Listen & tracks

10 works · 33:50

1 Gabriel's Mother's Highway Arlo Guthrie 5:32
2 Bitter was the night Sydney Carter 2:26
3 Coming or going away Sydney Carter 3:44
4 Green like the leaves Sydney Carter 3:30
5 Sixty years on Elton John 2:56
6 Seventh Queen Street hymn Franciscus Henri 3:21
7 Song of the morning Franciscus Henri 2:32
8 The candlelight Sydney Carter 1:52
9 Judas and Mary Sydney Carter 4:57
10 Friendship Franciscus Henri 3:00

This album has a beautiful clarity, the richness and colour of Henri's voice giving a real stamp of individuality.

Producer Brian Cadd shapes a first-class set of contemporary songs in a gentle folk-rock style. Three are by English poet and songwriter Sydney Carter: Coming or going away, Green like the leaves, and The candlelight. The title song is a spiritual about heaven as a place of happiness and freedom. Henri's own Song of the morning turns on the cycles or spirals of life.

On two better-known Carter songs, Judas and Mary and Bitter was the night, Franciscus dramatises the words and lets the music expand.

Unlike most albums that open with their strongest material and then fade, Gabriel's Mother's Highway does the opposite: it starts gently, builds, and finishes with the uplifting Friendship and its driving guitar solo.

Thoughtful lyrics sit with strong musical listening, coloured by Brian Cadd's keyboards, Nick Alexander's piano, and Phil Gardner's guitar.

Reviews

Produced by Brian Cadd, and delicately too, this album has a beautiful clarity. Henri's voice is strong enough to get the message of his tender songs across, with acoustic backing. It must be one of the better local releases, Henri must be one of the better singers around Australia. Could notch up sales with those who are familiar with the singer. Gentle songs by Sydney Carter, Arlo Guthrie and the singer are featured.

— Forester, Listener In-TV

Recorded locally, with Brian Cadd at the keyboards and also in charge of production, this is Franciscus Henri's album, who shows that his contemporary folk style has a strength to it and his voice an individual fillip that makes pleasant listening. Let's be even more positive — he makes very good listening. Included are compositions by Henri, S. Carter, Elton John and Arlo Guthrie, with some titles being Coming Or Going Away, Judas And Mary, Sixty Years On, Bitter Was The Night, and the attractive Green Like The Leaves.

— The Age TV-Radio Guide

Henri uses a gentle, deep voice, easily boss of the regular backing where the keyboard work of Brian Cadd and Nick Alexander are given the most prominence. Of the 10 songs, only two — Arlo Guthrie's title track and Elton John's Sixty Years On — are imports. Five others are by Sydney Carter, who has toured with Henri, who himself penned or had a hand in the remaining tracks.

Given the folk tradition of both Cadd and Henri, the album is surprisingly varied. Henri's voice is strong and easy. The best pointer to Henri's direction is the last song Friendship, his own writing, where at last a little electricity is added.

— Robin Usher, Canberra Times

Artists

Franciscus Henri

vocals, acoustic guitar

Franciscus Henri is a Dutch-born Australian folk musician, songwriter and children’s entertainer. His Move album Gabriel's Mother's Highway is a gentle folk-rock set of spiritual and reflective songs.

Sydney Carter

composer

Sydney Carter (1915–2004) was an English poet, folk singer and songwriter. He is often called a hymn-writer for Lord of the Dance, though his songs range across faith, protest, doubt and ordinary life.