Simply Folk Magazine

SFM

MAGAZINE

SIMPLY FOLK

Music Magazine

Bi - Monthly Issue: 04

FEATURING:

GABRIEL

MORENO

SFMM

ASSOCIATED

WITH FOLK

ROUNDABOUT

& KELTICDEAD

MUSIC

ALSO FEATURING:

Peter, Paul & Mary

SCOTT FIVELSON

DAVID CARROLL

AND FRIENDS

BROOMDASHER

IAN MACDONALD

AND LOTS MORE...

KelticDead

Music

SPONSORED BY: MUSIC FOR

WORLD PEACE

RECORDS

| 02

SFM

MAGAZINE

Welcome

WELCOME TO

SIMPLY FOLK

MUSIC MAGAZINE

Here we are again with another

issue of Simply Folk Music

Magazine for your reading pleasure.

I would like to thank Gabriel Marino

for stepping in at pretty short notice

as my cover feature artist. Please do

take the time to find out more about

him and his wonderful music.

Also, please take a moment to check

out David Carroll & Friends brilliant

albums Bold Reynold and Bold

Reynold Too. My partner & I are

very impressed with both albums.

In this issue you’ll discover some

wonderful talent from around the

world. I would also like to take a

moment to thank my regular writing

team for their input to this issue.

KelticDead Music, MFWPR, Ian

MacDonald, Penny MacFarlane-

Bedford, Bob Bignall for his review

of Gabriel Moreno’s music, Paul

George for his review of Bold

Reynold Album, Diana Duffin and

Mike Turner.

I’m always happy to hear from

anyone who’d like to become a

regular article contributor, if this is

you then my email is at the foot of

this page.

JEFF

DAVIES

I have also teamed the magazine

with Folk Roundabout, so please do

give them your support when you

can, you can find their website here

on this link, and KelticDead Music

can be found here. MFWPR (Music

For World Peace Records) who

sponsor Simply Folk Music can be

found here. They are always on the

look out for new team members.

Enjoy, Jane Shields. x

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

03 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

* * * March/April 2025 * * *

MFWPR

OUR MISSION IS TO

PROMOTE A WORLD OF

PEACE.

We are a profit sharing

label. We are not motivated

by profit, but we do believe

that everyone who worked

on a project should get a fair

share of any profit made by

that project. It helps support

and motivate the teams that

are working hard to bring

us world peace through the

influence of music and the

internet. It helps the label

to grow and spread that

influence throughout the

world.

MEDIA

Page 38

Cover

Artist

38 GABRIEL

MORENO

Discover His

Music & Poetry

Page 32

Featured

Articles

06 Folk Events Mar/Apr/

May

08 UK Folk Radio Stations

09 Folk Facts

10 KelticDead Music

14 Elderflower Festival

2025

16 Alaska Folk Festival

2025

18 Peter, Paul & Mary

24 MFWPR Taylor Sappe

26 Folk Roundabout

28 Ian MacDonald

The Laird Of Drum

32 The Tin Whistle

Penny MacFarlane

Bedford

47 Bob Bignell Review

50 Scott Fivelson

Screenwriter/Songwriter

Author

| 04


Page 88

56 Diana Duffin

Folk Songs

Unfolded

58 Foundational

Folk Songs

Mike Turner

62 Amy Kyle

Bulldog

Album

66 Curtis &

Mcleod

70 Amazon Folk

Reads

72 Damien

Quinn

Fleadh Town

Featured

Artists

80 Tom

Larkin

‘How Did I’

82 Broomdasher

Acappella Folk

86 Ronn Van

Etten MFWPR

88 SamT

Empty House

90 Artist Gig

Guide

92 Artist Gig

Guide

94 Artist Gig

Guide

Are you a Folk artist

seeking a new way to

promote your music?

Do you have a monthly gig

list you’d like to share?

Would you consider

advertising within a future

issue?

Would you like to become

a regular folk music writer

in this magazine?

Are you taking part in a

charity event involving folk

music?

Drop me an email and let

me see what I can do to

help you.

76 Sean Battams

Beyond The

Notes

78 Bold Reynold

Album Review

96 Article Gig

Guide

98 Album

Releases

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.

com


05 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

UK

FOLK

EVENTS

MAR/APR 2025

ENGLAND

POPPY FOLK DAY Nottingham

16th March

https://poppyfolkclub.co.uk/events

MANCHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL 20th March

Manchester

https://manchesterfolk.com/

BEANS ON TOAST Cavern Club Liverpool

12th March

https://beansontoastmusic.com/live-shows/

PETE MORTON Hitchin Folk Club Herts

23rd March

https://www.petemorton.com/

Hallsway Manor MOONRAKERS

6th March

https://halswaymanor.org.uk/events/page/2/

Runnymead Folk Club DAVE BURN

3rd April

https://www.runnymedefolkclub.co.uk/copy-of-2024-line-up

THE SALTS Fisher Theatre NR35 1EE

14th March

https://fishertheatre.org/FisherTheatre.dll/WhatsOn

Louth Folk Club MOUNTAIN HARES

27th March

http://louthfolkclub.org.uk/

OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL Oxford

11th April

https://linktr.ee/oxfordfolkfest

SHEFFIELD FOLK SESSIONS Sheffield

18th April

https://www.sheffieldfolksessionsfestival.co.uk/

| 06

MORPETH NORTHUMBRIAN GATHERING

25th April

http://www.northumbriana.org.uk/gathering/

HANNAH SCOTT Christ Church Downend

25th April

https://www.hannahscott.co.uk/

SKINNER & TWITCH Topic Folk Club

13th March

https://www.skinnerandtwitch.com/live/

THE HUNCH Calder Vale Hotel

13th April

https://www.thehunch.co.uk/event-list

LADY MAISERY Kings Place Music Foundation

London 7th March

https://www.ladymaisery.com/tour-dates

WINDBOURNE Emerson Colonial Theatre

1st March

https://www.windbornemusic.com/tours.php

GAZ BROOKFIELD Castock Village Hall Cornwall

7th March

https://www.gazbrookfield.com/gigs.php

KRIS DREVER Universal Hall Promotions Forres

16th April

https://www.krisdrever.com/gigs/

STEVE TILSON The Ropewalk Barton On Humber

21st March

https://www.stevetilston.com/upcoming-shows/

THE ROSELLEYS Tewkesbury Festival

4th April

https://therosellys.com/shows/


UK Folk Festivals November 2024

INVERNESS FIDDLERS RALLY 1st March

https://www.invernessfiddlers.org/

INVERNESS MUSIC FESTIVAL 6th March

http://www.invernessmusicfestival.org/

NIEL GOW FESTIVAL 21st March

https://www.nielgowfestival.co.uk/

HAWICK REIVERS FESTIVAL 22nd March

https://www.hawickreivers.com/

WALES HARP FESTIVAL 15th April

https://walesharpfestival.co.uk/

ANDRES ROOTS The Muse Brecon

1st March

https://www.andresroots.com/p/gigs.html

EDINBURGH INT. HARP FESTIVAL 1st April

https://www.harpfestival.co.uk/

FLUTEFFING EDINBURGH 4th April

https://flutefling.scot/

SCOTLAND

GLENFARG FOLK FESTIVAL Kinross 12th April

http://glenfargfolkclub.com/folkfeast/

MULL MUSIC FESTIVAL Argyl & Bute 24th April

https://visitmullandiona.co.uk/events/mull-music-festival-2024/

WALES

CERYS HAFANA The Bunkhouse Bar Swansea

26th March

https://www.allgigs.co.uk/view/event/1465250/Cerys_Hafana_The_

Bunkhouse_Swansea_26_March_2025.html

Jake Leg Jug Band Valley Folk Club 4th April

https://www.thejakelegjugband.com/gigs-2

IRELAND

KILKENNY TRADFEST 14th March

https://kilkennytradfest.com/

KILLESHANDRA TRADFEST County Caven 14th March

https://ukfolkfestivals.co.uk/ireland.php#March

DEREK RYAN Tullamoor Court Hotel 7th March

https://derekryanmusic.com/tour/

CHRISTY MOORE Killashee Hotel 7th March

https://www.ticketmaster.ie/christy-moore-naas-07-03-2025/

event/18006157E4F67CCD

07 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

UK Folk Radio Stations

INTAMIXX

Link To Listen:

https://mytuner-radio.

com/radio/intamixx-radio-uk-480184/

SCOTLANDER RADIO

Link to listen:



WYLWOOD RADIO

Link to listen:

https://mytuner-radio.com/radio/wyldwood-radio-419496/

FOLK FRIDAY RADIO

Link to listen:



MYSTERY TRAIN

Link to listen:

https://mytuner-radio.com/

radio/mystery-train-radio-461411/

SIRS.FM

Link to listen:

https://mytuner-radio.com/

radio/shetland-internet-radio-station-463290/

SOUNDART RADIO

Link to listen:


com/radio/soundart-radio-1025-400767/

WEIR FM

Link to listen:


com/radio/weir-fm-rossendale-480980/

M4D RADIO

Link to listen:

https://onlineradiobox.com/

uk/50sm4d/?cs=uk.smoothradio1022

RADIO CAROLINE

Link to listen:


uk/radiocaroline/?cs=uk.

smoothradio1022

YORUBA FM

Link to listen:


uk/yoruba/?cs=uk.smoothradio1022

RADIO BIAFRA

Link to listen:


uk/biafra/?cs=uk.smoothradio1022

LEGACY 90.1 FM

Link to listen:

https://onlineradiobox.

com/uk/legacy901/?cs=uk.

smoothradio1022

97.5 KEMMET FM

Link to listen:


uk/975kemetfm/?cs=uk.

smoothradio1022

| 08


Folk Radio Stations/Folk Facts

Folk Facts

Singer-songwriter Peter Yarrow,

best known as one-third of the

folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has

died at the age of 86.

The group were civil rights and

anti-war campaigners, best

known for the song ‘Puff The

Magic Dragon’ and their versions

of ‘If I Had A Hammer’ and

‘Where Have All The Flowers

Gone?’

Yarrow, who was diagnosed

with cancer of the bladder four

years ago, died in New York on

Tuesday, publicist Ken Sunshine

said.

Ahoy! It might be a sign that

the third lockdown has

finally gone to our heads, but sea

shanties have become a thing on

TikTok (and everywhere else for

that matter, including BBC Radio

4).

The songs are a type of collective

folk music that was typically

performed by merchant sailors,

fishermen or whalers during the

18th and 19th century to keep

spirits high during heavy manual

labour.

These sea shanties – which had

fallen out of popular culture for

hundreds of years – are now

the latest fad on video-sharing

app TikTok, with millions of

users watching videos tagged

#seashanty or #ShantyTok.

Vincent Paul Garbutt, born

20 November 1947, died

6 June 2017. Folk music took

Vin Garbutt to Australia, New

Zealand, Yugoslavia, the United

States, Canada, Bermuda, Asia

and all over Western Europe. Yet

the “Teesside Troubador”, as the

title of a 2010 documentary film

dubbed him, remained true to

his Middlesbrough roots, singing

hilariously and poignantly about

them in his local accent.

Garbutt, who was arguably British

folk’s most popular solo artist

over the past 30 years, began

exporting his music and repartee

in 1977. With his long corkscrew

curls and beard, Lennon-style

spectacles, guitar, penny whistle

and distinctive voice, he had

established himself beyond his

native north-east England by

what he called “word of mouth

and non-stop touring”..

Garbutt’s website referred jovially

to his “dicky ticker”. In April 2017

he underwent major coronary

surgery, spending a month in

a Middlesbrough hospital. The

operation and intensive care

appeared to be successful, and he

spoke in a BBC Tees interview

about the “overwhelming

support” he had received “from

around the world”.

Being back in “me own bed”, and

seeing “the poppies, marigolds

and sunshine” in his garden, fired

his enthusiasm for returning to

the clubs, pubs and arts centres,

only for a statement by his wife

Pat and their four children to

announce his death days later.

John Prine, musician, born 10

October 1946, died 7 April

2020. John Prine was a raspyvoiced

heartland troubadour who

wrote and performed songs about

faded hopes, failing marriages,

flies in the kitchen and the

desperation of people just getting

by. He was, as one of his songs put

it, the bard of “broken hearts and

dirty windows”.


09 |

SF

MAGA

The mission of the KelticDead Music initiative is to find tunes and songs from around the world that have Celtic,

Folk, World, Americana, and Seafaring origins, and arrange them into simple sheet music formats for folk musicians to

use, as well as provide links for the music that follows the arrangements to help in hearing how it can be played. In

addition, other links are provided for the stories and possible lyrics about the selections within video-based, KDM

Broadsides for a music-education experience.

All the selections and sheet music content provided in the KelticDead Music initiative are from traditional, madepublic,

made-public with credits, or cited credits where applicable. This material content is given with permissions.

Patrick O. Young, KelticDead Music.

Banks of the Pontchartrain

This tune and song is classified as Americana, Irish, Scots, and Seafaring at the

same time. While that may be confusing knowing how this mix came about provides

a key understanding as to why. In addition, the title of the tune is also known as

“Lakes of the Pontchartrain,” and the two descriptions are found within the lyrics.

“The Banks of the Pontchartrain,”

is also referred to as “The Lakes of

the Pontchartrain” because the

major waterway in southern

Louisiana, near New Orleans, is

comprised of several lakes;

Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and

Borgne. Starting in the early 1800s,

wood-hulled ships could pass from

the Gulf Ocean through the Borgne

estuary into Lake Pontchartrain.

When steel hulled ships were created starting in 1827, the waters in Lake

Pontchartrain were found to be too shallow for the heavier, ocean-going ships, and

the cargos were dropped off in the Lake Borgne ports. Transportation shifted more to

the railroads into and out of New Orleans.

The song itself may have been created after 1827, since the traveler spoke of riding a

railroad car, and a railroad line was built in the 1830s (known as the Great Northern

Railway). It was in operation in the time of the Civil war in the 1860s and ran from

New Orleans, Louisiana to Jackson Town, Mississippi along the shores of Lake

Pontchartrain. Jackson Town was named in honor of General Andrew Jackson after

the war of 1812.

