Shirley Collins: Archangel Hill – A poignant and seasoned showing from a folk hero

When the remarkable Shirley Collins, along with the guitarist Davey Graham, departed from folk-music orthodoxy with the release of Folk Roots, New Routes, in 1964, one of the key tracks was the English traditional song Hares on the Mountain. Almost 60 years later she returns to the song on what is her third album in this most unlikely of comebacks. In 1964 her spirited voice captured the song’s frisky take on young love, but here her seasoned voice is more knowing, more reflective but still beguiling, albeit in a different way.

That is the story of this album. On the eve of her 88th birthday, Collins is very much at ease with herself, her material and the quietly impressive musicians around her. Archangel Hill, the title borrowed from her tribute to her beloved native Sussex, carries an air of understated authority. While time has weathered her voice, she imbues each track with her love and understanding of traditional song, such as on the poignant Lost in a Wood and the defiant tale of The Bonny Labouring Boy.

It is sad to remember that she withdrew from the stage for 38 years after losing her voice, a bout of dysphonia brought on by romantic betrayal. She did not resurface in public until 2016, with the album Lodestar. But it is cheering to note that, since then, her singular contribution to folk music has been widely recognised. Archangel Hill is a worthy chapter in her story.