In this edition: Merv Davey, Julian Goodacre, Alan Rosevear, Sevenoaks, Brenda Wootton and Sue Aston.
Picture – Large round stones on Porth Nanven beach, Cornwall.
Today I am exploring Cornish music. It’s been a while since I did an exclusive in one of the Celtic nations. I love the music of Cornish bagpipes as you can see and hear in the Cornish music session. When I think of Cornish music I remember my introduction to it through the late Brenda Wootton,the band Dalla and Sue Aston. They all come to mind because they’re the artists that got me started. Cornish music continues to grow as you can see here.
If you want the biggest online music store devoted to Cornish music then you just visit http://www.kesson.com and EVERYTHING is there!
Cornish trad session
Cornish music session in the Barley Sheaf, Liskeard, Cornwall. ‘Coer Elath’ (Choir of Angels) is a traditional tune with additional parts composed by Merv Davey, seen here playing bagpipes.
Now for those who are wondering about the Cornish bagpipes, one of the commenter made a clarification:
The Cornish bagpipes are a traditional instrument in both Cornwall and Briezh. The oldest depictions of Cornish Bagpipes being played date from c.1400AD. The pipes have likely been played in Kernow/Cornwall for at least 2000 years. I am sorry to disappoint anyone who believes incorrectly that they are a recent invention or have been ‘made up’.-The Cornubian
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The Cornish Pipes:
Now it has a distinctive sound. More mellow and sonorous than the Scottish bagpipes or the uilleann pipes.Check out how it is being played! With two reeds. This tune is however a traditional English tune called Shepherd’s Hey. But you get the idea of what it sounds like. Anyone interested to learn the Cornish bagpipes?
Video info: Shepherds Hey; traditional English tune played by Julian Goodacre, played on Cornish double bagpipes in D
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Lamorna – a Cornish folk song
I have always been fascinated by the beauty of folk singing. Especially when sung without instrumentation. It gives you that soul of the song because it becomes intimate. The simplicity is what gives it a pleasure to sing. This is one beautiful song I would love to learn. I am posting the lyrics here and the video as performed by Alan Rosevear
LAMORNA
So now I’ll sing to you , it’s about a maiden fair,
I met the other evening at the corner of the square;
She had a dark and roving eye, and her hair was covered over,
We rowed all night in the pale moonlight
Way down to Lamorna.
(Chorus)
T’was down in Albert Square; I never shall forget,
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
And the evening it was wet, wet, wet;
And her hair hung down in curls
Her face was covered over,
We rowed all night in the pale moonlight
Way down to Lamorna.
As we got in the cab, I asked her for her name,
And when she gave it me, well with mine it was the same;
So I lifted up her veil, for her face was covered over;
To my surprise, it was my wife
I took down to Lamorna.
Cho
She said I know you know, I knew you all along,
I knew you in the dark, for I did it for a lark;
And for that lark you’ll pay, for the taking of your donna,
You’ll pay the fare, I do declare
Way down to Lamorna.
about the song:
A folk song popular in Cornwall. There are several candidates for where you could have a night of pleasure in Lamorna – Lamorna Cove near St Just is probably the most likely. Sung by Alan Rosevear in Exeter.
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Sweet Nightingale (Cornish folk song)
What an amazing tune. Especially that it is enhanced by natural sounds like the birds and rustling leaves and even an audience coughing. There lots of amazing Cornish talents. You just have to look.
According to Mark Potts who uploaded the video:
Recorded at the Eden Project in April 2007. I was in a local folk trio called “Sevenoaks”. The guitar arrangement was based on McCartney’s “Blackbird” style and I reference my source at the end of this piece! I’d forgotten what a lovely voice Charlie the singer had
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Brenda Wootton – The Trees They Are So High
What is Cornish Music without Brenda Wootton? This one is from the 1975 Sentinel album. A duet with Dennis Bartlet.
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The Home Coming by Sue Aston Celtic Music with Classical Twist from Cornwall
The Amazing Sue Aston closes our episode with The Home Coming. I made an interview with her when this site was new. That was memorable. makes me smile when I think of it. She has released a couple of album already and is very much active in the Cornish music scene these days. Visit http://www.sueaston.com
Also in this edition: Celtic Vampire novel Dark Dealings and Cherish the Ladies.
