It's Sunday on the Calendar, so it's time for the pointless Blagg self-imposed rule that the song has to be a Carol.
We sadly lost the great Danny Thompson this year; a multi-instrumentalist, but best known for his double bass, Danny made significant contributions to work by John Martyn, Richard Thompson and Nick Drake, as well as being an important part of the excellent Pentangle, all while pursuing his own solo career. Thompson's status in the music world also saw him contribute to albums by artists as diverse as ABC, T.Rex, Kate Bush, and Cliff Ricard - over 50 albums are listed on his Wiki page - but it's the fact he even played on the original Thunderbirds theme that really sets the bar high.
'Rise up, Shepherd' is a Carol, a Spiritual and a folk song that probably has its source in the plantations of the American South which is why this doesn't sound like the more traditional fare you're likely to hear this Christmas.
This track is from 'Songs of Joy for Christmas', an album Thompson recorded with old Pentangle cohort Jacquie McShee and guitarist Vic Abram, but it's probably Tony Roberts' clarinet work that makes this rock out.
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