Nova Scotia [Import]

1. Sadness

2. Sometime

3. She's Not Coming Back

4. There She Goes

5. To Sail Away

6. Echoes

7. Black Heart of Mine

8. Highly

9. Pia

10. Happening

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cousteau have had to overcome inherent difficulties since the release of two glorious, critically acclaimed albums ('Cousteau' in 2000 and 'Sirena' in 2002). Towards the end of an American tour, the band found out that their songwriter and creative lynchpin Davey Ray Moore was leaving to do his own thing. Vocalist Liam McKahey recalls a gloomy gathering with guitarist Robin Brown, drummer Craig Vear and bassist Joe Peet in a Boston airport bar, 'We thought it was the end and we were all feeling really emotional. But after a few pints, we'd decided to carry on and do the song writing ourselves. It was sink or swim, and we decided to swim.' While 'Nova Scotia' is undoubtedly a Cousteau record, possessing McKahey's trademark Scott Walker-esque baritone and Robin Brown's distinctive atmospheric lines, it does perhaps signal a subtle shift away from a Bacharach-ian pop sensibility to a rawer, more rock-borne sound. Universal. 2005.

Tracks:

Good Times (John Allan Cameron)
Song For The Mira (The Garrison Brothers)
Atlantic Chorus (Heather Rankin)
She's Called Nova Scotia (Rita MacNeil)
Skye Boat Song (Howie MacDonald)
Rise Again (Raylene Rankin)
The Bluenose (Miller's Jug)
Long Way From Texas (Matt Minglewood)
Jigging Medley (The Rankins)
Bienvenue En Clare (Les Tymeux de la Baie)
Seabird's Cry (John Gracie)
Coaltown Road (The Barra MacNeils)
Farewell To Nova Scotia (Catherine MacKinnon)

Album Description

A compilation featuring original songs performed by some of Atlantic Canada's best known recording artists. This collection has been certified Gold in Canada.

Customer Reviews:

A Canadian Best Seller!.......2005-11-14

This collection of some of the finest recording artists from Canada's East Coast is a "Platinum" seller and one of the best selling independent CDs in the region's history.

Very SPECIAL "Sounds".......2005-10-30

This recording was my very special introduction to Nova Scotia. I first bought it as a cassette in 1995, while I was driving to Cape Breton. The selection of tunes on the recording shared not only the sounds, but also the emotions, of the talented musicians who call the region home. In 2005, I am back for a CD version. The mood set by these sounds is compelling and enduring. I also highly recommend Volume 2.

Cape Breton cheese (except for 2 tracks).......2002-03-28

First, I should say that I knew what I was getting into before I bought this CD... and I went ahead and bought it anyways.
This is very much *not* the new wave of Nova Scotian music; if you're looking for Natalie Macmaster or Ashley MacIsaac, look elsewhere. If you're looking for Buddy Macmaster you're probably better off looking elsewhere, too.

I bought this CD for one reason: Howie MacDonald's version of the "Skye Boat Song". (I'll be waltzing to it with my mom at my upcoming wedding.) For the most part the rest of the CD is, well, unbelievably cheesy. The only exception is the Rankin Family's "Jigging Medley", which features excellent musicianship despite the grating vocals. Then again the Rankin Famliy's reputation precedes it. (Too bad Heather and Raylene don't fare as well on their own!!)

This CD is not for everyone... and not even for me if I'd been able to find Howie Macdonald's "Skye Boat Song" somewhere else.

Bring the Maritimes Home with You.......2000-12-07

This is a great CD! I picked up mine while on Prince Edward Island (that's Canada's smallest --and I think best-- province) last summer while visiting the Maritimes. In the evenings, we would attend outdoor music festivals featuring Maritime songs and local performers. This CD does a great job of capturing the sheer pleasure of that music. One can play the songs over and over again without getting tired of them because of the variety of performances and performers on the collection. I heartily recommend it without reservation. A wonderful collection.

Average customer rating:

A "new" Nova Scotia
More great Nova Scotia talent!