Celtic Music Fan asks Damien McCarron what it’s like to front a band called The Indulgers and to host a show called Mile High Celtic Hour.
They offer more than the rousing beats and electrical vibes. They are melodic and sophisticated musicians. The Indulgers play original Celtic Rock Music and they are synonymous with the word energy! So what type of sound(s) defines them?
They play Celtic/Western/Americana/Irish Rock music. They are based in Colorado USA, owing much of their music to the strong Irish/Scottish roots. Formed in 1998, the band are fronted by Damien McCarron who is originally from Dublin. He does the lead vocals and guitars. Now to go into specifics about their sound, think about it in terms of bands/solo artists like Waterboys, Horslips, Thin Lizzy, Christy Moore, Paul Brady, Spirit, Fleetwood Mac, Irish Trad and The Beatles.
The rest of the band are:
Mike Nile – Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica and Electronic Bagpipe Renee Fine – Fiddle/Violin Aaron Haywood – Bass Frannie (Cheech) Mannone – Drums
Guesting on occasion: Neale Heywood – Guitar Ryan Bunnell – Guitar
Damien McCarron also runs a show called The Mile High Celtic Hour (TradioV.com) which offers an hour of great Celtic tunes rockin’ or otherwise but never a dull moment! He always brings something new to every show and we will talk more of that here.
Damien joins me today for a quick chat. He is also our artist of the week!
I think the Indulgers are making music that lovers of melodic Celtic rock are looking for. What do you have in store for your listeners this 2013?
Hi Baxter,
I suppose I kind of have my hands full at the minute but I’m not alone as the Indulgers set out to release a new CD. There’s fourteen new songs and it’s more a collection than a concept CD although the theme of immigration does tend to seep into what I write with Mike. The track list includes both a softer side and some rockers.
Fast tunes or slow tunes: which one works best for you live?
The band feeds on energy but likes to change tempos and instrumentation throughout a show. There’s always time for a nice romantic styled song, but only just enough before we’d up the pace again. Each Indulger CD by tradition includes a instrumental piece featuring Renee on the fiddle and includes “fine” in the title, the lovely “Doin Fine” continues that aspect for this seventh album. The CD was mastered in LA by Howie Wineberg just this past week and will be ready to release in the next month or so.
We’re playing all these new songs live and in recent days rehearsing older material with a new arrangement or two, adding an little more electric guitar to the mix. Should be an interesting year with the new shiny CD at last. It’s been a little while since the last release, six years even, so hopefully folks remember our CD’s are a lifetime treasure and a must for every home.
You now have a weekly show called Mile High Celtic Hour and I always tune in because it is informative, fun and spontaneous. The video streaming is a great way to show music videos of the Celtic artists you are playing. How did MHCH came to be?
With Glen Hansard
The Mile High Celtic Hour was something I asked TardioV about hosting not too long after their launch. The concept of TV on the Net, streaming live from a real studio was something that I thought was brilliant. It’s also archived, which does no harm at all. The morning show host Matt Need endorsed the idea of Celtic Hour with the producer Trevor O’Connor. Matt comes form FM radio background and I had been a guest a few times on his previous FM show. Initially the producer had ,been looking for a country music host, so I pitched my idea.
What can we expect happening to MHCH in months to come?
We’re ten weeks into the show, well ten episodes, it’s a hour long and allows me to cover the Celtic music genre all the way to the edges and back, having guests is a fun aspect, and one guest the Celtic Caterer will continue to join us now and then as a running segment. Last show he lit a hogmanay cake on fire. Not the normal is likely what we’ll look for, but staying within the confines of the Celtic culture in general.
Can you tell us about your upcoming playlist on the show?
I’ve no idea what the next playlist for the show will be, it’s an ongoing dig of all thing’s I come across and think, that’s pretty show like, there is no overall plan, except to be aware of the theme that might expose itself as I try to capture good content. I’d imagine I might get a better plan as I settle into the idea that every Thursday morning it’s a blank sheet.
You came from Ireland. How has Irish American music changed so far since you first arrived?
