Traditional Folk A Cappella Music From British Isles
So many people, when they think of "folk" think of the traditional music of the British Isles. And why not? British culture has treasured music for centuries - for the last half millennium, studying music was almost the rule for the British upper classes (Greensleeves, one of the most famous English pieces of all time, is thought by many historians to have been written by King Henry VIII). Most traditional British music has a message, and it may be funny, poignant, serious or even silly. Whatever the message, though, the music is appealing and often mesmerizing in a way that modern music frequently isn't.
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No One Stands Alone Gown Of Green Rubber Band Blue Mountain Standing On The Promises Of God Banks Of Sweet Primroses (The) Land Where You Never Grow Old (The) Three Day Millionaire Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy Bully In the Alley Mole In A Hole |
Blue Murder is a loose collective featuring members of the English
folk group the Watersons,and has been around in various incarnations since the
1980's. "No One Stands Alone" is a spirited and stalwart collection of American
and English traditionals and hymns. Some of the vocal arrangements rely on strong
vocal harmony throughout, while others have solo lead with backing vocals on
the choruses. The five male and two female voices combine in a variety of textures,
changing the mood from tune to tune. Some simple accompaniment. This CD is an
infusion of good cheer!
| 6744 CD $14.98 |
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Follow Me Home Hills of Mullaghbawn Jamie Foyers Lost at 21 Three Cheers for Booze Will Ye Go to Flanders Cholera Camp Raglan Road St Aubin Sur Mer Left, Left, Right, Steady Race Against Time Roll On the Day Thames Lighterman Farrow Song |
The hearty harmonies of Cockersdale are the accompaniment to war, hard labor, precarious journeys, and the struggle to survive. Even when the subject matter is potentially grim, the settings can be hopeful; "Left, Left, Right, Steady" is about a "rear gunner, in the Spring of forty-four," but the melody is anything but sad. Temporary pain relief can be found in "Three Cheers For Booze," before the mood turns melancholy ... "Hills of Mullaghbawn," an Irish traditional, is a thinly veiled protest against occupation, and "Raglan Road" is about love not meant to be. "Cholera Camp" and "Follow Me Home" are based on the poems of Rudyard Kipling, set to original music.
| 9743 CD $14.98 |
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The Wind and the Rain Cape Breton Lullaby The Shores of Jordan The 'L & L' Don't Stop Here Anymore Hushabye my Laddie If I was a Blackbird Sea Invocation / Tarry Trousers Flanders Tommy Normandy Orchards The Wife of the Soldier Bonny Susie Cleland Till the Spring comes on the River |
With an introduction by Jacey Bedford of Artisan, this women's trio, named with self-effacing mockery, also hails from that fine English folk tradition that Artisan represents (though Hen Party borrows a tune or two from its upstart colonialist cousins). Uncomplicated technically, the simple changes and diatonic melodies of folk tunes are also some of the prettiest, and are easy to harmonize. Songs such as "Normandy Orchards" and "The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore" offer comfort during hard times, or may be the only form of protest available to the working-class; as such, their strength can be more visceral than more supposedly cultured forms.
| 9746 CD $14.98 |
Stravaig is a quartet of fine soloists who have combined their
talents to give voice to traditional (and the occasional not so traditional)
songs. The members are Susan Kelly, Phyllis Martin, Jean McMonies and Moire
Greenwood (Jean and Moire are sisters). They are collectors of traditional music,
particularly from the area of south-western Scotland where they live. Stravaig
is a Scottish word which means "to sally forth, go up and down, to ramble
aimlessly." You will frequently see an artist beginning a tour referred
to as embarking upon a stravaig. So share a musical stravaig with Scotland's
top a cappella group as they ramble through traditional songs and music hall
parodies to finally arrive at a Zulu traditional song which they found on the
Miriam Makeba album, Sangoma.