The Sounds of Nova Scotia Volume 3
Various
Manufacturer: Stephen MacDonald
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Sounds of Nova Scotia Volume 1
The Sounds Of Nova Scotia Volume 2
Cape Breton By Request
Songs Of The Sea
Cape Breton By Request Volume 2

ASIN: B00005LPR9
Release Date: 2001-06-15

Tracks:

Nova Scotia (Carolina Edwards)
Youll Be Home Again (The Garrison Brothers)
The Pull Of The Fundy Tide (Lennie Gallant)
Harvest Train (Melanie Doane)
LAcadie (Cyril MacPhee)
Bluenose (Stan Rogers)
An Innis Aigh ( Rita & Mary Rankin)
Oceanside Again (Sons Of Maxwell)
Sunny Sky Slide (John Campbelljohn)
The Teazer (J.P. Cormier)
Atlantic Blue (Cindy Church)
Nova Scotia To Me (Cyril MacPhee)
Rolling Home To Nova Scotia ( Evans and Doherty)
Northern Lights (The MacLeans)

Album Description

The third in a series of compilations featuring original compositions performed by some of Eastern Canada's finest recording artists. Nova Scotia is a peninsula, almost completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and these songs speak of different aspects of life as it is lived by a hardy people on the edge of the sea.

Customer Reviews:

A "new" Nova Scotia.......2002-08-02

I recommend this strongly. Almost all of the cuts have fiddle playing. Almost all of the cuts mention "Nova Scotia". This is not as traditional as #1 and is definitely more contemporary.

More great Nova Scotia talent!.......2001-09-21

Back in 1989, many visitors to Nova Scotia were introduced to the music of such artists as The Rankin Family, The Barra MacNeils & Rita MacNeil to name a few...myself included! Then in 1990, more visitors heard of these artists and others just starting out. This was all thanks to Stephen MacDonald Productions and the CD's "Sounds of Nova Scotia Volumes 1 & 2." These CD's have become best-sellers and are still available for purchase around the province.

The collections of various artists/songs were sold at gift stores all around Nova Scotia, in particular in Cape Breton. Since then, these artists have gone on to receive national and international recognition and music fans have been asking when a new volume would be released for the next generation of talent. Well, it's finally happened in 2001!

"Sounds of Nova Scotia Volume 3" contains some of the best new talent from the East Coast of Canada. The CD features artists such as Lennie Gallant, Cyril MacPhee, Rita & Mary Rankin, Sons of Maxwell, JP Cormier and The MacLeans, among others, 14 tracks in all! You may just discover your next favourite artist on this CD. Put it in the CD player and you'll be transferred to Nova Scotia, if only in your imagination.

The Nova Scotia theme is prominently featured in the song selection...from "The Pull of the Fundy Tide" by Lennie Gallant...to "Oceanside Again" by Sons of Maxwell...to "Nova Scotia to Me" by Cyril MacPhee. You can feel the Atlantic breeze blowing through your hair and smell the water. The different cultures found in Nova Scotia are represented on this CD as well...from the French "L'Acadie" by Cyril MacPhee to the Gaelic "An Innis Aigh" by Rita & Mary Rankin.

This CD is intended more for the new listener of this music or as a sampler of these artists that you may not have heard yet. This is due to the fact that all of the songs can be found on the individual artists CDs. There aren't any new releases just for this release.

The only downside to this CD, if it is one, is that there isn't much information provided in the CD booklet on each of the artists. All that is given is the album of each artist where the song can be found and their website address. So you're going to have to search for yourself to find out more about the artists that you like. Perhaps that was the idea?

Tracks:

Madame Bonaparte/Devil's Dream/Mason's Apron - Leahy
An Innis Aigh - The Rankins
Lukey/Lukaloney - Great Big Sea
My Bonnie - Laura Smith
My Home/The Contradiction/Julia Delaney - Ashley MacIsaac
Come By The Hills - Rita MacNeil
Fingal's Cave - Natalie Macmaster
A Mhairi Bhoidheach - Mary Jane Lamond
Rattlin' Roarin' Willie - Barra MacNeils
Red Is The Rose - The Ennis Sisters
Le Lys Vert - La Bottine Souriante

Amazon.com essential recording

This recording happened more or less by accident while the Chieftains were visiting Canada. At the time, there were "no plans to make a Chieftains recording as such," Paddy Moloney explains in a short introductory note. Canadian musicians came by to visit, and there was a prolonged kitchen party--with the tapes rolling. The Chieftains become accompanists and producers for some very talented fiddlers (the Leahy family, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster), vocalists (the Rankins, Great Big Sea, Laura Smith, Rita MacNeil, Mary Jane Lamond, the Barra MacNeils family, and the Ennis Sisters), and others. With such a diverse cast, a variety of styles are explored and the quality is comparable with that of the Chieftains' own work. While songs like "My Bonnie" may be familiar, they get distinctive treatment from this crew. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Et toi!.......2006-07-03

Another of the Chieftain's brief stops on their journey to bring Celtic music round the world....or more to the point, to prove that Ireland is everywhere and in every tongue. I was a bit disappointed to find this wasn't a live recording; it looks it from the cover photo. But never mind. The guest artists couldn't be better: La Bottine Souriante, Great Big Sea, Natalie McMaster are all here, bringing us Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Quebec sounds. The Ennis sisters deliver a "Red Is the Rose" (to the tune of "Loch Lomond") so sweet that I'd bet butter wouldn't melt in your mouth if it doesn't bring a tear to your eye. And move back the chairs and get ready to dance some jigs and reels when Leahy or Ashley MacIsaac take over ("Devil's Dream" has always been a favorite tune of mine to contra dance to). Always, of course, we have Paddy Malone and the boys as the world's greatest backup band, on traditional harp, pipes, fiddle, and more.

