These Swan Arcade recording pulse with life . . . from the bottom up.

"Ballu lestru" basically means "swift dance" (similar to Italian "ballo lesto")

This episode looks at the ballad Prince Robert aka Lord Abore and Mary Flynn aka Harry Saunders.  

Tracklist:

Frank Feeney – Lord O’Bore and Mary Flynn
Jim Kelly – Lord Abore and Mary Flynn
Al O’Donnell – Lord Abore and Mary Flynn
Ewan MacLennan – Prince Robert 
Peggy Seeger – Harry Saunders

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Artwork by Anthony Van Dyck c.1630

Prince Robert

Episode XL is a big Christmas special full of dead heros, secret guests, strange dreams, folk weirdos, camp highwaymen, throat-singing cowboys, young girls drinking ale straight from the barrel, Finno-Hibernian cryptids, and people who spend Christmas in Jail. 

Dedicated to the memory of Angelo Badalamenti.

Tracklist

Osa Mosafinn – Brurermarsj (Bridal March)
Micho Russell – Christmas Day in the Morning
Kú Killian – Kú’s Khristmas
Fiddlin’ John Carson – Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over
Hack Poet’s Guild – Daring Highwayman
Pato Banton – I Do not Sniff The Coke
Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne – Valentine O’Hara
Adam and the Ants – Stand and Deliver
The Watersons – Holly She Bears a Berry
Elspeth Anne – When I Was a Young Girl
Máire ní Ghráda – Queen of the Rushes
Isa Gordon – When You Got it Done
Richardin Korkkijalka - Kunniallinen Nainen
Richardin Korkkijalka – Friar’s Britches
Culainin Koirat - Helmi Pohjolan
Duo Ruut – Nightingale
Johnny Brennan – Early Morning Rakija
Arthur Miles – Lonely Cowboy 1 & 2
Unnamed – The Yodelling Donkey
Hatchet Field – Run On
The Youngsters – Christmas in Jail

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode XL

This is an audio recording of a lecture / performance I gave in the Shriver Hall Auditorium, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore on the 6th of October 2022.

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

The 'Child Ballad' in Ireland - Johns Hopkins University 06/10/2022

This episode looks at the ballad The Farmer’s Curst Wife aka the Women are Worse than the Men aka The Old Man under the Hill aka The Devil and the Farmer's Wife aka The Old Woman and the Devil aka The Battle Axe and the Devil aka The Farmer and the Devil aka The Carle o' Killyburn Braes aka The Farmer's Wife aka Jack's Wife aka Kellybumbraes aka Ten Little Devils
The Devil and the Fanner's Wife aka The Devil's Song aka The Old Devil Come to my Plow aka The Old Jokey Song aka The (Old) Scolding Wife.

Tracklist

A.L. Lloyd – The Devil and the Ploughman
Walter Pardon – The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife
Gordon Hall – Farmer’s Curst Wife
The City Waites – Lillibullero
Frankie Armstrong – Devil and the Farmer’s Wife
Jimmy White – The Devil
Maggie Murphy – Killyburn Brae
Dominic Behan – The Women are Worse than the Men
Margaret Dunne – There was an Old Woman from Conner in Hell
Thomas Moran – The Farmer’s Curst Wife
Bill and Belle Reed – Old Lady and the Devil
Captain Pearl R. Nye – Old Woman under the Hill
Joe Hubbard – The Farmer’s Curst Wife 
Hobart Stallard – The Old Lady and the Devil
Lena Armstrong and Etta Jones – The Farmer and the Devil
Jean Ritchie - The Farmer's Curst Wife
Civilization IV – Colonization – The Farmer’s Curst Wife

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

The Farmer's Curst Wife

Episode XLIII features songs of war, songs of love, songs of death, songs of the siren and songs of the Devil. 

Tracklist:

Michael Gallagher – The Plains of Boyle / The Leitrim Fancy
Brìghde Chaimbeul - Carry Them With Us - Tha Fonn Gun Bhi Trom (I Am Disposed of Mirth)
Zeitkratzer, Svetlana Spajić, Dragana Tomić and Obrad Milić
- The Battle at Mackov Kamen
Maria W. Horn & Sara Parkman – Till Margaretha
Isa Gordon – Love is Teasing
Paddy Shine – Another Song To The Siren
Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian – Bayeh Bayeh Suite (Narrative to Seyed Arash Shahriari)
Nathan Salsburg – X
The Mary Wallopers – The Night the Guards Raided Oweny's
Blood on Satan’s Claw OST – Main Theme
Tommy Reck – The Kilfrush / the Trip to Durrow

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode XLIII

This episode looks at the ballad Young Ramble Away aka Derry Down Fair aka Brimbledown Fair aka Burlington Fair aka Brocklesby Fair.

