A Literate Troubadour in St Marys
The centre of a unique Venn diagram, songsmith/author/bishop, Andrew Rumsey is the exemplar of the literate troubadour. His recent album Evensongs has gained widespread praise as an unexpected gem of pastoral pysch-folk.
Recorded on a single summer’s day in a twelfth-century Wiltshire church, the project has been championed by the BBC’s Mark Radcliffe, who featured Andrew as a guest on his Radio Two Folk Show.
‘Evocative songs, aching vocals, and a heart-melting sense of space at its core’
Clash magazine.
Accompanied by guitarist David Perry and RealWorld Studios’ Bob Mackenzie, armed with a collection of vintage microphones, Rumsey set out to capture something of the magic of a country church in August – complete with bees, birdsong, and a whisper of wheezy organ.
Andrew penned these songs to accompany his book English Grounds: a pastoral journal – described as “a total delight” by Simon Jenkins of The Guardian. This book and Evensongs are parts of a single creative project that former Times Literary Editor Erica Wagner commended as “gorgeous… a celebration of the landscape this writer so fully inhabits”.
Alongside musical life, Rumsey is also Bishop of Ramsbury: an ancient role in the mystical county of Stonehenge, Avebury, and Salisbury Cathedral. Evensongs is an imaginary congregation – singing of lost places, and their hope of return.
You can listen to samples from Evensongs or purchse the album on Bandcamp:
Andrew will be appearing at St Mary’s Church on 6th December and Tickets can be purchased here.
“An enchanting, enthralling album…”
Shindig Magazine
“Steeped in landscape, nature and history … A haunting evocation of country life”
RnR Magazine
“Really beautiful… Andrew Rumsey has a voice like all your favourite records from the 60’s & 70’s …”
Kathryn Williams
“Lovely poetic turns … a gifted singer-songwriter”
The Yorkshire Post