|
1 sweet thames
flow softly (e. maccoll)
MacColl wrote Sweet
Thames for a radio program in which Romeo and Juliet is set in London.
We were attracted to the song's imagery and beautiful melody. Shannon
learned the reel at the end in Ennis. We think it's called "The Sailor
on the Rock."
2 i'm thinking,
ever thinking (traditional)
Beth learned this
one from Scottish singer Kirsty Potts at a session in Miltown Malbay (thanks
to Kirsty for writing the words down at Shannon Airport!). The tune in
the middle is Junior Crehan's "The Golden Castle," which Shannon
learned at a Chicago Fleadh from a (then) young fiddle player named Emily.
3 down
the broom, reel of rio (traditional) trip to herve's (m. mcgoldrick)
Shannon learned the
first tune from the lads at Chicago's Irish American Heritage Center,
the "Reel of Rio" from fiddle player Marianne Gardiner and Michael
McGoldrick's great tune "Trip to Herve's" at sessions in Galway.
4 the
elusive waitress (m. heaton), juberlane (n. crowley)
Matthew wrote the
"Elusive Waitress" after an exasperating evening at a pub --
we got our first pints from a most cheerful waitress who then disappeared
for the rest of the night. The song is from Sam Henry's Songs of the People.
The first two verses were written by Nellie Crowley, the last verse and
the melody are Beth's.
|
5 one
last cold kiss (traditional)
Although our arrangement
is new, we learned this song from a 1978 recording by Christy Moore, Donal
Lunny, and Jimmy Faulkner. We understand it is also on Christy's new album.
Great minds...
6 muldoon,
the solid man (e. harrigan)
this is the first
song Beth learned in Ireland from Fermanagh singer Rosie Stewart. Harrigan
wrote "Muldoon" in New York, but it has been absorbed into the
tradition, traveling across the Atlantic and back since its first performance
in 1874. Originally a comic song, Rosie sings it straight and so does
Beth.
7 apples
in winter (traditional), dusty windowsills (j. harling), astor's box (s.
heaton)
Shannon originally
learned this first jig as a 4-part tune, but got into the habit of playing
just the first 2 parts with the Last Night's Fun folks in Denver. The
Dusty Windowsills is a Chicago session favorite. And Shannon wrote the
last tune for her cat Astor, who always seemed like he'd be an accordion
player if he were to choose an instrument.
8 by the
hush (traditional)
Another song Beth
learned from Rosie Stewart, the original first line and title Bi i
do host (be quiet) has been translated from the Irish. Shannon learned
the reel in the middle in Milwaukee from a young Francis McPeake who had
had a mouthful of chips just before starting the tune! For this recording,
she left out the chips.
|
9 green
grow the laurels (traditional)
This song has found
a place in both the American and Irish traditions. Textually, our interpretation
of the symbols in the song are based in an historical context, where green
laurels represent Ireland and red, white, and blue signify the USA. Laurels
have also been used to symbolize faithfulness. Musically, the intro and
interludes are a rhythmic transformation of a tune we learned from the
playing of Eliza Carthy and Nancy Kerr.
10 the
small girl, frog in galway (m. heaton)
Matthew wrote these
tunes as a gift to Shannon on the occasion of their first trip to Ireland
together. The guitar part is inspired by the playing of Dennis Cahill.
11 the
leaving of liverpool (traditional)
Beth first heard
this song performed at a pub concert in Killarney. After the band finished
playing, a fight erupted and two young men were literally thrown out on
the street. Hopefully our version is a bit more calming.
|