Continued …

M

ZINE


Audio-Song: KDM TUNE AND SONG; Banks of the Pontchartrain .. KDM

Video-Lyrics: KDM VIDEO-BROADSIDE; Banks of the Pontchartrain

KDM Project Notes:

The KDM projects tries to avoid embellishments, accidentals, incidentals, voicing, or other

orchestration notation, as a “Keep it Simple” directive. All the tunes and songs are played with

live, acoustic instruments, and the musicians who participate follow this sheet music to create

the audio (compiled in the Keltoi-Studio). In this music selection, I used an Irish-tuned, low

octave mandolin (aka “Irish Bouzouki”), a Kerry Mezzo C whistle, and I provided the voices.

Earnie Taft provided the fiddle melody and harmony parts, as well as a mandolin. Linda King

(Amberhawke) provided the guitar support and created the chording for the KDM

arrangement.

KDM Broadside Continued …

Another clue as to the origins of this song was the mention of the traveler’s money

being no good. This might refer to either U.S. or Confederate currency, depending

upon who was in control of the area at the time. Thousands of banks in that time

issued their own “bank notes,” which may not have been accepted in various places

or towns across the country.

The “Dixie” bank note, for example, out of the “Central Bank” of Atlanta, Georgia, was

recognized up and down the Mississippi River for trading and exchange, but not

necessarily recognized in some towns or some northern States.

Continued …


SF

MAGA


KDM Traditional Ballad Lyrics chosen for the music project arrangement …

It was on one bright March morn I bid New Orleans adieu,

And I took the road to Jackson town, me fortune to renew.

I cursed all of my foreign money, no credit could I gain

Which filled my heart with longin' for the Lakes of the Pontchartrain.

I stepped on board a railroad car beneath the morning sun,

And I rode the rails ‘til avenin’ time and laid me down again.

All strangers there, no friends to me 'til a dark girl towards me came,

And I fell in love with a Creole girl from the Banks of the Pontchartrain.

I said “My pretty Creole girl, me money is no good,

And if it weren't for the ‘gators I'd sleep out here in the woods.”

“You're welcome here kind stranger. Our house it's very plain.

We’ll ne’er turn out a stranger at the Lakes of the Pontchartrain.”

She took me to her mother's house and treated me quite well.

The hair upon her shoulders in jet black ringlets fell.

To try and paint her beauty I'm sure it would be in vain,

So handsome was my Creole girl from the Banks of the Pontchartrain.

I asked her if she'd marry me, she'd said it’d never be

For she had a lover, and he was far out at sea.

She said that she would wait for him and true she would remain,

'Til he returned for his Creole girl from the Banks of the Pontchartrain.

So fair thee well me bonny girl I’ll never see you more.

I'll ne'er forget her kindness at the cottage by the shore,

And at each social gathering a flowin' glass I'll raise.

I’ll drink a health to me Creole girl from the Lakes of Pontchartrain.

The Milneburg train ran on a line from the harbor in around 1836 and eventually

connected with another railway system around Lake Pontchartrain that became

known as the Great Northern Railway that was in operation into the 1860s.

| 12 janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

Continued …

M

ZINE


Dublin Ohio Irish Festival


The subject of race in the song was not meant

to be denigrating in any way. When our traveler

mentioned his falling in love with a dark “Creole”

girl it was with great respect for her.

The term “creole” was actually developed in

France and Spain as the white populations

mixed with the blacks and others from north

Africa. This mix race was quite common in the

French dominant areas in Louisiana as well,

and creole women were considered to be quite

handsome and desirable.

Made public image from internet sources

showing various creole women and children

from the south.

The folk song is classified as an “Americana” and “seafaring” song, as it related to

the creole girl having a lover who was far out at sea. The folk tune was very popular

by sailors traveling to and from the Americas.

The language in the lyrics mentioned “Bonny

girl” and that may indicate the traveler was

Scots or possibly from Ireland.

A woman watching a ship in the distance.

Made public image of a painting by

Daniel Eskridge.

As with many folk tunes and songs shared by

differing cultures the melody and song quickly

morphed in England, Scotland, and Ireland with

a theme about a man who fell in love with a

young girl, but her love was fickle, and she

betrayed him with another rival.

The new variant became known as “Lily of the West” or “Molly-O, Lily of the West.”

In that variant, the young man killed his rival, but was let off by a “technicality,” and he

lived to tell the story. The new variant came back into America in around the 1870s,

into the Louisville, Kentucky area, and became known as “Flora,” or “Flora, Lily of

the West.” In that Kentucky variant, the man was hung.

“Shaun, That KelticDead Guy”

Patrick O. Young, KelticDead Music

Made public image of painting by Brozik

Vaclav (Czech, 1851 – 1901).

Visit

KelticDead Music

or

Reverbnation/KelticDead2.

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com 13 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

ELDERFLOWER FIEL

Pippingford P

23rd - 26th

https://elderflow

Elderflower Fields was born in 2012 out of a desire to

create a new festival designed especially for families

and kids. In our first year we really didn’t know what to

expect. Planning a party for a few hundred friends, our plans

snowballed, and before we knew it, we had sold over a thousand

tickets. The sun shone, kids ran free, and we danced in the

beautiful surroundings of the Bentley estate.

It was so popular we did it again in 2013 and this time twice

as many people came – largely encouraged through word of

mouth from the previous year’s customers. We had more kids’

activities, more music and more delicious local food & drink.

In 2014 we moved to a new venue, Pippingford Park. It’s

beautiful, hilly and wild, and it has become a great home to us

over the years.

We intentionally keep Elderflower Fields small – it’s part of

what makes it such a safe and special weekend for families.

What we strive to increase each year is the quantity and quality

of the activities and performances, so that there’s always

something new and exciting for guests.

OUR MISSION

Our ambition is to provide a unique family experience that

opens children and their parents’ minds to new opportunities

in sport, music, the arts, nature and food. We want to get more

kids out into the beautiful countryside and inspired by new

challenges.

We’re committed to remaining independent and offering

the very best value festival we can and it’s important to us to

support young people entering the events industry and the

future of independent festivals.

THE TEAM

Elderflower Fields is created by So Sussex and put together by

a very small but hard-working team to create what we hope is

a magical and exciting weekend. We wouldn’t be able to do it

however, without a small army of amazing friends, family and

volunteers who pitch in, especially in the couple of months

before the festival.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

1. Book activities. Many of the activities at Elderflower Fields

are drop-in and free, just turn up, and take part. There’s

everything from silly sports and science experiments to firestarting

and dance classes. Check the programme page here.

Some activities can be booked in advance to help you plan a

little. Please see the activities that carry a fee as optional extras

– there’s heaps to keep the kids busy all weekend without them.

Pre-bookable activities here.

2. Accommodation. If you bring your own tent and pitch in

one of the two family campsites consider how you’ll carry your

camping kit across the festival. More on campsites here.

Camping upgrades are available if you prefer a little more

comfort or are struggling with the idea of transporting

everything from car to camp. Pre-pitched tents in the glamping

village and pre-allocated live-in vehicle pitches so you can bring

your campervan, motorhome, caravan, trailer tent or park your

car and camp in a tent beside it available here.

3. The last thing you can book in advance is a treatment in our

fabulous Woodland Spa. A great way to unwind while the kids

enjoy the activities. Woodland Spa treatments and/or Wild Spa

hot tub and sauna bookings here.

4. ‘Stay Up Late’ with Mortimer Nannies sessions

WHAT TO PACK

Tickets? Check! Children? Check! It’s tempting to bring

everything just in case, but remember, unless you’re in the

live-in vehicle field, you’ll need to transport everything. We

can’t emphasize enough how much easier your experience will

be if you pack light and bring a sturdy buggy or trolly to move

things.

WHAT TO BRING

1. Tent. Unless you have booked one of our pre-erected

glamping options. Remember you’ve got to get it from your car

to the campsite and back again. We do not have a trolly hire

service. A mallet is also useful.


DS FESTIVAL 2025

ark, Uckfield

May 2025

erfields.co.uk/

aaa

2. Mattresses and bedding. Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and

roll mats. It can be surprisingly cold in the middle of the night.

It’s a good idea to keep spare blankets and dry clothes in the

car, just in case.

3. Torches/lights. The main roads and paths around the festival

site are quite well-lit, but we intentionally keep the campsites

dark to enjoy the stars. Solar fairy lights help spot your tent and

a torch is essential.

4. Clothes. Pack clothes for all eventualities, even if the forecast

is great! It is possible to have an amazing festival in the wet

provided you’re properly equipped. Wellies and raincoats and

flip-flops, hats and sun cream. Leave what you don’t need in the

car.

4. Fancy dress. Strongly encouraged, especially on Sunday for

our big family dance-off.

5. Food. Our vendors offer quality meals for everyone. Pack

some snacks and drinks to keep the kids happy back at camp,

but you don’t need to bring food for the whole weekend. If you

plan to cook, leave excess packaging at home, and please, no

glass whatsoever. In exceptionally dry weather, a fire ban may

be imposed. The final newsletter to ticket holders is a vital read,

so please look out for it the week before arrival. Food and drink

on offer this year.

6. Drink (alcohol policy). Those over 18 may bring alcohol for

personal consumption in the campsites/live-in vehicle field

only. Own alcohol is not be permitted in the festival arenas,

where fully licensed bars are available. Re-stocking from off-site

is not permitted, and there is a site wide glass ban. We reserve

the right to confiscate alcohol in breach of these terms.

7. Cups, mugs and water bottles. BRING BACK YOUR CUPS!

Every year we hire hundreds of reusable cups for the bars.

Reuse your cups if you already have them to save waste and

money on your first drink or the cup levy on hot drinks.

8. Water bottle. Fill up with water from the taps around the

site which is safe to drink. No single-use plastic bottles are sold

on-site.


9. Wash kit. Free hot showers are available, but they get super

busy in the mornings. Go mid-afternoon or very early to avoid

queuing. Consider no-rinse body wash and dry shampoo. Or,

dare we suggest it, not wash for a day or two…

10. Medication and first aid. Pack any medicines you may need,

sun cream and ear defenders for any kids not keen on loud

music. Nappies or a potty if you have small children. Toilets

and hand wash stations are located across the site.

11. Buggy or Trolly. There is no trolly hire on site. A sturdy

all-terrain buggy or a good quality trolly is useful for

transportation of camping kit and tired kids.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

The following items will be confiscated and you may be asked

to leave the festival so don’t get caught out!

– Glass – decant before you leave home. Glass is so dangerous

to barefooted children, animals and a fire risk in dry weather.

– Gazebos or other big shelters. The campsites are spacious, but

please be considerate to fellow campers.

– Chinese lanterns – nature hates them!

– Glow sticks and single-use tat – please support our future.

– Excessive amounts of alcohol.

– Pets or animals.

– Sound systems.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

If you’ve got kids, camping gear and supplies for the weekend,

you are likely to be arriving by car (though that is not the only

way to get to Elderflower Fields). Plan your route using the

festival postcode: TN22 3HW. Look for the yellow AA signs as

you approach the site

The site opens at 12 noon on Friday 23rd May. Please don’t

arrive earlier – you won’t be allowed in. Peak times are Friday

between 12 and 2pm and again between 4 and 7pm. We aim to

get everyone on site as quickly and safely as possible. Gates &

wristband exchange close at 9pm. Please arrive in time to park

and camp (you don’t want to be putting up your tent in the

dark!).

15 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

ALASKA FOL

APRIL 7th - 13th 2025

Nine 4-hour performances averaging fifteen acts each,

fourteen hours of dances plus dance workshops, a

Family Concert and 40+ hours of teaching workshops

devoted to every imaginable folk music skill, plus jamming

all week long should be enough to wear out even the most

dedicated enthusiast at the annual Alaska Folk Festival. Yet

long after the final chorus of Good Night Irene, the traditional

closing song on the Festival’s final evening, many of the 450+

folk musicians from all around the vast reaches of America’s

largest state and beyond can still summon enough energy to

jam the night away in bars, restaurants, private parties and any

space they can find out of the weather!

They come from near and far. . . from Whitehorse in Canada’s

Yukon Territory, from Bethel, Alaska (more than 1,000 miles

as the ptarmigan flies from the festival’s home in Juneau), from

Talkeetna, Sitka, Kenai, Elfin Cove, Fairbanks, Ketchikan,

Anchorage and the “Lower 48” for this annual week of fun,

partying, good music and greeting old & new friends that make

it such a Rite of Spring.

The Alaska Folk Festival was born on a cold winter evening in

1975 when a half dozen Juneau folk musicians decided to put

on a performance in the Alaska State Museum and grandly

announced it as the First Annual Southeast Alaska Folk Festival.

Eight musicians and an audience of several hundred friends had

so much fun that evening that it was obvious there would be

more such festivals.

Workshops were formed the following year so that specific

skills could be passed on to other musicians, and almost 30

performers were on the program which was extended to 3 days.

By 1977 the annual festival had become a regional event with

over 50 performers from throughout Southeast Alaska adding

their talents to those of Juneau’s musicians.

The concept of having a paid Guest Artist participate in the

workshops and performances as an added benefit to the

Alaskan musicians had its inauguration at the 3rd annual

festival in 1977. The artist chosen was Merle Travis, a country

and folk performer whose innovative guitar style (Travis

picking) had been an inspiration to musicians for over 30 years.

The idea proved to be an unqualified success, and the Guest

Artist has since become an honored tradition of the Alaska

Folk Festival. The principal role of the Guest Artist is to impart

something of his/her/their musical style, heritage and culture

through teaching workshops and jamming with Alaskan

musicians.

Since the Guest Artist is brought in primarily to broaden

the musical horizons of the festival musicians, the selection

policy has consistently been to seek artists with a long and

distinguished background in presenting their style of music,

who are either primary sources of a particular musical tradition,

or (like Merle Travis) are widely recognized as outstanding

innovators.

In the early 80s the festival organizers created a membership

supported non-profit corporation. Eager to maintain the

concept of a living room jam, they established broad guidelines

for future festivals so that the event would continue to be free

of charge to all participants, a membership supported (open

to everyone), all-volunteer effort with no paid staff (only the

Guest Artist and Chief and Dance Sound Engineers and Guest

Dance Caller are compensated), and free of star billings or

competitions so as to encourage non-professional performers

and the sharing of Alaska’s most widely practiced art...

home-made music.

Alaska Folk Festival, Inc. plans, funds, schedules, organizes,

manages and produces the annual event. Entirely free of charge

for performers and audience alike, the Festival has become the

largest cultural event annually held in Juneau, with participants

& attendees numbering over 10,000 and thousands more in the

radio audience -- and even the internet. KRNN-FM, Juneau’s

Public radio station, broadcasts all of the performances live.

