Good Evening My Friends , a South Union Quick Dance and the Mount Lebanon March can both be found in Gleanings from Old Shaker Journals, published in 1916 by Miss Clara Endicott Sears, whose efforts to preserve the Shakers and their role in America's heritage included founding The Fruitlands Museums at Harvard, Massachusetts. Shaker scholar and musicologist Roger Hall edited Miss Sears' compilation of 35 Shaker spirituals, which he published in 1982 as The Happy Journey (see bibliography), and this is where we found these beautiful tunes.

Buy Me

Good Evening, My Friends/Mount Lebanon March

I wrote Ninety-Pound Catfish, a rip-roaring dulcimer tune, while on tour in Tennessee, and it's based on a true story. 


Ninety-Pound Catfish

Since its formation in 1980, Northern Lights has involved a changing constellation of close friends performing in Europe and California. We've plucked and hammered in castles in Switzerland and played for our supper with icy fingers while dodging police in a German factory town. We've composed and practiced through winters in Spain, then toured Scandinavia -- under the midnight sun and the northern lights.It's all made for a fine adventure, and we look forward to new places and faces, as well as returning to our favorite haunts.

For now, we hope you enjoy the music.

Squire Woods Lamentation On The Refusal Of His Tuppence

In Dulci Jubilo (German) -- This medieval German carol was popularized in Victorian England when J.M. Neale put new lyrics to it in the 1850s.

Shepherd's Cradle Song (German) -- From the original "Schlaf wohl, du Himmelsknabe du," credited to Karl Leuner in 1814.

Canzone d'i Zampognari (Sicilian) -- "The Carol of the Bagpipers" has for centuries been played by carolers strolling in the streets the nine days before Christmas. Handel borrowed the air to use in one section of his Messiah.

In Dulci Jubilo/Shepherd's Cradle Song/Canzone d'i Zampognari

Tchaikowsky's beloved Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy may never sound the same to you again once you've experienced Phillips' ensemble of antique hand drill, mandolin, anvil, t-square, level and pipes. Will an eye remain dry as Auld Lang Syne, ethereal and poignant on the musical saw, shimmers over the drone of the shop vac?

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

This is one of Stephen Foster’s later compositions, published in 1862. Bluegrass diva Alison Krauss sings a beautiful rendition of this composition on the recording Appalachian Journey.

Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest,
The wandering dews by the flowers are caressed,
Slumber, my darling, I’ll wrap thee up warm,
And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.

Kim Robertson: Celtic harp; Neal Hellman: mountain dulcimer; Barry Phillips: cello.

Slumber My Darling

This reel is named for The Battle of the Boyne on July 1st, 1690, which was fought across the river Boyne in Ireland between the Irish King James II and William of Orange. William defeated his opponent and ushered in the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland for generations to come.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

Bohemian Salon

Boyne Water

A traditional song that was popularized by Simon and Garfunkel in the 1970s, but dates back to the Middle Ages. It refers to an old market fair in Yorkshire. The lyrics tell of a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.

Scarborough Fair - Robin Petrie & Shelley Phillips

This piece is inspired by a tune from the Greek Islands.
Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp, oboe
Peter Maund - frame drum
Barry Phillips – cello

Variations Of A Greek Folk Tune

Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) composed this melody and named it after a mansion on the Eglinton Castle Estate in south Ayrshire. Thanks to Barry for the beautiful cello chords.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

Coilsfield House

Au Gavarrat (Occitan traditional music from Gascony)
The melody of a traditional song from Gascony France. It is a traditional Occitan song and not French (Occitan is the language of the troubadours and also that of the inhabitants of the south of the French state). “Au gavarrat” means a place planted with gorse, a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family, the leaves of which are modified to form spines, native to western Europe and North Africa.
Special thanks to Joan Francés Tisnèr for his help and inspriation.

Au Gavarrat

Harpist Kim Robertson performing Turlough O'Carolan's (1670 - 1738) composition Catherine Martin.

Catherine Martin - O'Carolan

Selections from The World Turned Upside Down, Colonial Christmas and Jefferson's Fiddle.

When Jesus Wept

A new look into the legend of "Cinderella" by singer songwriter Mary Mc Laughlin. 
"So much more to Cinderella then a Crystal Shoe"

Crystal Shoe

"Oh what stories we spin in our heads...." inspired by the wonderful novel "The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

The Weaver

A hymn from the 7th century in praise of Bridget—saint and goddess, healer and patron of poets & smiths. To this day she represents the sacred principle in Ireland.

Song To Bridget (Gabhaim Molta Brighde)

This tune was written by Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander (1823-1895) and first appeared in her Hymns for Little Children in 1848. Mrs. Alexander lived in Derry, Ireland and was the wife of the Archbishop of Armagh. The melody was borrowed from a 17th century English composition titled Royal Oak. It has been said that Genesis 1:31 was Mrs. Alexander’s inspiration for this hymn. This beloved song is also included in The Episcopalian Hymnal.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,	
All things wise and wonderful:	
The Lord God made them all. 

D Brek Renzelman: viola D Karl Lavine: cello D Arranged by Eric Segnitz


Searching for Lambs

All Things Bright And Beautiful

Lauda - Arranged and Produced by Barry Phillips
The lauds, or laude, were traditional religious songs collected in Cortona and Florence, Italy, in the 13th century. They were a simple and a sacred folk music of the people. These religious songs also reflected a desire of the craftsmen, merchants, and lay people (including women) to worship in a language they spoke every day. 
This selection translates to:
From heaven came a new messenger. 
Featuring: 
bamboo pipe, cittern, double harp, dulcimer, percussion, violin, viola, cello, pipe organ.

Lauda 

Da ciel venne messo novello

Legend has it that as Cornwallis' troops surrendered their arms at Yorktown in 1781, they played a march popularly known as The World Turned Upside Down. The tune was first published in 1643 in the British Isles as When the King Enjoys His Own Again -- a favorite among anti-Cromwell Royalists who were the revolutionaries of their time. The melody soon crossed the Atlantic under several titles, including Derry Down, The Old Women Taught Wisdom and The World Turned Upside Down. Though scholars and historians continue to debate among themselves, no one can now confirm or refute the time-honored reports of the redcoats actually playing the tune at the battlefield ceremony. In any event, to the once-proud army of the mightiest empire in Europe, it certainly must have seemed as if The World Turned Upside Down. This version was taken from Chappell's Popular Music of the Old Times.

The World Turned Upside Down

The World Turned Upside down

Fisher's Hornpipe / Patterson's Hornpipe

Billings Suite

Love In A Village/Love Forever

The Rights Of Man

Young Widow/Black Joke

Jefferson's Fiddle

Jefferson and Liberty

Rustic Reel / Off She Goes

Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn

Money Musk Stathspey and Reel

Colonial Christmas

Milford

Christmas (Munson)

Shiloh

Cold and Raw

For over twenty eight years Gourd Music has been producing some of the finest acoustic instrumental music available. Our titles include music of the Colonial era, the Shakers, Americana, Baroque, Civil war and more. Our music has been featured prominently on public television as well as in major and independent films and features some of the most accomplished and talented musicians working today. 

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