I learned this song from Donal Maguire, and it was written by John Pole.  Donal says about the song that it was "inspired by an H. E. Bates tale. An old man reminisces about an amorous encounter, and is quizzed by some youngsters as to what transpired."  (Recorded with Audacity for Windows, and no this is not a harmonizer but my voice in six different tracks.)  

The Lily

I learned this tune from a Laurence Nugent album (Two for Two), and I performed it here with Kevin Reams of Awen on May 19, 2001 at the Barnstormer's Theatre, Tamworth, NH

Dans En Dro

This is a solo multi-track recording with simple, warm harmonies. The repetition of Taize can bring the singer and the listener into a meditative state.

Adoramus te Domine

I first heard this traditional song on a Liam Weldon album.  It has a driving beat and a fun, singable chorus.  The verses are humorous and seem to recount an ill-fated and harmless smuggling attempt.  

Smuggle The Tin

A performance of the "Dead Horse" chantey by singer Aaron Clegg, with introduction and some verses by Park Ranger Peter Kasin of SF National Maritime Historic Park.  

Sailors had to give their first month's wages to someone called a crimp, who gave them room and board before the voyage (and sometimes swindled them).  So the sailors often referred to their first month's pay as "dead horse's pay," because it didn't get you anywhere.  One month out at sea, the sailors began earning pay that they could keep, so at that time they held a ceremony to celebrate the occasion.  The sailmaker would use scrap sail, rope, sawdust, and other scraps to construct an effigy of a horse for the ceremony.  Sailors would drag the horse all around the ship, beating it and kicking it while singing this song, and finally hoisting it up on the yardarm, and at the end of the song cutting its rope so it would fall into the ocean.  

(During this performance, we dragged a dead horse effigy around the deck, and you can hear people punching it.  Peter Kasin adds some verses at the end.)  

Sailors' Dead Horse Ceremony

This is a rehearsal recording from a jazz voice class I took recently at Cabrillo College.  

They Can't Take That Away From Me

I recorded this as a parting gift for my partner when we broke up.  I didn't write the song (it's a cliche standard), but I did come up with the arrangement.  There are five vocal tracks.

How Could Anyone (5 part arr.)

This is a rhythmic example to go with the top line of this piece of music.  It's a way to help you read the rhythm.  http://www.crbond.com/images/rootless.gif 

The full text of my explanation is available here:  https://www.learningmusician.com/blog/viewentry.php?id=7122

Rhythmic example

Aaron Clegg performs traditional Celtic music on wooden flute and sings songs from the Celtic and maritime traditions.    He teaches private lessons in voice, saxophone, flute, Native American flute, wooden flute, pennywhistle, and guitar.  

aaronjclegg

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