Music

The Anarchetypes' killer Kozfest set this year got recorded with a multi-camera shoot in dreamy technicolour and was edited by Dom Morris to create a Video DVD. It contains several songs that have not appeared on an official release before as well as some old favourites:

1. An It Harm None (Hawthorn)
2. Dangerous Thing (Hawthorn)
3. Breaking To Win (Mason)
4. All Or Nothing (Hawthorn)
5. 8:10 (Hawthorn, Farley)
6. Empty Space (Hawthorn)
7. Stowaway (Mason)
8. Who But I? (Hawthorn)
9. She Lives In A Time Of Her Own (Erikson, Hall)
10. Mining For Starlight (Hawthorn)

It features the inestimable musical talents of:

Bass, vocals - Tim Hawthorn
Guitar, vocals - Richard Mason
Synthesisers - Andy Roger
Drum kit - Moses Mark James Elliott
Theremin - Richard Armstrong-Sealand
Violin - Graham Clark

The DVD also includes additional features and footage shot at the festival.

1. The Mabon (06:36)
2. Cernunnos (02:37)
3. Ancient Ones (05:27)
4. Dreamtime (04:28)
5. The Falcon (02:58)
6. The Glen (02:56)
7. Samhain (02:16)
8. Patapan (05:28)
9. Ailshe Bán (01:56)
10. Dance of the Moon Queen (02:47)
11. Round and Around (02:32)
12. Mystic Spiral (07:37)
13. The Dark of the Moon (06:16)
14. The Hunter (06:05)
15. Fisherman (03:49)
16. Elfin Song (03:50)
17. Ancient Gypsies (04:16)
18. Ballad of the Tribes (06:18 )

1 - 10 Recorded at The Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury 1990
11 - 18 Recorded at Red Rug Studios, Exeter, May 1992
Due to the age and format of the original recordings there are variations in the sound quality, the removal of which would have destroyed the integrity and ambience of the performances.

Silver on the Tree began in 1987 with a collective of musicians brought together to provide the soundtrack for some of Glastonbury's modern Mystery plays in collaboration with author Kathy Jones. We continued meeting to celebrate the seasons and started writing chants and performing pagan carols. The name is drawn from "The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper. It alludes to the silver branch of office carried by the bards.

Our music grew out of social gatherings and a common desire to connect with and sing the sounds of our landscape and honour the spirits of nature. We also wanted to celebrate the divine masculine in balance and harmony with the divine feminine.

Silver on the Tree's music was taken up by protest groups and the pagan movement, despite only ever playing live on auspicious blue moons. Silver on the Tree never formally disbanded and still lies sleeping in many people's hearts.

In loving memory of Sheena Johnstone
released February 1, 2024

Produced and mixed by Jana Runnalls.
1 - 10 Engineered and recorded by Jana Runnalls & Kat Brown.
11 - 18 Engineered by Jake Klosin.
Sound advice and impeccable timing: John Cartwright.
All arrangements: Silver on the Tree.
2024 remaster: Tim Hawthorn.

Cover art: Sheena Johnstone & Tim Hawthorn

1. Landing Party (05:53)
2. Space Tourist (04:31)
3. F.U.D. (06:13)
4. Wizard Of Nought (04:54)
5. Office Automation (01:26)
6. Anomaly (04:53)
7. Sneak Jump (02:36)
8. Factory Setting (06:54)
9. Going Forward (11:55)
10. Delia (04:53)
11. Aftermath (04:09)
12. Waiting For The Night (04:24)
13. Porcupine And The Monkey (04:59)
14. Nervous Breakthrough (07:14)

Dan Poole: kit, trumpets
Richard Mason: gtr
Andy Roid: synths
Richard Sealand: theremin
Laura Tupker: tuned percussion
Samples from: jenc, greekirish, dobroide, anton, hodbinah, benboncan, rutgermuller, newagesoup, kolezan, melack, robinhood76, paespedro, zott820, daniel_simon, marcel-farres, ch0cchi, stereoscenic, felix-blume and trebblofang
Tim Hawthorn: composition, arrangement, production, mixing, … basically everything else you can hear

