From time to time I like to have a go at trying an arrangement of a folk song. Folk music is a living tradition and its durability owes a lot to constant re-interpretation of the canon.

Arthur McBride was first collected in Limerick around 1840 by Patrick Weston Joyce and in Donegal by George Petrie at around the same time. Variations are also to be found in Scotland, Suffolk and Devon.

References to France would seem to suggest that it dates to the Napoleonic Wars and, like most great folk songs; it’s a cracking story with a violent ending!

The eagle eared (mixing my metaphors slightly here) will notice that my version is basically a poor attempt at emulating Paul Brady’s seminal recording of the same song.

For those of you interested in the technical end of things. I tuned my guitar down a full tone and then Spanish tuned to DGDGBD, which I guess, makes it CFCFAC (I might be wrong, my transposition is a bit rusty). Do not try this on a nice guitar; I used an old electric because I was afraid of damaging my acoustic.

I mic’d the guitar amp with a 57 right on the cone, hence the distortion at times (not deliberate, I simply overloaded the pre-amp and didn’t notice). It’s a live take so not perfect, but considering it’s about twenty verses long I was understandably reluctant to sing it twice.

If you like the song, I’d suggest you track down Paul Brady’s recording from the 70s. Planxty also do an excellent, though quite different version.


Arthur Mc Bride

Another favourite carol - from Allison Crowe's "Tidings" album:


Silent Night

Words: Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848; trans. by John F. Young, 1820-1885 (sts 1,
2, 3) and anon. (st 4)
Music: Franz Gruber, 1787-1863
Tune: STILLE NACHT, Meter: Irr.
Arranged and performed by Allison Crowe

Silent night, holy night,
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin
mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light;
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,
wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Buy on Bandcamp

Silent Night - Allison Crowe

A traditional track which we recorded in 2015 as part of a collaboration album with Deborah Rose called 'Wilde Wood.' This song is one we grew up playing as a family and tells of the Easter Uprising in Ireland one hundred years ago. It feels as relevant and powerful today as it was then. It is a beautiful song which the Chieftains once recorded with Sinead O'Connor, the version we grew up loving.

Lindsay O'Farrell - Whistle
Mari O'Farrell - Vocals, Guitar
Deborah Rose - Vocals
Lucy O'Farrell - Melodeon
Hetty O'Farrell - Banjelele

The Foggy Dew

There is a lot of autobiography in this new UK blues track from a hard working gigging musician - a respectable married woman.

Bex Marshall / Bad Bad Girl

This John Hammond is the son of the John Hammond who launched the careers of Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

John Hammond / Statesboro Blues

Baby'sBlue

CD - Vox/Guitar
Laura Carrivick - Fiddle
Charlotte Carrivick - Mandolin
Martin Froud - Dobro
Barry Cook - Double Bass
Josh Clark - Drums

Recorded and mixed by Josh Clark
at Get Real Audio, Bath, Somerset
Mastered by Don Grossinger

Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame (Chinaski's Blues)

I'm burning in water, drowning in flame
My heart it beats faster, at the sound of your name.
The bottle is full again of nothing, it seems
and I'm back to the lonely dark night of my dreams.
The riddle that haunts me, each night and each day
Is how to turn off that feelin' that won't go way.
I hear that song playin' about love's foolish game,
I'm burning in Water, drowning in Flame.

Well nothing is simple but it's easy if you know
the soil that you're turning and the seeds that you sow.
The road that is waiting in the shimmering light
will surely still be there at the end of the night.
But the memory of some place I left round the bend,
keeps rolling me backwards to an uncertain end.
It makes me feel tragic but there's no one to blame,
I'm burning in Water, drowning in Flame.

To be gifted with Vision but blinded by Truth
with the old sword of Patience and the thin shield of Youth.
The Time that is lost and the Hope that is won,
by the light of the Moon and the dark of the Sun.
The River keeps turning and the Mountain still stands,
both Wise men and Wicked hold the World in their hands.
It's so hard to be proud, in the face of this shame,
I'm burning in Water, drowning in Flame.

Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame (Chinaski's Blues)

CLAYTON DENWOOD

Related tracks