When Kim Guy and Steve Hunt decamped with their respective families to Cornwall, in the closing overs of the last century, they were following a long -established trail set by legions of restless, guitar-toting artists, heading into the wild western sunset. They, like so many before them, found a warm welcome among the survivors of the great 1960’s Cornish folk scene - a remarkable fount of disparate, yet identifiable creativity that surged through household names, cult heroes and obscure oddballs alike.
So Brightly Shining looks both backwards - in tribute to the personalities of those mythical times; and forwards - re-casting the old sounds through new technologies that enable the modern folknik to start a “Folk Cottage,” from their home studio. While the Cornish folk club scene is greatly reduced from its 60’s heyday, its unique spirit and songs remain.
Oh Bright Eyed One and O For Summer are by Clive Palmer (avatar of the Cornish folk scene) and both feature legendary guitarist Pete Berryman (Famous Jug Band, Ralph McTell, Wizz Jones, Michael Chapman, etc.)
The Road To Marazion, by Al Jones, is the ultimate “heading west,” song, while the seafaring tales of Cyril Tawney (the Father of the West Country folk revival) like Chicken On A Raft, remain popular in a land surrounded by water.
Cornwall’s ancient, indigenous culture is evoked through the Kernewek (Cornish language) song, Meriasek (Simon Lockley/Nigel Kennedy) and the traditional Maid In Bedlam, while Pike Street Rag gleefully recalls the good-natured anarchy of The Great Western Jug Band and the Folk Cottage crowd.