I want to point out one special song on this collection, because it's normally the type of thing on a Chieftains CD I dislike, because it seems to distract from the traditional purpose. Laura Smith turns in a modern version of "My Bonnie" that starts out as a typical pop vocal. She plays with the original lyrics and melody in a playful rubato. The musicians back her up, in the expected manner, as she adds a verse of her own adhering to the traditional melody. The chorus returns. Then suddenly, as the musicians play the verse a bit louder, she begins a beautiful descant, with a different rythm and melody:

"Soon there will be no difference between the land and the water/
I can walk out on the ice to places I've never been/
When I can get as far as I can go I can throw my cares over my shoulder/
Along with my memory or just let it flow down the Golf Stream
and I'll walk on singing /My Bonnie...."

It brings goosebumps. But what else would you expect in the Great White North?

What a grand surprise..........2005-01-20

I bought this CD for ONE song (the Ennis sister's 'Red is the Rose'),but the whole CD is an absolute delight!! You can just feel the smoke and the heat coming off of this wonderful group of musicians! One moment you will find yourself tapping your toes and dancing a jig in your head to 'Rattlin'Roarin'Willie' and 'Lukey/Lukaloney' , and the next you'll be carried back to the ancient land of the Celts with haunting tunes like 'An Innes Aigh' & 'A Mhairi Bhoidheach'. A wonderful collection!

Hot, Smokin', Explosive Celtic Music ..........2003-05-13

Paddy Moloney & the Chieftains travelled around Canada jamming & with some of the finest traditional musicians on this side of the planet (N. America). They roamed about Halifax, Nova Scotia; stopped near Toronto, Ontario; did a hop, skip & jump to Montreal, Quebec and even visited Newfoundland, to collaborate and collect wild, raucous, party music *just* for our listening pleasure. They succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations.

Leahy burns the first set of tunes with so much fire and smoke that no one wants to put it out. "Madame Bonaprte/Devil's Dream/Mason's Apron" lights the first fire, with an unmatched medley, played on fiddles, guitar, bass, piano, mandolin and drums. They demonstrate just how they catapulted to center stage & why they will always remain there. The hauntingly beautiful voices of the Rankin sisters will melt the coldest of hearts, truly inspirational ... The clear, crisp voice of Laura Smith with her unique rendition of "My Bonnie" gives off sparks, ready to ignite anything within hearing distance. Ashley McIsaac on fiddle accompanied by guitar leaves nothing standing in her path ... Natalie MacMaster "burns the house down" playing with her inimitable style and step dancing as she does it. "A Mhairi Bhoidheach" sung by Mary Jane Lamond will bring smokey tears to anyone's eyes. "La Bottine Souriante" from Quebec, gives us the final searing finishing touch, as they play "Le Lys Vert" on trombone, accordion, fiddles, saxophone, trumpet, mandolin, and piano. This CD keeps exploding with so much fire and smoke you just don't want the music to stop! It is one of the best complilations of Canadian Celtic music that money can buy! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

fantastic cd.......2003-03-14

This really is a magnificent compilation of Canadian/Celtic music - from slow, sweet melodies to kick-up-your-heels fiddle tunes. There's not a bad song in the bunch. I highly recommend buying it - you won't be sorry.

Julia Child's kitchen be damned!.......2002-06-19

In the old tradition of kitchen parties, the collaboration between the Chieftans and about nine other Celtic performing groups was conceived in a kitchen in Halifax, Canada.

What started as a jam session turned out to be a veritable stone soup with various artists contributing and making a recording clearly representative of the talent that is harboured true North strong and free.

Ranging from firey fast numbers such as Madame Bonapart/Devil's Dream/Mason's Apron opener, to An Innis Aigh, which is gorgeously beautiful in its simplicity and expressiveness, Fire in the Kitchen delivers a full-course meal of Celtic music and leaves the listener veritably stuffed at the end.

It is a delightful 53 minutes and 23 seconds, with no track to my displeasure. I look forward to more recordings of this energy and candor.