The 50th Annual ALASKA FOLK FESTIVAL takes place at

Centennial Hall in Juneau from April 7-13, 2025. Performer

applications go out by late January. Performance spots are

open on a space available basis, no audition tapes. The evening

performances all begin at 7 pm and run about 4 hours. The

two weekend afternoon concerts begin at Noon. Weekend

workshops take place from about 10 am until 4:30. There is

usually a Family Concert on Saturday morning and three

evening dances at nearby venues. To all this, add innumerable

parties, informal jams and other events all around Juneau; it’s

| 16


aaa

K FESTIVAL

- 50th Annual Festival

ALASKA’S LARGEST FOLK MUSIC PARTY.

2024 - AFF 49 LAURIE LEWIS - Bluegrass and Americana

music

2023 - AFF 48 LONE PIÑON - New Mexican string band

2022 - AFF 47 JAKE BLOUNT - specializes in the music of

Black and indigenous communities

2021 - AFF 46 ROSIE NEWTON AND RICHIE STEARNS -

Old-time and Folk

2020 - Canceled due to Covid-19

2019 - AFF 45 LOS TEXMANIACS - Tex-Mex conjunto

2018 - AFF 44 PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO - Award

Winning Canadian Folk Musicians Horsefly, BC

2017 - AFF 43 THE MURPHY BEDS - EAMON O’LEARY &

JEFFERSON HAMER - traditional & original

folk songs

2016 - AFF 42 THE CARPER FAMILY - Melissa Carper, Beth

Crhisman, Jenn Miori, Sophia Johnson - country,

traditional & contemporary

2015 - AFF 41 BYRON BERLINE BAND - Bluegrass

2014 - AFF 40 Bonsoir, Catin - Cajun

2013 - AFF 39 SI KAHN - Folk Music for Social Relevance

2012 - AFF 38 THE TENNESSEE MAFIA JUG BAND -

Scrubboard, jug, corny jokes, and lots of fun

2011 - AFF 37 CRUMAC - TOM CREEGAN, DALE RUSS, &

MIKE SAUNDERS - Traditional Irish

2010 - AFF 36 GUY DAVIS - Blues

2009 - AFF 35 DE TEMPS ANTAN - French Canadian

2008 - AFF 34 LES AMIS CREOLE - Creole, the roots of zydeco.

2007 - AFF 33 THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS - Black

String Band, historic and contemporary

2006 - AFF 32 NANCY GRIFFITH - Contemporary Folk

2005 - AFF 31 JAWBONE - BRUCE MOLSKY, TONY TRISHKA

AND PAULA BRADLEY - Old Time meets New

grass

2004 - AFF 30 HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN - Western swing

with a Parisian influence

2003 - AFF 29 BARACHOIS - Tunes and songs for fron the

Acadian tradition of Prince Edward Island,

Canada

2002 - AFF 28 FRANKIE GAVIN AND BRIAN MCGRATH

Traditional Irish Instrumentals on Fiddle, Flute,

Banjo and Piano

2001 - AFF 27 TOM, BRAD AND ALICE -- Old Time music

from Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich and Alice

Gerrard

2000 - AFF 26 CHARIVARI -- Cajun dance music

1999 - AFF 25 SUZANNE THOMAS, DON RIGSBY, JIM

HURST, MISSY RAINES AND BILL EVANS -

Bluegrass

1998 - AFF 24 JERRY HOLLAND W/MARY JESSE GILLIS &

KIERAN O’HARE - Cape Breton

1997 - AFF 23 KURT SUTPHIN, KINNEY & DOUG RORRER -

North Carolina Piedmont Old-Time

1996 - AFF 22 BRAVE OLD WORLD - Traditional and

Contemporary Klezmer

1995 - AFF 21 GINNY HAWKER, KAY JUSTICE, TRACY

SCHWARZ & MAC TRAYNHAM - Southern

Appalachian singing

1994 - AFF 20 LEDWARD KAAPANA TRIO - Hawaiian

slack-key guitar

1993 - AFF 19 LISA ORNSTEIN, NICK HAWES, SABIN

JACQUES AND BENOIT BORQUE - Traditional

French-Canadian music

1992 - AFF 18 JOSH GRAVES & KENNY BAKER -

Masters of Bluegrass

1991 - AFF 17 JOHN CEPHAS & PHIL WIGGINS -

Ambassadors of the Blues

1990 - AFF 16 RALPH BLIZARD & NEW SOUTHERN

RAMBLERS - Old-timey music

1989 - AFF 15 MICK MOLONEY TRIO - Irish ballads and

folklore

1988 - AFF 14 SAVOY-DOUCET BAND - Traditional Cajun

music and dance

1987 - AFF 13 PEGGY SEEGER & EWAN MACCOLL -

English & Scottish folk music

1986 - AFF 12 TINY MOORE TRIO - Western swing

1985 - AFF 11 HEDY WEST - Traditional Southern mountain

ballads

1984 - AFF 10 MICHAEL COONEY - Rural, urban and

contemporary folk music

1983 - AFF 9 JETHRO BURNS - Virtuoso mandolin artist

1982 - AFF 8 MIKE SEEGER - Traditional Appalachian songs

and ballads

1981 - AFF 7 ERIC VON SCHMIDT - American folk blues

1980 - AFF 6 BALFA BROTHERS - Louisiana Cajun music

1979 - AFF 5 LYDIA MENDOZA - Mexican and Chicano

ballads

1978 - AFF 4 J.P. AND ANNADEENE FRALEY - Old-time

Kentucky fiddle tunes

1977 - AFF 3 MERLE TRAVIS - Originator of Travis picking

guitar style


17 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

PETER

PAUL

& MARY

| 18


Peter, Paul & Mary

Firstly, I’d like to offer my sicere condolences to

the family of Peter Yarrow who sadly passed

away on 7th January this year. The music world

has sadly lost another of our great folk musicians,

whose music shaped the lives of many generations.

Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk group

formed in New York City in 1961 during the

American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio

consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul

Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), and Mary Travers

(contralto vocals). The group’s repertoire included

songs written by Yarrow and Stookey, early songs by

Bob Dylan, and covers of other folk musicians.

They were enormously successful in the early- and

mid-1960s, with their debut album topping the

charts for weeks, and helped popularize the folk

music revival. After the death of Travers in 2009,

Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform as a duo

under their individual names. Yarrow sadly died in

January 2025, leaving Stookey as the only surviving

member of the trio.

Mary Travers once said she was influenced by

Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and the Weavers. In

the 2004 documentary Peter, Paul & Mary: Carry It

On — A Musical Legacy, members of the Weavers

discuss how Peter, Paul and Mary took over the torch

of the social commentary of folk music in the 1960s.

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall

of Fame in 1999. Peter, Paul and Mary received the

Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the

Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

EARLY YEARS AND POPULARITY (1961–1969)

Manager Albert Grossman created Peter, Paul and

Mary in 1961, after auditioning several singers in the

New York folk scene, including Dave Van Ronk, who

was rejected as too idiosyncratic and uncommercial,

and Carolyn Hester.

After rehearsing Yarrow, Stookey and Travers out

of town in Boston and Miami, Grossman booked

them into The Bitter End, a coffee house, nightclub

and popular folk music venue in New York City’s

Greenwich Village.

The group recorded their debut album, ‘Peter, Paul

and Mary,’ and it was released by Warner Bros. the


following year. It included “Lemon Tree”, “500 Miles”,

and the Pete Seeger hit tunes “If I Had a Hammer”

(subtitled “The Hammer Song”) and “Where Have

All the Flowers Gone?” The album was listed in the

Billboard Top Ten for 10 months, including seven

weeks in the No. 1 position. It remained a main

catalog-seller for decades to come, eventually selling

over two million copies, earning double platinum

certification from the RIAA in the United States

alone.

In 1963 the group released “Puff, the Magic Dragon”,

with music by Yarrow and words based on a poem

that had been written by a fellow student at Cornell,

Leonard Lipton. Despite rumors that the song refers

to drugs, it is actually about the lost innocence of

childhood The same year, they appeared as the

“mystery guest” on the CBS TV game show What’s

My Line?; Dorothy Kilgallen correctly guessed their

identity.

That year the group performed “If I Had a Hammer”

and “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the August 1963

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, best

remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a

Dream” speech. The Bob Dylan song “Blowin’ in the

Wind” was one of their biggest hit singles. They also

sang other Dylan songs, such as “The Times They

Are a-Changin’”, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”,

and “When the Ship Comes In”.

Their success with Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice,

It’s All Right” helped Dylan’s The Freewheelin’

Bob Dylan album rise into the top 30; it had been

released four months earlier.

In December 1969 “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, written

by the group’s friend John Denver, became their only

No. 1 single (as well as their final top 40 pop hit)

and the group’s sixth million-selling gold single. The

track first appeared on their million-selling platinum

certified Album 1700 in 1967 (which also contained

their No. 9 hit “I Dig Rock and Roll Music”).

After Eugene McCarthy’s strong showing in the 1968

New Hampshire presidential primary, the group

recorded “Eugene McCarthy For President (If You

Love Your Country)” endorsing McCarthy, which

was released without a record label. “Day Is Done”,

a No. 21 hit in June 1969 from the trio’s Grammy

Award-winning album Peter, Paul and Mommy, was

the last Hot 100 hit the trio recorded.

19 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

BREAK-UP (1970–1978)

The trio broke up in 1970 to pursue solo careers.

During 1971 and 1972 Warner released a debut solo

album, with the same style cover, by each member of

the group.

Travers did concerts and lectures across the United

States. She also produced, wrote, and starred in

a BBC-TV series. Stookey formed a Christian

music group, the Body Works Band, and wrote

“The Wedding Song (There Is Love)” for Yarrow’s

marriage to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of Eugene

McCarthy. Britain’s Petula Clark also recorded a

version of the song, which in 1973 charted strongly

in the UK, Australia and elsewhere. Yarrow co-wrote

and produced Mary MacGregor’s Torn Between

Two Lovers (No. 1, 1977) and earned an Emmy for

three animated TV specials based on “Puff the Magic

Dragon”.

While the group was de facto broken up and

touring separately, it still managed to come together

for a series of reunions before officially coming

back together again. In 1972, the trio reunited for

‘Together for McGovern’, a concert at Madison

Square Garden to support George McGovern’s

presidential campaign, and again in 1978 for a

concert to protest nuclear energy. This concert was

followed by a 1978 summer reunion tour, including

a September 3 evening performance at Red Rocks

Amphitheatre. An album, Reunion, was released by

Warner in 1978.

REUNION (1981–2009)

Their 1978 summer reunion tour was so popular

that the group decided to reunite more or less

permanently in 1981. They continued to record

albums and tour, playing around 45 shows a year,

until Travers’s 2009 death. After their reunion,

double-bassist Dick Kniss (who had been their

bassist in their studio recordings and with their

1960s tours) rejoined the group. Starting in 1990,

multi-instrumentalist Paul Prestopino also joined the

group.

According to the flow of the times, they derived a

way to change the lyrics of their songs; boys in the

“Puff ” became girls and boys, and dark side in the

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” became black side.

Some of their new songs, like “Don’t Go Down To

The Quarry” that criticizes an evil bet, continue the

tradition of protest songs. The trio received the Peace

Abbey Courage of Conscience award on September

1, 1990.

In 2004, Travers was diagnosed with leukemia,

leading to the cancellation of that year’s remaining

tour dates. She received a bone marrow transplant.

She and the rest of the trio resumed their tour on

December 9, 2005, with a holiday performance at

Carnegie Hall.

The trio canceled several dates of their summer 2007

tour, as Travers had to undergo a second surgery. She

was unable to perform on the trio’s tour in mid-2009

because of the effects of leukemia, but Yarrow and

Stookey performed the scheduled dates as a duo,

calling the show “Peter & Paul Celebrate Mary and 5

Decades of Friendship”.

On September 16, 2009, Travers passed away at age

72, of complications from chemotherapy, following

treatment for leukemia. That same year, Peter, Paul

and Mary were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of

Fame.

On January 7, 2025, Yarrow died of bladder cancer

at age 86. With his death, Stookey is now the last

surviving member of the group.

PETER PAUL & MARY DISCOGROPHY

1962 PETER, PAUL & MARY

• Early in the Morning

• 500 Miles

• Sorro

• This Train

• Bamboo

• t’s Raining

• If I Had My Way

• Cruel War

• Lemon Tree

• If I Had a Hammer

• Autumn to May

• Where Have All the Flowers

Gone?