Cover art: Will Greenwood design: Tim Hawthorn

Space Tourist is an album of cinematic instrumental pieces intended to be used as film music. It features remixes of "Just" and several completely original ambient and orchestral pieces. The whole thing is loosely inspired by Tarkovsky's cult 1979 sci-fi movie Stalker.

released February 1, 2022

1. Neuromancer (04:43)
2. Playing With Fire (04:38)
3. All Or Nothing (05:17)
4. Certain Things (05:07)
5. Wizard Of Sorts (04:53)
6. No Trouble (05:30)
7. Damn Real (04:14)
8. Just (04:30)
9. Dirty Water (07:17)
10. Mama Gaia (05:56)
11. Waiting For The Light (04:23)

All titles written and produced by Tim Hawthorn

Richard Mason - guitars, vox
Laura Tupker - tuned percussion, vox
Andy Roid - synths
Dan Poole - drum kit, horns
Tim Hawthorn - bass, vox, guitar, gliss, midi arrangements
featuring:
Graham Clark - violin
Richard Armstrong-Sealand - theremin, vox

Cover art: Frances Rockhill; Design Tim Hawthorn

This is a bit of a wedding present of awkward songs around the theme of post-truth uncertainty. Originally conceived as a collection of solo demos, drummer Dan Poole suggested overdubbing parts via the internet during the 2020 lockdown. This is the first album I've produced myself from concept to cover and I wanted to bring together all the facets of my musical personality into one recording, so this goes from semi-acoustic to space punk with bits of orchestral arrangements; every song is different. The album explores the relationships between key and tempo over a series of cinematic episodes; a feature-length musical narrative runs through it that sews it all together with gossamer threads of twisted steal.

I just could not have done this without the support of Tina Bragaglia, Anne Mildon, Jeremy Bull, Wes White, Jules Bywater-Lees, Paul Woodwright, Nathan Lewis Williams, Mark Swann, Gem Cormac Quinn, Cary Grace, Jon Farley, Phil Cowburn, Charley Barley, Frances Rockhill, Libby Butler, Sheila Chandra, Jean Parker, Barry Jones, Ultan Tierney and all of you that have come to gigs and bought CDs, Thank you so much!

released July 23, 2021

1. White Horse - Yoo Doo Right
2. Who But I?
3. Nothing Serious
4. Seven By Seven
5. Samsara
6. She Lives In A Time Of Her Own - Mining For Starlight
7. Over Under Sideways Down

Tim Hawthorn: Vox, Bass
Laura Tupker: Vox, Percussion
Richard Mason: Vox, Guitar
Andy Bull: Synths & Keys
Greg Willow: Drum Kit

Recorded by Pete Wibrew at Kozfest 2016
Mixed by Tim Hawthorn with assistance from Sam Welbourne and Andy Bull

1. Sea Song - Song to the Siren
2. Certain Things
3. The Snow It Melts The Soonest
4. She Who Makes The World Go Round
5. No Trouble
6. Nothing Serious
7. Lowlands
8. Samsara
9. Truth - Box of Rain - The End of Words
10. She Lives in a Time of Her Own - Mining for Starlight - Love Chant - Music is Love (bonus)

In Memory of Will Greenwood (1959 - 2014)

This set was performed in the living room at St. Dunstan’s House, next door to Glastonbury Abbey ruins, as part of an intimate Midwinter’s evening of Solstice carols and songs, at the behest of our marvelous host, Sam Welbourne who, naturally, recorded the performance.

We had no idea it was to be Will’s last. He died 10 weeks later on 10th February 2014.

