Maureen England - Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

Maureen England who has just celebrated her 60thin June 2002, was one of the most unique & influential lady singers in Johannesburg throughout the 60's. Those who heard her perform at The Nite Beat, The Troubadour or at any of the many National Folk Festivals, would agree. Robert Kirby discovered her individualistic style in 1967 - not only as a wonderful singer & interpreter of his controversial revue tunes & sketches - but as an actor who had the white SAfrican condition sussed down to a tee. She played many a cameo role for Kirby, starting in Finger Trouble in 1968 at the Back Stage in Joubert Park; featuring in a number of controversial & often banned or government restricted Robert Kirby revues including a series of Dot-Dash Shows in the early 70's.

Maureen was a typical Hidden Years music talent. No question that she was one-of-a-kind - and for that reason it would be difficult, if not impossible (& unjustifiable) to try & pigeon-hole or explain her unique singing style. It's important to try because like so many of the Hidden Years artists, that thousands of ordinary people heard, she remained commercially unrecorded & therefore would be relatively unknown today.

For those who never heard Mo England - what can we say? Sorry? For a start, Maureen never needed a microphone or a PA system to be heard for miles around. Folk 'n Jazz and Rock singers & crooners would all get in close & tight to the Mics at the festivals or the clubs but Mo would push the electronics & technology aside & belt out those traditional Negro spirituals or Appalachian Mountain blues like nobody else could - or dared!

But for the want of a better description, I'd venture to say that her powerful vibrato voice was a sort-of-a cross between Buffy Saint Marie (at her Red Indian best), Joni Mitchell (who followed Maureen by a good 6 years) mixed in with a shade of Mahalia Jackson's spirit & Big Mama Thornton's deep throat. That may be as close as I can think, other than to say that some 20 years later the likes of Joan Armatrading, KD Lang & Tanita Takarim came onto the scene; mix them all together into one voice in the 90's & you may get a better idea of just what unique - especially for the 60's. (The 90's were the 60's on its head anyway!)

Mo wasn't writing her own tunes in the 60's but she did want to record SAfrican songs; originals written by Clem Tholet, Rusty Gough, Colin Shamley & myself. But that's not what mainstream Bog Brother wanted. Mo could fill concert halls & coffee bars, but she was too individualistic & sometimes a pain-in-the-ass for the dotted line mainstream; a promoter & managers' nightmare; a creative talent with integrity who refused to cover a Cilla Black hit & sign a recording contract that insisted she do such & such & sound like so & so. So she continued to please a small circle of very privileged people with her singing & personality; something which she still does to this day.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken? The title of one of her classic traditional songs. It doesn't seem like it will...it's just got a lot smaller; it now seems to be a close knit family circle. What goes 'round comes 'round they say!

As Fran says - many a rose is born to blush unseen - but unheard? Hopefully not. We aim to use the digital technology (that Mo didn't need) to restore some of those classic Ben Segal club & lounge sessions & the many 3rd Ear Music live club, concert & festival recordings.
(David Marks - The HYMAProject, July 2002)