I’m twenty years in America, so the music has changed. In Celtic circles the genre is multi-layered in a way that’s so far from the purity of the past it’s not even talked about anymore. Celtic rock has established itself as a genre gaining slots in major festivals where as back in 1998 that was “never going to happen”. At the same time there’s also a huge amount of “punk” ballad/cover bands now too which seem to have replaced the actual solo ballad singer in the pubs. Session music in Colorado is at the strongest it’s ever been and I think it’s fair to say every band is touring so there’s more to see than ever too.
It’s all good.
From the state of Colorado, The Indulgers with a new song “The Cure”. “Won’t you try a taste of medicine” The legalization of MMJ has led to many a new store front. So here’s a few to the sounds of a new song.
For a limited time—DARK DEALINGS is on sale for $0.99 for Kindle! This is until end of year. Yes I read the book and I really love the story! I asked author Karen Victoria Smith about the sequel and she hopes to have next book ready for May release next year. For those who don’t know yet, this is a great read. The first of its kind. I have been searching for years for a story that will bridge my love for vampires and Celtic culture and Dark Dealings and its upcoming follow up revolve around these themes.
Featured Video: Cherish the Ladies, Celtic Christmas medley with Irish Dancing
They are part of the amazing album Together for Christmas(Various artists).
Members of the Celtic band “Cherish the Ladies” perform a medley of Celtic Christmas tunes live in the witf Performance Studio, with Irish dancing by Michael Holland, 2-time All-Ireland National Champion Irish Dancer.
This one goes to the fallen ones who are not spending what we call an ideal image of Christmas.
I know this is the season to be Merry. Yes I tried as much as I can to stay true to the spirit by having my Christmas Eve spent with family members and the practice of austerity. This greeting and salutation go to all my friends who are listeners and to the musicians themselves who made this page colorful, and without whom The Celtic Music Fan would not exist.
My heart goes to the FALLEN ones who are not celebrating Christmas like anyone else. These are those who are either spending their days contemplating the loss of loved ones due to tragedies or to circumstances beyond their control. My heart goes to you. Be aware that you are not alone. I too have my share of sad moments. And though I am not articulating them in this page we are all sharing the same paths in this crazy thing called life.
I think it is time to let go of what binds you. For when you feel anger and pain then change will never happen. It is time to close the door and let another one open. I think 2013 is a good year for us. It is a year of change and opportunities. Yes pain is great but love is also powerful and I think it is the one thing that can save us. For someone who has probably undergone so many let downs, disappointments and insane situations, I have become more patient and self-reliant. I will hold on the what gives me fulfillment, balance and clarity. Blogging has done this. And it is through the thought that I am speaking to each one of you, getting into your hearts and thoughts whatever part of the world you maybe, this is enough for me.
Honestly I didn’t know how to continue after my first sentence above because it seems fake. It seems pretentious to be pleasant and just talk about music when the world is falling to pieces. Music is what gives us joy and strength to go on. Without music and the humanity inside it then life would be mechanical. I believe musicians don’t just make music for themselves. They make music as a way to reach out to people. To touch strangers all over the world. And this is part of our humanity. Wither we like it or not, we are all connected. I feel your sadness as you feel mine.
With this year coming to a close and a new one beginning, I implore you to be more giving, more open, more sympathetic because we don’t know if the strangers we meet along the way are walking wounded or hollowed inside brought about by the chunks of wood in which we crucify people:WORDS. Or they must have experienced tragedy which you are not aware of .
Let us help one another to be more human. Thank you for your continued support and I promise to bring you more music news and love. Cheers!
Celtic music…what do you think will happen and how social networking can influence your ways of getting heard.
Featuring: interviews with Enda Seery and Calum Stewart. Featured performances: Enda Seery, Calum STEWART & Heikki BOURGAULT, bands and a documentary.
As 2012 draws to a close, 2013 promises to be more exciting with the arrival of new albums. There are new bands out there who will probably reach our awareness next year. But these young people are fierce. They are armed with both the musical knowledge and tech savvy necessary in getting their music heard.
With technology you have the power to make anything possible. But one must be aware that competition is all around. This is due to the sheer volume of music being released day after day. You have to work twice as hard than before. There are musicians who became friends and I found that without being ‘involved’ socially then nothing can really come out of one’s effort.