Tracks 7,8,9 & 10 were originally released as "Will's Last Terrestament" on 2/11/2015

released August 29, 2020

Will Greenwood - Lead guitar
Jim Peters - Keys, D whistle and vocals
Harmony Davies - Violin and flute
Laura Iseley - Vocals
Tim Hawthorn - Guitar and vocals

Produced by Sam Welbourne, Jim Peters and Tim Hawthorn

1. Dangerous Thing
2. Overnight (Robb Johnson)
3. Blood Mother / Cailleagh
4. Maid in Bedlam (trad)
5. Samsara
6. Dance your Dreaming Awake
7. She Lives in a Time Of Her Own (Rocky Ericson / Tommy Hall) / Mining for Starlight
8. Oak and Ash and Thorn (Rudyard Kipling)

This is a live solo acoustic concert recorded at Mellstock, which was organised to raise money for Help in Action

released September 23, 2016

Recorded by Sam Welbourne
Cover drawing by Earl Bramley-Howard

1. Om Mani Padme Hum [9'21] (IOCOT/Traditional)
2. All Coming True [8.41] (Peters)
3. Bad Self [5.01] (Hall)
4. The Size of Minus One [5.28] (IOCOT)
5. Bloody Engineers [5.28] (IOCOT)
6. Goddess Dub [6.28] (IOCOT/Traditional)
7. Bad Self Kipper [1.54] (IOCOT)
8. Mysteries [3.15] (Hall)
9. Bad Bongos Meet The Great God Pan [1.29] (IOCOT)
10. Om Tara [7.04] (IOCOT/Traditional)

Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition. Full original album session available for the 1st time. Remastered from the original tapes with new artwork.

The first Invisible Opera Company Band was formed by daevid allen in Australia in 1986. Different but similarly named bands were formed in Brazil (by current Gong guitarist Fabio Golfetti), and the US before a UK dispensation was independently created in 1992. This version toured with daevid and Ruz Hibbs from the original Australian band in 1994. Originally released on GAS Records AGASCD006.

Tri-fold didgi-pak with 8 page full colour booklet

1. White Tara [8'14] (Abbott/Shaw/Trad.)
2. Skeleton Lords [10'52] (Brian Abbott/Nigel Shaw)
3. Sunrise Over a Nation [6'02] (Michael Ormiston/Brian Abbott/Nigel Shaw)
4. Dolma [7'24] (Brian Abbott/Nigel Shaw)
5. Winds on Mt. Kailash [7'27] (Brian Abbott/Nigel Shaw)
6. Tim Tara Tala [6'12] (Abbott/Shaw/Traditional)
7. Prayer to the Dali Lama [6'30] (Nigel Shaw/Brian Abbott/Michael Ormiston/Traditional)
8. Green Tara [9'03] (Brian Abbott/Nigel Shaw)
9. Puja at the End of the Day [3'17] (Traditional)

Superb devotional and psychedelic Tibetan CD

"…may be one of the best musical productions to be released in 2004. Brian combines traditional elements of Tibetan musics, the ambience of Sacred Geometry and the psychedelic beat of Here & Now/Ozrics…a true gem which should be in every Gong fan's collection." - Ray USA

This is Invisible Opera Co. of Tibet member Brian 'Zero' Abbott's first solo outing and is based on the Tibetan female deity Tara. It employs archive recordings of Tibetean Monks and Nuns, contemporary western instruments mergeing with Mongolian and Tibetan instrumentation. Musically it ranges from beautiful ambient soundscapes and sonic prayers, to full tilt psychedelic rock and dance workouts.

Brian inspired and gathered a high class group of friends for this intriguing project. The quality of the recording is top notch taking place as it did at Seventh Wave the Dartmoor studio of Global/Riven mainman Nigel Shaw, who is also a major musical contributor throughout the album. Amongst others appearing are one time Ozric Tom Brooks (Zorcher Basil's brother), deep Tibetan/Mongolian music expert Michael Ormiston (whose playing and singing can often be heard on the BBC and who is spellbinding on this CD) and Global/Riven members Jackie Juno, Carolyn Hillyer and Shaun Farrenden. daevid allen (beautiful gliss guitar naturally), Co-Invisible Opera member Tim Hall and Kevin Kendle also make telling guest appearances.

Also has a very elegent well designed 12 page booklet full of background information on the tracks.