Tracklist

Frank Purslow & John Pearse – Young Ramble Away
The Young Tradition – Derry Down Fair
Chapter Three – Ramble Away
Al O’Donnell – Ramble Away
Jean Redpath – Rambleaway
Derek Sarjeant & Hazel King – Ramble Away
George Withers – Brimbledown Fair
Tommy Tourish – Ramble Away
Mel, Mel and Julian – Ramble Away
Johnny Flynn – Rambleaway
Joe Hickerson – Ramble Away
Tattiebogle – Rambleaway

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Young Ramble Away

Episode XLVI is respectfully dedicated to the memory of singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, musician, and all round legend Joe Mulheron who passed away earlier this month. It features a couple of songs by him as well as an unexpected early 80s anarcho-punk link with The Mob, new tracks from Jrpjej, Lainey Dempsey, Razen and Synth Widow, some risque slip jigs by Mary-Grace Autumn Lee alongside some classics by Pat Usher and James 'Ironhead' Baker and also a track for Seán Keane who also sadly passed away this month.

Joe Mulheron – Free State Adjudicator
Men of No Property – No Time for Love if they Come in the Morning
The Mob – Cry of a Morning
Jrpjej – Hakurıne Batmırze yi wored (feat. Myst)
Lainey Dempsey – The Lum Hat Wantin the Croon
Mary-Grace Autumn Lee – CENSORED / Come Upstairs with Me / Chloe's Passion / Hardiman the Fiddler 
Pat Usher – Wild Rover
Pat Usher – The Prayer of Sheil
James Ironhead Baker – Go Down Old Hannah
Razen – A Postcard From Olivier
Synth Widow – Wayfaring Stranger
Sean Keane with Liam O’Flynn – The Maiden That Jigs It in Style / The Girl of the Big House / Alasdruim's March

Fire Draw Near Episode XLVI

Alexis Zoumbas – Doina
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin - Eileanóir na Rún
Unknown - Nuvenapreghiera Per La Novena di Natale
Amelia Dawley, Mary Moran – Gullah Song
Group Of Men From Andros Island – Dig My Grave
X-Seamen’s Institute – Santiano
Sarah Ghriallais – An Sceilpín Draighneach 
Pererin - Llongau Caernarfon
Maxime Martelot, Aude Giuliano – La Chanson de Craonne
Metro Radomsky – Baryshnia
A Cantata Di Li Pasturi – Pastorale
Planxty – The Well Below the Valley

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode XLVIII

Episode L was recorded in a parking lot aka car park on the outskirts of Austin, Texas in the sweltering heat. Join me as I attempt to articulate what it's like to reach the 50th episode of Fire Draw Near. This episode features tracks that are actually new, tracks that are new to me and tracks that I hope are new to you. 

Tracklist 

Tenores di Bitti – Ite m'Importa sa Vida (ballu lestru)
Swan Arcade – Babylon
Pádraic Keane, Páraic Mac Donnchadha & Macdara Ó Faoláin – Elizabeth Kelly's Delight / The First Slip / Hardiman the Fiddler
Sallows – The Unfortunate Lass
Chirgilchin – Lonely Man
The Critics Group – My Husband's Got No Courage In Him
Nihiloxica – Endongo
Frank Purslow and John Pearse – Rap A Tap Tap
John Francis Flynn – Mole In The Ground
ØXN – Love Henry
Paddi Benson, Grace Lemon & James Patrick Gavin  - A Primer

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode L

Episode LII is dedicated to the memory of Shane McGowan. It features some of my favourite Pogues songs as well as tracks by John Francis Flynn, Andy the Doorbum, Dulcidrone, Of the Clay and more. 

Tracklist

The Pogues – Boys from County Hell
The Pogues – The Old Main Drag
Mick Moloney and Frank Harte – Conversation, June 1982
Pandy Corporation – Polly Vaughan feat. Sive
Sestri Koushlevi – Da Znaesh, Maicho, Da Znaesh 
Andy the Doorbum – Little Deaths: the dirge of renewal
Dulcidrone – Winter Bracken
John Francis Flynn – Kitty
Of the Clay – Geordie
The Pogues – A Pair Of Brown Eyes

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

FDN LII

Episode I looks at the folk motif that connects an Irish Traveller song, an obscure uilleann piping tune and a song by London Oi merchants Cock Sparrer.

Tracklist:

Willie Clancy – The Connaught Heifers / Corney is Coming
Jimmy Crowley – The Pool Song
Neillidh Boyle – The Moving Clouds talk and tune
Séamus Ennis – I’ll mend your pots and kettles O!
John Reilly Jr. – The Jolly Tinker
Cock Sparrer – I Fit Central Heating
Pat McNamara – I Left My Hand
The Castle of Dromore – Leo Rowsome
Bob Dawson - Don’t Take Me Drugs Away
Pat Usher – Wild Rover
Louth Mouths – Wild Rover
John and Paddy Killourhey – Sporting Paddy / Jimmy Mulqueaney’s 
Kayne – The Lucky Elopement
Tommy Reck – Top it Off
Tom Lenihan – Truth in Songs / The Christmas Letter
Nora Cleary – Maggie in the Wood


https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode I

Fire Draw Near is a monthly podcast and radio show which investigates Irish traditional music and song in all of its myriad forms.

https://campsite.bio/firedrawnear

Fire Draw Near Episode L

Fire Draw Near

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