•→ Emily Smith introducing «TRAIVELLER’S JOY» (released on Jan. 24th, 2011)
Husband-and-wife duo Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan have a musical partnership which has developed over almost 20 years. The couple met when McClennan moved from NZ to Scotland, his fiddle playing soon became an integral part of Emily’s sound, later taking on the role of lead guitar and backing vocals and producing several of her albums.◊ ‘Sweet Lover of Mine’ ↓ 2011 Cambridge Folk Festival
As I cam o’er by Bonny Moor Hill – Every rose grows bonny in timeI met a wee lass, and they ca’ed her Nell – Longing to be a sweet lover o mine It’s questions three I’ll ask o thee – Every rose grows bonny in time
And it’s questions three you maun answer me – Before you are a sweet lover o mine You maun mak me a cambric shirt – Every rose grows bonny in time
Withoot one stitch o your needlework – Before you are a sweet lover o mine You maun wash it in yonder well – Every rose grows bonny in time
Where water ne’er ran and rain never fell – Before you are a sweet lover o mine Then dry it oot on yonder thorn – Every rose grows bonny in time
Where blossom ne’er bloomed since Adam was born – Before you are a sweet lover o mine It’s questions three you’ve asked o me – Every rose grows bonny in time
And it’s questions three you’ll noo answer me – Before you are a sweet lover o mine You maun get me an acre of land – Every rose grows bonny in time
Atween the saut sea and sea water strand – Before you are a sweet lover o mine Then plough it aa wi an auld ram’s horn – Every rose grows bonny in time
And then sow it o’er wi one grain of corn – Before you are a sweet lover o mine You maun sheer it with a sickle of leather – Every rose grows bonny in time
And bind it up wi a peacock’s feather – Before you are a sweet lover o mine Then stook it o’er on yonder sea – Every rose grows bonny in time
And bring the shell sheaf dry unto me – Before you are a sweet lover o mine When you’ve done and finished your work – Every rose grows bonny in time
You may call untae me for your cambric shirt – And you shall be a sweet lover o mine
♦ ‘The Silver Tassie’ ↓ [R. Burns]
Go fetch to me a pint o’ wine,
An’ fill it in a silver tassie;
That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonie lassie:
The boat rocks at the Pier o’ Leith,
Fu’ loud the wind blaws frae the Ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bony Mary.
The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are ranked ready,
The shouts o’ war are heard afar,
The battle closes deep and bloody.
It’s not the roar o’ sea or shore,
Wad make me langer wish to tarry;
Nor shouts o’ war that’s heard afar-
It’s leaving thee, my bony Mary!
◊ «May Colven» ↓ [‘Too Long Away’]
False Sir John’s a wooing gone to a maid o’ beauty fair
May Colven was this lady’s name – Her faither’s only heir
He woo’d her butt, he woo’d her ben – He woo’d her in the ha’
Until he got this lady’s consent to mount and ride awa
They went doon to her faither’s bower where all the steeds did stand
And he’s ta’en yin o’ the best steeds there – Right frae her faither’s hands
He’s got on and she’s got on as fast as they could flflee
Until they’ve come tae a lonesome part – A rock by the side o’ the sea
Higher rose the tide and faster he did ride
Loup offff the steed says false Sir John – Your bridal bed you see
For it’s seeven ladies I hae drooned and the eighth yin ye shall be
Cast offff, cast offff May Colven – A’ and your silken gown
For it’s o’er guid and o’er costly to rot in the salt sea foam
Weel turn ye aboot then false Sir John – Look to the leaf o’ the tree
For it ne’er becam a gentleman a naked woman to see
So he turned himself straight roon’ aboot to look to the leaf o’ the tree
So swift as May Colven was – She pushed him in the sea
O help, o help May Colven – O help or else I’ll droon
An’ I’ll tak ye back tae yer faither’s boo’er and set you safe and soond
Nae help, nae help o’ false Sir John – Nae help nor pity for thee
For it’s seeven king’s daughters ye hae drooned and the eighth yin’ll no be me
So she louped onto her faither’s steed as swift as she could flflee
And she got hame tae her faither’s bower afore the break o’ day
Higher rose the tide and faster she did ride . . .
Up then spak her pretty parrot – May Colven whaur hae ye been?
And what’s become o’ false Sir John that woo’ed ye late yestreen?
O hold yer tongue my pretty bird – Lay not the blame on me
And yer cup shall be o’ the guid red gowd and yer cage o’ the root o’ tree
Up then spak the king himself frae the chamber whaur he lay
What ails thee May Colven’s bird that prattles sae lang the day?
