#4615, Irish Story-Songs

Hear an hour of Irish story-songs, not necessarily sung by Irish musicians. There’s music from Franco-Italian duo Varo, Americans Anna & Elizabeth, Anglo-Indian singer Sheila Chandra and music by Dublin-based Ye Vagabonds.

Listen to a "broken token" song from Ye Vagabonds, Dublin-based brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn with members of Dublin’s Crash Ensemble helping out. Ye Vagabonds’ music is a mix of traditional Irish and European music, old time American tunes, and the music of the 1960s folk revival. 

There’s also music from Irish-based songwriter Amelia Baker, who records as Cinder Well. Together with Sheffield, UK-based singer and guitarist, Jim Ghedi, they sing a ballad of a character who is off to America, adapted from a tune in the Irish Traditional Music Archives, sung by Rosie Stewart, from Co. Fermanagh, (Cinder Well’s Bandcamp.)

Also, hear striking drone-folk by Dubliners Lankum, who incorporate darkness and drone in their reworked traditional folk songs. Listen to music from Dublin-based duo Varo, made up of Lucie Azconaga from France and Consuelo Breschi from Italy. Then there’s music by Sheila Chandra, who blends elements of Irish, Islamic, and English folk traditions in "Lagan Love" from drones to ragas. Plus, hear classic recordings of the mid 20^th century folk revival from Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, and more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4615, Irish Story-Songs (First aired 4/20/22)

ARTIST: Fairport Convention
WORK: She Moves Through the Fair [1:09]
RECORDING: What We Did On Our Holidays
SOURCE: Carthage #CGCD4430
INFO: Try Amazon.com

ARTIST: Ye Vagabonds
WORK: Her mantle so green [7:45]
RECORDING:  Nine Waves
SOURCE: Rough Trade’s River Lea | Due out May 22
INFO: store.roughtraderecords.com

ARTIST: Cinder Well & Jim Ghedi
WORK: I Am a Youth That's Inclined to Ramble [4:58]
RECORDING: I Am a Youth That's Inclined to Ramble
SOURCE/INFO: cinderwell.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Varo
WORK: As I Roved Out [3:52]
RECORDING: Varo
SOURCE/INFO: https://varodublin.bandcamp.com/album/varo

ARTIST: Steeleye Span ft. Maddy Prior
WORK: When I was on Horseback [6:07]
RECORDING: Ten Man Mop or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again
SOURCE: Shanachie #79049
INFO: Available at Amazon.com  

ARTIST: Fairport Convention
WORK: She Moves Through the Fair [4:09]
RECORDING: What We Did On Our Holidays
SOURCE: Carthage #CGCD4430
INFO: Try Amazon.com

ARTIST: Anna & Elizabeth
WORK: Irish Patriot [6:00]
RECORDING: The Invisible Comes to Us
SOURCE: Smithonian Folkways SFW 40229
INFO: folkways.si.edu

ARTIST: Sheila Chandra
WORK: Lagan Love; Nada Brahma [4:06]
RECORDING: Moonsung - A Real World Retrospective
SOURCE: Real World Records 80076
INFO: realworldrecords.com

ARTIST: Lankum
WORK: The Dark Eyed Gypsy [7:39]
RECORDING: The Livelong Day
SOURCE: Rough Trade
INFO: lankum.bandcamp.com