Whither we like it or not, music is a social activity. You don’t write music for your own personal enjoyment. Whoever argues with this please raise your hand. Because I don’t believe in such a thing. Artists write music to be heard. If you think otherwise then you have to ask yourself if you are in the right business. With that said let me get into the main course which is of course music.
Enda Seery and A New Album Next Year
Enda Seery is working on a second album which will be released next year. I am looking forward to it because I love the way he plays. He has that style of playing that is hard to find these days. I’ve had many pleasures interviewing and featuring his works. Right now, he is busy doing interactive teaching. He is also working on other projects. His cousin Colin Nea also released and album this year and he is supporting the album. I got questions about his new album. He answers them as best as he can. But before that, take a listen to this track!
An Luradán/Santa Cruz/Only for Barney (Jigs)
Final Performance for Masters in Traditional Irish Music Performance
Enda Seery-Sindt D whistle
Tom Delany-guitar
An Luradán composed by Junior Crehan
Santa Cruz composed by Enda Seery
Only for Barney composed by Josephine Keegan
Recorded live at Theatre at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, September 11th 2012
Recording Engineer: Niall Keegan
Here is another version of the track above without the talking in the intro. For those who just like the music. In my case I like them all. Just saying 😉
Enda Seery talks about the upcoming album
How’s the second album doing?
Second album is coming along quite well. This is a big release for me with two years and a bit since The Winding Clock release and music being more or less my career now. Recording is finished. At the mixing and editing stage now and all the other details that come with releasing an album. Check out my blogs on tradconnect. Oh by the way, the album will be called ‘Síocháin na Tuaithe’ (Peace of the Countryside)!
You will be doing vocals in two of these tracks. This will be the first time I will hear you sing. Were you nervous?
Not that nervous to be honest but I suppose a little. I have been singing a while since being in my family’s céilí and pub band we had many years ago. I enjoyed recording the vocals in studio but singing live will be a different matter altogether! I spend so much time composing and researching other instrumental and dance tunes that I forget about looking for songs so this will have to change.
What can we expect on the second album?
Well more of my compositions will be included. Nearly 10 in total between jigs, reels, hornpipes and slow pieces. A good bit of material and new tunes was got from my time on the Masters in Trad Performance course at University of Limerick. I had an absolutely brilliant year there. Also some duet and trio tracks will be on the new album with some great musicians I met in Limerick. I have expanded the repertoire on this album too as to not focus entirely on jigs and reels. I suppose the big change will be the songs and also the flute tracks along with my regular whistle playing tracks.
Ahoy! can’t wait to get my hands on that new album next year!
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Calum STEWART & Heikki BOURGAULT – “L’heure avant l’Aube”
I had a pleasure putting Calum Stewart as part of my featured artist of the week. It is also amazing to see his project with Breton artist Heikki Bourgault take off. Calum drops by for a little chat about the video. Cool guy. But before reading that, check this video out.
Published on Dec 18, 2012
“L’heure avant l’Aube”
trad / Calum Stewart – arrangements Calum Stewart & Heikki Bourgault
Can you tell us the whole experience making this video?
We recorded this video in an amazing venue, called Amzer Nevez: Near Lorient, in Brittany. It’s a venue strongly associated with Breton music, and the promotion of the Breton language, dance and song.
Can you give us a little background about this track?
The track is a set of 2 reels. The first I picked up while in Belfast, Ireland. It’s normally played a little more layed back than the way we do it: but we like this groove with the 2nd reel. The 2nd was written at 4.30am during the amazing Shetland Folk Festival: “L’heure avant l’haube” (The hour before dawn)!
What’s upcoming for Calum STEWART & Heikki BOURGAULT this 2013?
2012 has been a really busy year for the duo, and we’ll keep things moving in 2013. We are working on an album release for late 2013, which features a new repertoire. It’s always great to move onto new ground and keep things fresh!
Hmm late 2013 seems like a long time when you think about the sheer artistry of these two! But yes let us enjoy the current repertoire and let the music enrich our souls.
