A Basket of Pentangle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jacqui McShee

With her lovely, crystal-clear voice and keen interest in traditional music, Jacqueline "Jacqui" McShee was the perfect interpreter for Pentangle's rendition of folk classics, as well as their own material. In fact, she met John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, the band's guitarists and main composers, when running a folk club at the Red Lion pub in Sutton (Surrey).

The remaining options are all great female singers. Christine McVie sings and plays keyboards in Fleetwood Mac; Grace Slick was the iconic vocalist of San Francisco psychedelic rockers Jefferson Airplane, and Kate Bush is a renowned English solo artist.

Answer: a five-pointed star

Pentangle, pentacle and pentagram are all words denoting a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. The shape has been used as a symbol by many religions; it also refers to the device on Sir Gawain's shield in the Middle English poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", a literary work in which guitarist John Renbourn was keenly interested.

The name was also chosen to represent the five members in the band, and appears on the cover of Pentangle's second album, "Sweet Child" (1968).

Answer: 1967

Most of Pentangle's original members had already a thriving career when they decided to put the band together. John Renbourn and Bert Jansch had several albums to their credit, while double bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox were established jazz musicians.

In early 1967, Renbourn and Jansch, often joined by Jacqui McShee on vocals, started playing at a Sunday night club held at a hotel in central London. A few months later, Thompson and Cox became officially part of the band, and Pentangle were born.

Answer: Royal Festival Hall

The Royal Festival Hall is a Grade I listed building located on the banks of the Thames, within walking distance of Waterloo railway station. It was built for London City Council as part of the national exhibition known as Festival of Britain, and inaugurated in May 1951. The Royal Festival Hall can seat 2,500 people, and hosts concerts, talks and dance performances in its various spaces. Pentangle's first gig, on 27 May, 1967, was sold out, leading to more opportunities for performing live, and, eventually, a contract with Transatlantic Records.

The other three choices are all famous London venues, though none of them is located on the South Bank.

Answer: Victoria

Danny Thompson has been a highly sought-after sessionman for over 50 years, and his work can be heard on albums such as Kate Bush's "The Dreaming" and "Hounds of Love", Peter Gabriel's "Up" and Talk Talk's "The Colour of Spring" and "Spirit of Eden". "Victoria" is a 19th-century, French-built double bass that he bought secondhand in the early '60s.

It has been Thompson's only instrument for most of his decades-long career, though in 2007 he started using another instrument, christened "Alfie", for international tours.

Answer: thyme

Pentangle's debut album (the only one where the band is named "The Pentangle") was released in June 1968. "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" is a traditional ballad of the British Isles (first documented in the late 17th century) that uses botanical imagery to warn girls away from false lovers. It is also known by the titles of "Maiden's Lament", "The Seeds of Love" and "Rue".

Answer: Light Flight

Widely considered the band's masterpiece, "Basket of Light" reached Number Five on the UK charts, while the single "Light Flight" (written by Jacqui McShee) reached Number 43. The series "Take Three Girls", about three young women sharing a flat in the swinging London of the late Sixties, was broadcast by BBC1 between 1969 and 1971.

The remaining three options are all well-known songs released in 1969: "A Salty Dog" by Procol Harum, "Come Together" by The Beatles, and "Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Answer: Cruel Sister

"Cruel Sister" is a medieval folk ballad about two sisters in love with the same man. The eldest of the two drowns her younger sister, but the latter's body is found by travelling minstrels, who make a harp with her bones and hair. When they are invited to play at the court of the girls' father, the harp begins to play alone, revealing the crime. The prose version of this tale is known as "The Singing Bone". Loreena McKennitt's "The Bonny Swans" and Clannad's "Two Sisters" are based on the same tale. Pentangle's album, released in 1970, was the first of the band's albums that involved the use of electric instruments.

The remaining choices are also song titles: "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits, "Blood Brothers" by Iron Maiden, and "Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves" by Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin.

Answer: Solomon's Seal

Released in 1972, "Solomon's Seal", like the band's previous albums, featured both traditional material and music written by band members or other artists. The title refers to the Seal of Solomon, a mythical signet ring with magical powers attributed by Jewish medieval tradition to King Solomon, and often identified with the five-pointed star (pentangle) that gave its name to the band. Unfortunately, Pentangle split a few months later, following Bert Jansch's departure in early 1973.

The remaining options are all defining albums of the British folk-rock genre, released in the late '60s or early '70s: "Liege and Lief" by Fairport Convention, "Below the Salt" by Steeleye Span, and "Stormcock" by Roy Harper.

Answer: Bert Jansch passed away

When Pentangle reformed in 2011, Bert Jansch was already suffering from throat cancer, and died in October 2011. Sadly, John Renbourn also passed away from a heart attack in March 2015. Jacqui McShee's Pentangle, formed in 1995 by the singer and her husband, drummer Gerry Conway, are still active to this day. Conway is also a member of Fairport Convention, and played with Jethro Tull in the '80s.