Link to album: https://www.discogs.com/

release/1347636-Peter-Paul-And-Mary-Peter-Paul-

And-Mary

| 20


Peter, Paul & Mary

1963 MOVING

1965 SEE WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS

• Settle Down (Going Down

That Highway)

• Gone The Rainbow

• Flora

• Pretty Mary

• Puff The Magic Dragon

• This Land Is Your Land

• Man Come Into Egypt

• Old Coat

• Tiny Sparrow

• Big Boat

• Morning Train

• A’saolin’


release/1274022-Peter-Paul-And-Mary-Moving

1965 IN THE WIND

• Very Last Day

• Hush-A Bye

• Long Chain On

• Rocky Road

• Tell It On The Mountain

• Polly Von

• Stewball

• All My Trials

• Don’t Think Twice, It’s

Alright

• Freight Train

• Quit Your Low Down Ways

• Blowin’ In The Wind


release/2196253-Peter-Paul-And-Mary-In-The-Wind

1965 A SONG WILL RISE

• When The Ship Comes In

• Jimmy Whalen

• Come And Go With Me

• Gilgarra Mountain

• Ballad Of Spring Hill

• Motherless Child

• Wasn’t That A Time

• Monday Morning

• The Cuckoo

• San Francisco Bay Blues

• Talkin’ Candy Bar Blues

•For Lovin’ Me

Link to album: https://www.discogs.com/master/147815-

Peter-Paul-And-Mary-A-Song-Will-Rise

• If I Were Free

• Betty & Dupree

• The Rising Of The Moon

• Early Mornin’ Rain

• Jane, Jane

• Because All Men Are Brothers

• Hangman

• Brother Can You Spare A Dime

• The First Time Ever I Saw Your

Face

• Tryin’ To Win

• On A Desert Island

• The Last Thing On My Mind


Peter-Paul-And-Mary-See-What-Tomorrow-Brings

1966 THE PETER PAUL & MARY ALBUM

• And When I Die

• Sometime Lovin’

• Pack Up Your Sorrows

• The King Of Names

• For Baby (For Bobbie)

• Hurry Sundown

• The Other Side Of This Life

• The Good Times We Had

• Kisses Sweeter Than Wine

• Norman Normal

• Mon Vrai Destin

• Well, Well, Well


Peter-Paul-And-Mary-Album

1967 ALBUM 1700

• Rolling Home

• Leaving On A Jet Plane

• Weep For Jamie

• No Other Name

• The House Song

• The Great Mandella

• I Dig Rock & Roll Music

• If I Had Wings

• I’m In Love With A Big Blue

Frog

• Whatshername

• Bob Dylan’s Dream

• The Song Is Love


Peter-Paul-And-Mary-Album-1700


21 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

1968 LATE AGAIN

| 22

• Apologize

• Moments Of Soft Persuasion

• Yesterdays Tomorrow

• Too Much Of Nothing

• There’s Anger In The Land

• Love City

• She Dreams

• Hymn

• Tramp On The Street

• I Shall Be Released

• Reason To Believe

• Rich Man Poor Man


Peter-Paul-Mary-Late-Again

1978 REUNION

• Like The First Time

• By Surprise

• Forever Young

• Mrs Rheingold

• I Need Me To Be For Me

• The Unicorn Song

• Summer Highland Falls

• Sweet Survivor

• Best Of Friends


Peter-Paul-Mary-Reunion

1986 NO EASY WALK TO FREEDOM

• Weave Me The Sunshine

• Right Field

• I’d Rather Be In Love

• State Of The Heart

• No Easy Walk To Freedom

• Greenland Whale Fisheries

• Whispered Words

• El Salvador

• Greenwood

• Light One Candle


Peter-Paul-Mary-No-Easy-Walk-To-Freedom

1990 FLOWERS AND STONES

• All Mixed Up

• It Ain’t Me Babe

• Golden Vanity

• Listen, Mr Bilbo

• No Man’s Land

• Danny Downs

• With Your Face To The Wind

• Yuppies In The Sky

• Coming Of The Roads

• Dodi Li

• The Love In You

• Fair Ireland

• The Last Thing On My Mind

• I Shall Be Released


Peter-Paul-Mary-Flowers-And-Stones

1995 LIFELINES

• Babylon/Oh Sinner Man

• Wanderin/Nobody Knows

• When You’re Down And Out

• 75 Septembers

• Deportee

• The Times Thy Are A’Changin’

• Old Enough

• Home Is Where The Heart Is

• The Great Mandala• Stewball

• For The Love Of It All

• Virtual Party

• House Of The Rising Sun

• Freedom Medley

• The Kid

• Sweet Survivor

• River Of Jordan


Peter-Paul-Mary-LifeLines-Live

2003 IN THESE TIMES

• Union Medley

• Have You Been To Jail For Justice

• Jesus Is On The Wire

• Don’t Laugh At Me

• Wayfaring Stranger

• How Can I Keep From Singing

• Invisible People

• Of This World

• Some Walls

• All God’s Critters

• It’s Magic

• Oh, Had I A Golden Thread


Peter-Paul-Mary-In-These-Times


Peter, Paul & Mary


23 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

TAYLOR

SAPPE

MFWPR

MIKE

TURNER

This month we take a look at SFM’s partner, Music For World

Peace Records

Taylor Sappe founded Music For World Peace Records in 2020

with one mission: to use music as a positive force to oppose war

and advocate for peace.

Sappe, a veteran music producer, songwriter and performer in

the U.S., has experienced war first hand.

“In 1969, at the young age of 20, I was drafted into the U.S. Army

and sent to Vietnam,” says Sappe, “War is nothing like we see on

T.V. or in the movies. Bullets travel faster than sound - you never

hear the shot that kills you. So do mortars and rockets - there’’s

no whistle, they just explode; and they don’t come in singles,

they come in barrages with razor-sharp shrapnel that will shred a

| 24

body in a millisecond. Death can come to anyone at any time.

“I met some Vietnamese civilians while I was in-country, and

they were good people. But they and their country were being

devastated by the war. I began to ask myself how God could allow

such beautiful people to suffer such atrocities.”

On leave back in the U.S., Sappe missed a flight back to Vietnam

- and learned later that morning that the plane had crashed, with

no survivors. Reflecting on how he had been spared, he returned

to Vietnam for a final six-month tour of duty.

“After I completed my tour in Vietnam and returned to the

U.S., I began to voice my opinions about the war - I wanted to

discourage the ‘killing mindset’ that is programmed into us

most of our lives,” continues Sappe, “To my surprise, I found


Music For World Peace Records

MUSIC FOR WORLD PEACE RECORDS:

MUSIC FOR PEACEFUL PLANETARY CHANGE

other soldiers who felt the same way, who were involved in antiwar

protests. They helped me to get involved, and I continued

after I was discharged from the Army in 1971. By 1975 the U.S.

involvement in Vietnam had ended, and I like to feel I played a

small part in that happening.”

Music was a big part of the anti-war movement - it was the era

of Woodstock and the Age of Aquarius - and Sappe, who had

already written some songs and hoped to have them recorded,

moved to New York City to pursue a musical career. In 1976 he

attended Berkley College of Music, studying music composition

and recording; and had his own recording equipment he used for

recording other students.

In 1980 he set up an independent record label, Captain Blue

Records, scoring a regional hit with his band, “Wojo.”

“I kept thinking about my time in Vietnam, and about why God

had kept me off that plane,” says Sappe, “I pondered how I could

use my musical talents to spread the message of, ‘peace on Earth,

good will towards men,’ which I saw as the solution to ending

ending war and achieving world peace.”

In 2020, Sappe reached out via social media to find collaborators

to create anti-war/pro-peace songs, and connected with Mike

Turner, a songwriter and folksinger on the U.S. Gulf Coast,

another proponent of topical songwriting.

“As Taylor and I worked on our first songs together, we talked

about the challenges we’d face in getting our music recorded,

released and distributed,” says Turner, “There’s resistance in the

music industry to ‘message music’ or ‘protest songs.’ We realized

that our best chance to get the music out to the world was to form

our own label.”

Together, they formed Music For World Peace Records, not

just to produce/distribute their own music, but to give other

songwriters and artists an opportunity to create anti-war/propeace

songs. Sappe assumed the roles of label president, Chief

of Operations and principal producer. Turner initially took on

the role of chief executive officer, along with A&R (Artist &

Repertoire) responsibilities - he’s since stepped away from active

management in the label, but continues as a label sponsor as well

as songwriter and recording artist.

“I have two goals for the label,” says Sappe, “First, I want to

combine the influence of social media and traditional media - TV,

radio, etc. - to change the world’s mindset by addressing the many

issues that cause war. If we can bring the world together to work

toward a common goal, peace on Earth is possible. Second, I

want give talented people a chance to be part of a record label - a

chance to get their music heard and be a part of really making a

difference.”

Sappe created a unique business model for the label: rather

than the traditional approach of payments/charges for studio


time, session musicians, and the like, each MFWPR release

is a collaborative project with writers, producers and artists

contributing their efforts on the front end, and sharing in

revenues from streaming and sales post-release. Sappe sees this as

the best way to get “message music” out without industry/market

resistance or unrecoverable out-of-pocket expenses to artists due

to the perceived low commercial viability of topical music.

Of particular appeal to recording artists is Sappe’s use of distance

opportunities, something like a “virtual studio,” where artists

in one country can record against tracks produced in another

country and mixed/mastered in a third - all without expense to

the parties involved. Sappe himself takes the role of producer

on many cuts, bringing not only his considerable musical

and technical expertise to the role but also his passion and

commitment based on his personal wartime experiences.

“My hope is that as more and more people hear the music we put

out, that ultimately decision-makers at national and international

levels - the people who actually decide to wage war - will hear our

message and follow wide-spread public support to choose peace

over war,” says Sappe.

Now in its fifth year of operations, MFWPR has released over 70

singles and three albums of the label’s songs, on more than 20

recording artists in countries as wide spread as the U.S., Canada,

U.K., Australia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa,

Cameroon, Ghana and Spain.

Although the label is multi-genre, folk music, with its rich history

of involvement in topical issues from opposing war to promoting

civil/human rights, is a natural fit for MFWPR. More than a third

of the label’s releases are in the contemporary folk category, as is

one of the label’s three compilation albums, “Folkies For Peace.”

“We want to keep finding, producing and releasing original songs

that promote peace and oppose war,” says Sappe, “We’ll consider

projects at any stage, from draft lyrics through fully produced

masters. What’s important to us is the music and the message.”

You can learn more about the label; listen to its releases;

download tracks and make donations; and meet the writers,

artists and producers behind the label’s projects at its website,

https://www.MusicForWorldPeaceRecords.com . You can also

like and follow MFWPR’s public FaceBook group, where the label

announces new releases and other news, at https://www.facebook.

com/groups/MusicForWorldPeaceRecordLabel.com .

For the latest label news and insider information, subscribe

to the Music For World Peace Patron Newsletter, https://

MusicForWorldPeaceRecords.com/subscribe .

Writers and artists with unreleased original songs they’d like

to have considered by the label can submit through the label’s

website at https://MusicForWorldPeaceRecords.com/submit .

25 |

Folk Rou

Folk Music, Song, Dance & Customs

Covering the Historical Counties of Northumberland

County Durham and the whole of Yorkshire

We Support Simply Folk Music Magazine at:

www.folkroundabout.com

What’s On -- Articles -- Interviews & Music Videos

Club & Performer Promoting

and much, much more

sammi@folkroundabout.com


ndabout

OPEN MIC’S

Folk Roundabout

ASSOCIATES PRIVATE CLUB

Associates Private Club (8pm)

528 Durham Rd, Low Fell, Gateshead NE9 6HU

*OPEN MIC* 0191 487 5040 Hosted by Mark Iveson.

Free on street parking / Parking behind the building, (take

the turn off where the Belle View Pub is) The back door will be

open for anyone wanting to bring gear with them. The main

entrance is next door to the Monsoon Restaurant.

(1st & 3rd Thursday)

CROSS KEYS WASHINGTON

Cross Keys Washington (7pm)

The Green, Spout Ln,

Washington NE38 7AB

*BUSKERS NIGHT* 0191 415 4679

Email: crosskeys@queenswayrm.co.uk

Website https://www.crosskeyswashington.com/

(Tuesdays)

Free drink for all that sing. A traditional, dog friendly pub in

the heart of Washington.

Hosted by Ian Ainsley

OPEN MIKE NIGHT CRAB & WALTZER

Crab & Waltzer (8pm)

Crab & Waltzer,

Marine Ave,

Whitley Bay

NE26 1LY

*OPEN MIC* 0191 429 0734

(Every Wednesday) FROM 12th feb 2025

Pint for players.

Hosted by Bobby Proctor

SFM

MAGAZINE

SFM

MAGAZINE

THE LAIRD O’ DRUM

By Ian MacDonald

Some ballads give you a lot of information of

people and places to aid you in the search

for the story behind the song, while others

give you little or nothing. The only starting point

for investigating this ballad is given by the title. If

you search for Drum on the likes of Google, you

may well find a magnificent mansion in the southeast

of Edinburgh city, but it has nothing to do

with the story! What you want is Drum Castle in

Aberdeenshire, former home of the Irvine family.

The Irvines claim that they are descended from

the High Kings of Ireland, on through the early

Celtic Scottish Kings. For example, a certain Crinan

Eryvine married the heiress of Malcolm the second.

The construction of the castle started in the 13th

century, making it one of the oldest such buildings

in Scotland. In 1323, Robert the Bruce granted the

castle and grounds to William de Irwyn, who was his

armour bearer, secretary, and neighbour, for services

rendered. It remained in the possession of the Irvine

family until 1975.

First, a wee bit of background, for our story takes

place in turbulent times. In 1603, King James VI of

Scotland inherited the English crown and so became

King James I of England, Scotland and Ireland.

This was the fellow who translated the bible into

English in the version widely used today. However,

he also did several other things which were not so

popular. Gaelic became known as Erse or Irish and

he tried to eradicate it’s use in Scotland. In 1609, the

Statutes of Iona demanded that the Highland Chiefs

support Protestant ministers in their Highland

parishes and send their heirs to English speaking

Protestant schools. He wrote of the devine right of

kings, meaning that as he was appointed by God,

he could make laws without consulting parliament

and parliament couldn’t tell him what he should do

or make laws without his approval. As if that wasn’t

enough, in Scotland he tried to make the church

re-establish the episcopy, which was bitterly opposed

by the Presbyterians. He was succeeded by his son,

Charles I.

Not only did Charles inherit a bit of a shambles, he

added to it. He quarrelled with parliament over the

devine right of kings and fought their armies in the

English Civil War. He outraged the Covenanters

by marrying a Catholic. Finally, he was captured,

charged with high treason, sentenced to death and

executed in 1649. The monarchy was eventually

restored in 1660 with his son, Charles II taking up

the post. Things began to settle down a bit for a few

years.....

The Irvine family’s prosperity peaked under

Alexander, the tenth laird. Unfortunately, he

supported Charles 1st when most of his neighbours

were Covenanters and when he was away fighting,

the castle was plundered three times. An example of

this was a raid by the Marquis of Argyle, who took

with him 400 mounted horsemen and a regiment

of Irish. They turfed the ladies out, slaughtered all

the livestock, and took treasure estimated at £20,000

worth, leaving nothing which could be carried.

Despite the number of men there, the ladies were left

distressed but unhurt.

The laird’s two sons, Alexander and Robert, were

also in the thick of the action. After fighting for the

Marquis of Huntly and being excommunicated for

“Popery”, Alexander found himself with a bounty of

18,000 merks on his head. I don’t know what that is

in current euros, but it sounds like it probably was a

considerable amount in it’s day. Being the younger

of the two, Robert’s bounty only amounted to 9,000

merks. Fearing what might be done to them, the two

lads high-tailed it to Fraserburgh, hoping to escape

by ship, but a great storm forced them back to land

where they were captured. They were then taken to

Edinburgh Castle where they were put in prison.

Life in the castle was horrible for the prisoners. But

only for the prisoners, mind you. Things changed

with the Marquis of Huntly’s victory at Kilsyth in

| 28


The Laird O’ Drum

1645, Alexander was freed, but Robert had died due

to the conditions in custody. Alexander then became

Laird of Drum on the death of his father in 1658. His

wife died the following year. He had married Lady

Mary Gordon in 1643 and they had three sons and

four daughters. She was the daughter of the Marquis

of Huntly and so would have brought a fair bit of

wealth into the family by way of her tocher, or dowry.

