David Bedford with Kevin Ayers and the Whole World feat. Robert Wyatt - The Garden of Love (1970)

“The Garden of Love” is a William Blake’s poem, published as part of “Songs of Experience”, a collection of dark and insightful poems. The music, a setting of this William Blake’s poem, was originally composed by David Bedford in 1963 for an ensemble including flute, horn, clarinet, trumpet, double bass, dancers and a rock band. The composer scored the piece in his own understandable space/time notation, the first 15 minutes consist of music alone during which the band members follow the parts written for them, but also include their own solo and collective improvisations. On the 26th of september 1970 David Bedford performed this piece at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London with Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, five members of the London Sinfonietta (flute, horn, clarinet, trumpet and double bass) plus “six beautiful girls for dancing and turning pages“. Ensemble – Members of The London Sinfonietta Conducted by David Atherton Sebastian Bell: flute Antonia Cook: horn Antony Pay: clarinet Peter Reeve: trumpet Daryl Runswick: double bass Dancers – “Six Beautiful Girls” Rock band – “Kevin Ayers and The Whole World” David Bedford: organ , swanee whistle , wind (bird warblers) Lol Coxhill: saxophone Kevin Ayers: guitar Mike Oldfield: guitar & bass guitar Robert Wyatt: drums Recorded Live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall – London, September 26, 1970