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Featured trad video:The Steeple Session withConal Ó Grada, Dave Sheridan, Benny McCarthy and Colm Murphy
A nod to the past:
These songs appeared in my facebook status after fever hit me. I was getting all nostalgic and these bands and artists popped in my head . I realized that they are like anchor to the new bands I feature week after week and it is always great to look back and realize how music has evolved through the years.
Originating from Argyll, a region of western Scotland it’s Capercaillie with Waiting For The Wheel To Turn from LP Delirium (1991)
Karen Matheson — Vocals
Charlie McKerron — Fiddle
Manus Lunny — Bouzouki, guitar
Michael McGoldrick — Flute, whistle, Uilleann pipes
Donald Shaw — Keyboards, accordion
Ewen Vernal — Bass
Che Beresford — Drums
David “Chimp” Robertson — Percussion
“Coisich, A Rùin (Come On, My Love)”actually made it to the UK top 40 …lyrics in Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)
I still listen to ” Hi How Are You Today” by Cape Breton artist Ashley MacIsaac.In this track he is joined by Mary Jane Lammond singing in Cape Breton Gaelic. One of the reasons why I want to see the East Coast of Canada one day.
From Brittany…beautiful place fin the North west of France ..The father of Celtic harp music Alan Stivell.
Also from Brittany Cecile Corbel. At 18, she went to Paris to study archeology, still dreaming of music. Concert after concert in Parisian pubs and cafes, she self-produced her album Songbook 1, soon noticed by the label Keltia Musique (Sinead O’Connor, Loreena McKennit).
From Manitoba Canada, Loreena McKennitt studied to be a veterinarian but Celtic music took her away.
And…last Clannad and Bono of U2: From the album Macalla which is Irish Gaelic for Echo. I think this is really cool in a sense that it’s the first time fans of New Wave music and Irish music got together in the mid 80s to cheer for this amazing song.
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Irish Folk Music Revival – Documentary (90mins)
I took down notes while watching this documentary. For those who think it is long, I list down the names of speakers and artists who appeared in chronological order…These are very familiar names that are in this documentary:
Ronnie Drew speaks(he appears all over), Bob Geldof(he also appears all throughout) the voice of Eamon Devalera, writer John Waters, Martin Hayes (also appearing many times),Paddy Moloney,….. watch the part around 7:15 ,Willie Clancy,Anne Briggs,Johnny Moynihan,Philip Chevron of the Pogues,Teada,Eamon Carr of Horslips,
writers:Brendan Behan appears with Patrick Kavanaghand Flann O’Brien, Paddy Glackin,The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem…
Sean Limmas, writer Joe Kennedy, The Dubliners, Christy Moore,Pecker Dunne,Sean O’Riada who added the orchestral movement to trad music in the mid 60s…
Johnny Moynihan, Donal Lunny and around 1968, the Troubles.
Terry Woods ofSweeney’s Men,Andy Irvine..this is the period when the bouzouki was introduced in Irish music….
Planxty, journalist Peter Lennon, ..the 70s was sweeped by the Planxty phenomenon, then Horslips happened in the mid 70s, Thin Lizzy followed, Then The Chieftains, Clannad, DeDannan and the rest…The Bothy Band took where Planxty left off, Paddy Glackin..
The 80s where irish music became prominent brought by the popularity The Boomtown Rats, U2 etc.
The Pogues, Neil Hannon of The Devine Comedy comments,the difference being London Irish and Irish Irish, Kristy Mccoll,
Then..the birth of Celtic Music spearheaded by Clannad through the evolution of their sound in the mid 80s…oh goosebumps!Maire Brennan appears in a clip. Also the lil bit about the Brennans.
Then came the 90s happened with sound clip from Sinead O’Connor,Mary Black, The Sharron Shannon Band,the rise of Irish women!
In the 2000s with Michael Flatley, Riverdance, Damien Dempsey the documentary closes with Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill playing a tune.
I hope you enjoyed this post as I did writing it..even during my fever. I am working on another interview article and more music.
Also in this edition: Fading Like The Sun by Slim, Hint by The Bombadils,a Christmas tune by Sarah Frank(fiddle)/ Gwen Bergman(Celtic harp) and The cover artwork of The Court of Equity.