She was a way above his status in the aristocracy,

and never let him forget it. Indeed, the ballad tells

us that he couldn’t even enter the room she was

in without his hat in his hand and below his knee,

like a common servant. He found such behaviour

somewhat tedious.

After all this drama of ups and downs, his

independent approach to life seems to have

hardened. He was offered a peerage from the crown.

He enquired if there would be any recompense for

his losses and damage to the castle suffered while

he was away from home helping the king only to be

told that this would not be possible as the coffers

were empty due to the cost of the war. He rejected

the offer. The result was that in 1679 he sold estates

he owned in Forfarshire. This meant that his income

from the rents of these stopped but it cleared the

debts he owed. After all this, his luck seemed to

change somewhat.

In 1681 he married Margaret Courts, daughter of a

shepherd on yonder hill, O. The song says that he

met her whilst out hunting, but he could well have

known her before as she had a lowly job in the castle.

At first, she was reluctant to take up his proposal to

become the Lady of Drum and her father warned the

laird of her shortcomings. She was uneducated and

illiterate, but was a very practical woman - she could

milk a cow, brew beer, make bread, etc. In short, she

knew all the jobs which the servants did so was well

capable of keeping an eye on them and their work.

He decided to go for it, and completely outraged

his family. Not only was she well below his status in

society, but he was 63 years old while she was only

sweet 16.

Then in 1683, a new charter was drawn up which

listed “... the many faithful services performed by the

family of Drum in support of the.....kings of Scotland

and also the suffering and losses which they endured

in consequence of their loyalty”. In 1685, an act of

parliament ratified it “in most ample manner”. This

would have eased his situation considerably. The two

of them seemed to be quite happy in their marriage

and she bore him three daughters and one son before

he died on September 18th 1687.

His heir was Alexander, his eldest son by his first

wife. However, he was of “facile disposition and weak

intellect” thus unfit to take over the running of the

estate. Prepared for this, the laird had arranged for

trustees to take up the management of it. One of

these was Robert Irvine, Laird of the nearby estate of

Cults and a relative of Alexander of Drum.

His wife had died some years previously. At this

stage, he was 41 years old while she was 22. I can

almost hear you saying, “Nah, they didn’t. Did they?”.

The answer to which is yes they did! I couldn’t find a

date for their marriage, but they had a son, Charles,

born in 1696. There’s a lovely story told of how, one

day when she still worked in the castle, the Lady of

Drum and the Lady of Cults passed her as they came

back from a walk. They took off their muddy shoes,

threw them on the floor in front of her, telling her

to have them cleaned up for them the following day.

She said later that “Little they thought that in time

I should occupy both their places”. That thought

probably didn’t cross her mind at the time, either,

but she did end up marrying both their husbands. I

think the life of Margaret Couts has the makings of a

good book or film!

Margaret died in 1710 aged only 45 years. Robert

lived on another eighteen years. You can find their

gravestone in the churchyard at Peterculter which is

on the main A93 Aberdeen to Braemar road. Drum

castle is a little further west, to the north side of the

road in the parish of Drumoak.

The property is now looked after by The National

Trust for Scotland and is open to visitors in the

summer. If you are a descendant of this branch of

the Irvine family, let them know and you will be

taken to rooms not normally shown to visitors and

asked to sign a special visitors book held for such

descendants.

For those of you who may be interested please take a

look at the following link for more on this song.

https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/

thelairdodrum.html


29 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

THE LAIRD O’ DRUM

Lyrics Sung By John Stracham

John Strachan sings

The Laird o’ Drum

The Laird o Drum is a huntin gaen

All in a mornin early,

And there he spied

a weel-faured maid

Shearin her father’s barley.

“And wid ye fancy,

me bonny maid,

And lat the shearin be o?

And I’ll mak ye the Lady o Drum

O, wid ye fancy me o?”

“I widnae fancy you, kind sir,

Be ony man I see o,

For I am come o ower low kin,

And your wife I canna be o.

“My father he’s an

auld shepherd man.

Herds sheep on yonder hill o,

And every thing he bids me do

I’m ready at his good will o.”

So he has to her father gaen,

Wi his hoggs on yonder hill o.

“I want to marry your

daughter, kind sir,

Will ye gie me your goodwill o?”

“I winna gie you my

daughter”, he says,

“She wis never at the school o,

Though weel can she

milk yowes and cows

With the cogie on her knee o.

“She’ll winnow your corn

and gang tae the bam,

And thnn to mill or kil o,

She’ll saiddle your steed

in time o need

And draw your beets hersel o.”

“And fa will bake my bridal breid?

And fa will brew my ale o?

And fa will welcome

my lady hame

Is mair than I can tell o.”

“O, she will bake your bridal breid.

And she will brew your ale o,

And fa wid welcome

your lady hame

But the Laird o Drum himsel o?”

And five-and-twenty gentlemen

Stood at the gate o Drum o,

And never a yin

put his hand tae his hat

Tae welcome the lady hame o.

But he has taen her hy the hand

And he led her but and ben o.

And he put the keys

into her rieht hand,

And he’s welcomed

her hame himsel o.

LUCY STEWART SINGS

THE LAIRD O’ DRUM

The Laird o’ Drum a-walkin’ gaen,

He was walkin’ one mornin’ early,

An’ fa did he spy but

a weel-faured lass

“She wis shearin’ her

father’s barley. “

“O could you nae be

a gentleman’s wife,

Or could you nae be his lady”

Or could you nee be

o’ some higher degree

“An’ leave your shearin’ alane O?”

“O I could be a gentleman’s wife,

And I could be your lady.

And I could be a’

some higher degree,

But “I’m nae a match for thee O.”

“My father is a poor

shepherd man,

He herds in yonder hill O,

An’ ony thing he bids me dee,

“I am always at his command O.”

“Oh the lassie can

neither read or write,

She wis never at a school O,

But any thing weel can she dee

“For I learn’t the lassie misel’ O.”

“O she canna wash

your china cups

Or mak a cup o’ tea O,

But weel can she

milk coo and ewe,

“An’ a cogie on her knee O.”

“O fa will bake your bridle breid,

An’ fa will broo your ale O?

An’ fa will stand at the

gate o’ the Drum

“An’ welcome your bonnie lassie

in O?”

“The baker’ll bake my bridle breid,

An’ the brewer’ll brew my ale o,

An’ I will stand at tbe

gate o’ the Drum,

“An’ welcome my bonnie lassie in

O.”

O up speaks my brotber John,

A man o’ high degree O;

Ye’re marryin’ a wife

this same nicht,

“An’ she’s nae a match for thee O. “

| 30


The Laird O’ Drum

“O the last lady

we had in this place

Wis far above our degree O;

We daurna enter intil her room

’Til oar hat was below

our knee O.”

“If you was dead an’ I was dead,

An’ both laid in one grave O,

An’ nine years doon

an’ liftit up again,

“Fa willl ken your dust

fae mine O.”

JOCK TAMSON’S

BAIRNS SINGS THE

LAIRD O’ DRUM

The Laird o’ Drum

has a-hunting gane,

All in the morning early.

And he has spied

a weel-taur’d May,

A-shearing her father’s barley.

“My bonnie May,

me weel-faur’d May,

It’s will ve gang wi’ me, O?

And will ye gang and

be Leddy o’ the Drum,

And leave your shearing a’-be, O?”

“I canna gang wi’ you, kind sir,

Not leave my shearing a’-be, O;

For I’m ower low

to be Leddy o’ the Drum,

And vour Miss I scorn to be, O.

My father he is a shepherd mean,

Keeps sheep on yonder hill, O,

And ye may gang

and speir at him,

I’m entirely at his will, O.”

Drum has to her father gane,

Keeping sheep on yonder hill, O:

“I’ve come to marry

your ae dochtar,

Gin ye’ll gie your goodwill, O.”

“My dochter can

neither read nor write,

Nor was she bred at the school, O:

But she can work,

baith oot and in,

For I’ve learned the

girlie mysel’, O.

“She’ll work in your barn,

and at your mill,

And brew your malt

and your ale, O;

And saddle your steed

in rime o’ need,

And draw aff your

boots hersel’, O.”

“I’ll learn the lassie

to read and write,

And put her to the school, O;

And she’ll never need

to saddle my steed,

Nor draw aff my boots hersel’, O.”

“But wha will bake

my bridal bread,

And wha will brew my ale, O;

And wha will welcome

my lowly bride,

Is mair than I can tell, O.”

Ah but four-and-twenty

gentle knights

Gaed in at the yett o’ Drum, O.

And there’s never a one

has lifted his hat

When the Leddy o’ the Drum

cam in, O.

Up and spake his brother John,

He says, “Ye’ve done

us meikle wrang, O;

Ye’ve married a wife o’ low degree,

She’s a mock to a’ our kin, O.

It’s Peggy Coutts is a bonnie bride,

And Drum is big and gaucey;

But ye micht hae

chosen a higher match

Than just a shepherd’s lassie.”

Up and spake the Laird o’ Drum;

He says, “I’ve dune

ye nae wrang, O;

I’ve married a wife

to work and win.

And ve’ve married

ane to spend, O.

Now’ the first time that

I took to me a wife,

Whe was tar abune my degree, O;

And I durstna gang

in to the room where she was.

But my hat below’ my knee, O.”

It’s twice he’s kissed

her cherry cheek,

And thrice her cherry chin, O.

And twenty times

her comely mou’–

And “Ye’re welcome,

my Leddy Drum, O!”

And when a had eaten

and drunken weel,

And they were bound for bed, O,

The Laird o’ Drum

and his Leddy fair

In ae bed they were laid, O.

“Gin ye had been o’ high renown,

As ye’re o’ low degree, O,

We micht hae gaed down

to the yett o’ Drum

Amang gude companie, O.

And o’ a’ yon

four-and-twenty knights

That gaed in at the

yett o’ Drum, O,

There ne’er was a one

wadna lifted his hat

When the Leddy

o’ the Drum cam in, O.”

“I tell’d ye w’eel ere we were wed,

Ye was far abune my degree, O;

But now we’re married,

in ae bed laid,

I’m just as gude as ye, O.

And when you are dead,

and I am dead,

And baith in ae grave laid, O.

Ere seven years are at an end,

They’ll no ken your

dust frae mine, O.”


31 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

The Tin

Whistle

Article By

Penny McFarlane-Bedford



SFM

MAGAZINE

The Tin Whistle

By Penny McFarlane-Bedford

It all began with the recorder…..I know, I know,

this is supposed to be about the tin whistle, but,

bear with me…

Like many children of the seventies in the UK,

my first musical steps were taken with the descant

recorder. The instrument guaranteed to drive all

parents mad, as their darling six year old roams

around the house tooting and hooting tunelessly,

into their first, and for many, their last, woodwind

instrument. But for me the recorder was my gateway

instrument and, as it turned out, after I taught myself

‘Eye Level’ – or as many will know it, the theme

tune to the original version of ‘Van Der Valk’, I was

hooked and my Mam and Dad were reasonably

impressed.

At secondary school, my attention turned to the

oboe, an instrument given to me by a music teacher

with his eye on his school orchestra, rather than

his pupils musical development. Even though I

wanted to play the flute, I got the oboe and enjoyed

its distinctive sound. The delights of the flute would

have to wait until I bought my own a few years ago.

The oboe was great, but was given back when I

finished secondary school. I couldn’t buy my own, as,

even in the early 80’s oboes were prohibitively

expensive.

Fast forward to 2012 and I had started my song

writing journey. In 2014 I wrote a couple of songs

that needed instrumentals. The songs had a folk

‘feel’. An instrument with the right tone is needed – a

folk instrument. I was, and still am, playing in a duo

with my partner, now husband Stu. The tin whistle

seemed to be the obvious choice, as I could play

woodwind already, even though I hadn’t played for

years, it was a very popular instrument in folk music,

the low whistle in particular, I thought, sounded

lovely….tin whistle it was!

And so….the

John

love affair begins…..

Tams With Sean Bean

I bought my first tin whistle…..a low D. I decided

on a low D rather than a high whistle, as I wanted

something more mellow to match the songs that

I had written. My first whistle was a non-tuneable

polymer whistle and it cost about £30. It worked fine

and was a great first low whistle. A good introduction

to the instrument and it got me back into playing

woodwind instruments.

For gigs though, I wanted something louder with a

different tone. I bought a metal low D. I was off! I

started writing more songs that absolutely needed

a whistle instrumental. Then I needed a whistle in

another key.

I was like the hobbits in ‘The Lord of The Rings’

discovering that the ale comes in pints – ‘I’m getting

one!’ Me – “they come in E and F? – I’m getting

one!” And, for a while the purpose of the tin whistle,

the low whistle, was to provide the instrumental

break in my songs. But, I was reminded that, when I

played recorder and oboe, I would play themes from

films and TV programmes (remember ‘Eye Level’?)

I didn’t have the sheet music, I would just noodle

around until I could play a tune that I liked.

So, relatively recently, I started to explore the idea

of playing tunes as part of our gigs. This is where

YouTube comes in very handy. I found lots of

resources for tin whistle – YouTube channels with

tutorials for all sorts of tunes – TV and film themes

and traditional tunes, notably Stephanie Burton

aka Cutie Pie .https://www.youtube.com/@

CutiepieTinWhistle and Ben Walker https://www.

youtube.com/@thewhistleblowermusic .

After incorporating a couple of familiar movie tunes

into our set list, I realised that the instrumentals

I had composed for some of my songs could be

extended, or turned into stand-alone pieces. My

confidence had grown and my faith in people

wanting to listen to tin whistle had grown too,

because I got such positive feedback from gigs.

People were interested in the tin whistle, specifically

the low whistles that I play. This was so encouraging!

Audience members would come and chat to me

afterwards, asking about the instruments that I’d

been playing. This was great! I had been worried that

the tin whistle wouldn’t be accepted by audiences

| 34



outside the more traditional ‘folk’ setting, but this

was so encouraging. Wonderful.

Wonderful things about the tin whistle...

One of the many wonderful things about the tin

whistle, is that it is simple and yet complex. It is, in

essence, a tube with six holes in and a mouthpiece

to blow air into. Some of the fabulous makers of this

seemingly simple instrument would, I’m sure, be

infuriated by this description, for the work involved

to produce an instrument with wonderful tone and

perfect pitch can take months or years of product

development.

