on the album are Emma Beach (oboe, cor anglais, vocals), Archie Churchill-Moss (diatonic button accordion, guitar), Josh Clark (percussion, electric bass), Rowan Collinson/Katriona Gilmore (fiddle), Jonno Gaze (drums, percussion) and Tom leader (double bass, guitars). However, this is not a huge band effort and the musicians are used as tastefully as possible enabling Finn to shine as the main musician. The album does make a blistering beginning with full band tune set January Walk, there are two trad songs, Hanging Johnny and Banks of the Nile, sung by Finn and Emma, and a lovely version of the Rankin Family’s Orangedale Whistle, which, as Finn explains in the notes, is a song accepting and embracing change, something we must all do. He has included his own composition Folkeast Waltz, dedicated to John and Becky Marshall-Potter who, by creating the annual Folkeast Festival, have done much to promote local and national folk music in East Anglia. My particular album favourites are Black Mountains, Finn’s own composition played simply on recorder and Emma’s cor anglais, and Tune for the Bullfinch, from the 1717 Bird Fancyer’s Delight, beautiful overdubbed alto and bass recorders to imitate birdsong, merging into real garden birdsong. There are echoes of Flook and 1990s Irish band Diesel in the album, but this is an album focusing, unusually, on the recorder, where Finn has developed his own style. Call to Mind is testament to Finn being rightly considered as one of our area’s foremost young folk performers.
- Val Haines
UNICORN MAGAZINE, March 2020
I admit it! When I read Finn Collinson was a recorder player and multi-instrumentalist, I recalled my prejudices about past school concerts. This is appropriate as the instrument name 'recorder' apparently comes from the Latin word 'recordari' meaning to recall. Who knew?
But with recommendations from Chris Leslie and Sam Kelly, and guest performers on Finn Collinson's debut CD ranging from Katriona Gilmore (Gilmore & Roberts), Archie Churchill-Moss (Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys) and Josh Clark (Kate Rusby Band), I was quickly persuaded to change my mind! Finn himself was a BBC Young Folk Musician semi-finalist and is currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music.
This is a highly listenable CD. I particularly enjoyed his full band numbers. There are eight original mostly recorder led tunes, largely composed by Finn. However, there are also accomplished treatments of traditional folk songs - 'Hanging Johnny' (a sea shanty) and 'Banks of the Nile'. There's also a version of a song by the Canadian group from Nova Scotia, The Rankin Family - 'Orangedale Whistle' - which I ended up humming for days. I love the verse about embracing change:
"The winds of change forever blow
Some things stay and some things go
The falling rain must melt the snow
The Orangedale Whistle will always blow"
This is definitely a CD to try. And I will look forward to catching Finn live in future.
- Ian Albert
SPIRAL EARTH, September 2019
From the Latin ‘recordari’ meaning to recall or call to mind gives this debut album by Finn Collinson its title. Recorder is one instrument I feel amply qualified to write about having reached a certain standard at junior school! My rendition of ‘Streets of Laredo’ has to be heard to be believed.
Mixing traditional and contemporary tunes and songs Collinson impresses from the start. Some of folk’s most prodigious talents in Archie Churchill-Moss on melodeon, Katriona Gilmore on fiddle, and percussionist Josh Clark. Sister Rowan Collinson on fiddle, & Emma Beach on oboe, cor anglais & vocals lend support. The album falls into two distinctive sections either showcasing Finns recorder skills in traditional arrangements and his own compositions or the outings with the full band. Although there’s much to enjoy in the former, the full sets, ‘Hanging Johnny’, ’Banks of the Nile’ ‘Orangedale Whistle’ all shine as exceptionally well executed folk rock pieces. Top of the tree for me being ‘Banks of the Nile’ a well-covered traditional song, here treated to a driving beat and guitar based rhythm which goes off at a pace after the start and features stand out recorder pieces intersected over the top of the band’s full sound.
Now alerted to the real sound of the recorder in its many forms any more Proctor demonstrations have been permanently shelved.
- Steve Proctor
THE LIVING TRADITION, November 2019
Hailing from East Anglia, Finn was a Young Folk Award semi-finalist in 2018. His speciality is the humble recorder in all its shapes and sizes, and he makes a really good case for this family of instruments on this, his debut CD – the title of which (neatly!) translates the Latin verb “recordari”. He sensibly varies his choice of lead instrument throughout, and selectively engages seven young musicians for sensitive and intelligently configured accompaniment on all but two of the tracks – viz. Katriona Gilmore, Emma Beach, Archie Churchill-Moss, Josh Clark, Rowan Collinson, Jonno Gaze and Tom Leader. As well as the recorders, Finn himself contributes alto F whistle on one track and occasional bouzouki, tenor guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, banjo, cajon and percussion elsewhere, but the total sound picture never appears in the slightest overloaded.
The disc comprises eight instrumental tracks and three songs. The former take us from a set of Celtic-inspired original tunes to a slow-air-style adaptation of an American old-time tune and three gorgeous waltzes, but the jewels in the crown are the intriguing pairing of Ordinary Streets (inspired by Britten’s Peter Grimes) and morris tune Orange In Bloom; the closing Tune For The Bullfinch; and best of all, a truly lovely duet with Emma’s cor anglais (Black Mountains) which potently evokes a sense of openness and space. In fact, the kinship between music and place is strongly present throughout much of Finn’s music.
The three songs may seem a touch wild-card in comparison. The best is Finn’s cover of Jimmy Rankin’s Orangedale Whistle, done as a gentle country shuffle with Katriona excelling on fiddle and supportive backing vocals from Emma. Finn shares the lead-vocal duty with Emma on an up-tempo Banks Of The Nile, while the remaining song is a full-band rocked-up take on the halyard shanty, Hanging Johnny, where Finn’s light-toned voice feels perhaps underpowered for the task. So, prepare to jettison all preconceptions about the recorder; for this is emphatically not an album of fey pseudo-baroquerie, but instead a gently stimulating exercise in showcasing the tenor, alto and bass recorder in new and exciting contexts.
- David Kidman