| 8901 CD $15.98 |
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The Burning of Auchindoon Bahlele Bonke King of the Castle Rantin' Dog Harriet Tubman High Germany Women O' Dundee Johnny I Hardly Knew You Didn't I Leave Nobody But The Baby Baron o' Brackley Igama Lama You Can Put Me Down Aye Waukin O Cotton Mill Girls Bone Upon Stone Both Sides of the Tweed Wagoner's Lad The Twa Corbies |
All-woman Folk quintet from the Scottish lowlands Stairheid Gossip bring us a well-crafted collection of traditional tunes. The South Aftrican song "Bahele Bonke" is about leaders imprisoned in Longweni Prison moves us even though we have no idea what the words mean. The children's chant "King of the Castle" by Colum Sands, is given far deeper meaning. "Rantin' Dog" tells the timeless tale of an unmarried mother worried about getting help to care for her child. Stairheid's versions "High Germany" and the great labor song "Women o' Dundee," and "Johnny I Hardly Knew You" touch the heart and bring a tear to the eye, and "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby" from the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" is particularly wonderful. Back to Scotland for "Aye Waukin O," a song of unrequited love, and they nail "Cotton Mill Girls," a spirited American working woman's song. 17 tracks, with some light percussion and guitar, which take us through the centuries and around the world with spirit, deep feeling and magic, which must only be multiplied in their live performances.
| 9857 CD $14.98 |
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For The Sake of Days Gone By (Rodgers) Georgie On A Spree (Thompson) Dives & Lazarus (Trad) Paperback Writer (Lennon/McCartney) Goodnight Loving Trail (Philips) Mighty Rock Road (Trad) Go From My Window (Trad) Together Forever (Noakes) Lola (Davies) Boomers Story (Trad) Keep The Faith (Nelson) Raise Your Banner (Tams) Black Seam (Sting) Donibristle Mine Disaster (Trad) Four Green Fields (Makem) Dwelling In Beulahland (Trad) Hounds Of The Meynall (Trad) Shipbuilding (Langer/Costello) Weary Whaling Grounds (Trad) Brilliant Mistake (Costello) Peat Boy Soldiers (Eilsel) Children's Crusade (Sting) Only Remembered (Bonat/Sankey) |
First getting together in a local bar following the rained-out English Crumlin Wakes Festival of June, 1970, the 3 men and 2 women of Swan Arcade spent the next 20-odd years delighting Folk audiences, singing songs to raise the spirits, support a cause or tell a tale. "Round Again" is a sumptuous retrospective of the best of the group's music from that era, 23 songs, each with Swan Arcade's trademark tight, ringing harmonies and pure love of singing. Covers that the group makes their own like Lennon/McCartney's "Paperback Writer" Sting's "Black Seam" and Blind Faith's "Lola," inspirational tunes like "Keep the Faith," and "Raise Your Banner," workingmen's laments like "Donibristle Mine Disaster" and "Four Green Fields," songs of faith like "Dwelling In Beulahland," sea chanties like "Weary Whaling Grounds," and anti-war songs like "Peat Bog Soldiers" and "Children's Crusade," this is all powerful, beautifully sung stuff by one of the best-loved folk groups of all time. Some light accompaniment.
| 9854 CD $14.98 |
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Stormy Winds Sedgefield Fair Fare Thee Well, Cold Winter The Wensleydale Lad Young Banker While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping The Prickle-Holly Bush We'll All Go A-Hunting Today The Unfortunate Lass The Brisk Lad Hares In the Old Plantation Rosebuds In June The Furze Field I Went to Market Three Pretty Maiden The Lincolnshire Shepherd The Brave Ploughboy |
The Watersons, Mike, Martin, Lal and Norma, appear on the cover of this CD in the wools, tweeds and herringbones of the English country worker. They sing traditional songs, many dating back 150 years or more, of rosebuds, shepherds, ploughboys, maidens, hares, sheepstealers fox hunting and draught horses being replaced by machines. Most of these are story songs, songs with morals, heroes and villians, laments, workingman's blues songs-country hymns passed along from generation to generation. A sampling of the 17 song titles tells the story: "Stormy Winds," "Sedgefield Fair," "Fare Thee Well, Cold Winter," "The Wensleydale Lad," "While Gameskeepers Lie Sleeping," "The Unfortunate Lass," "The Brisk Lad," "Hares in the Old Plantation," and "The Brave Ploughboy." The Watersons have been doing this for a long time and they are as authentic as they come. A tasty slice of English country pie from a very old recipe!
