The brainchild of producer Simon Emmerson, The Imagined Village is a folk project aimed at reawakening a passion for our country's musical heritage.
Pearly-suited Essex bard Billy Bragg's progressive patriotism encapsulated the spirit of this evening of unusual collaborations, socio-political introductions and good-natured banter.
The idea was to open the pages of the great English songbook to a new generation by giving the age-old a modern twist. So, joining the usual suspects (Martin and Eliza Carthy, Chris Wood, The Young Coppers) on the campaign trail were the likes of drummer Andy Gangadeen of The Bays, cello virtuoso Barney Morse Brown and part- Indian pop singer Sheila Chandra.
the show's centerpiece was a video of performance poet Benjamin Zephania delivering his urban take on the magical ballad Tam Lyn, in which a dope-smoking maid and her asylum-seeking lover go at it in the back of a car to a Faithlessstyle groove.
The musical peak was Eliza Carthy's arrangement of Cold Haily Rainy Night, Johnny Kalsi's dhol drum and Sheena Mukherjee's sitar stirring up a thrilling percussive tempest.
Such folk fusions may be nothing new, but they've never been conceived on such a persuasive scale.
Those who think home pride is just a cooking sauce should invest in a copy of the album.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article