For The Wild Mountain Thyme, Massachusetts folk and choral ensemble the Revel Players -- best known for their peerless Christmas performances -- delve into the changing of the seasons. Focusing primarily on tunes from the British Isles, the group takes the listener through spring, summer, and autumn with work songs ("Sheep-Shearing Song"), children's songs ("Sweet Potatoes"), hymns ("Summer Is I-Cumen In"), and carols ("The Mayday Carol") with joy and precision. The Revels Company is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that relies on donations and gifts, and each recording feels like the culmination of hard work, love, and dedication. The record sounds like a last rehearsal before the big night, and like a small-town musical, they do nothing to polarize their (imaginary) audience, allowing the music to speak for everyone in the building. Wild Mountain Thyme is a testament to their tenacity, and it rivals only
Blow, Ye Winds, in the Morning as their finest work. ~ James Christopher Monger