| 6901 CD $14.98 |
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God Bless The Master Dido Bendigo The Welcome Sailor emmanuel Idumea The Still And Silent Ocean Fathom The Bowl Fare Thee Well Cold Winter The Holmfirth Anthem Stormy Winds Rosebuds In June Bellman Sleep On Beloved Swansea Town The Beggar Man Amazing Grace The Old Church Yard Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy Malpas Wassail |
Drawn from The Watersons' celebrated recordings for Topic over the past 40 years, this is the first single CD overview of their amazing career and includes tracks as a group, as soloists and in collaboration with others including Waterson:Carthy and Blue Murder. Interest in the group has been renewed with the release of the highly acclaimed 4-CD/1-DVD box set 'A Mighty River Of Song'. Although their joyous and powerful vocal harmony is firmly and unapologetically of the folk tradition, their influence has spread far and wide across the world of modern acoustic music. This budget price collection is the perfect introduction to the many facets of this important musical force.
| 9897 CD $13.95 |
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Boston Harbour The Greenland Whale Fishery Three Score and Ten The Broom of Cowdenknowes King Arthur's Servants Rap Her to Bank Dido Bendigo The North Country Maid Brave Wolfe The Jolly Wagoners I Am a Rover Fathom the Bowl The Thirty-Foot Trailer The Holmfirth Anthem Twanky-Dillo The White Hare of Howden All for me Grog The Poacher's Fate The Tour of the Dales Willy Went to Westerdale I'anson's Racehorse The Ploughboy The White Cockade Ye Noble Spectators Stow Brow The Wanton Life of Castlegate The Whitby Lad |
The Watersons, based in Hull on the British coast, have been singing authentic folk songs together since 1964. The word "Genuine" comes to mind listening to the Watersons, not just because of the blue-collar feel of their singing and their English working-class dress and appearance, but that in combination with the incredible old folk songs they uncover like treasures in an attic, and record for us. In the extensive liner notes we can read about the history of a song, for instance, "The Greenland Whale Fishery," and learn the various times the music appeared in print from 1725 to 1864, while listening to "one of the great sea songs" very much as it must have sounded at the time. There are 27 relatively short all a cappella songs here, from "Boston Harbour" to "The Whitby Lad." Some of our favorites would be: "Three Score and Ten," "The North Country Maid," "The Jolly Waggoners," "I Am A Rover," "The Poacher's Fate," "The Ploughboy," and "The Wanton Wife of Castlegate." This is the real thing, rich-textured English folk that we certainly would have heard no other way, sung beautifully and with feeling!
| 6748 CD $14.98 |
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Country Life Swarthfell Rocks Barney Chickens In The Garden Adieu Adieu Apple Tree Wassail King Pharim The Good Old Way Grace Darling Three Day Millionaire Swinton May song T Stands For Thomas Welcome Sailor Malpas Wassail The Bonny Lighthorseman Tam Lyn Sheepshearing Seven Yellow Gypsies Beggar Man Swansea Town Bellman |
This lovely album, almost entirely a cappella, was first released by The Watersons in 1975 and marked their return to the British Folk Scene. It is considered by many to be their finest recording and includes the participation of Martin Carthy along side Mike, Lal and Norma Waterson. This reissue also includes some later recordings from the various Waterson solo projects. Selections include 'Country Life,' 'Apple Tree Wassail' and 'Swinton May Song.'
| 8213 CD $14.98 |
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Here We Come A-Wassailing The Derby Ram Jolly Old Hawk Pace-Egging Song Seven Virgins (The Leaves Of Life) The Holly Bear A Berry Hal-An-Tow Earlsdon Sword Dance Song John Barleycorn Harvest Song: We Gets Up In The Morn Souling Song Christmas Is Now Drawing Near At Hand Herod And The Cock Wassail Song God Bless The Master The Bitter Withy Emmanuel Idumea Sound, Sound Your Instruments Of Joy Come All Ye Faithful Christians Green Fields |
Continuing in the English folk tradition of their previous work, the Watersons offer a musical calendar to accompany the changing of the seasons. Somber ballads ("John Barleycorn") country dances ("Earlsdon Sword Dance Song") religious and holiday songs ("Bitter Withy," sung hauntingly by Mike Waterson) commerate the plowing and the harvest, and the cycles of birth and death. The chromatic, dissonant melody of "Souling Song" is particularly distinctive. This CD improves with each listen.
