The Quest
Artist: Maddy Prior
Label: Park Records
Length:  CD:   22 tracks / 80 mins; 
  DVD: 23 tracks + extras / ca. 99 + 43 minutes
 
As part of Steeleye Span, Maddy Prior marries traditional tunes to electric arrangements, but during her solo career her projects have been based on many of England’s myths, legends and history. This material, recorded in Winchester in 2006, is part of a tour that specifically drew together tracks with a Holy Grail theme from her past work, plus a couple written for the project. 
 
The first set features songs from several discs, including a fine couple of songs about English kings. The second set is built around the half-hour centrepiece, “The Name of Arthur,” which builds to the stirring “Once and Future King”. Other highlights include a fine instrumental (Uillean pipes and keyboard) version of Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter”.
 
Plenty of credit must go to her regular touring partners, Nick Holland and Iona man Troy Donockley. Holland’s undulating piano sounds provide most of the rhythmic bread and butter, and his synth washes add atmosphere. Multi-instrumentalist Donockley also gives rhythm with his bouzouki and mood with e-bow, but tends more towards lead work on Uillean pipes, electric guitar and whistles.
 
Like many duo packs, the DVD is more engaging than its audio counterpart, superimposing its own colours onto the music. It has room to include “Fabled Hare” and encore track from the Steeleye days, “Lark in the Morning,” which would not fit on the already crammed CD. The DVD also majors on the Quest tour, both with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it introduction to the concept and a 35-minute highlights featurette taken from the web site of the interactive tour. Web users could log onto the site to see daily progress, because the band was joined by a film crew, who captured the on- and off-stage experience every day. It goes from pre-tour rehearsal, through gigs at venues like the respected Nettlebed Folk Club, to a series of gigs at grail-related sites – Tintagel, Glastonbury and Rosslyn Chapel.
 
Prior’s earthy voice is still very strong, although it wavers a little on the few quieter pieces, and the instrumental work is excellent. While the themed idea gives the set interest, it does not guarantee the most potent tracks, so the compositional standard is a little uneven. However, this individual project is full of character and the DVD is engaging. It should particularly appeal to those who enjoy bands like Steeleye Span, Renaissance and Iona.
 
Derek Walker