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Performance TitleDonovan - The Awakening Sonnets - 'Sonnets of Donovan'
Performance Date15 January 1967
Performance DaySunday
Performance Time19:30
Main PerformersDonovan - vocal, guitar
Secondary PerformersValli Myers - dancer,
John Cameron - harpsichord
Orchestra or BandJohn Cameron Orchestra
ConductorsJohn Cameron
Set List'Lay of The Last Tinker' (Donovan),
'Sand and Foam' (Donovan),
'Guinevere' (Donovan, John Cameron),
'Young Girl Blues' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Bleak City Woman' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'The Observation' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Preachin' Love' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Sunny Goodge Street' (Donovan),
'Sunshine Superman' (Donovan)
INTERVAL
'The Tinker and The Crab' (Donovan),
'Voyage Into The Golden Screen' (Donovan),
'To Try for The Sun' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Hampstead Incident' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Writer In The Sun' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Summer Day Reflection Song' (Donovan, Valli Myers),
'Legend of A Girl Child Linda' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra),
'Isle of Islay' (Donovan),
'Season of The Witch' (Donovan, John Cameron Orchestra, Valli Myers),
'Mellow Yellow'
ENCORE
'Bert's Blues'
Performance NotesDonovan's debut Royal Albert Hall performance.

The concert was sold-out.

This was a landmark concert for Donovan, who had previously performed at smaller venues in Great Britain. It also marked Donovan's transition from straight folk artist to psychedelic performer. There had been earlier concerts indicating Donovan's change of approach and direction but these tended to have taken place in America.

Donovan was dressed in a yellow silk Chinese-style shirt, red trousers and flat white shoes. For the seconds half of the performance he changed into a colourfully embroidered black cloak. Between 'Guinevere' and 'Young Girl Blues', slides were projected onto a screen behind Donovan.

George Harrison and Paul McCartney were in the audience. Donovan was a friend to The Beatles, particularly McCartney. He had been present during the writing of 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Eleanor Rigby', and had suggested the line "Sky of blue and sea of green". In 1968 he studied Transcendental Meditation alongside The Beatles in India.
Related Archival MaterialProgramme (RAHE/1/1967/7)
URLhttps://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/LB1Lf0pLf5d5na
Catalogue
Reference NumberTitleDate
RAHE/1/1967/7Donovan - The Awakening Sonnets - 'Sonnets of Donovan'15 January 1967
Work
Ref NoTitleNo of Performances
IsytekikepiepDonovan - The Awakening Sonnets - 'Sonnets of Donovan'1
Performers
CodeName of Performer(s)
DS/UK/4345Donovan (10 May 1946); Scottish singer songwriter and guitarist
DS/UK/16445Myers; Vali (1930-2003); Australian artist, dancer
DS/UK/16446Cameron; John (1944-); British composer, arranger, conductor, musician
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