But, the beauty of the tin whistle is that, despite

it’s apparent simplicity, it can produce wonderful

melody and great nuance. It is easy to learn the

basics of the tin whistle and enjoy hours of musical

pleasure. It then takes time, skill and practice to

achieve a higher level of ability, as it does with any

instrument. But, what can be achieved with this tube

with six holes in, is phenomenal.

Another wonderful thing about the tin whistle is

that, once you have learnt how to play you can go

from a low D to an E or F whistle and the techniques

and finger positions you’ve learnt are the same, just

in a different key!

One more wonderful thing about the tin whistle

is that, compared to some of her orchestral sisters,

she is (relatively) cheap - in a good way. A low D

polymer whistle is around £57.00. (James Dominic

Whistles) These are a lightweight whistle with a

good tone, easy to play and don’t need much air

– you don’t need to blow hard even to get into the

second octave.

A little disclaimer - I have not been paid to talk

about any particular whistle maker. These opinions

are my own, based on my experience of the tin

whistle so far.

Metal Head

Although the polymer whistles are a good option

and great if you need a lightweight whistle that

doesn’t need a lot of air, the most satisfying whistles

to play, in my opinion, are the metal whistles. I

play quite a lot of Low or Bass C whistle. The first

one of these I bought was a Howard Low C. It has

a wonderful distinctive sound and they have now

developed different mouthpieces to produce a

different character to the sound – a reed sound and a

chiff sound – chiff – an airy tone in the whistle with

a bit of ‘edge’ to it. These give another dimension to

your playing.

The Low C that I play all the time is one from a

maker whom I discovered relatively recently – Stacey

O’Gorman from Alba Whistles. These whistles are

lovely. They have a mellow tone and don’t need lots

of air and each whistle is unique, with a coloured

fipple. They are beautifully made and the Low C Alba

is the C whistle I use for gigs and recording.

The whistle I play the most is the Low D. I admit that

I have several Low D whistles, but, in my defence

they all have very different and distinctive sounds.

The whistle I play all the time and use for gigs is

an MK Pro Low D in bronze. No, the colour of the

whistle isn’t relevant to its tone, it just looks great.

But, it’s how it sounds that matters. And MK Pro

whistles are a professional instrument, made by

Misha Somerville and his team, and they are high

quality and beautifully made. The sound is exactly

right for me – mellow with some real punch to it too.

One of the things that you need to be aware with all

low whistles, is that you need a good finger stretch

and a ‘piper’s grip’ where you use middle joint of

your fingers to cover the holes of the whistle, rather

than your finger pads, to play them.

The finger stretch is no problem for me, as I have

medium sized hands and can stretch across nine

notes on the piano, but it may be a consideration, if

you’re lucky enough to have lovely dainty hands.

If you’re looking for a high end whistle and you have

smaller hands you could try Carbony Whistles. They

are made from carbon fibre and have developed low

whistles with smaller spacing between the tone

holes, to make them easier to play.

In the mid-price range there are Susato Whistles,

that have keys to cover some of the tone holes, to

make reaching the holes easier.

You’re getting to be a habit with me….

As the songwriting half of the folk duo Pen and Stu,

there are now only a handful of our songs that don’t

have a low whistle solo or a short instrumental or

two.Even songs that I’ve written that had no


35 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

(Continued from previous pages)

instrumental break will eventually get a little

touch of the whistle, an intro here, a few bars of

counter melody there. We also now play tunes that I

have composed, along with traditional tunes.

The tin whistle – low whistle – has become a major

part of our ‘sound’. Instrumentals in songs are longer

and often there is more than one in a song. We are so

enamoured with the tin/low whistle that, in the

summer of 2024, we went into the recording

studio and recorded a new album of tin whistle

instrumentals on low C, D and E whistles. There is a

mix of my original tunes and traditional tunes too.

Many performed in a way you may not have heard

before. We’re releasing the album on 1st March. You

can listen here: https://penandstu.bandcamp.com/

I now can’t imagine making music that doesn’t

involve the tin whistle. It’s the instrument I pick up to

compose tunes and I love playing it. It has become an

integral, essential part of my musical life and has

defined our ‘sound’ as a folk duo.

The Bottom Line

If you fancy trying the tin whistle, you don’t have

to spend a fortune. Although the tin whistle is also

called the penny whistle, it doesn’t cost a penny

anymore, but, at the time of writing, I had a look on

Big Whistle – one of a number of ‘go to’ web sites for

tin whistle. https://bigwhistle.co.uk/

The least expensive high D whistle was a Feadog

brass high D for £5.50. There was also a Waltons

high C for £6.25 and a Generation in G for £6.50.

The high D whistle may be a good starting point, as

you’ll be able to play hundreds (or thousands!) of

traditional tunes.

There is an argument that, if you want to try an

instrument, buy the best you can afford to start with.

That way, you will not feel discouraged by a poor

quality sound and a better quality instrument will be

easier to play and you’ll want to play more often. For

the tin whistle, as with any other instrument, this is

true. However, if you don’t want to spend £30 - £40

on your first whistle, just in case it’s your last, go for a

Feadog or Generation for under a tenner and have a

go! If you enjoy playing you can always buy a more

expensive whistle later, maybe another high whistle

in D or you might try a low whistle.

I’m getting one!

There are lots of places to buy a tin whistle on line

and, if you’re lucky enough to have a local music

shop, they may have them in stock too. I mentioned

Big Whistle Company already. They sell whistles in

every price range and they also sell pre-owned and

B stock whistles, so you could pick up a bargain or

a whistle that is otherwise difficult to find. Here are

some more places to look:

Hobgoblin Music is a good resource for tin whistles

and other folk instruments https://hobgoblin.com/

You can shop online and they also have branches in

Leeds, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Canterbury,

Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Southampton.

Red Cow Music is also a good place to look for tin

whistles. This was a shop in York for many years.

You can now shop there online https://redcowmusic.

co.uk/ You can visit by appointment too – details on

the website.

You can buy directly from the whistle maker of

course and there are so many. I mentioned earlier

that my main whistle is an MK Pro low D. You can

buy directly from MK Whistles https://mkwhistles.

com/

The Low C whistle that I play all the time is an Alba

Whistle. At the time of writing, they were taking a

break until spring 2025, but you can take a look at

the website here: https://www.albawhistles.com/

I have a Howard low D and low C whistle and a reed

head for them. I recorded with the low D and reed

head, on our one of the tracks on our new album and

the beautiful unique sound fitted the track perfectly.

Howard also now have a whistle with a key on the

bottom tone hole, to make paying easier. Find out

more about Howard Whistles here: https://www.

howardmusic.co.uk/

I have a James Dominic Whistles Eb whistle that

I enjoy playing. He makes affordable, lightweight

whistles and you can buy a whistle with a ‘bottom

swivel’ to adjust the position of the bottom tone holes

to make it easier to play: https://james-dominicwhistles.myshopify.com/en-gb

One of the most famous whistle makers is Colin


Penny McFarlane Bedford

Goldie. He lives in Germany and you can order

directly from him https://www.colingoldie.de/

I haven’t played one of his whistles…yet…there’s

still time….

My links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/

penandstumusic/

You Tube - https://youtube.com/@

penstumusic2524

Instagram - https://instagram.com/

penandstu?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Bandcamp -https://penandstu.bandcamp.com/

And, as my name is Penny and I play the whistle,

I have a Facebook page called Penny Whistles! I’m

just starting to post here and it would be great to

have you join me on my continuing tin whistle

journey: https://www.facebook.com/people/Penny-

Whistles/100024476951841/#

Written By



37 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Gabriel

Moreno

Songwriter

Musician

& Poet

| 38



39 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

GABRIEL MORENO

Songwriter, Musician & Poet

Gabriel Moreno is a singer songwriter,

perfomer and lyricist with strong links to

the London alternative Americana, Folk

and singer songwriter scene. He is influenced by the

likes of Cohen, Callahan, Cave and other poetical

singers. Moreno is known for powerful performances

and endless streams of passion. Gabriel has been

performing for the last 20 years in Gibraltar, Peru,

Italy, Spain and The United Kingdom. After a

succesful debut EP in 2017. “Love & Decadence”

(Amber Records) he released three albums, “Farewell

Belief ” in 2019, “Whiskey with Angels” in 2020

and “The Year Of The Rat” February 2022. His

previousalbum is “Wound In The Night.” Acclaimed

by Cerys Mathews and other BBC presenters,

Moreno toured the UK in 2022. He played the main

stage of The Great British Folk Festival, ELY Folk

Festival, Costa Del Folk, Rochester Festival, Purbeck

Valley Folk Festival, Wilderness, When The Light

Gets In and other UK and European Festivals during

2022. He performs with marvelous musicians from

the London and Barcelona Alternative Folk scene

called ‘The Quivering Poets’.

For anyone not acquainted with the songs of Gabriel

Moreno, he is somewhat unique in the music world,

being someone from the rock of Gibraltar, with its

Anglo-Spanish influences in song and poetry. Think

of Lorca, the melancholy of Calexico, Leonard Cohen

with a dash of Peter Sarstedt, and you have an idea of

the territory Gabriel inhabits.

When questioned about his formative years and

earliest influences in music and poetry Gabriel

responded:

“I think music, lyrics and poetry started to become

an obsession for me during the explosion of the

Grunge musical movement in the mid-nineties.

I was fourteen when Nirvana had become a

worldwide phenomenon, Janes Addiction and Faith

No More were on the rise, and I was drawn to the

rebelliousness of these bands and the idea of the

| 40

individual and collective catharsis through songs.

I started playing in my first bands then, and that

period coincided with my discovery of the Spanish

poets Lorca and Alberti. I was studying an English

syllabus at that time in Gibraltar, and we also

touched on T.S Eliot and Emily Dickenson at school

and Joseph Conrad. I remember adoring Conrad.

From then on, I just wanted to write songs, poems,

whatever. Then I heard Leonard Cohen and Fabrizio

D’Andre, and I thought to myself, this is what it’s

about for me.”

Gabriel’s musical journey has taken him all over the

world, until now he resides in London. His journey is

a fascinating one, steeped in rich cultures.

Gabriel studied in England from 1995 to 1999 but

travelled to Latin America, Italy, Barcelona, Norway

and other countries from 2000 to 2010.

“After that, I lived in places for no more than a year

to absorb the cultural and artistic intricacies of

the location. I studied Hispanic poetry and Italian

literature in Barcelona and Naples and learned some

musical tricks from the Latin singer-songwriters in

Chile and Peru.”

“While there I was obsessed with their way of

portraying socio/political reality through poetical

lyrics. Silvio Rodriguez was my idol for years. I met

a lady in New York in 2008, and when she moved to

London in 2010, I moved to the Great Metropolis

with her. This was the first time I took my musical

path a little more seriously and started connecting

with the Poetry, Americana and Singer-songwriter

underground community. I think it was around 2015

that I was lucky to meet Steev Burgess and other

poets and singer-songwriters from the scene.”

Gabriel speaks of his first impressions of London,

and its influence on his song writing:

“I remember visiting the Lantern Society in 2011 in


Gabriel Moreno

London and being in awe of the sincerity, complexity,

dexterity and uniqueness of the songwriters I came

across in the city. I had experienced a lot of musical

performances in the underground of many countries.

Still, in England, I saw a real tradition of troubadours

who were refined in both their sound and their song

constructions. I was inspired, belittled and amazed.”

for us”.

To celebrate the release of his sixth studio album

“Nights In The Belly Of Bohemia” Gabriel has

arranged some launch parties around the UK, the

first of which is kicking off in London. Please visit his

website for more information and tickets.

“I decided to work harder, to polish my musical

performance, my voice and my lyrics. I wanted

to improve to the standard of the great acts I

encountered. I felt challenged and afraid, and that fear

and insecurity made me progress as a person as well

as an artist. I also decided I wanted to write poetry

and songs in English because, being from Gibraltar,

I felt I wanted to express my Mediterranean psyche

with English words. I was happy with that dichotomy.

My songwriting in Spanish had never convinced

me: it sounded trite and poplike. I much preferred

the tensions the Anglo-Saxon linguistic heritage

produced in my interiority. I found my preferred

form of conflict.

It has been said that Gabriels work has an element of

‘Duende’ in his songs and poetry. Here he explains a

little about this largely Spanish phenomenon.

“Duende is basically the offshoot of a wound,

the spawn of an internal crevice through which,

in moments of passion, in instances of cosmic

confabulation, in seconds of connection with the

deeper layers of the self, inspiration seeps through”.

You can also purchase Gabriel Moreno’s poetry book

of the same name as his album from his website:

www.gabrielmoreno.co.uk

“This inspiration comes in the form of a new creature,

a trickster, a sort of magical being who pushes

through the layers of consciousness and assumes

control of the creative direction in performance or

creation. The Spanish gypsies called him “Duende”

(Gnome or Elf in English). A masculine muse who

comes from within and who awakes only in times of

excess, pain, and death”.

“‘Duende’ was used to describe the moments of

complete connection with the art and the audience

in Flamenco guitar and vocal performances. Still, the

great Garcia Lorca extrapolated the idea to any form

of performance or creation. It is kind of an Orphic

paradigm whereby the artist must hollow his psyche

to give space for inspiration or cosmic connection

to arise. If you have “Duende” nowadays, it is

understood that you abandon your rational self to a

more cathartic form of performance. It is high praise


41 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Wound In The Night Album (2023)

Gabriels previous album ‘Wound In The Night’

was released in 2023. It is the work of a troubadour

who favours protest songs and acute social and

psychological commentary of our troublesome times.

The album was arranged and produced by Michael

Collins (Allo Darlin’), Gabriel Moreno and Ned

Cartwright (Heartworn Highways).

Vintage instruments and analogue gear are employed

to create a ghost-like Taberna-Folk sound where

musical genres as diverse as Latin American

troubadour music and Anglo-Saxon alternative/folk

come together in service of the baritone voice.

The album features the double bass of Billy McGee

who has collaborated with legends such as Nick Cave

and Marc Almond and it is mastered and mixed

by Erik Wofford who produced and recorded Bill

Callahan. Also featured on the album are cellist

Maya McCourt, Tom Mawby on violin, Billy McGee

on double bass and backing vocals courtesy of Pearl

Fish and Ayesha Watling. Ty Watling supplies electric

guitar on track one.

