Annie Laurie and Wisteria

Two songs. One is an old Scottish song based on the poem by William Douglas. THe second is by Richard Shindell. Awesome Tune.

The Valley of Strathmore

This song was written by Andy M. Stewart. I won't ruin it with a preface...

Donnybrook Fair, The Kesh Jig

Here's a couple jigs I recorded the other day. They aren't perfect (I'm trying to get back into some tin whistle). The first is Donnybrook Fair and the second is the Kesh Jig. They are both in the key of G and fairly straight forward.

In the background you will note my walls are no longer white. This is because I'm in my new house and the computer room has a coffee kind of colour to it. Enjoy...

"Donnybrook Fair"




"The Kesh Jig"

New Digs

So I've recently moved. So recent in fact that all I have unpacked are boxes of dishes and some clothes. Everything else is stacked not so neatly in cardboard in the middle of my living room. This has left me with little to no time for recording videos or adding to my posts here. This will change however.

The house is beautiful. it's a 3 bedroom bungalow big enough for me, my fiancee, two cats and a puppy (with room to spare!). One of the best features in the house is the downstairs area. There is a beautiful dark stained/stressed bar, complete with beer cooler. It even has a beem across the ceiling in from and posts coming down from it, making the place look like a potential pub! I'm excited about the possibility of decorating the place to look comfortable and somewhat pub-like. I've got a stereo down there and a home theatre system that rocks the place. It's a great place to relax and sing a couple songs. Maybe I'll be able to bring the camera down there and record a couple. Hmmmmm...

The Witch of the Westmorland

This is a song I learned from a Stan Rogers recording, though it was written by Archie Fisher. "The Witch of the Westmorland" has mythic elements that create a wonderful atmosphere of mystery and epic intrigue. Westmorland is in the north of England, near Scotland and some of the vocabulary seems to reflect this.

Anyway, beautiful song...

Peter Street

Here's a good song done here by me with no music. Warnings against a rowdy life...

PETER STREET

Oh ye landsmen and ye seamen come listen to my song,
It’s of a trick was played on me, it won’t delay you long.
I came from sea the other day, a fair girl I did meet,
She kindly asked me to a dance, was up on Peter Street.

"Oh no," says I, "me fair maid, though I can dance quite well,
Tonight I’m bound for Wicklow’s town that’s were my people dwell."
"You’d better come with me," she said, "for the distance is not far,"
And finding her so friendly, I jumped into her car.

Now as the dance was over straight to the bed did go,
‘Twas little didn’t I ever think she’d pull my overthrow:
Robbed my gold watch and thirty pounds, a pack of fags and fled,
And left me there, stark naked, alone upon the bed.

Now when I awoke in the morning it was nothing did I spy,
But a woman’s shirt and apron up the bed did lie.
I rung me hands, I tore my hair, I cried, "What shall I do?
Ah, tonight I’m bound for Wicklow’s town, no more will I see you."

Now as the streets were lonesome at the hour of two o’clock,
I put on the shirt and apron and marched down to the dock.
The crew they saw me coming and these words to me did say,
"My dear old chap you’ve struck a snap since you’ve been gone away.

"Are those the new spring fashions that the ladies wear onshore?
Where is the shop you bought them at and is there anymore?"
The Captain on the quarterdeck looked at me with a frown,
Saying, “Jack I'd buy a better suit than that for thirty pounds”.

"I would sir, if I could sir, if I’d only got the chance,
But I met a girl on Peter Street and she asked me for a dance.
She danced my hearts deception, I got robbed from head to feet,
And I’ll take my oath no more I’ll go to a dance on Peter Street."

Oh, ye landsmen and ye seamen a warning take by me:
Be sure to choose good company when you go out on spree.
Be sure to choose good company or your find yourself like me,
With a woman’s shirt and apron for to fit you out for sea!

The Galtee Mountain Boy

Here's a video to accompany my last post. This is "The Galtee Mountain Boy". The lighting was way off in the room due to extreme brightness from the sun. The cam couldn't handle it properly. Anyway, here's the rebel song: