Side 1.
The An Dro is a circle dance from the Pays Vannetais in Brittany, France. It leads easily into this ballad of eighteenth century street crime come to a sorry end.
Although well known in its English form as the lullaby All Through the Night, the Welsh words are actually a tribute to the stars as they brighten the darkness of the night. Our thanks to Chuck Vaughan for his help with pronunciation.
It only sounds like a drinking song! In reality it is a thoughtful appreciation of the social implications of natural fermentation followed by distillation...
We intersperse verses of The Lark, a bucolic song of the joys of country life, with the Newlyn reel from a tiny fishing village just outside Penzance. The song is dedicated to Jack Libby, the Cornish Bard from Polperro, for his help with pronunciation and the reel is dedicated to the late Brenda Wootton - the queen of Cornish folk music.
This song tells how a young shearer's fancy turns to thoughts of love. We had performed this for several years before we realized that it referred to the shearing of corn (not sheep)!
A sad tale of a young man cut down in his prime by marriage to a shrew (or a reasonable woman who is unwilling to work her fingers to the bone while her husband is off playing with his sheep... depending on your viewpoint).
Fair Young Mary a lovely old air
.Side 2.
A combination of a wauking song (A Thousand Death Shrouds Upon Love) and a slow air (I am Weary) which is guaranteed to douse the spirits of the happiest soul!
This is the oft sung tale of how a lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots falls in love with Mary's favorite spy, a gypsy in real life, and leaves her comfortable life and rich husband for the freedom of gypsydom.
...From a collection of songs from Ulster.
We play When Christ was born, a carol from the Isle of Man which traditionally had many verses, as a mercifully short instrumental. It leads into the well known Breton drinking song, literally Have Another Cider, Billy Boy - hard cider, of course! We dedicate our Breton music to Sioux Baker who often leads the audience in Breton dances at our concerts.
This Hymn to the Christ Child from the Western Isles is a poignant expression of a mother's love for her child.
Lady of the House - a drinking song from the 1798 uprising, encouraging Irishmen to support the French who were expected to assist in the struggle against England. It is coupled here with one of our favorite jigs.
IONA
Barbara Ryan: Vocals, Guitar, Bodhran.
Bernard Argent: Wooden Flute, Whistles, Vocals, Doumbeck.
Diana McFadden: Cello, Bouzouki, Mandolin.
Engineered & digitally mastered by: Micah Solomon
Recorded at: Oasis Recording Inc. (301)588-4133.
Cassette Duplication: Shuuman Recording
Cover Art: Barbara Ryan
Layout: Bernard Argent
Photo: SIOUX/Susan Baker
Special Thanks: Matt and Beni Jaro.
All titles traditional, arranged by IONA.
For information on IONA's tapes: (703) 451-7020
©1992 IONA