| 8214 CD $14.98 |
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The Blacksmith The Broken Token Con a-Coaling Go and Leave Me If You Wish Love The Mower The Four Loom Weaver Two Young Brethren Up In the North The Constant Lovers Brisk Young Widow Sweet William's Ghost The Flower 18th Day of June Lord Randal Old Brown's Daughter Banks of Green Willow King Jamie and the Tinkler Young Emma Come Write Me Down I Would That the Wars Were All Done The Banks of Sweet Mossom William Taylor The Noah's Ark Shanty The Bonny Boy Felton Lonnen/Here's the Tender Coming |
All the singers on this recording are called Revival Singers as
they learned to love and perform traditional songs from the folk song revival.
Generally speaking, they are folk musicologists, learning from text as well
as recordings and other musicians. The album does not seek to present a complete
variety of traditional song for the singers were simply asked to contribute
a song of their choice. The sources include songs from early historic collections,
the continuing families of singing tradition such as the Coppers from Sussex,
and from well known contemporary singers. You'll find Maddy Prior, The Watersons,
A.L. Lloyd, Frankie Armstrong, Martin Carthy, Swan Arcade and June Tabor to
be among the best known names outside of the British Isles who are included
among the two dozen artists. This is the best recording that we know of unaccompanied
British folk music.
| 8547 CD $14.98 |
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Introducton Lamorna Bobby Shaftoe Dance To Thy Daddy O My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose Londonderry Air Barbara Allen Early One Morning Migildi Magildi She Moved Through The Fair The Oak And The Ash Nae Luck About The House Glossary |
After all, the King's Singers are British, so a collection of Folk Songs from their own island is a joyful addition to the canon. Written in the original keys with only one exception, and with occasional accompaniment (piano or strings on "Barbara Allen), most of these eleven selections are for six voices, but they could be male or mixed, depending on the range. With their usual attention to detail, a glossary is included in the back to decipher some of the archaic terminology
| 6119 SONGBOOK $6.95 |
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A fine collection of traditional British folks songs arranged for unaccompanied voices by Sir David Wilcocks and were originally performed by the Choral Scholars of King's College, Cambridge.
| 9641 SONGBOOK $6.95 |
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From the Faber Choral Programme Series. Each volume presents a group or groups of compatible pieces designed to form the basis of a “block” within a choral concert program. Imaginative, versatile and a wonderful addition to SATB a cappella concert repertoire.
| 9540 SONGBOOK $3.95 |
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This reviewer is the owner of Primarily A Cappella and an ExPat Englishman living in the US and each of these songs are ones I remember fondly from my youth growing up in England. These are all very popular traditional songs that most every Englishman knows and are classics of their kind. They are highly enjoyable songs that will add lots of fun to your repertoire and certainly will be thoroughly enjoyed by not only any British folks in the audience.
| 9010 SHEET MUSIC $6.95 |
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The English lecturer, conductor, adjudicator, composer and arranger, Louis Halsey, studied music at Cambridge, where he sang in the celebrated King’s College Choir, before embarking on a music career which has taken him all over the world conducting, lecturing, examining and adjudicating. Here are a collection of follk songs from each of the four countries in the United Kingdom.
| 9511 SHEET MUSIC $7.50 |
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Edward Higginbottom writes a highly accessible and mellifluous arrangement of "Down By the Sally Gardens". The delicate scoring, smooth vocal lines, and well-judged splashes of harmonic color allow the simple beauty of the tune to be heard. The traditional Somerset folksong "O Waly Waly" is given a delightful treatment and "Early One Morning" features both a solo baritone and solo soprano part that will make the singers shine!
| 9516 SHEET MUSIC $4.50 |
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