£1.00 from the sale of each CD goes direct to the Tibetan Nuns of Chuchikjall (who it took quite a while to contact as the only recording we had was a bootleg CD with no information - imagine bootlegging devotional chanting!) and the Free Tibet Campaign

1. Truth 05:39
2. All Comin' True 08:09
3. Bad Self 05:09
4. Simple Song 07:10
5. Mining for Starlight 05:13
6. Music Power Medicine 06:00
7. Empty Space 03:20
8. Uma Parvati 04:47
9. Divine Mother 05:46

The morning after a crazy party on Gypsy Hill in honour of Matt Spacegoat's birthday 1997, Dave Goodman locked us in the studio with only a stereo microphone for comfort. This is what happened.

Cover art: Jo Thilwind.

released 14 May 2014

1. Welcum Yule
2. The Carol of the Unconquered Sun
3. The Praise of Solstice
4. Zummerzet Wassail
5. Green Growth The Holly
6. The Greensleeves Carol
7. Levy Dew
8. Midwinter's Day
9. The Grail Carol
10. The Holly and The Ivy
11. Deck the Hall
12. Patapan
13. The Apple Tree Wassail
14. Celtic Prayer

released 25 December 2013

Carol concert recorded live at St Dunstan's House, Glastonbury 22nd Dec 2013.
Engineered and masterminded by Sam Welbourne.
Cover design: Will Greenwood, Photo: Amanda Earthwren.

1. Galaxy Valley [11'15]
2. Dinosaur Kebab [8'18]
3. Beautiful Jam [11'25]
4. Fight No More [9'27]
5. Shakalayah [13'41]
6. Tough Jam [13'41]
7. Aya Shamaya [10'38]

Brilliant, atmospheric live psychedelic jamming album by Here & Now offshoot.

I can't sing the praises of this CD enough. It's the Here & Now space jamming ethos captured almost as never before. Steffe is simply masterful, leading the band who jelled wonderfully, in some classic, laid back, inventive, deep-space psychedelia that trips out and then surges with organic power. If you have even the most lightly touching acknowlegdment of just how good Here & Now, Gong, the Grateful Dead, even can be as they improvise 'out there' and beyond you will enjoy this CD.

This was one of those gigs that are so good that you don't expect it to make it onto tape. A fate/sacriface that so often happens to the best gigs, or "one for the pixies" as we always say. But thanks to Graham Hinton's clear multitrack recording and Kif Kif's hard work mixing and mastering it's here for us all to enjoy. I've lived with these recordings almost since the day of the concert in the Glastonbury Assemby Rooms on 23 June 2001, and have played them over and over - I have yet to tire of what my ears behold and I'm sure you will find the same.

This properly pressed CD comes in a plastic wallet with a simple but effectiive four page insert and is probably a one time only pressing of 500.

"You are so right in singing the praises of this CD. This is a real unexpected treat. Bought it at daevid's Fawcett Inn gig on Sunday and it's been on my CD player to and from work all week. This is the closest thing to Here & Now of the 70's since… Here & Now of the 70's. Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!" - Mark P.

1. Welcome to the Parade
2. George Bush
3. Four Horsemen
4. Invisible
5. Voices in Your Head
6. I Am a Witch
7. Demon Barbie
8. You Are My Virtual Lover
9. E-Mail From God
10. Palestine
11. I Remember Ancient Magics
12. The Whisperer
13. Honeypath

Live 2005 Unconvention recordings and more.

Outstanding mostly live CD. Part 1 of this CD, the first 11 tracks, are Mother Gong's stand out live set from the 2005 Gong Unconvention. They are from a well mixed multi-track recording by Graham Hinton donated to Voiceprint by GAS. The entire band were on top form with Gilli, Didier and Graham Clark outstanding. It is certainly sounds the Mother Gong biz.

Part 2, tracks 12 and 13, are two new studio tracks. More soon, as I listen and absorb…

1. Gong Friends [8'27]
2. Terrorist [1'50]
3. Dream Star [6'03]
4. Armageddon [6'18]
5. Robot Woman [3'52]
6. Today Is Beautiful [8'14]
7. Love [7'12]
8. Future Is Fantasy [5'53]
9. E-mail From The Office of the Most High [8'44]

The first release from the November 2006 Unconvention - and it's a goodie.