Well there cam a cat tae my cage door – It nearly worried me
And I was calling on May Colven tae tak the cat frae me
◊ ‘Caledonia’ ⇓ [Shrewsbury Folk Festival – 2009]
«This one is called ‘Caledonia’, and it tells the story of a woman who’s far from home and far away from Caledonia, or Scotland, and she’s trying to hitch a ride back home on a ship, with some sailors… And at the beginning of the journey, she’s.. er… the girlfriend of one of the sailors who turns out to be not the nicest of guys… However, by the time she does eventually get home, she’s been thrown over board and she’s married the ship’s captain. So things have come along quite nicely on that way.» A sailor and his true love lay doon tae mak their moanWhen in by came ain o their countrymen sayin’ rise up my bonny lassie
Mak haste and come awa – There’s a vessel lying bound for Caledonia Oh said the sailor, are ye willing for tae pay five hundred guineas Afore on board ye gay? I’ll pay them plack and farthing afore on board I go if ye’ll tak me tae my bonny Caledonia Oh said the sailor her money we will tak and when we’re on the sea
We’ll throw her over deck or sell her for a slave
Lang ere she win ava – And she’ll never see her bonny Caledonia Well said the captain, well that’ll never do for there are nae slaves
Sold intae oor country noo – They’d hang us ane and a’
They would hang us every man – If we sold her for a slave to Caledonia Well said the sailor she’s lying doon below – She’s bound hand and foot
Ready overboard to throw – She’s bound hand and foot
Ready overboard to throw – And she’ll never see her bonny Caledonia So the captain away tae the fair maid he has gane
Says what is the reason that ye’re lying here sae lang
An’ what is the reason that ye’re lying here at all?
For you’ve paid your passage dear tae Caledonia Oh said the lassie, oh woe is me that ever I was born
Sic hardships for tae see for the sailors got a lassie
He likes better far than me – And it causes me to weep for Caledonia So the captain away to the sailor he has gane – He’s ta‘en him by the neck
And him overboard has thrown
Saying tak this cup o’ water though the liquor be but sma‘
And drink your lassie’s health tae Caledonia They’ve sailed east and they’ve sailed west
Until they reached the land that they a’ loved the best
For the winds they did roar and the seas they did beat
And they’ve all arrived safe to Caledonia Well they hadna been there But three quarters o’ a year
When in fine silks and satins He’s made her for tae wear
When in fine silks and satins He’s made her for tae go
Noo she’s the captain’s wife in Caledonia . . .
∇ ‘The Earl of Darwin’s Farewell’+’Save a Place’ ⇓ [2009]
My much-troubled man
As the world is watching you, near to you I am
Farewell, my love
Close though you be,
Your mind is many, many miles away from your children and me
The world you spent traveling is here at your feet
Is there a way to make it all complete?
Or in the smallest sea,
I hope there’ll be a chance for you to save a place for me
Write when you can
Of all the lines you lay down, give me your best hand
Keep yourself strong
And know that I shall pray for you, though our parting may be long
The world you spent traveling is here at your feet
Is there a way to make it all complete?
Or in the smallest sea,
I hope there’ll be a chance for you…
∞ ‘Twa Sisters’ ⇒
◊ ‘My Darling Boy’ ↓ [2014]
Oh, father, dear father, you have done me wrong,
You have married me to a boy that’s much too young
He is only 16 years, and I am 21
Oh, my darling boy is young but he’s growing …
For, at the age of 16, he was a married man
At the age of 17, the father of a son
At the age of 18 years, my love was dead and gone
The green grass put an end to his growing …
So I will go to my love’s grave and I’ll sit by his side
I’ll pick my love some flowers and sow my love some shroud
And every stitch I’ll put in, his tears, they will fall down
Cruel fate has put an end to his growing . . .
For the trees he knew grew higher and the leaves, they did go green
The days have passed and gone, my love, that you and I have seen
It’s a cold winter’s night, my love, that I must pass alone
But I’ll watch over his son while he’s growing . . .
÷ ÷ ÷ ÷
¤ Astrid Williamson
•→ 4 Songs from the Vaults:
◊ ‘Shut Your Mouth’ ⇓ from the album «Here Come The Vikings»
Invisible – the space that lies between Nobody’s fool – you know exactly what it means And having me, I need to feel your touch And having me, please ‘cos I want you, I want you this much Yeah, I want to feel the hands of you Let me explore the lands of you Don’t refrain from my terrain Must I explain I want you? Yeah, tell me where and tell me when Then shut your mouth, until I kiss you Shut your mouth until I kiss you You’d better shut your mouth until I kiss you It’s mystical, the way you got inside my head And you make me feel spiritual and lyrical with this physical And I confess, I want you, I want to get you in, in my bed Did I say too much? Did I say too much? Did I say too much? Shut your mouth till I kiss you Shut your mouth till I kiss you Call you (up) everyday about nothing at all ‘Cos I know you really want to take more than my call Won’t you stand near to me? Because every molecule of you is dear to me Oh, please forgive my pursuit of you But I have to get to the root of you Shut your mouth till I kiss you (Repeat and fade)◊ Astrid Wiliamson and her band’s `PULSE` album launch gig ↓ at the Prince Albert, Brighton on August 17th, 2011.
Astrid Williamson began her career as the frontwoman for the energetic indie rock group Goya Dress in the ‘90s, but on Pulse, Williamson works entirely in haunted sonic landscapes populated by echoing pianos and ambient noise, resulting in a sound that’s at turns boring and captivating. Williamson enlisted the help of Brian Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams for Pulse, and Eno’s influence is certainly felt here. In its quieter, sparer moments, the album evokes Eno’s “Music for Airports” as well as contemporary ambient artists like Akira Kosemura.
Billy Hepfinger (PopMatters)
Deja un comentario