Brian Fallon debuts first single – The Virgin Mary Had One Son – from new spirituals album, Night Divine

Brian Fallon is releasing a new covers collection, Night Divine, on November 5, which collects together new interpretations of the hymns that formed the songwriter’s earliest musical influences. 

The first taster, a cover of the hymn The Virgin Mary Had One Son, is now available on streaming services. 

Brian Fallon says of the song: “I heard Odetta sing an incredible live version of Virgin Mary Had One Son, and it was actually one of the performances that inspired me to learn the piano. Joan Baez sang it back in the Sixties too. From those two versions, I put down my own structure with the acoustic guitar and the vocal. The other sonic elements appear and disappear like characters in a play. In the end, everything comes out for one last note.”

Fallon reportedly first heard many of the hymns collected on the album – which also include Amazing Grace, Silent Night and O Holy Night – in his mother’s performances at church or at home with a nylon-string acoustic. 

As with many recent projects, the project was born out of the quarantine period last year, and Fallon collaborated with his mother on several tracks.

It’s all going to be useful material for Fallon’s forthcoming December residency at Crossroads, in Garwood, New Jersey, which will see him play five dates at the venue across the month. 

Night Divine follows last year’s acclaimed Fallon solo record, Local Honey. At the time, Fallon told us he’d been working hard on his fingerstyle and piano playing, both of which sound like they’ll be brought to the fore on this new collection.

Brian Fallon – Night Divine:

1. The Virgin Mary Had One Son
2. Amazing Grace
3. O Holy Night
4. Nearer, My God, To Thee
5. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
6. The First Noel
7. Sweet Hour Of Prayer
8. Angels We Have Heard On High
9. Silent Night
10. The Blessing

Brian Fallon releases Night Divine on November 5, 2021. You can pre-order/pre-save the new album here.