Average customer rating:

Bring your own unique response.
Stòras: sweet and moving

Storas
Mary Jane Lamond
Manufacturer: Trade Root Music Group/turtlemusik
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Suas E!
Orain Ghaidhlig: Gaelic Songs of Cape Breton
Ru-Ra
Lan Duil
Downriver

ASIN: B0009VA9BK
Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

Màiri Bhàn Dhail an Eas (Fair Mary from Dalness)
Òran Luaidh (A Milling Song from Lachie Dan N. MacLellan)
O Nighean Donn Nan Gobhar (O Brown Haired Maiden of the Goats)
Mo Nighean Donn as Bòidhche (Most Beautiful Brown-Haired Maiden)
Blàr Inbhir Lòchaidh (The Battle of Inverlochy)
Gur E Mo Rùn an Dòmhnallach (It Is My Love the MacDonald Man)
Bal Na H-Aibhne Deas (Ball at Southwest Margaree)
Cumha Aoghnuis (Lament for Angus)
Gaidheal Am Measg Nan Gaidheal (A Gael Among the Lowlanders)
Cailleach Liath Ratharsaigh (The Grey Haired Old Lady from Raasay)
Tha Mo Bhreacan-Sa Fo'n Dìle (My Plaid Is Under the Rain)

Product Description

Mary Jane's latest recording Stòras (Gaelic meaning ""a treasure""), is a beautiful interpretation of some of the Scottish Gaelic songs that have become part of Nova Scotia's Gaelic tradition. Her use of modern instrumentation and arrangements provides a respectful and beautiful framework for these Gaelic trasures, but it is Mary Jane's spellbinding vocal performance and heartfelt delivery that makes these selections truly come alive for the listener.

Album Description

Mary Jane's latest recording Stòras (Gaelic meaning ''a treasure''), is a beautiful interpretation of some of the Scottish Gaelic songs that have become part of Nova Scotia's Gaelic tradition. Her use of moderninstrumentation and arrangements provides a respectful and beautiful framework for these Gaelic treasures, but it is Mary Jane's spellbinding vocal performance and heartfelt delivery that makes these selections truly come alive for the listener.

Customer Reviews:

Bring your own unique response........2005-11-18

I am not Canadian, and I don't speak Gaelic, and I don't know
what I expected, but for the last 5 years, every time I bought
CDs, I checked to see if Mary Jane had something new. Came
Storas, and a shocking joy.

Without meaning to contradict anyone else's response to the
album, I think it is the work of a mature, profound, creative
power. For me, there is a ferocity in Storas, in the sense
of Blake's "Tiger, tiger, burning bright, In the forests of
the night." The words "string quartet" have been a bye-word
for pop self-indulgence for decades, yet Mary Jane's work
with Blue Engine is so profoundly intentional that it verges
on being frightening. I am not exaggerating my feelings.

To me, it seems that Mary Jane has grown beyond experimentation
on this CD. To me, Storas is an exposition by Mary Jane of all
that she has learned, all that she has loved, in Nova Scotian
Gaelic music. This is what adult artists do. There is a Titan's
shadow of mature purpose in this music. I always liked Mary
Jane's CDs, all of them. I always respected her and hunkered
down against her critics. But I underestimated her. Drastically.

If this sounds a bit idolatrous, there are 2 other CDs which
have affected me in a similar way. Tannas' 'Ru-Ra', and the
Julie Murphy / Nigel Eaton CD - "Whirling Pope Joan" - 'Spin'.

There are other profound works among female traditional singers,
but in Storas I hear Mary Jane in a tour de force. I just hope
others enjoy it as much as I have --- I bought 1 for me, and 10
for presents. I kid you not.

Bravo, and let there be more, Mary Jane, much much more.

Stòras: sweet and moving.......2005-06-27

Another fine achievement by Gaelic singer Mary Jane Lamond.

I expected something similar to "Làn Dùil," but this one is suprisingly soft and gut-wrenching.

Some tunes are very lively, including a wonderful one on whose chorus Boireannaich nan Òran ladies (Bonnie Thompson, Janet Buchanan, Tara Rankin and Michelle Smith) sing along with Lamond, but most songs inspire reflection.

The arragements are not so experimental as they are on "Suas e !" and "Làn Dùil." The instruments support the songs only. They play a timid role, but add just enough to generate firm images and emotions. Everything is melodious and harmonious. Some songs even have strings arrangements, which is somewhat different from Lamond's past musical accompaniments. Lamond is slowly walking towards something more personal and different from her cousin Laurel MacDonald's style, who tends to be quite experimental as a musician herself.