A magical live recording. They may be relatively rare but with each outing the Mothergong band gets better and better. So if you enjoyed the excellent '2006', their live CD recorded at the 2005 Gong Unconvention (yes I know it's endearingly confusing), then this one will send you into raptures.

The level of musicianship here is just so strong. On this evidence they perhaps were one of the strongest 'pure musical' line-ups throughout the entire weekend of the Unconvention. With Orlando and Tim Hall gelling as a fine, fluid rhythm section, and Didier and Graham inventing and trading licks as only musicians of their calibre can, and Gwyo slotting right in there on the same high musical level on synths and some fine guitar - it's without doubt a happening band.

And then there is Gilli around whom this fine band has coalesced, (they wouldn't exist without her) doing what only she can - invoking, gently cajoling, obliquely and the directly commenting on the state of the world, confronting even - and above all swooping between the worlds with all the spirito/politico integrity one could wish for. It's a great set.

Mixed by Harry Williamson and Gilli from the digital multitrack recorded by Harry at the Uncon. The artwork and design is also strong, clear and very different - I think Gilli may finally have found the perfect designer for her releases in Navarina, son Orlando's partner and of course mother of their new baby. Horray win-win!

1. Dear Friends[1'59] (Traditional)
2. High Points[2'59]
3. Brothers[5'57]
4. Big Daddy[1'44]
5. Wotsa Use[5'02]
6. Garden Song[6'31]
7. Came To Find You[6'01]
8. The Rapist[4'37]
9. Sittin' in a Teashop[2'43]
10. Fire Becomes Her[2'52]
11. No One's Slave[3'01] (Theo Simon)
12. Tor Song[6'22]
13. Dear Friends[3'12] (Traditional)

Electro, acoustic solo album.

Wonderfully recorded at Kramer's New York Studio (tracks 7, 8 and 10) and in deepest mid Wales, it's at times it's reminiscient his earlier albums 'Now Is the Happiest Time of Your Life' and 'Good Morning'. This is especially true with tracks like 'Sittin' in a Teashop' and the gorgeous 'Garden Song' which remains firmly in his live solo sets to this day. But 'Dreamin' differs from the 'Deya' albums mentioned above in that there are also songs with a harder edge that deal with some difficult subjects, such as 'The Rapist' and 'Brothers'.

Graham Clark offers solid and inventive support throughout with exquisite violin playing and some spot-on electric guitar leads. New York Gong drummer Bill Bacon pops up on one track and erstwhile Invisible Opera member Tim Hall takes a guest vocal spot. daevid, who also produced the album, is on top form, wearing is heart on his sleeve while leading us all on a memorable journey suffused with drama, humour, and above all hope.

The full colour 16 page complete lyric booklet with liner notes by daevid himself is beautifully designed by Peter Hartl. All songs daevid allen except where indicated otherwise.

Just so you know: Buying this album from anywhere else but GAS means that the musicians invloved get nothing.

1. Welcum Yule
2. The Carol of the Unconquered Sun
3. Zummerzet Wassail
4. The Greensleeves Carol
5. Merry Gentlemen
6. Midwinters Day
7. Green Growth the Holly
8. The Holly and the Ivy
9. The Best of Trees
10. The Grail Carol
11. Patapan

This is a selection of restored solstice carols recorded at the Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury, November 1997. These are not personal versions or parodies but restorations of the carols back to what might have been their original versions; Pagan Fertility Dance Songs. We're still looking for the dances to go with them.

Our modern day carols probably evolved from a tradition of pre-Christian sung fertility dances, which is believed to have survived up to the 14th Century in this country. The dances are believed to have been similar in format to the branle (pronounced brawl) - Old French circle dances and Breton - style Andro or processional line dances.

There are lurid tales of debauched revelry and huge processions dancing from town to town, often lead by a naked woman. These would almost certainly be connected to the Germano - Celtic rite of Yule on winter solstice, celebrated as Saturnalia by the Romans. The Wassails come from a distinct Anglo-Saxon tradition, also connected with fertility. "Waes Heil" means good health.