Track list for ‘Wound In The Night’: (2023)

A1 Growing Old 3:11

A2 Wound In The Night 3:22

A3 Nobody Knows Where We Are 3:32

A4 Where The Wild Winds Go 5:40

A5 Retrograde 3:28

| 42

B1 Origami Bird 3:22

B2 Shutters On Your Eyes 3:50

B3 Suzanne Valadon 3:49

B4 Blurred Horizons 3:20

B5 London Town 4:19

Moreno won the Introducing Stage at the Great

British Folk Festival in 2019, and although the

Covid-19 pandemic forced a temporary hiatus for

many artists, he could never let his creativity stagnate;

2023 saw the release of his third album since the

start of the pandemic, Wound In The Night, with

an accompanying packed touring schedule across

Europe, as well as a second book of poetry in that

time entitled ‘Heart Mortally Wounded by Six

Strings.’

Whiskey & Angels Album (2020)

This album was put together during the confines and

frustration of the lockdown. Here’s what Gabriel has

to say about those challenging times as both a poet

and a musician:

“There have been many examples of our poetry and

musical communities getting together to provide

help and comfort during the isolation of lockdown. I

experienced many benevolent and altruistic actions

and I believe we realised how important we really

are to each other in terms of survival, and also in

terms of our persuit of recognition and happiness.

There is no plentitude without the other. There is no

point to excellence without our peers. We realised we

needed each other to shine and make sense of poetry

and music. It was instrumental to our psychological

development though quite detrimental to our

economic survival. Loss of work was devastating.

We somehow learned how to survive, and found the

strength to continue writing and performing.”

“Lockdown made me concentrate and focus

exclusively on the creation of new tracks. The

impossibility of rehearsals and shared recordings

forced me to create a more intimate and acoustic

album which probably reflected the mood of this

period. But it also included a lot of hope, as I saw how

we could collaborate and create even from a distance.”

“‘Quivering poet’ Pablo Yupton & I stayed in touch

daily from Barcelona to London. I also worked with

‘Quivering poet’ Adam Beattie on some songs too.

However, lockdown also helped produce a more

intimate SOLO album. The performance aspect was


Gabriel Moreno

posponed, which enabled me to reconnect with my

own creative process. It was my way of keeping up

hope and not being defeated by anxiety and doubts.”

Speaking at the time about the period of Lockdown

we all endured, Gabriel had the following insight to

how he coped with it:

“I believed we would come out of the darkness

with more conviction and self-realisation. It might

take some time before we can enjoy the comforts

of our pasts, now is thime to share our thoughts

and feelings and to resist the tyranny of capitalist

enterprise so that we might be saved from an even

more complicated crisis; the debacle of the human

spirit.”

The Year Of The Rat Album (2022)

Review by Steev Burgess

It is one thing to write songs during the London

Covid lockdowns and record them in the intervening

escapes, but it’s another to write a whole album about

the experience. It is the latter that Gabriel Moreno

has done here.

2020 was the Chinese Year of the Rat, supposedly an

imaginative and resourceful animal and the creature

has given the title to this album.

Track list for Whiskey With Angels (Dec 11 2020)

A1 We Can Write England All Over Again

A2 An angel Sleeps In Your Mirror

A3 Almost Perfect Face

A4 Ibrahim Gökçek

A5 Overstay Your Welcome

B1 Nosediving Into The Night

B2 Margaret Burns

B3 When I was A Bird

B4 Lady Fam

B5 Poetry Mondays


This album forms the picture in my mind of the

poetic singer-songwriter Moreno, a musician whose

soul seems nourished by bringing folk together at

various events and venues, sitting alone at the table

with a drink, immersed in his own thoughts and

fears, imagining and fragmenting them into an

album of songs.

The opening offering ‘Solitude’ is a conversation with

solitude itself, a state writers need but in this instance

has gone too far, the singer wanting “ a room, not the

whole hotel.”

Finger-picked songs explore the plight of the poor

in a world that’s “trading a nurse for a snake and a

purse” and are often epistolary in nature, with that

Calexico tinged melancholy or lonely piano keys

tapping out the pantomime of the news. The title

track ‘Year of the Rat” expands the theme, with a

modern Jazz amble through the shifting parameters

and ups and downs, of 2020.

43 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

The highlights of this collection for me at first

listening are ‘I Feel Like Dancing’, almost a Latin

brother to Jarvis Cocker’s ‘House Music All Night

Long’, with a gentle acoustic offbeat that moved me

to my feet and sent me shuffling to the kitchen to

check on the pasta, and ‘When the City Wakes Up’,

a clever, Leonard Cohen type song, wondering how

a relationship will behave when lockdown is lifted

and a myriad of possibilities and options stretch out

before us in London.

Moreno himself used the lifting of lockdown in the

most productive of ways, reconnecting with old

friend, musician and mixing engineer Christian

Gadd from Gibraltar who he had not seen for twenty

years and stalwart collaborator Ned Cartwright, who

both worked on the concept of this album.

Scottish singer and artist Catherine Rudie came up

with the clever visual manifestation of a solitary

origami rat made of a folded lyric sheet against the

traditional red and gold Chinese background on the

sleeve.

Gabriel has recruited many others from the musical

diaspora of the alternative folk scene in London to

work on the project, with musicians hailing from

Gibraltar, Barcelona, Chile and other parts of Britain

as well as Gabriel’s live band The Quivering Poets,

to flesh out the songs. These musicians include

Christian Gadd (bass, electric piano, percussion, jazz

guitar, mellotron), Ned Cartwright (piano, backing

vocals and production), Pearl Fish (vocals and

harmonies), Quivering Poet, Pablo Yupton (electric

guitar), long-time collaborator Adam Beattie (bass

and vocals), Fiona Bevan (vocals), Chris “CJ” Jones

(drums), Quivering Poet, Pablo Campos (drums

and percussion), DG Solaris (backing vocals) Maya

McCourt (cello, backing vocals), Sergio Contreras

(trumpet) and other acclaimed names.

The Year Of The Rat track list:

1 Solitude

2 Painter, Painter

3 Feel Like Dancing

4 Sellotape My Heart

5 Everyday News

6 The Dreams Of The Poor

7 Dance On In An Empty Field

8 All That We Have

9 When The City Wakes Up

10 The Year Of The Rat

If you would like to purchase an album/cd or poetry

book they are available from Gabriel’s website at this

link: https://www.gabrielmoreno.co.uk/buy-vinylsand-cds

You can stream Gabriel Moreno’s music at the

following sites:

https://soundcloud.com/gabrielmoreno

https://open.spotify.com/

artist/2X57Knocyza4Jls6Opzsmu?si=lKPthIOSTG9zeFW0tbB1A&dl_

branch=1&nd=1&dlsi=b0e357a17be84879

Even with all the musical expertise on display, all this

still has the feel of an intimate one to one album, a

letter, a prayer or a conversation, with the intimate

nylon stringed acoustic prominent behind some

almost spoken words.

Review By Steev Burgess

Published 18/01/22

https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/

Details?Id=27055

Farewell Belief (2017)

Review By Tim Merricks (Full review here)

https://americana-uk.com/gabriel-moreno-and-thequivering-poets-farewell-belief-amber-records-2017

| 44


Gabriel Moreno

Track List for Farewell Belief (2017)

1 Farewell Belief

2 Nobody Knows Where True Love Goes

3 Dear George

4 Rosalind

5 Mary Magee

6 Speak To The Tide

7 Joseline

8 Should We Heal Before We Love

9 Do You Want Me

10 So Long My True Love

You can listen to this album on Youtube at the

following link: https://music.youtube.com/

playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m-ypM6yCR_N8v8Xxr_

tIzPuzqD_nAzHDE

Quivering Poets possess in bucket-loads, there’s

a little of the raw energy of a Cash missing from

Farewell Belief.

In Moreno’s own words: “The music and poetry we

favour is part of a deeper will to connect people

and counteract individuality, selfishness, ruthless

capitalism and the laws of the jungle”. In so far as

Farewell Belief is concerned, for all its accomplished

polish, maybe a little more connection of people and

a little less counteraction of the laws of the jungle

would provide the unprocessed union that would

promote The Quivering Poets from a great bunch of

artists into a truly great band.

Tim Merricks Review:

Moreno runs The Lantern Society in London, a

collection of original and organic songwriters,

new and established, talent the only prerequisite.

An open mic for the upper echelons of London’s

capable. And if that all sounds a bit bohemian, then

Moreno’s Quivering Poets don’t do much to dispel

the blueprint.

Farewell Belief is the second album by the Poets,

although by no means Moreno’s first foray into

poetry – he’s had eight collections published in

English and Spanish (he hails from Gibraltar). Debut

album Love & Decadence cemented the ‘Spanglish’

alliance with his bandmates Adam Beattie, Barbara

Bartz, Pablo Campos and Pablo Yupton, a long

distance relationship which found common ground

on the stages of Europe and has since become

immortalised in the studio.

There can be no doubting the integrity of each of

these artists on an individual level, or the respect

they command on the alternative folk circuit – a

quick glance at the portfolio of each gives testament

to that. These are poets and musicians of the highest

order and the production and arrangements show

experience and taste. No, if there remains a question

to be answered it is whether The Quivering Poets

actually quite pull it off as a band. Whether all the

poise and grace in the world can create the awareness

of the other necessary to give the listener a sense of

the whole that must be the aspiration of any band.

On the title track Moreno sings of “going south

to sing with Johnny Cash” and for all the flair The

Love And Decadence Album (2015)

Love And Decadence track list:

1 Noone Can Reach Us Here

2 Beautiful Lies

3 Love Or Fire

4 Losing Game

5 We Are What We Are

6 Saturday Night

7 Jesus There Are Spiders In My Eyes

8 Fuentes

9 Dance In The Night For Us

10 The Waiting Song

11 Piensa En Mi

12 Mother Of Song

You can listen to Love And Decadence at

the following link: https://open.spotify.com/

album/2CKNpaQAJ18K2hBhpK7y7l


45 |

SFM

MAGAZINE


NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF BOHEMIA

GABRIEL MARINO ALBUM

REVIEW BY BOB BIGNELL

Gabriel Marino/Bob Bignall

Let me start by saying that this is not a trackby-track

review of the album….to indulge

in such a critique would not do the overall

sensitivity of the creation justice. No, it is more

a sense of what the whole entity brings to the

individual. Let me explain…….

I first saw Gabriel Moreno at the UK West

Coast Folk Festival in Blackpool earlier this

year and was immediately entranced by his

almost understated, but nevertheless obvious,

enthusiasm for life…..not life in the global

sense with all of its current, massive, apparently

unsolvable problems but life in the world of the

individual, soaking in the available beauty of life

in its simplest form.

Yes, we all have our problems, our anxieties, but

a simpler way of looking at things is there for the

asking….for the taking!

Ever since that first encounter with Moreno’s

work, even at my advanced years, my view of

the world, especially the material world, has

changed…..I am, to quote the man himself, “on

the edge of a dream”

On a recent social media page, Gabriel Mereno

wrote

“I just want to sing, write, eat, pay for a bed, sleep

and be left alone…..numbers are not a measure of

the worth of anything, especially not songs….. for

my son I dream of a world where profit is not the

ruling premise of our philosophy of life…….”

Mereno’s refreshing view of the world and the

media he has chosen to call “home” comes across

so much in his poetry and music…..these are not

Dylanesque protest songs as such…angry and

venomous….they suggest a better way of looking

at life and all it brings to the individual.

I urge you to buy the album, sit in a darkened

room, and play it and wait for the inevitable sea

of calm to wash over you....

Review by Bob Bignell


47 |

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SFM

MAGAZINE

CHICAGO

USA

Scott

Fivelson

| 50


Scott Fivelson


51 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

SCOTT FIVELSON

Screenwriter, Songwriter, Author

Scott Fivelson hails from Chicago Illinois. He

grew up greatly influenced by the Chicago

Folk music scene. He now lives and works

as a screenwriter, songwriter and director in L.A.

California.

Scott is a writer, producer, and director, known for

America Reel (2003), Three Holes and a Smoking

Gun (2014), and Near Myth: The Oskar Knight

Story (2018). He cast the actor Lenny Von Dohlen to

portray the legendary Oskar Knight, based not only

on the uncanny resemblance between Von Dohlen

and Knight, but also on the actor’s rare gift for period

portrayal in such stories as Under the Biltmore

Clock.

WHAT THE PIANO KNOWS

Scott Fivelson’s Irish folk song, ‘What the Piano

Knows’ was first recorded and released in 2020

by the Norwegian folk band, Fir Arda, as part

of an instrumental two-song medley, ‘What the

Piano Knows/The Dunmore Lasses on the single,

‘Greenhouse Sessions Part 2’.

Later that year, the American multi-instrumentalist

and songwriter Dave Corwin teamed with the

popular U.K. player on the Uilleann pipes, Catherine

Ashcroft, for the vocal rendition, ‘What the Piano

Knows’ by Dave Corwin (feat. Catherine Ashcroft).

In 2024, a vocal and fiddle version of ‘What the

Piano Knows’ was performed and released by

Reuben and The Bridge (Reuben Wilkinson and

Annie Bridget), a husband-and-wife U.K. folk duo

who are a well-received staple of folk-music festivals,

fairs, and pubs throughout England.

‘What the Piano Knows’, in its various versions,

has been enjoying frequent radio rotation on MKB

Independent Radio, and has also been heard on

Strabane Radio, Stirling Community Radio, and

IrishRadio.org in the U.K., Musicbox4Friends radio

and CountryRadio.Musicbox4Friends in Canada,

and Z Country radio in the U.S.

The year 2025 began with the January release of a

new vocal and piano rendition of the song – ‘What

the Piano Knows’ by Scottish pianist and singer/

songwriter, Eleanor MacLeod.

When asked, Scott Fivelson had the following

thoughts on the subject of folk songs:

‘I’ve had the good fortune to be working with a lot of

folk, folk/rock, and jazz artists and bands, not just in

the U.S. but from around the U.K. and Europe as well.

When someone comes to me wanting to do their own

distinctive interpretation of one of my songs, it’s like

the joy of watching a talented actor pick up a piece of

material and imbue it with what makes them special

as artists. So bring it on.”

Dave Corwin &

Catherine Ashcroft

What The Piano

Knows

Written by Scott

Fivelson

Listen here at this link

Reuben & The Bridge

What THe Piano

Knows

Written by Scott

Fivelson



Scott Fivelson

Fir Arda What The

Piano Knows written

by Scott Fivelson

L.A.’.

