The Watersons were an English
folk
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group from
Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. They have been called the "most famous family in English folk music".
Style
Their style is a unique blend of originality and tradition. The Watersons never learned to read music. They began by singing hunting songs, hymns and carols with their grandmother, ones that she probably sang with her parents. One family member would sing the melody, and the rest would join in, choosing a harmony note if the melody was out of their range.
Their style can be compared to the
Copper Family of
Sussex, a dynasty of traditional singers who sing in harmony, which was extremely unusual in traditional English music.
Career
The band's original members were
Norma Norma may refer to:
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Geography
*Norma, Lazi ...
,
Mike, and Elaine known as
Lal Waterson
Elaine "Lal" Waterson (15 February 1943 – 4 September 1998) was an English folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, The Watersons, The Waterdaughters and Blue Murder. She was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. In 1998, s ...
, with their cousin John Harrison from
Kingston High School. They had a
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
band in the early 1960s but moved on to playing more traditional material. They were briefly known as "the Folksons".
Their first album was ''Frost and Fire'' 1965, followed by ''The Watersons'' and ''A Yorkshire Garland'' in 1966. The Watersons split up in 1968, when Norma went to work as a disc jockey on a radio station on
Montserrat.
The group reformed in 1972, with John Harrison briefly replaced by Bernie Vickers. In that year they performed and arranged the music for the
Alan Plater
Alan Frederick Plater (15 April 1935 – 25 June 2010) was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s.
Career
Plater was born in Jarrow, County Durham, although his family ...
TV ''
Play for Today'', "The Land of Green Ginger", set and filmed in Hull, and appeared in a scene filmed in the Bluebell Folk Club.
Vickers was replaced the same year by Norma's husband,
Martin Carthy. This line-up recorded ''For Pence and Spicy Ale'' (1975), ''Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy'' (1977), and ''Green Fields'' (1981).
Later line-ups featured Mike Waterson's daughter Rachel Waterson, who briefly replaced Lal during a leave of absence caused by ill health in the mid-1980s, then continued to sing with the group on Lal's return. This five-piece line up performed regularly during the late 1980s and recorded a session for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
show in August 1986. In 1987, the group collaborated with
, who have performed and recorded sporadically with various line-ups to the present day. Subsequent Watersons line-ups fluctuated, featuring
at various times, but recording only occasionally.
Lal Waterson died in 1998 and, by the early 1990s, Carthy, Norma Waterson and their daughter
. The Watersons gradually ceased to sing live on a regular basis, but the family occasionally reconvened for special events and festival appearances, where they are usually billed as "The Waterson Family". These have included '
...