Many of these versions are the work of Norman Iles, to whom I am indebted, for his lifetime's work in searching out and restoring these songs and many others to their original meaning and form. My work has merely been to try to create performable versions of these tunes and add to the growing, living folk tradition of which we are all a very important part.

1. She Who Makes The World Go Round
2. Certain Things
3. Nothing Serious
4. Stars
5. Magpie
6. Fatherless Sons
7. Mrs Unobtainable
8. Cry For Me
9. All Or Nothing
10. White Wing
11. With A Smile
12. White Horse
13. The Ravens Of War
14. Lowlands
15. No Trouble
16. Dirty Water
17. Another Beginning

Original guitar and vocal studio album featuring many new songs and some acoustic re-workings of old favourites. All original compositions except Lowlands, which is a trad sea shanty.

1. Morning Glory
2. Trees
3. Sun Queen
4. Blood Mother
5. Cailleagh
6. Sarajevo
7. Ana Ana
8. Hazelwood
9. Manannan
10. Wych Elm
11. Messiah
12. Merry Meet

Beautiful Pagan acapella CD produced with daevid allen

Celtic-pagan, acid-folk masterpiece, produced by daevid. Largely acappella with beautiful harmonies. A stunning debut with more clues to the energy underlying Glastonbury than anything else I've heard. Very special.

12 page illustrated, full lyric book. Produced by daevid allen and Silver on the Tree.

1. Invocation to the Spirits of Uncommon Sense (Young/IOCT)
2. Chernobyl Rain (Russell Hibbs)
3. Mysteries (Tim Hall)
4. Bonsoir (IOCT)
5. Music, Power, Medicine (Jim Peters)
6. Clarence (Kevin Ayers)
7. Goddess Dub (Traditional/IOCT)
8. All Coming True (Jim Peters)
9. Bad Self (Tim Hall)
10. Om Mani Padme Hum (Traditional/IOCT)
11. Circle Around (Traditional/IOCT)
12. Banana Reggae (daevid allen)

Great sounding bonkers document of bonkers tour.

Live Invisibles with daevid allen and Rusell Hibbs guesting. A one time GAS tape brought all lickity-spit into CD-land by Brian Abbott. The 1994 Spring Tour with daevid, Russell Hibbs, the Invisible Opera Co. of Tibet with yours truly and Laurence 'Winnie the Pooh' Monk along for the ride, was crazy from beginning to end, a small book should one day be written.

It was not the usual tale of rock'n'roll excess (when is it ever around Gong), but a time of fairy spirals in the road, meeting elemental beings in the audience, the power of prayer over the internal combustion engine (well most of the time), stage nakedness, tree hugging, and the first manifestation of Mr Pop-Off Cock. Maybe it was because later that year we held the Gong 25th Birthday Party and PHPs were around, or maybe if you invoke the deities with full-on spacey power-pop anything can happen. Well it did and the exuberance of those adventures flows through on this great live compilation - or perhaps you just had to be there.

1. Mayday
2. Mad Mary
3. Name
4. Alison
5. Sleepy Town
6. Ten Past Eight 4:32
7. When the Sky falls in
8. Snaggeroo
9. Jealousy
10. Nervous
11. White Horse
12. Hollow Hills
13. Closed (Part I)
14. Fashion
15. I Want More
16. Avocado Girl 4:06
17. Tibetan Love
18. Blown me Away
19. Call it a Day (bonus)

Collection of early demos from the early 90s

1. She called this place Avalon (Closed part 2) 9:06
2. Hermaphrodite 10:29
3. Generate 2:59
4. Victory (Like being on the shores of ecstasy) 7:46
5. Beauty (The Big Walkers) 3:42
6. Obedience (Law of Netjer) 3:33
7. Severity (Vitriol) 2:00
8. Amnesia (Xotzolotl / Snow Piece) 14:32
9. GoldFish (A Shaman's Death) 5:11
10. Destiny's Natural Amusement 20:23

TRT (79:41)

The Isle of the Dead is the soundtrack to the Avalonian Book of the Dead. Originally released in 1992 as part of a performance piece on the subject of death and dying, the material was remixed and remastered in 2000, including some previously unreleased material.