“Most definitely artists get writers block. I have a lot of it. I think sometimes to overcome that obstacle you may have to try different techniques. Sometimes you just need to go see another artist play that you enjoy or that is better than you and you can become inspired again.”
Waking up one day and realizing you have nothing to write. You keep squeezing what’s left of your creativity but for some reason it isn’t there.
I have been having this on and off conversation with Canadian singer songwriter Tristan Legg. We sort of started this thread and fill it out when we are not doing anything on the side. This thread is weeks old but we keep at it and it is finally ready to be read by everyone. It is surprising when you just hang out and ask really random stuff without the pressure of a deadline.
Tristan answered as honestly as he can. And this interview article my friends is really an interesting thing to read. It is about what makes a song amazing and how you keep being inspired. Tristan addressed these questions which other artists can also learn from. The first part is a brief bio he wrote. Then I decided to ask more questions. Enjoy!
A Brief bio:
I’ll give my best shot at this but no promises and since you think Canadians are great I’ll try not to mess up that rep either, hahahaa.
I grew up in small town in Nova Scotia called Middle Musquodoboit on a mixed farm where i got a real understanding what hard work is and what is meant to do something you love and not doing something for the money.
My Parents are from England, so I grew up listening to a lot of Beatles, Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly and my dad. He played guitar and sang in a band for 13 years in England and always had a great ear for music and singing.
My parents have had a huge impact on my life for they are the ones who got me to join the High School music program, pushed me to do well in a good way, paid for private lessons, drove me to many shows, band rehearsals and never said I should look at doing something else for a career.
I’ll tell you one story that has stuck with me. My mum and dad sat me down and ask if I really wanted to do music after high school, I said “yes of course” then dad said “I’ve done this for many years and you’re gonna have really bad nights but your also gonna have some great ones too, and you probably be just as poor as you would be at farming, you may or may not make it but if it’s what you love then we will support you”
…To which I responded “Hey if I’m gonna be just as poor in music as I could be farming doing something I love then I’ll take the chance, plus getting paid to play music and drink on the job sounded better than early mornings feeding stock and busting my hump”
I studied trumpet in high school and did two years at ST FX University in Antigonish studying jazz music and playing jazz.
After leaving St FX, I moved to Halifax to try to figure out my life as most students do. I eventually started playing open mics and busking while holding down a full-time job. After some time I meet a few fellow musicians and we started a group which consisted of guitar, fiddle and stand up bass. We played a lot of bars and private gigs but eventually parted ways. This is where things got real fun as I started hiring different musicians to play with me to cover the gigs I had. In doing so I got to play with the best musicians in Halifax from Darren McMullen, Roger Stone , John Ferguson, Anthony Rissesco, Fluer Mainview, Dave MacIssac, Rosie Mackenzie and many others.
In doing this, it gave me a great name among musicians and it made me step up my game since I didn’t want to look like a fool in front of these guys.
Since then I have expanded the amount of venues I play and the amount of show in a year. I now have Bruce Timmins (guitar) and Shane Timmins (bass) in my group which is a God sent since these two know how to play and are stand up guys to be around.
I’m now in the process of trying to get more original material together and the courage to play it!! Hahaha. I still have a part-time job three days a week and the greatest boss who is very understanding about the whole music thing and has made a lot of this possible with the work scheduling.
Some days I get frustrated with the music/bar scene and have those “bad nights” my dad warned me about but when I calm down and put it into perspective, I’m a very lucky 27-year-old. I work a part-time job that is fun and works with what I love, my bills are paid.
I have the support of family, girlfriend and friends, I make most of my living doing what I love, which is playing music and not many people get that chance in life, so I’m grateful. Plus when you have that one great night of playing music, when everything feels surreal, perfect and you connect/feel more to the music then anything else in your life, that’s what makes it worth all those bad nights and keeps you striving to get back to that feeling every time you play.
As for my music taste, I love a lot of music and genres from blues, rock, country, folk to Celtic and Jazz.
I don’t have a favorite artist as I believe everyone I listen to brings something different and unique to the table.
