Pay The Reckoning
proudly presents
Briary Lads
New Interviews
New The Blythe Hill Tavern Session
Aidan Crossey's Irish Mandolin Vol One
Pay The Reckoning is pleased to announce the availability of the latest in a series of CDs by Aidan Crossey - Briary Lads. Tunes on octave mandola and mandolin with occasional guitar backing; unaccompanied songs delivered in a "no-frills" honest style.
The CD retails at £5 (sterling) and Aidan will accept cash, cheques or postal orders.
If you're based outside the UK, the cost of buying the CD will be:
$US10; 10 Euros; 15 Canadian Dollars; 20 Australian Dollars
If ordering from outside the UK, please note that I can accept CASH only.
The price includes post and packing.
To order a copy of the CD, please write with payment to:
Aidan Crossey Pay The Reckoning 20 Algernon Road Lewisham London SE13 7AT
Please enclose your name and address and we’ll mail a copy of the CD to you within days!
The track listing follows:
Briary Lads
1. Arthur McBride 2. Farewell To Erin 3. The Rocks Of Bawn 4. The Boy Remembers His Father (Sigerson Clifford) 5. Blackberry Fair 6. Memories of Father Angus MacDonnell (Mike MacDougall) 7. There's The Day 8. Two Mazurkas 9. Banish Misfortune/The Lark In The Morning 10. The Croppy Boy 11. Bill Harte's/Out On The Ocean 12. The Parting Glass
Sleeve notes follow (NB, these are not included in the CD's cover and are available exclusively here.).
1. Arthur McBride. A different version from the familiar Andy Irvine/Paul Brady/Bob Dylan (!). I don't remember where I came across this setting of the song! However, its simplicity appeals to me as much as the sophistication of the Irvine/Brady etc. version. (Vocals, guitar)
2. Farewell To Erin. There's a debate as to whether this tune is properly called "Farewell to Erin" or "Farewell to Ireland" - and blood has been spilled in the Irish Traditional Music community over even more subtle niceties. I first heard the tune played by Kevin Burke in his Bothy Band incarnation and so I'll defer to his title. This four-part reel was often performed at American wakes - parties thrown in honour of some (usually) young lad or woman who was leaving Ireland for Americkey, often never to return. It's a rugged tune, whose twists and turns are infested with sadness, even when played at an immoderate pace. (Mandolin, octave mandolin, guitar)
3. The Rocks Of Bawn. A great "session" song, The Rocks Of Bawn has an ambiguous quality that doesn't bear too much analysis. We usually get exactly what's meant, even if we find it impossible to articulate it! The song has been rendered by The Dubliners, amongst others, in a different setting, altogether more jauntily. I favour this more restrained, drone-friendly, version. (Unaccompanied vocals)
4. The Boy Remembers His Father. I first came across this poem on Tim Dennehy's homage to Sigerson Clifford, "Between The Mountains And The Sea". Dennehy had set the poem to music, and I was interested to see how it would sound "in the original". I lost my father at the young age of 12 and this poem captures the essence of the sense of loss as experienced by a child. In particular, the fear that accompanies the grief. And yet the poem is restrained and "quiet"; the grief and the fear expressed privately in words directed at the father. (Spoken word)
5. Blackberry Fair. I found this sharp and curmudgeonly song in Derek Bell's and Liam O'Concubhair's superb collection, "Traditional Songs Of The North Of Ireland". To the tune associated with "The Bold Thady Quill", this is one of my very favourite type of jig-songs. (Unaccompanied vocals)
6. Memories Of Father Angus MacDonnell. A tune from the self-titled debut CD by Cape Breton band, Beolach (whose follow-up, Variations, was one of the highlights of 2004). This is one of those tunes that inveigles its way into first the musician's consciousness and then gradually into his or her fingers. Surprisingly easy to play, the tune is nevertheless splendidly evocative and emotional. Many thanks to its maker, Mike MacDougall. (Octave mandolin, guitar)
7. There's The Day. Brendan Begley's version of this song on "Oiche Go Maidin" was my first introduction to this great play on "Nil Na La" and I subsequently was directed to Cathal McConnell's singing of the song. Both make a great fist of the song and it's a pleasure to carry it on to others. (Unaccompanied vocals)
8. Two Mazurkas. I hesitate to give these mazurkas titles. The first I got from Dan Beimborn's "Shatter The Calm", where he calls it John Doherty's. The second has been absorbed from the playing of Vincent Campbell and the beautiful, soft and slow version played by Harriet Earis (harp) and Colman Connolly (pipes) on Helen Roche's outstanding "Shake The Blossom Early". Helen notes that the tune is known to her as Vincent Campbell's or Phroinsias/Francie Mooney's. I've also heard it called John Doherty's. Whatever the names, both are cracking tunes and I've played them here at a brisk pace! (Mandolin, guitar)
9. Banish Misfortune/The Lark In The Morning. Two of the most popular and "defining" jigs in the music. I've deliberately tried to capture the feel of playing in a session here and so I've attempted to play the mandolin differently from the octave mandolin in order bto create moments where the two instruments diverge slightly. (Mandolin, octave mandolin, guitar)
10. The Croppy Boy. One of my favourite song airs, end of story. I have a number of songs to the same air, but The Croppy Boy is surely father to them all. (Unaccompanied vocals).
