The North Pole and the North West Passage represented two prizes which had long beckoned seafaring nations and Arctic explorers. The dream of reaching the North Pole was perhaps the greater prize, but experience soon taught that it would be the more difficult one to attain. Even if the Pole was reached it was of little practical use. Seemingly unattainable, it became a secondary prize. The North West Passage, in contrast, potentially had commercial value as a trade route across North America. As more of the North American continent was mapped however, it became clear that, even if the passage existed, it was of little use as a trade route. It nevertheless still beckoned explorers.
Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800's, the British Royal Navy entered the race. It was determined to claim one of the prizes - it would either be the first to reach the North Pole or the first to discover the North West Passage. A number of expeditions ventured into the North. Stories of the expeditions and the dangers faced by the explorers were detailed in books and newspaper accounts. Fueled by such accounts, the British public became enthralled with the North. Though all explorers encountered hardships, the successful completion of such voyages became routine. In 1845, still one more expedition sailed from England in search of the Passage. Sir John Franklin had been chosen to lead the party. Two ships, the Erebus and Terror, were expected to take the expedition through the still-undiscovered North West Passage to Alaska. Sailing with Franklin was a crew of 128 officers and men. The expedition never returned.
It was the disappearance of such a large party, as well as the epic search that followed, which created one of the greatest mysteries and sagas of Arctic exploration. Unfortunately for Franklin and his crew, neither the British public nor the Royal Navy had seriously considered failure as a possibility. It was not until 1848 that a search would even be organized and only in 1859 was sufficient evidence found to determine what had happened to the expedition. By that time there had been more than 50 expeditions launched in an attempt to find Franklin.
The Lord Franklin Group takes its name, not so much from the story of the Franklin expedition itself, but from the song Lord Franklin. Inspired by the lost expedition, the song has become something of a classic for followers of English folk music. Labels such as Green Linnet Records, Shanachie Records, Traveler Records, Rooster Records, and Philo Records have all released versions of the song. The group Pentangle and singer Martin Carthy have performed the song.
While the Lord Franklin Group is oriented toward folk music generally, Celtic and English folk music remain a special part of its repertoire. Four groups serve as the inspiration for much of the music: Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Steeleye Span, and Jethro Tull. Jethro Tull relied heavily on the songwriting, vocals, and flute playing of Ian Anderson. Fairport, Pentangle, and Steeleye Span combined the extraordinary playing of guitarists John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, and Richard Thompson with the singing of female vocalists Sandy Denny, Jacqui McShee, and Maddy Prior. Some of the artists who were members of these bands later would go on to solo careers. John Renbourn, of Pentangle, would form the John Renbourn Group. Sandy Denny and Richard and Linda Thompson of Fairport Convention, went on to perform on their own as did Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span. While strongly influenced by the English folk rock groups, the Lord Franklin Group does not perform English folk or Celtic music exclusively. Other musical influences include U.S. and Canadian artists or groups, such as Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, and Jefferson Airplane.
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