ALBUM REVIEW: Jon Doran and Janice Burns – Great Joy to the New

Wylam Records

Released: 22.11.24

Great Joy To The New is a winter album inspired by Anglo-Scottish folk duo Janice Burns and Jon Doran’s time spent studying Norwegian traditional music, but they never stray far from their British roots.

The album is a meandering conversation through 13 delicately woven musical tales. Burns and Doran showcase everything that makes folk so compelling: warmth, storytelling, nostalgia. The moments that really shine are those that lean into more expansive instrumentation; the brass in particular adding richness and depth on tracks like The Wren.

The highlight of the album is the beautiful Haugebonden, a medieval ballad featuring Norwegian singer Mari Bjørkøy that conjures up the kind of shimmery winter days and firelit nights that any good Christmas album should deliver.