Analysis 02

1. A Fantasy. The old second side of the album begins with the fifth and final offering on solo lute. This track by Laurencini of Rome is the longest such track and the only one not by an English composer. It begins slowly but eventually warms up with quite a long run before subsiding again towards the end to something more sedate.

2. Lammy. Most of the old second side is taken up by a long track named for Akkerman's wife at the time. The track is divided into six sections that are fairly easy to distinguish.

1. I am (00:00-00:32)

We begin with alternating heavy organ from Akkerman and the four person chorus directed by Flynn. This is followed by a relatively lengthy caesura (00:33-00:34).

2. Asleep, Half Asleep, Awake (00:35-07:09)

Next comes an increasingly cacophonous woodwind, synthesiser and percussion section (00:35-01:59) which gives way to an again very atmospheric solo on electric sitar by Akkerman (02:00-02:46). It is the drums and bass with the sitar and later electric guitar strokes that wake us up (02:47-03:47). To be certain we are awake, this is followed by a drum solo (03:48-04:29) then bass and drums (04:30-07:09) with Akkerman's guitar coming into the rhythm at 04:51 and adding some runs from 05:51. This increasingly frenetic section ends with the crash of a loud gong.

3. She is (07:10-07:40)

Here we revert to the organ and chorus style of the first section.

4. Lammy (07:41-11:49)

After a caesura at 07:41 the violined and strummed guitars lead us into a beautiful drum backed section that features wonderful strings from 08:10. At 09:02 the romantic style winds down a little and there are a series of fresh injections of energy until we are ready to be led into the next section by the rich strings, which are pretty much unaccompanied  from 11:03.

5. Last will and testament (11:50-12:57)

At 11:50 the strings move on to the next theme, joined by the lute, first with a single strum (at 12:02) then with more. Flutes also come in at 12:04. Again the mood created by strings, flutes and lute is simply beautiful.

6. Amen (12:58-13:59)

The whole amazing piece is brought to a glorious end with a minute long a capella repetition of the word amen from the chorus. Prog rock at its very best.

Analysis 01

1. Britannia. What was originally the first side of Tabernakel begins with a Dowland track that at first features only solo lute. The lute is bright and brisk for a moment but then fairly sedate. It is supplemented firstly (from 00:48), under Flynn's baton, by flutes and strings. Then (at 01:18) a brisk beat is set up by Ray Lucas's drum kit (Akkerman also plays bass). At 01:46 Flynn brings in the horn section and we are soon in full concerto mode as the tune is explored by the various instruments. The contrast between horns and flutes is delightful. A brief ritartando brings us to a false ending at 03:16 and the briefest caesura before taking off again with a very jolly section that begins in “Camberwick Green” style but soars on horns before ending with the sonorous and satisfying twang of a deep bass lute string at 03:49 (the reverb taking us into 03:50).

2. Coranto for Mrs Murcott. Next come two solo tracks that feature only the 13 string lute Akkerman uses on the album. The first of these is by Francis Pilkington and is only 84 seconds long. It is played slowly and deliberately but very clearly. Mrs Murcott would be delighted.

3. The Earl of Derby, his galliard. Then comes a slightly longer Dowland track (01:50). This is the second track to feature only the lute. It starts quite slowly and with an air of mystery. The runs slowly pick up pace, however, and by the end there is some pace, the final one ending with some satisfying bass notes.

4. House of the King. We then have a contrast, with a fast and furious version of the first Focus hit. Appice's drums briefly introduce the piece (00:00-00:03) before the electric sitar Akkerman had recently discovered at this time takes up the lead (00:04-00:23). The orchestra then becomes more evident as does Akkerman's mad beating of a tambourine, which adds to the eastern feel of the piece. At 00:40 Flynn's strings become perhaps more lush before the sitar reasserts itself at 00:51. The middle eight (01:12-01:49) is ushered in and left behind with a gong and drums (01:08-01:11 and 01:50-01:53). The section itself makes full use of strings, flutes, guitars and some deft jazz drumming. The last 27 seconds whip through the sitar-led theme one final time before ending with a gloriously resounding gong.

5. A galliard by Anthony Holborne. After the excitement of House of the King we come back to earth with three more solo lute tracks. The first is by Holborne. Sedate and whistful, it is just over two minutes long and beautifully evokes a bygone age.

6. A galliard by John Dowland. The liveliest of the solo lute tracks comes next. Simply entitled A galliard here, Dowland wrote it for the Earl of Essex. It is only a shade longer than the second track. Basically brisk, it shows some variation in pace and volume with features akin to a sort of fanfare.

7. Pavan. The third lute track is a pavan by Thomas Morley. It is mostly very slow, slightly eastern, and, at just over three minutes, rather longer than the previous solo lute tracks. It takes us to a different place.
8. Javeh. Side one closes with the evocative Javeh, named for God, and co-written with George Flynn. Akkerman abandons his lute for a moment and takes up the Spanish guitar, which begins the track in rather eastern style (00:00-00:08) followed by a house of horrors interjection on the harpsichord by Flynn. The woodwind and strings then add to the mystery, the horns helping out too before drifting (at 00:45) into a paradisaical desert island theme produced by the guitar and orchestra that eventually becomes mournfully whistful, even nostalgic. A harp (01:23) and cymbals (01:31) can be heard as this theme is developed. At 02:01 the harpsichord draws us back in a more uncomfortable direction, the flamenco style guitar and orchestra continue to wrestle with the theme until a fairly satisfying resolution (via a glockenspiel trill and cymbals at 03:02-06) is reached at 03:20.