11. Bill Harte's/Out On The Ocean. A jig set which I suppose I have to take some credit for popularising at sessions in South East London. No matter how many times I've played Bill Harte's, I never tire of it and no matter how many times I've made the change into Out On The Ocean, I never cease to be energised by the subtle shift from the one jig into the other. (Octave mandolin, mandolin)
12. The Parting Glass. A fitting end to this collection. A song I've always known, which I must have heard in the womb and which I could almost have sung from the moment of birth! (Unaccompanied vocals)
Other albums are available. All at the same price as "Briary Lads" and all available via the same route.
We'll Seek No More Engagements
1. The Gander In The Pratie Hole/Morrison's 2. The Eagle's Whistle 3. The Ace And Deuce Of Pipering 4. The Boys Of Mullaghbawn 5. The Fairy Reel/The Wise Maid 6. Pretty Maggie Morrissey 7. The Oul' Orange Flute 8. The Frieze Britches 9. Flower Among Them All 10. The Verdant Braes Of Screen 11. The Congress Reel/The Monaghan Twig 12. Biddy From Sligo/An t-Athair Jack Walsh 13. The Barren Rocks Of Aden/The £42 Cheque 14. The Bank Of Ireland/The Merry Blacksmith 15. The Star Of Donegal (sung by John Crossey, RIP)
Sleeve notes (only available from this site) follow:
The Gander In The Pratie Hole/Morrison's. Two of the first tunes that embedded themselves in my consciousness, courtesy of Planxty and The Bothy Band respectively, these jigs form part of a bigger jig set that the sessioneers at The Blythe Hill Tavern and Shillelagh's will often use to kick off the night's music.
The Eagle's Whistle. Many thanks to Dan Beimborn for drawing this tune to my attention. The Clan March of the O'Donovans.
The Ace And Deuce Of Pipering. Some tunes get you from the first time you hear them. The Ace And Deuce did it for me. And then I heard Johnny Keenan duet with Paddy Keenan and just had to learn it ...
The Boys Of Mullaghbawn. One of my favourite songs, and of particular interest for me in that it comes from my home county, Armagh. I love its melancholy tone; its entwining of an unrelated love story with a tale of banishment. And its great imagery (... the ship in motion/Did stand in great commotion/As if the seas run dry ...).
The Fairy Reel/The Wise Maid. Caoimhin O Raghallaigh's and Mick O'Brien's recent "Kitty Lie Over" album was the source of two tunes on this album. Caoimhin's and Mick's playing of The Fairy Reel is captivating. The Wise Maid is attributed to the legendary Donegal fiddler John Doherty. It's one of the best-known reels in the sessioneer's repertoire.
Pretty Maggie Morrissey. Also known as The Wexford Hornpipe. I was struggling to find a tune to follow this that fitted well and didn't detract from its great flow. And then it occurred to me to let it stand on its own ... which I did!
