Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: Melani
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 03:19 AM

I like "Willie o' Winsbury."

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: Navillus
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 03:48 AM

Will ye go Lassie, Boulavogue, Cavan Girl, Pat Murphys Meadow, Ae fond kiss, Mingulay Boat Song, and in every list I ever make The Fields of Athenry.

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: Kaleea
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 02:03 AM

I was taught to sing some "ballads" like "Down by the Sally Gardens" as an air: unnacompanied, with a fluxuating meter--one might say "rubato", or coming & going, a little slower here, faster there, and the simpler the better. This is the most moving & beautiful way to sing many of these, and then the only improvement would be to add harmony. Of course, there are many, and some which are appropriately accompanied, but the rubato quality is the most beautiful! you can hear "the Broom of Cowden Knowes" on the most recent of the "Cherish the Ladies" The Girls Won't Leave The Boys Alone--which I enjoyed very much! some other very popular songs which were always requested, especially by the old folks:

Tis The Last Rose of Summer The Lark in the Clear Air The Rose of Tralee (my Granny's fav) The Conamara Cradle Song Molly Malone (someone has asked me to sing this one at almost every Ceoli I have ever played for! for something different, try it only in a minor key)

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: GUEST,Oulmole
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 05:57 PM

Eileen Aroon; October Winds; Blackwater's Side; My Luve Is Like Ae Red Red Rose; Ar Eirinn Ni Neosainn Ce Hi (For Ireland I'd Not Tell Her Name); Carroll Ban. And another vote for Carrickfergus. -Joe in Connecticut

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: pattyClink
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 09:46 AM

The Broom of the Cowden Knowes. Beautiful melody, wistful words, and cries out for harmony voices. Check it out.

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 01:30 AM

Aye, Mary-in-Kentucky----when "Ye Banks and Braes" is treated well, it comes across as just about the saddest and most beautiful of Burns' love-songs. Too often played as 3/4 waltz by hoochter bands---nice, but a gross underselling! One of the finest renditions I have ever heard was 'way back in the 60s , done by Sean Canon [sp?]in Hexham folk club. Nothing else in the world could have kept me sitting wi' an empty guinness glass for five minutes!

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From: Kaleea
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 12:08 PM

There are thousands of ballads floating out there in space, in old books, on old records, especially lovely arrangements may be found at your nearby university music dept. library, and why don't you do a search for an a capella group (satb) called "Navan" who have a nice recording of lovely "celtic" songs and may have a link or two for you on their site. If you live in or near a large city, try going to the public library music reference section and ask to see their collection which is hidden away & for reference only. I have found some amazing music in my travels second hand shopping, especially at estate sales for retired educators-- which one usually cannot find, you only stumble across something like that! Some of the lovliest music around is that which is the most difficult to find. Good Luck!

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 11:24 AM

I heard Down By the Salley Gardens one time with minimal accompaniment (a few guitar chords) and it was lovely.

Of course there's always my favorite, Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon.

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From:
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 02:55 AM

Lakes of Coolfin?? is very pretty.

There seem to be 2 pretty similar threads. Anyway to combine them?

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 02:26 AM

Aye --"peggy Gordon' is a good one; so too is 'Dream Angus' [Im playing on your liking for 'the Water is Wide' ['Waly, Waly' for some reason in some circles--]. The "Rowan Tree" is a nice border ballad.'Derwentwater's Farewell" is a well-loved Tyneside song. ' Carrickfergus' is another Irish ballad which parallels the"Water is Wide" in some of its lyrics. All would lend themselves to harmonies. Good luck---there are hundreds more!

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From:
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 07:19 PM

without knowing the official definition of ballad, I'll tell you my favorite Irish/Scottish etc. songs that occur to me offhand..

Peggy Gordon Mary of Dunlough She's Like the Swallow Bantry Girls' Lament Bonny Laboring Boy

well, that is enough for now. mg

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From: GUEST,vl
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 07:04 PM

hell i'll give it a try, contemplator

Subject: RE: Help: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 06:47 PM

hi gary, jock o' hazeldean is a beautiful ballad that might work well in a group setting. dick gaughan did a nice version on his first LP "no more forever". incidentally, you can find a bunch of fine ballads at a website called the contemplator. it has lyrics and midis of the tunes.perhaps some 'catter more computer-literate than i will provide a link to it. vl

Subject: Name your favorite Celtic ballads, Part2
From: GUEST,Gary Rosen
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 06:25 PM

In a post yesterday, I originally asked about any (totally biased) information any of you would be willing to share with me regarding the most beautiful traditional Irish or English ballad that you have ever heard.

Hollowfox answered, "I'd be able to answer your question better if you could tell us why you're asking. Have you just discovered ballads, are you doing a paper, just curious what we ballad junkies like? Are Scottish ballads all right? Do you have a time frame; are you only interested in the old ones, or would something written in the last few years be fine?"

To clarify: I have an a cappella sextet that performs a variety of musical styles (none of which, to date, has been Celtic ballads). I recently heard another a cappella group's version of "The Water is Wide". I absolutely adored that, and am looking for another "old one" to arrange for my group. Scottish ballads would be great. A list of anyone's favorite five, or ten, or hundred favorite ballads would also be great!!

Thanks again.