Jim Causley - Special Commissions EP

It is a measure of the high esteem in which Jim Causley is held as a songwriter that individuals and organisations have commissioned him to write for them. This seven track EP is a collection of some of these commissions, most of which wouldn’t otherwise be heard away from the projects for which they were written (although Pride of the Moor, with its fabulous earworm of a chorus often appears in his live performances)

Jim Causley accompanies his deep velvety voice with piano and accordion on this celebration of Devon and Cornwall. The songs range from murder ballads (Diamond of the Moor), to a celebration of tin mining (Pride of the Moor) to a setting of a Charles Causley poem (On the Border). Glorious Devon Morning has a hymn like quality and wouldn’t sound out place sung in a church accompanied by a pipe organ while City of Trees is a modern day wassail.

These are not just twee little songs about pretty countryside. They convey a sense of passion and profound love for the region. The lyrics here are pure poetry, a musical history and geography lesson, once again showing Jim Causley’s skill as a wordsmith as well as a composer.