But some artist that do listen to or have made an impression on me are the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Matt Andersen, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Roger Stone, Chris Thile, Miles Davis, My Father (Ambrose Legg) Blue Rodeo, Christy Moore, Nirvana, Dispatch, Bill Evans, Flogging Molly, Jimmy Hendrix and Stan Rogers.
I do enjoy good instrumental players but I really enjoy great singers that can sing a song with passion and depth in such a way that you think they bleed talent and soul.
I’m looking at doing my debut CD this winter if everything’s aligns right for me.
Also this October, I won an open mic competition for a $1000 and will be donating this money to my former High School to their music program to send students to jazz camps in the summer which I attended when I was in high school.
Will you be doing a couple of Irish/Scottish ballads in your album when it finally comes out?
I hope to do a real mix of songs/genres on the album but I’m still choosing at this point.
What can you remember about memorable jams with other musicians you have collaborated on live shows in the past?
I’ve had a few great musical moments.
One that sounds out is a concert we put on at St. Andrews church in Halifax and it featured my self and John Bogardus on fiddle, Dave Bradshaw on guitar and Darren McMullen on mandolin.
The concert went amazing but at the end we played this huge slew on tunes at a break neck speed, it was great it just kept getting faster & faster, building in tension, pushing the limits, and the you could sense the crowd feeding off every note and the energy was huge, when we finished the place just erupted into cheers and applause.
Other time I was playing a pub gig with two friends and we decided to end the night with a set of tunes on the fly, which turned into much of the same thing as the story b4 expect there was dancing and cheering as we played.
When we finished I was so hyped up I put earphones on, listen to this one song by Dolores Keane called “Ballyroan” (a favorite) packed up my gear and left without saying a word. I was on such a musical height that I didn’t want to say a word or talk with anybody. I just wanted to enjoy that moment of perfect peace and music.
The last musical experience was quite recent was when I played a gig with a buddy that was in a jam for a guitar player for a Nov 11 gig at the old folks home.
He asked early in the week if I knew a song called “Green Fields of France” which was one of my personal favorites but I never played it in public and it’s one of the few songs I remember my father playing when I was young. It’s a very sad song full of raw emotion about war and the tragedies that goes with it.
I started playing this song and a total hush fell over the room and about half way through the song I could see some of the seniors who probably served in the war or were a child back then either smile, have a tear in their eye or were full on crying.
Some left, others stayed but I could feel the emotion in the room and in that the moment I almost couldn’t get through the song because I started to get teary- eyed myself but I managed to hold on and finish the song and had several young people say great job but I had one older lady come up whom I knew and requested that I don’t play any more sad songs.
I wasn’t offended at all by this request as I knew it had caused some people to feel uncomfortable but to me that whole moment was magical because it showed just how much a song could affect a persons emotions and bring back either happy, sad or horrible memory’s even within my self and that to me is the true power or music.
To repeat a quote that I read that would sum this up nicely “Where words fail, music speaks.”
What makes a song amazing? I know people will say it is a combination of music and lyrics but being a singer/songwriter yourself, what is it about a song that takes your breath away?
It is true what people say, that it is a combination of the song and lyrics that catches a person attention or makes a song amazing but that’s not all of it.
You could have five different people play the same song separately in one room to an audience, but only one person’s version will be the one that people remember or steals the show so to speak.
Some of this is due to practice, key of song relative to person’s voice, style, but I think the most important reason is the presentation of the song. I find the more you study a song (lyrics, melody, playing a story line in your head to the lyrics/song) the more connected you are to it, the more you can put your body and soul into a song and commit your self.
If you were to go on you tube and search a song cover and listen to 10 different people I bet only 2 or 3 will really resonate with you and that I think the above reason is why.
There has been many songs in the music industry that people have written that was never made a hit until other artist performed it and then it is a hit. It’s all about presentation of the song.
It’s like if you go to two different restaurants and order meat, potato’s and vegetables, both taste exactly the same, now some restaurants will just throw it altogether on a plate and serve it to you. But the better ones will arrange the three ingredients into a nice presentation so instantly you are wowed by look of the plate and fact that it tastes great as well is a bonus, which one are you gonna remember more?
Also lyrics and the melody are very important to me they are like the spices that go into a great dinner, that make the difference between an ok meal and a great meal.
