Artist: Mike Westbrook
Author: William Blake/Mike Westbrook
Label: Original
Year: 1980

On this English jazz piano player's lp The Westbrook Blake 'Bright As Fire'. Vocal: Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton. William Blake poems were chosen by Adrian Mitchell, an expert since musical Tyger, also centred around Blake poetry and staged in '71 by the National Theatre Company, again using Mike Westbrook music. A considerable portion was reworked in Mitchell's 1977 tv-drama Glad Day, aired by Thames TV to commemorate Blake 150 years after his death.

William Blake (1757-1827) had visions as an infant, refused schooling, still could write and rhyme. He also wrote music which he performed for only a small circle of friends. All of the sheetmusic got lost. He published his own books, richly illustrated by his wife Catherine. As long as they lived they remained poor, excentric, uncool and politically dangerous. Blake hated kings, knights and priests, was prosecuted for insurgence but luckily escaped capital punishment. They say he died in the Lord, as a holy man, singing on his death bed, discribing the Heaven he entered.