This album offers something very special for those who have been following Lamond's music. The port-a-beul "Cailleach liath Ratharsaigh" has been heard before on the CD-rom documentary available on "Òrain Ghàidhlig" as played on the fiddle by local Joe Peter MacLean; we there see Lamond writing the lyrics down and learning it from the fiddler, and "Stòras" allows us to discover Lamond's foot-stomping arragement of it.

Tracks:

My Heart's In The Highlands (The Barra MacNeils)
Sound The Pibroch (John Allan Cameron)
Girls Of Neil's Harbour (Sam Moon)
Nova Scotia Lullaby (John Gracie)
Mairi's Wedding (The Rankins)
Fisherman's Song (Fred Lavery)
Home I'll Be (Rita MacNeil)
Small Town Wind (Max MacDonald)
Joshua (Miller's Jug)
Cape Breton Lullaby (Teresa Doyle)

Album Description

A compilation featuring original songs performed by some of Atlantic Canada's best known recording artists.

Customer Reviews:

Reminders of a wonderful place.......2005-02-04

We bought this album when we were in Nova Scotia camping, and it remains a fresh and happy reminder of the place and our experience of Atlantic Canada. Musicians we might not have heard otherwise, bring a welcome change from the "usual."

Too few Sounds of Nova Scotia.......2002-06-17

This is the inferior issue of the three anthologies. To begin with it only has 10 different cuts on the CD. It is neither tradititional like volume 1 nor revisional like volume 3. In my opinion this seems to be a "rush job" to reap any residual benefits from the success of volume 1. If you enjoy this music, buy volume 1 then volume 3 and buy this one only if you still want more.

enjoyed it!.......2000-11-25

I bought this tape while I was in Nova Scotia this past fall on vacation and I have totally enjoyed it. It is full of local talent and sounds. If you are like me and enjoy listening to music that isn't heard all the time only because it isn't in the main stream or on the top 10 then you might enjoy this tape. my favorite song on this tape is Nova Scotia Lullaby by John Gracie. It makes me want to return to Nova Scotia as soon as I can, a great line from the song was "Novia Scotia Wind and I can sail the sea for free"

Average customer rating:

Gaelic Fiddling: A Musical Feast
Good introduction to Cape Breton music

The Cape Breton Connection
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Stephen MacDonald
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Heart of Cape Breton
My Roots Are Showing
Blueprint
Yours Truly
Cape Breton By Request

ASIN: B00000I44T
Release Date: 1998-01-15

Tracks:

The Twister (Glenn Graham and Rodney MacDonald)
Clumsy Lover Set (The Barra MacNeils)
O'er The Moor Among The Heather (Natalie MacMaster)
Maggie Brown's (Stephanie Wills)
Boo Baby's Lullaby (Jerry Holland)
Gord's Jigs (Gordie Sampson)
The Iron Man (Brenda Stubbert)
Stepdance Medley (Buddy MacMaster)
Brucie and the Troopers (Slainte Mhath)
Kilts On Fire (Howie MacDonald)
The Mathematician/Sleepy Maggie (J.P. Cormier)
Cape Breton Set (Jamie MacInnis and Paul MacNeil)
The Boys Of The Town (Wendy MacIsaac)
Gaelectric Blues (Dave MacIsaac)
Malts On The Optics (Tracey Dares)
The Breton Batherson Dancers (Jennifer Roland)

Album Description

The cream of the crop of Cape Breton Celtic musicians.

Customer Reviews:

Gaelic Fiddling: A Musical Feast.......2002-12-29

I knew I would love the music on this CD from the cover alone, a close-up view of a violin (fiddle)! The back cover photo was just as inviting, rolling hills, with a field of wild flowers, and a small farm building. The music is fresh, lively, and full of expression just as the Gaelic language itself! Most of the tunes are jigs, reels, airs, and strathspeys, many are accompanied on Uillean pipes or bagpipes, one is played on the guitar and another has a piano accompaniment. The titles to each sets speak volumes: "O'er the Moor Among the Heather", "Clumsy Lover Set", "The Iron Man", "Brucie and the Troopers", "Kilts in the Fire", " Gaelectric Blues" ... each has 3 - 6 different pieces played in succession, while difficult at times to tell when one begins and the other starts, it is absolulely thrilling to have about 45 - 47 *different* musical tunes on one CD. This is dance music at its BEST! The liner notes give a brief bio on each fiddler (there are about 15, only one of which I recognize, Natalie McMaster). It describes some family background about musical origins and connections, describes the musician's rise to recognition in the Cape Breton community, some have come national attention and others to international, as well. It really makes you feel proud of their achievements, as if *you* were a friend & neighbor, wishing them success on their rise to fame and fortune! Word descriptions of this music: hypnotic, mesmerizing tunes, musical frenzy, spiralling ecstasy, rousing, passionate and magical playing (some of the violins have been passed down from generation to generation)!!! If you love the violin when it is called a "fiddle", this CD is for you! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Good introduction to Cape Breton music.......2000-07-05

