Brian Gulland & Richard Harvey - Nursery Rhymes (1982, LP, England)

Brian Gulland & Richard Harvey are former members of British folk-progressive group Gryphon along Graeme Taylor and Dave Oberlé, whose trademark during their 1973-77 career was making music on Renaissance instruments including krumhorn, flageolet, recorder, bassoon and so on. After the breakup of the group, they both turned to incidental and film music, from Sesame Street to The Da Vinci Code (Harvey). Starting 1977, Harvey and Gulland made several records for British library music label KPM, with 1982 a specially busy year with 3 LPs out, including Nursery Rhymes.

This LP is a collection of traditional British nursery rhymes played on solo instruments, small ensemble or children’s choir. The well-known melodies are given a fresh treatment being interpreted on solo harp, glockenspiel or accordion, while the voices of the Little Missenden Village School in Buckinghamshire touch the heart as only juveniles can do. This is a surprising and probably unique concept in library music, and the only point of comparison that comes to mind is the legendary 1977 Langley Schools Music Project. Anyway, I cannot conceive of someone failing to be moved by Nursery Rhymes. (continuo.blog)