Maria was a traditional unaccompanied singer who also, very occasionally, played concertina.  She enjoyed all aspects of folk, folklore, nature and the environment.  She loved to be in the middle of a group of people when at a really good 'sing' at gatherings and festivals and was well known within the folk community.

​

She also became a highly regarded songwriter who wrote songs about local legends and the natural world.  The first of her own songs that she sang out was 'The Long Man' (track 6 of her album 'Moon Goddess') which concerned the legends surrounding the well-known Sussex landmark.  Another legendary song on her Moon Goddess album was 'Mad Jack' (track 10) which detailed some of the doings of Jack Fuller, the eccentric Georgian Squire.  Her song 'Green Man' (track 2 on the album 'Life Force') is considered an anthem for the Jack-in -the-Green festival in Hastings.  Maria was asked to write a song to commemorate the loss of The Mary Stanford lifeboat in Rye harbour, which she duly did.  (Track 8 on the Life Force album.)  Her bell ringing song 'Ringing the Changes' (track 13 on Moon Goddess) saw her trying her own hand at ringing the bells in a church in Hastings.  Her much loved and often covered song 'Gargoyles' (track 8 on Moon Goddess) is a haunting tribute to the gargoyles and grotesques we can all see on churches and other architecture.  Maria's own notes about the songs are included in the relevant album pages.

​

Unfortunately, not all of her songs were recorded and she didn't write manuscript.  In addition, her 'free' style makes it quite hard to get the notes on the page!  If you didn't ever have the opportunity to hear her sing live, please do listen to the MP3's of her singing them.

​

Maria's musical tastes were wide ranging and in her later years she also sang with her daughter Jenny in a community choir in Lewes called 'Angels With Attitude'.