Cape Breton must be in the lead for the "musical talent per capita" award, as this album amply illustrates. It's a good introduction to the wide range of styles found under the general heading of Cape Breton traditional music, from the traditional stylings of Buddy MacMaster to the contemporary energy of Slainte Mhaith. In between are the amazingly versatile Barra MacNeils (this album features an instrumental, but they are equally strong on vocals), the incredibly talented J.P. Cormier (equally virtuostic on fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, and bass and a great singer and songwriter to boot), and the unique piano stylings of Tracy Dares. As with all samplers, not every cut is equally strong - Stephanie Wills' intonation is painfully bad and Graham and MacDonald's isn't much better. You'll want to buy a number of the albums sampled here, but will be frustrated by their unavailability (unless you're lucky enough to be Canadian).

New Britain: The Roots of American Folksong

Average customer rating:

Charming, simple & striking. Full of delightful surprises!
Tour de Force of American Musical Roots!
Astonishing

New Britain: The Roots of American Folksong

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005E75
Release Date: 1991-06-25

Tracks:

Judicii Signum -- The Great Day
Calenda Maia - Cuando por el oriente
Rossignolet du bois joli - Rossignolet del bos jolin
Das Paris y-at-un'barbiere - Allons-nous faire faire la barbe
Mon pere m'a mariee - Mon pere m'a mariee
Gabriel Nazareth - Une nymphe jolie
C'est en passant par Varennes - Margo labours les vignes
Bransles de village - Il etait une Cendrillon
C'est dans la ville de Bytowm
Il est venu le petit oysillon - An jenem Tag, nach Davids sag - Barbara Allen - Heavenly Dove
Chevy Chase -The Kinges hunt is upp - The English hunt's up
My Love Gave Me A Cherry - I Gave My Love A Cherry
Hey, Ho, Nobody At Home
There Were Three Crows - There Were Three Ravens
Lady Cassilles Lilt - Gipsy Davy
The Jolly Beggar
Billy Boy - Billy Boy
Ricerada premera - Betty Anne
Singing School
Thomas-Town
New Britain (Amazing Grace)
Parting Friends
Hallelujah

Amazon.com

Exploring the connections between early music and what we know as folksong, Joel Cohen and his very adventurous and competent band of musicians not only show us where many familiar tunes come from, they also give us fresh and illuminating renditions of songs from the 10th century to the middle of the 20th century. Besides the recording's obvious educational value, its primary purpose, according to Cohen, is "to give pleasure." That it does, often in amusing ways, as when a song with religious origins is transformed into a ribald descendant. It's also fun to see how widespread some songs are, with different versions common to many countries. Cohen demonstrates how songs that came from Renaissance forms were preserved by common folk long after the "elite" classes abandoned them. The songs are enhanced by excellent instrumental playing and well-conceived arrangements. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Charming, simple & striking. Full of delightful surprises!.......2002-11-29

Many early music groups these days explain cross-cultural musical influences in their program notes, and proceed to play their selections accordingly. Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata take it the logical step further by actually performing the "root" pieces side by side with the later music that reflects their particular influence. The result is inspired, thought-provoking groupings of related tunes and texts that span not only centuries but continents. The Boston Camerata is primarily a vocal ensemble, with a sound that is spare, pure and direct. Some of their renditions are performed a cappella, while others are accompanied by light, period instrumentation. If you've ever heard this group live in concert, you may recall the surreal effect of sitting in a theater that is pin-drop quiet, waiting for one or two musicians at a time to step forward and break the silence with a clarity and presence that holds the entire audience spellbound from first note to last. The effect of listening to this recording is much the same. My favorites on this release are the groupings of different versions of the same ballad--"Three Ravens", "Gypsy Davy", and "Barbara Allen", for example. The pairing of the Appalacian song "Betty Anne" with its exact harmonic match--a 16th century ricercada for viols by Diego Ortiz--is also quite striking, and I also enjoyed the "shape-note" and "Fa-sol-la" singing-school selections representative of early American music. In the insert, director Joel Cohen explains: "This unorthodox recording, an intentionally provocative mix of early art song and modern folksong, is meant first of all to give pleasure - but it is also a meditation on history, on archetypes, and on the transmission of human culture." The Boston Camerata succeeds admirably here on both counts!