A good melody is important because that is what people will hum even if they don’t know the lyrics but lyrics are just as important as they are what can make a true connection to people as they may relate to what the song writer is saying or make those lyrics relate to their situation.
The are folk and traditional musicians making a crossover to mainstream audience. Do you see yourself making the same venture in the future?
I not really sure if I will be making that transfer myself to be honest.
Musicians can make a choice of what they play but if they really love playing a style or type of music and that’s what they decide to do, then the musician really doesn’t make the choice of crossing over to mainstream.
It’s more like if the audience likes/loves what the musician(s) is doing then they will make that musician/style mainstream just by popularity alone, and popularity means more gigs to follow, more money and eventually some body with more power or sway will make them main stream.
Thanks! There comes a time in an artist’s life when creative block happens. It could be boredom or anything. How do you continue being passionate with what you do. Any advice?
Most definitely artists get writers block. I have a lot of it.
I think sometimes to overcome that obstacle you may have to try different techniques.
Sometimes you just need to go see another artist play that you enjoy or that is better than you and you can become inspired again.
You can also listen to records of old and new materials, either of your own stuff recorded but not finished ideas or that of other artists songs and you may find a line, lick or chord progression that catches you or a spin-off ideas and then build something from that.
Other times it’s best to just walk away from writing, playing singing and just give your mind a rest and sometimes you may find it will work its way on its own, and your come back refreshed and ready to go back at it.
Some people treat it like a job, get up in the morning and start at 9am and don’t come out till 5pm and just work at a song/ idea/ anything until they have something even if it’s not great but you just force yourself to work through it.
A change in environment I find is a great one, going to the cabin for a weekend, friends, family’s place and just being somewhere else can spur ideas and get you to write because I find you can become to comfortable in your regular environment and complacent and maybe unmotivated.
Also, I find it hard to write sometimes because I try to hold myself to writing songs that are great because I play great cover songs that have sold millions but in reality, you have to maybe write 10 songs and you may find one out of those 10 that is decent and I’m sure the popular artists have much of the same issue but we don’t get to see that part because we only see the finished product, which to us seems well polished, put together and prefect with little or no effort.
Gallery:
Bluegrass jam with Luke Fraser of The Bombadils (right)
Bluegrass jam with Luke Fraser of The Bombadils (right)
A few months ago I reviewed Gallows Tree Tales. It’s an amazing album that’s steeped with Celtic rock tunes. Yesterday, Slim updated his site and posted this amazing tune. There are two versions of this song. One is a fast one and what you will hear is the piano version. A guitarist by training, he managed to play the piano in this track…and as always his beautiful voice is the warm blood of the song.
So what’s this song’s all about?
According to Slim: ” It’s about these guys who tried to climb the north face of Mount Eiger in Switzerland in 1936 and failed! Amazing story though. And it’s also a song about friendship.”
I hope you enjoy this tune as much as I do and I am listening to it right now while writing this article.
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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
by Sarah Frank(fiddle) and Gwen Bergman(Celtic harp)
What is this issue without at least one Christmas tune? And what wonderful tune this is!
Here is Sarah Frank of The Bombadils with her friend Gwen. I love the way their voices blend and that harp is exquisite.
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The Bombadils – Hint
These Canadian musicians make music that’s both magical and challenging. They draw their influencess from classical, jazz, Celtic and folk.
Original tune written by bass player, Evan Stewart. Filmed and recorded by Denis Martin.
Scottish band The Court of Equity are releasing an album and this is how the album cover looks like. The band’s music is inspired by the compositions of Robert Burns. They will also include original tunes. My big thanks to Douglas McQueen Hunter for sending me the album cover in advanced so I can post it here.
Drawing on more than twenty years of experience in the Scottish music industry, ‘The Court of Equity’ incorporate descriptions, tales and original musical arrangements to the songs and music of Robert Burns.
The band perform many of their own compositions and many of Burns’s best loved songs as well as pieces less well known: The Deils Awa’ Wi’ the Exciseman, Tibbie Fowler, Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie, My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose, Will ye go to the Indies my Mary, My Bonnie Mary, McPherson’s Farewell, etc …
Celtic Music Fan 