The Oul' Orange Flute. Blessed with some of the most absurd internal rhymes (Dungannon/han' in; pathetic/heretic), The Oul' Orange Flute is - despite its reliance on the bitterness of sectarian division for its humour - rarely a controversial choice in any company. I've sung this song on so many occasions, including in Dungannon itself and so often that it's become something of a signature tune, but I never thought of recording it till lately.
The Frieze Britches. A few years ago, I'd occasionally belt out a ribald version of Cúnla (and I'd still give it a lash in the right company!). Cúnla uses the first two parts of this five-parter as its tune. Thanks to Cath for suggesting that I learn this; sometimes the only motivation to learn a tune is to have another player give you the spur!
Flower Among Them All. Attributed to Sir John Fenwick, this gorgeous tune is from the Northumbrian pipers' repertoire (although I first heard it played by Horslips). I had the great pleasure, one balmy summer evening, to play in a session in Northumberland where one of the pipers gave an exquisite solo rendering of this tune.
The Verdant Braes Of Screen. Many, many years ago my grandfather, John Crossey (whose "Star of Donegal" closes this CD) urged me to learn this song. I didn't do it while he was alive; now I sing it in his memory. There'll never be his likes again!
The Congress/The Monaghan Twig. Two fine reels. I tend to play reels at a slower pace than many musicians. I find reels take on a different quality if they're stepped down a gear. See what you think!
Biddy From Sligo/An t-Athair Jack Walsh. The first jig is the second tune I got from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh's and Mick O'Brien's splendid album "Kitty Lie Over". The second has long been a favourite of mine ... but I discovered a while back that I'd learned it in the "wrong key". It's taken me some time to get the correct setting into my fingers, but I'm glad I have since the correct setting allows for some nice ornamentation.
The Barren Rocks Of Aden/The £42 Cheque. The first tune is a Scottish piping tune which wasted very little time in being assimilated into the Irish repertoire. The second is a classic Kerry polka.
The Bank Of Ireland/The Merry Blacksmith. Two very well-known reels to round off the tunes!
The Star Of Donegal. A little while back my sister unearthed some fairly primitive home recordings of my paternal grandfather, John Crossey, captured while his failing health just about allowed him to sing a few songs. It's to John Crossey that many of the musicians and singers in the Crossey family can trace their gra for the tunes and songs. They're won't be his like again. May he rest in peace.
Where Old Ghosts Meet
1. Farewell To Whiskey/Number 5 (trad) - polka/fifing tune
2. Miss McLeod's (trad) - reel
3. Bantry Girls' Lament (trad) - song
4. The Humours of Glendart/I Buried My Wife And Danced On Her Grave (trad) - jigs
5. How Could Reavey Die? ("Father Michael") - poem
6. Raglan Road (lyrics Kavanagh, tune trad) - song
7. The Sporting Pitchfork/The Rambling Pitchfork (trad) - jigs
8. Teampall An Ghleanntáin (trad) - reel
9. An Rogaire Dubh/Na Ceannabháin Bhána (trad) - jigs
10. The Rich Man And The Poor Man (trad) - song
11. Versevanna (trad) - mazurka
12. The Cock Pheasant (Crossey) - 3-part jig
13. The Waters And The Far Horizon (Crossey) - prose poem
14. Madame Bonaparte (trad) - set dance in hornpipe time
15. Farewell To The Bay (Crossey) - waltz
16. Peace In Our Land (Sinclair) - song (Josie Sinclair, vocals)
The Humours Of Lewisham, Volume Three
1. Intro 2. The Sad, Lonely Death Of Cuchullain 3. Dunmore Lassies 4. The Rollicking Boys Of Tandragee 5. Hector The Hero 6. The Road To Lurgan/The Kesh 7. Sonny Brogan's Mazurka/Vincent Campbell's Mazurka 8. The Plains Of Boyle/Chief O'Neill's Favourite 9. Inisheer 10. Rosie Finn's Favourite/The Priest/Going To The Well For Water 11. O'Neill's March 12. The Flowing Bowl/The Shetland Fiddler 13. Peggy Gordon 14. The Boyne Hunt/The Silver Spear 15. Sliabh na mBan 16. King Of The Pipers