Tour de Force of American Musical Roots!.......2001-01-05

Prepare to go on an amazing, haunting musical tour when you put this disc on your player. Joel Cohen (bless him) has once again assembled a group of musicians and singers who are up to the task of taking themselves, and you the listener, back through the mists of musical time. This disc contains songs that span hundreds of years, many of which actually originate in other lands. Yet, these songs would find their way into the early diverse fabric of colonial America, and go on to inspire much of emerging folk music in this country. Some of these songs are secular, but others have a distinctly religious flavor (as in the first piece on Judgment Day and the "stars falling"). Others are merry, dance-like tunes, and remind one of what might have been performed in medieval courts in Europe. Some are sung in english, others in different languages. The range of musical style and vocal interpretation is incredible. This wonderful diversity reminds the listener that America always had diverse roots, and even in colonial times, we were a nation that drew its strength and inspiration from many cultural sources. I like to listen to this disc during the bleak nights of winter, but it is wonderful music for any occasion. If you really are intrigued by the historical development of American music -- or any music -- then this disc is a "must" for your collection. Also recommended: "The World Turned Upside Down" (Barry Philips), "A Land of Pure Delight" (His Majestie's Clerkes), and "Simple Gifts: Shaker Cbants and Spirituals" (Joel Cohen and Boston Camerata).

Astonishing.......2000-03-25

The album is astonishing. It is rare to find a continuous line of musical thought from the turn of the previous millenium to its end. This album demonstrates the evolution of music over about a thousand year period and includes some very early versions of what we would call modern songs.

Tracks:

Prelude
La Calinda (Dance)
The Walk To The Paradise Garden (Intermezzo)
Intermezzo
With Moderate Tempo - Philippe Djokic
Maestoso - Philippe Djokic
Allegretto - Philippe Djokic
On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring
Summer Night On The River
Sleigh Ride

Customer Reviews:

Another very favorable report.......2006-01-15

If you don't know Delius's music, this would be a great place to start. Several of the most popular miniatures are here (Walk to Paradise Garden, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, etc.), along with the lesser-known Violin Concerto. Tintner's approach is generally more leisurely than Beecham and Barbirolli (both of whom were great Delius interpreters). I would be inclined to say that Tintner doesn't mind a bit of "wallowing in impressionistic haze," but agree that we don't lose any clarity here, and to the extent Tintner "wallows," it sure is nice. The violin concerto does not come across in a forceful or aggressive manner, either, which, again, I rather like. And the sound is very good, certainly competitive with most other Delius discs I've heard.

If you like this, you might enjoy Beecham's early recordings of Delius (20's and 30's) on Naxos. Very fresh, and in surprisingly decent sound.

Average customer rating:

Note for Jessa Guy, the previous reviewer

Liberty for All

Manufacturer: Altissimo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002VEQES
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

The White Cockade
Washington's March
Chimes Of Liberty
Liberty Bell March
American Salute
Stephen Foster Medley
George M Medley
Hands Across The Sea
God Bless America (with Vocal)
Semper Fidelis
Victory at Sea - Eternal Father - Taps (Medley)
When Honor Whispers And Shouts
The Stars and Stripes Forever
The Marines' Hymn
The National Anthem (with Vocal)

Customer Reviews:

Note for Jessa Guy, the previous reviewer.......2006-02-19

Jessa Guy,

I can't believe that you took the time to give a one-star review of a CD you've never heard, simply because the picture of the CD contained an African-American child on the cover. The CD is titled "Liberty for ALL". Not "Liberty for an apparently racist 83 year-old WWII veteran".

To add to that, I seriously doubt that you are an 83 year-old WWII veteran. I can base this assumption upon the fact that I read three other 'brilliant' reviews that you wrote. In one review you claim you have a 7 year-old daughter. In another review you demoted a product from a 5 to 4 stars because you LOST THE MANUAL to a SELF-SETTING clock for crying out loud!

Please stop wasting your time writing reviews. You're not helping anybody.

Average customer rating:

Suas E! is engaging and interesting.
fills the soul
A Proud Canadian on Celtic Music.
Enchanting Voice
I can't wait to share this recording with everyone I know.

