Jack Frost and a Darkling Thrush – fresh wintry and festive music

New Agent Starling single Jokul Frosti & Winter WonderBand’s new album Joy Illimited

As the year draws to a close I like to reflect back on some of the best music that’s been released over the past twelve months. I’m working on a special ‘Best of 2025’ blog post and may even do a personal Top Ten. But, as it’s only a week until Christmas, I thought I’d take a moment to highlight a couple of seasonal goodies.

First up, is a delightfully wintry concoction from Agent Starling. Readers of this blog will know that Agent Starling is a pleasingly eccentric collaboration between hurdy-gurdy player Quentin Budworth and bassist/vocalist Lou Duffy-Howard, joined by Dexter Duffy-Howard on violin and cello. In 2021 Agent Starling released their Northern Lights Trilogy and there’s something about the band’s sound which, like Sigur Ros and Cocteau Twins, perfectly conjures up winter. Now, Agent Starling have released Jokul Frosti, a preview track from their forthcoming album (due for release in spring 2026.) With its spoken-word lyrics, droning hurdy-gurdy, church bells and snow-swirls of violin, the song evokes the titular Jokul Frosti - the Norse mythological character who we know as Jack Frost, the embodiment of chilly weather. Lou has also devised a video for the single by artfully editing  a 1957 public domain Soviet animated version of The Snow Queen (see link below.)

The words, music and images create a delightfully chilling effect so typical of Agent Starling’s quirky (not to say slightly unhinged) output, and I can’t wait to hear the new album in 2026.

But, if a wintry single doesn’t satisfy your seasonal appetite, how about Joy Illimited – a fifteen-track album by Winter WonderBand. In fact, if fifteen tracks isn’t enough, the CD and vinyl release come with a bonus disc recorded live at Chapel Arts in Bath. Winter WonderBand features the astonishingly assured hammered dulcimer of Maclaine Colston, Jennifer Crook on lever harp and guitar, Beth Porter (cello, recorders) and Saul Rose (button accordions.) All four members share vocals. Jennifer is also credited with setting Thomas Hardy’s extraordinary poem The Darkling Thrush to music. This track opens the album and is the finest setting of poetry to music that you could wish to find. It also gives the band their name: “At once a voice arose among the bleak twigs overhead / In full-hearted evensong of joy illimited...”

Joy Illimited also includes splendid versions of The Coventry Carol, and some unexpected covers – George Michael’s Last Christmas gets the English folk treatment and there’s a rollicking rendition of Fairytale of New York. It all make a refreshing change from all the festive pop you’ll hear as you push your trolley around the supermarket this December.

You can watch the YouTube video of Agent Starling ‘s Jokul Frosti here: https://youtu.be/gYclRuVdUlc

For info and latest news on Winter WonderBand visit: https://winterwonderbandfolk.com/