Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland

Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland

Editorial Reviews
Bill Margesak, Irish American News
This album is produced perfectly. This is magic. It is great fun---and it is important. Wow!!!!! Rating: Four Harps

Product Description
After seven albums of original songs, Andrew Calhoun turned his keen ear for language to translating a set of dramatic folk ballads - some with medieval roots - from Scots dialect into contemporary English. Telfer's Cows is the result: a dozen ballads, some new variations on familiar themes and some great stories rescued from the dustbin of oral history. Among the standout tracks are Eppie Morrie, a song which escaped the folk revival, probably due to its adult content; and the previously unrecorded Telfer's Cows, dealing with a border skirmish over stolen cattle in the early 1600's.

Featuring Tracy Grammer (vocals, violin), William Pint (octave mandolin, vocals), Felicia Dale (hurdy-gurdy, bodhran, vocals), Donny Wright (bass), Elizabeth Nicholson (harp, vocals), Bob Soper (fiddle, mandola, vocals), Joe Root (accordion), Kate McGinn (vocals) and Rob Stroup (vocals).

Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland

Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland,Andrew Calhoun,Waterbug Records,A lifetime love affair with folk music and poetry comes together in Calhoun's translations of centuries old Scots ballads.,Contemporary Folk,Folk,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Singer/Songwriter,Urban Folk

Average customer rating:

Great Album

Amazing voice

A great collection of old Scottish folk ballads

Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland
Andrew Calhoun
Manufacturer: Waterbug Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Urban Folk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00015YW3K
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Tracks:

King Orfeo
The Two Sisters
The Battle Of Harlaw
Eppie Morrie
Jeannie O'Bethelnie
Hughie Grime
Kinmont Willie
Telfer's Cows
Clark Colven
A Shake In The Basket
The Beggarman
The Unquiet Grave

Album Description

After seven albums of original songs, Andrew Calhoun turned his keen ear for language to translating a set of dramatic folk ballads - some with medieval roots - from Scots dialect into contemporary English. Telfer's Cows is the result: a dozen ballads, some new variations on familiar themes and some great stories rescued from the dustbin of oral history. Among the standout tracks are Eppie Morrie, a song which escaped the folk revival, probably due to its adult content; and the previously unrecorded Telfer's Cows, dealing with a border skirmish over stolen cattle in the early 1600's.

Customer Reviews:

Great Album.......2005-06-29

I don't know if Andrew is Scottish by heritage, but it doesn't matter. He does a great job of interpreting these rare Scottish ballads. He worked with people to not only get the story translated for modern times, but also to get the pronunciation as close as possible to a dialect he doesn't speak. He put an enormous amount of work into this album and it shows. His website (www.andrewcalhoun.com), says he has workshops that offer cover song appreciation, songwriting, and traditional ballad singing. He has a discussion about the meaning of the ballad and comparing them to current events. I have music by other genuine Scottish singers (Archie Fisher, Enoch Kent, David Francey), and this is right up there with them. I love his finger-picking style of guitar playing. I imagine (not being a guitar player myself, I can only guess) it takes a lot of effort to master this technique and it shows he put the time in. He's a very serious musician and it shows. Check out his website for more interesting tidbits.

Amazing voice.......2004-03-14

I caught Calhoun in concert on the advice of a friend a few weeks ago and I was completely blown away. He just has this amazing voice. In fact if you listen to this CD on a cheap stereo you aren't doing it justice. I listened to it on my car stereo on the way home from buying it and I thought it was great, but it didn't quite have the magic of the live performance. Then I put it on the good stereo at home and cranked it up just a notch. Man it was awesome. I have to rate Calhoun as my best new find in a long while. I think any fan of Celtic music needs this CD.

A great collection of old Scottish folk ballads.......2004-02-21

Andrew Calhoun has to be the only American who can sing Scottish folk music without sounding fake. His deep rich voice with its own distinctive quality that fits perfectly with the music. In fact it wasn't until I started reading the liner notes that it really hit me that I was listening to old Scottish folk tunes being sung by a non-native speaker. It just works.

I believe this is his first major foray from his traditional urban-folk style but I hope it's not his last. In "Tefler's Cows", Calhoun has collected a wide range of rare Scottish ballads (some dating back to medieval times) and translated the dialects into (some-what) modern English. What surprised me was how well this works. The music retains the feel while being easier for modern listeners to follow. Calhoun's reason for updating the language was simple: these songs are stories, meant to be heard, enjoyed, and yes understood. It was a new experience for me to hear these songs this way, and I think any fan of traditional Celtic music will enjoy it.

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