Suas E!
Mary Jane Lamond
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Canada | North America | International | Styles | Music

General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music

Lan Duil
Storas
Ashley MacIsaac
Crosswinds
In My Hands

ASIN: B000007QX5
Release Date: 1998-06-16

Tracks:

Oran Sniomh (Spinning Song)
Seinn O
Domhnall Mac 'Ic Lain
E Horo
Hi Ri Him Bo
Bog A'Lochain
Horo Mo Nighean Donn Bhoidheach Nan Gormshuil Meallach (A Love Song)
Lu O Ra Hiu O (Margaret's Song)
Hor Ghoid Thu Nighean (Stepping Song)
Tha Mo Run Air A'Ghille (I Love The Lad)
Oran Do Ghille A Chaidh A Bhathadh (On The Drowning Of A Young Man)

Amazon.com

While not a native Cape Breton resident, this Canadian singer has spent most of her young life absorbing the local culture and the sounds of the Scots Gaelic language of the region, and now resides there full time. She has a crystalline voice, ethereal and yet not precious. This album is all traditional material, all sung in the old language. The accompaniment is anything but traditional, featuring lots of studio overdubs, synthesizers, and drum kits along with bagpipes, fiddles (including that of Ashley MacIsaac), and flutes. There is an easy comparison to Mouth Music and the myriad Enya-ites, but Lamond's recording rises above most of the Celto-synth music so popular these days. Her voice is right up front all the time, never buried in multiple layers or washes of reverb, always in sharp focus so the songs become the most important element. The production, while sometimes a bit overblown, is always looking for the music's origins, with fine musicians contributing enough acoustic instrumentation to keep it solid and rooted. There is also one track by an older traditional singer, Margaret Mclean of Boisdale, Cape Breton, with Lamond providing a second voice to give you a serious taste of the real tradition. From the most pop cuts to the most austere, Lamond's voice triumphs and the pop production behaves itself, offering a new look at the old songs without pretense or silliness. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews:

Suas E! is engaging and interesting........2007-01-09

When I first heard Mary Jane Lamond in Accuradio's Radio Celt--a great source for sampling Celtic music--Lamond struck me as a traditionalist who provided always-interesting songs and an engaging voice. This was my first purchase of Lamond's music and my first impression was that this was a very engaging and interesting first-effort by Ms. Lamond. It's the kind of music that would invite anyone who knew Gealic to sing along and those who didn't to at least try.

After a few listens I settled on my favorites quickly--six songs--that I offer my thoughts on here.

Seinn O - (Love the Gaelic titles) Very catchy and the repeated verse is easy enough to sing along to.
Domhnall Mac 'Ic Lain - I love the vocals here.
E Horo! - Probably my favorite song on this CD. Lamond's most emotional rendition in my opinion. The music gradually builds in this one so very nicely and lends passion to this piece--the guitar work here is the best of the CD.
Bog A'Lochain - More energy and a comptemorary feel with nice portions of fiddle added. Again, Lamonds voice is engaging--every song she tries to showcase adds new dimension to her singing style and experiments throughout.
Hor Ghoid Thu Nighean (Stepping Song)-- Again very much in the mold of Bog A'Lochain. Energetic with nice fiddle riffs and some step dancing filling in to close the song.
Tha Mo Run Air A'Ghille (I love that lad)- A nice melody and soothing singing by Mary Jane.

The rest of the songs are at least interesting and worthy of a listen every so often. Overall, a great effort on a debut solo CD.

fills the soul.......2000-08-04

This is very special. Her voice plus the music makes you feel the people and times. The use of the bag pipes in some of her songs is beautiful. You forget you are hearing gaelic as you listen to this CD.

A Proud Canadian on Celtic Music........2000-07-19

Coming from Newfoundland, which is just Northeast of Cape Breton, I can tell you I've heard a lot of Celtic music and Mary Jane Lamond stands out. Her music is both electrical and modern, and laced with that often difficult to attain Celtic pathos. *Suas E!* is the album I give to American friends when I try to describe the spirit of the East Coast of Canada: both modern and ageless. Now that I'm far from home it also brings me back to music that could spring up in the kitchen, seemingly out of nowhere, when the day's work was finally done. Mary Jane's voice is that authentic.

Enchanting Voice.......2000-06-13

I love traditional music. I speak only English. I still love this album. Miss Lamond's voice is very expressive and this album, despite some non-traditional instrumentation does a great job of showcasing it. I own a lot of traditional music, but this album is the one that's been on the top of the pile since I got it about a week ago. I've listened to it at least 10 times and it just gets better with each listening.

I can't wait to share this recording with everyone I know........2000-02-07

I first heard Mary Jane Lamond on Ashley Macasic's album Hi How Are You Today. It was immediatley my favorite track.When I got her CD I listened to it three times in a row. Her voice is absolutley mesmerizing. The track sung with the older woman is one of my favorites. I don't understand Galic any more than I do French but I enjoy listening to Mary Jane Lamond as much, if not more, than I enjoy listening to Edith Piaf. This album is amust have regardless of your other musical preferences. I can't wait to see her perform live.

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