The pieces are based on Matthew (Dr Strange) Sleigh's word collages, which represented the pages of the Book of the Dead. The album follows the journey of the soul from the point of death to its dissolution into the limitless divine light.

The material was originally recorded on 4-track cassette tape at some point in 1991. The whole collection was remixed in September 2000 including radical reworkings of tracks 1,6 & 9 introducing some previously unreleased material. The whole piece was finally digitally remastered with JAMin on 23rd September 2004.

Although the greatest of efforts have been taken in the presentation of this material, there is a certain amount of noise, hiss and random clicks, the removal of which would have destroyed the integrity and ambience of the original music. It is a great pleasure to be able to present the piece in its entirity in its current form. Thanks to all who have helped along the way.

Musicians:

• Treppur Slim: 3 & 4 Lead Guitar
• Greg "Willow" Seeger: 1 Drum kit 2 Percussion and Acoustic guitar
• Stevie Potier: 1 Lead Guitar
• Moses Kingsbury: 1 Trumpet
• Adrian Hopper: 1 Sax
• Matthew Sleigh: 7 drum programming
• Claire Jones: additional vocals

Reading the 'Avalonian Book of the Dead': Sally Pullinger, Dr. Strange, Claire Jones, Lissy Freewoman, Charley Barley & tim hall.

Additional material:
Lowlands - traditional
Jerusalem - Hubert Parry
excerpt from Nick Harrison's 1973 version
She moved through the Fair - trad.
Death March - Chopin
Dig my Grave - traditional

Original concept for The Avalonian Book of the Dead - Matthew Sleigh. Theological corrections and spiritual guidance - Rev. Boris Gestetner.

Music & Arrangements except where otherwise stated - tim hall

The Avalonian Book of the Dead

The Avalonian Book of the Dead is a mystical text, which was found imprinted, as the result of psychoradioactive forces, on the inside of a brown paper wrapper. The paper had been used to parcel up the legendary Holy Grail. the strange glyphs and jumbled text, which appear to bear a direct relationship to 20th Century English, have fascinated scholars and antiquarians for centuries. The original is now preserved in a vacuum sealed hyper-frame at the Avalonian National Museum of Theological Artefacts, which recently celebrated its 529th anniversary with a special exhibition featuring large-scale facsimiles of the eleven imprinted sections or pages, of the book itself.

The Book is called the Book of the Dead because of its apparent similarity in theme and overall structure to the Egyptian and Tibetan Books of the Dead. Interpretations vary widely, however; some commentators believe it to be the rules for a highly complex board game, and at least one has suggested that it is a blueprint for Creation, which malfunctioned and had to be replaced by a better model.

There have also been arguments concerning the origins of the Book, some claiming it to be a 23rd century forgery, created to raise flagging interest in the New Age Jerusalem of Glastonbury, which relied for its income on pilgrims and tourists. The first stories of miracles connected with the Book date from a time of economic crisis when the 10th generation hippies, who then inhabited the town, were to have their hereditary unemployment benefit cut off.

This theory may contain some truth, but it does not reduce the interest of the book itself to the general reader. The authenticity of the Reverend Boris Gestetner, founder of the Museum in 1986 and according to legend the discoverer of the Avalonian Book of the Dead, can be verified. His name appears in the court rolls for Shepton Mallet in the year 1991, when he was arraigned before the Justices for not paying his Poll Tax. It is said that his journey to the East, and his subsequent life devoted entirely to contemplative prayer, were both motivated partly by his desire to avoid the infamous Community Charge.

The text that accompanies the book is the story of the Book's discovery by the Reverend Boris Gestetner. The story was preserved by the immortalist Edgar Bone, who died in a tragic teleportation accident at the age of 602. His effects included the present manuscript, which has been specially edited for inclusion in this volume. It is presented simply as the Reverend Boris Gestetner's own words.

William B. Gestetner, Glastonbury, Avalonia, 23rd September 2525