Listen here at this

link

2025 release of What

The Piano Knows

Eleanor MacLeod

Written by Scott

Fivelson

Listen here at this

link


‘If Bird Had Wings (She Could Fly)’ sung by French

singer Caroline Mour shows Fivelson’s penchant as

a songwriter for combining genres, this folk/pop

number gliding into a coda that infuses a jazz sound

as well, wonderfully arranged by Brazilian Sergio

Bartolo.

A wonderful start to 2025 which saw the January

release of a new vocal and piano rendition of the song

– ‘What the Piano Knows’ by Scottish pianist and

singer/songwriter, Eleanor MacLeod.

Fivelson’s neo-folk song, ‘Times Like These’, was

released by German singer and master guitarist Chris

Burgmann in 2019. The song has received radio

rotation in the U.K. and the U.S., most recently on

The Vault 847 radio out of Chicago.


Also playing on The Vault 847 is his song,

‘Goodnight, L.A.’, a drone-spotting folk rocker

reuniting Scott with Dave Corwin, who is the artist

performer delivering a heartfelt vocal on ‘Goodnight,



ABOUT SCOTT FIVELSON’S JAZZ

SONGWRITING

Scott’s song, ‘Secret Entrance to Your Heart’, recorded

and released by Breeze BossaNova in 2020, and

then performed by Chicago Smooth Jazz vocalist/

guitarist Michael Ross in 2023, has been called ‘the

most popular new Bossa Nova song since 2020’ by

Connect Brazil.com. ‘Secret Entrance to Your Heart’

was chosen as one of the Top Ten songs in The Best of

Brazilian Music 2020 from ConnectBrazil.com, then

was chosen as one of their Top Ten songs again in

2021 as well.

Listen

here

at this

link

53 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

On Dec. 23, 2022, the song hit #1 on the Indie Top

50 chart at 96.9 The Oasis radio in Palm Springs,

California. The song would remain in the #1 spot on

the station’s Indie Top 50 chart for three weeks. And

the song ranked #4 on the Top 100 Indie Songs of

2022 countdown show at 96.9 The Oasis radio.

Michael Ross’s version of ‘Secret Entrance to Your

Heart’ was voted by listeners Most Played Brazilian

Song of The Year on Connect Brazil.com in 2023.

| 54

Michael Ross’s

version of Secret

Entrance To Your

Heart

Written by Scott

Fivelson

Listen here to the

song

David Gillan’s

Secret Entrance

To Your Heart

Written By Scott

Fivelson

Listen here to the

song

ABOUT SCOTT

FIVELSON’S WORK IN FILMS

Besides his work as a songwriter, Fivelson is an

award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and

director.

Among his credits, Scott co-wrote (with Junior

Burke) and produced the music-biz comedy/

drama ‘American Reel’, starring David Carradine

(Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ films) as singer-songwriter

‘James Lee Springer’, the distinguished British actor

Michael Maloney (Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Henry V’ and

‘Hamlet’), and Mariel Hemingway (‘Personal Best’,

‘The Contender’).

‘American Reel’ has been re-released on Tubi, Movie

Central, Retrospective - Classic Movies, and others

in the U.S. The film is available in two DVD editions,

from Liberation Entertainment and MVD Visual,

with Total Content Digital handling streaming

in the U.S. The film was directed by Mark Archer

(Sundance-winning producer of ‘In the Company of

Men’).

The soundtrack for ‘American Reel’ features several

folk/country songs written and performed by David

Carradine, plus a score including original songs by

acclaimed singer-songwriter Thom Bishop (a.k.a.

Junior Burke).

Scott is also the writer/director of the award-winning

new Hollywood comedy biopic, ‘Near Myth: The

Oskar Knight Story’, starring the late, great Lenny

Von Dohlen (‘Twin Peaks’, ‘Tender Mercies’, ‘Electric

Dreams’) as legendary director, Oskar Knight. Also

starring a cavalcade of stars from throughout the

decades of Hollywood, including Academy Award

Winner Margaret O’Brien, International Emmy

Winner David Suchet, Joaquim de Almeida, Julianna

Guill, Rudolf Martin, Kristina Anapau, Lawrence

Pressman, and many more.

A cross between ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, ‘Sunset

Boulevard’, and ‘That’s Entertainment!’, ‘Near Myth:

The Oskar Knight Story’ evokes the days when

movies were Movies. It played theatrically in the U.S.

and Germany in 2023, and is expected to return to

theaters before bringing the iconic director ‘Oskar

Knight’ and his story to streaming. Critic Terence

Towles Canote of ‘A Shroud of Thoughts’ wrote of the

film:

‘Indeed, I think Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story

could be destined to be a classic itself.’

The soundtrack for ‘Oskar Knight’ includes the

traditional folk song, ‘Bright Morning Star’, sung by

the popular Northern Irish singer, Cara Dillon.

It’s in one of his upcoming films that Fivelson will

again have the opportunity to blend his love of film

and music. Slated for production in 2025, his new

film ‘The Vicar’s Wife’ – a British romantic-comedy

mystery to be produced by Jason Loughridge’s

Project 8 Films and directed by Colin McIvor –

will be shot around Downpatrick, County Down,

Northern Ireland. It will include a John Renbournstyle

folk song of Fivelson’s, sung by Jerome Flynn

(‘Game of Thrones’).


Scott Fivelson

ACCOLADES FOR SCOTT FIVELSON

“Best Screenwriter” award - 2014 Downtown Film

Festival Los Angeles, for “Three Holes, Two Brads,

and a Smoking Gun”. The same film won “Best Lead

Actor” for James Wilder and the “Red Dirt Award”

Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Red Dirt International

Film Festival. Just weeks later, the film won “Best

U.S. Narrative Feature Film” at the Laughlin

International Film Festival.

“Breakthrough Director Spotlight” award - 2016

Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival - and

“Best Director”

2017 Vancouver Filmdance Festival - both for “Near

Myth: The Oskar Knight Story”.

His novel, Tuxes, a satire of the classic multigenerational

rich-family saga, was published by

BeachSide Press. He is also the author of a number

of plays, including Dial L for Latch-Key and Leading

the Witness, and coauthor of a noir detective novella,

Johnny Passe.

Dial L for Latch-Key has been performed onstage in

London, San Francisco, Toronto, and elsewhere. The

audiobook version, Dial L for Latch-Key: The Radio

Play, is distributed by Blackstone Audio, which also

distributes his audiobook,

A Farewell to Legs, a humorous homage to Ernest

Hemingway, read by Mariel Hemingway. Dial L

for Latch-Key: The Radio Play was selected as the

opening presentation at the Second Annual HEAR

Now: The Audio Fiction & Arts Festival.


55 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Folk Songs

The Trees They Do Grow High / The

Trees They Grow So High / Growing /

Long A-Growing / The Bonny Boy /

Lady Mary Ann

The folk song "The Trees They Grow So

High" is a traditional English ballad, which

means its exact origins are unknown, and

has been passed down through generations

in the folk tradition. Like many traditional

folk songs, it likely has no single author

but evolved over time, with various

versions of the song emerging in different

regions and being adapted by different

performers.

The earliest printing of this ballad is in

James Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum, No.

377 (1792), in which it was included under

the title Lady Mary Ann. Thereafter, it

appeared frequently in Scottish songbooks,

usually entitled Young Craigston. Versions

collected in recent years have lost all trace

of specific identification of the ballad

characters.

The ballad appears to be founded on an

actual occurrence. In 1631, Lord Craigton

was married to Elizabeth Innes, several

years his senior and the eldest daughter of

Sir Robert Innes who had been appointed

guardian of the young Lord upon the death

of his parents. The young husband died

three years later.

Unfolded

Child marriages for the purpose of

obtaining or consolidating family

fortunes, or to assure the continuation

of royal strains, appear to have been

indulged in quite frequently prior to the

18th century.

The ballad is still known in tradition in

Scotland and England and is very

popular in Ireland, where it is best

known as The Bonny Boy. It has been

collected rather infrequently in North

America.

Lyrics

Though it is quite difficult to know who

originally wrote these lyrics, Benjamin

Britten is known for his composition of

this song. The lyrics read:

The trees they grow so high

And the leaves they grow so green.

And many a cold winter’s night

My love and I have seen.

Of a cold winter’s night,

My love, you and I alone have been,

Whilst my bonny boy is young

He’s a-growing.

Growing, growing.


He’s a-growing.

The trees they grow so high

And the leaves they grow so green.

And many a cold winter’s night

My love and I have seen.

Of a cold winter’s night,

My love, you and I alone have been,

| 56


Diana Duffin


He’s a-growing.

Growing, growing.


He’s a-growing.

O father, dearest father.

You’ve done to me great wrong,

You’ve tied me to a boy

When you know he is too young.

O daughter. dearest daughter,

If you wait a little while,

A lady you shall be

While he’s growing.

Growing, growing,

A lady you shall be


O I’ll send your love to college

All for a year or two,

And then in the mean-time

He will do for you;

I’ll buy him white ribbons,

Tie them round his bonny waist

To let the ladies know

That he’s married.

Married, married,

To let the ladies know

That he’s married.

I went up to the college

And I looked over the wall,

Saw four-and-twenty gentlemen

Playing at bat and ball.

I called for my true love,

But they would not let him come,

All because he was a young boy

And growing.

Growing, growing,


And growing.

I went up to the college

And I looked over the wall,

Saw four-and-twenty gentlemen

Playing at bat and ball.

I called for my true love,

But they would not let him come,


And growing.

Growing, growing,


And growing.

At the age of sixteen

He was a married man,

And at the age of seventeen

He was a father to a son;

And at the age of eighteen

The grass grew over him.

Cruel death soon put an end

To his growing.

Growing, growing,

Cruel death soon put an end

To his growing.

And now my love is dead

And in his grave doth lie.

The green grass grows o’er him

So very, very high.

I’ll sit and I’ll mourn

His fate until the day I die,

And I’ll watch all o’er his child


Growing, growing,

And I’ll watch all o’er his child


"The Trees They Do Grow High" is a deeply

moving folk song that captures the emotional

essence of love and loss, with its poignant lyrics

and evocative imagery standing as a powerful

expression of the human condition.

Click HERE to hear a beautiful version.

Article By Diana Duffin


57 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

FOUNDATIONAL FOLK SONGS

‘BARBARA ALLEN’

By Mike Turner

In this series, folksinger/songwriter Mike Turner

looks at traditional and contemporary folk songs

that had a foundational impact on popular music

and culture.

Before we get to this issue’s foundational folk song -

“Barbara Allen” - let’s take a moment to discuss how

I’m choosing the songs for this series. What, in my

view, makes a folk song, “foundational”?

First, let’s take a step back and ask ourselves, ‘what

is a folk song?’ There are all manner of answers to

that question, and considerable scholarly debate

on the topic. For our purposes, let’s divide folk

song into two broad categories: “traditional” and

“contemporary.”

“Traditional” folk song would be those songs that

typically date back centuries, composed by unknown

authors and passed down in an oral tradition (often

in ages where few people knew how to read or write

text, much less musical annotation). More often than

not this also means that the songs were not created

for commercial purposes, but rather for amusement,

entertainment and, at times, religious purposes (we

can stretch this definition by recognizing that some

people, like wandering minstrels, eked out a meager

living going village-to-village, performing the music).

“Contemporary” folk song would be those songs of

more recent vintage, typically composed by known

authors, passed down in written form and, beginning

in the early 20th Century, in audio recordings. This

can be music in folk stylings, or in more recent

permutations like rock, folk-rock, and singersongwriter

genres. And particularly with the advent

of audio recording, records, radio and streaming,

contemporary folk songs are more often written and

performed for commercial purposes.

These definitions are certainly elastic - for

example, early songs by such notable writers/

performers as Woody Guthrie (“This Land Is

| 58

Your Land”), Pete Seeger (“If I Had a Hammer”),

Leadbelly (“Goodnight, Irene”) and even Steven

Foster (“Camptown Races”) might be considered

as “traditional” folk, even though we know who

wrote them and, to a degree, they were composed/

performed for commercial purposes. I would say

such tunes are the exceptions to our general rule

defining “traditional” folk songs.

And of course, traditional folk’s oral tradition has

given way to being passed down in written and

recorded form, from the Child’s ballads and Carl

Sandberg’s The American Songbag to numerous

parlour and other song books and sheet music, and

contemporary artists recording/releasing/performing

popular folk songs.

These general categories help us to frame the

discussion that’s at the core of this series: which

folk songs are “foundational,” and why? Again, our

definition is somewhat elastic; but I’m working from

the premise that, of the thousands of traditional

folk songs that have been documented, some

stand out in the modern world more than others.

This may be because they are some of the songs

budding musicians first learn when they pick up an

instrument. For example, when as a youth I took

guitar lessons, one of the first songs I was taught

was the traditional folk song, “Red River Valley.” I’d

submit that’s true of many of us who have made folk

music such a big part of our lives.

Or a traditional song may be particularly well and

widely known, and popularized by contemporary

artists right down to the current day. One example

is “See See Rider” (also known as “C.C. Rider”), an

early traditional song that was popularized by such

later artists as Jelly Roll Morton, Ma Rainey; and, in

the rock era, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels,

and the Grateful Dead.

Or an early folk song may have had particular

influence on major, contemporary artists - for


Mike Turner

example, see my prior article here in Simply Folk

Magazine on how the old song “Rock Island Line”

gave rise to England’s “skiffle” craze and, in turn, The

Beatles.

The common denominator is this: old (and some

new, or at least newer) songs that resonate with us

today, not just because of the songs themselves,

but also because of the influence they’ve had on

musical development and popular culture. That’s the

recurring motif of this series: folk music that serves

as the foundation of the modern musical world,

popular culture, and beyond.

***

This issue’s folk song - “Barbara Allen” - meets our

“foundational” threshold on several points.

The song, a Scottish ballad about withheld love

and its consequences, is believed to have its origins

as early as the 13th Century; although the first

written references to the song (though not the lyrics

themselves) are found in the mid 1600s, as a tavern

song.

The song’s basic story is this: a man (variously,

William, John, or unnamed), from his deathbed,

bids a servant to bring in a maid, Barbara Allen,

for whom the dying man professes his love. But

Barbara Allen spurns his entreaties, because the man

had humiliated her by toasting other maidens in a

tavern. She leaves, only to hear the man’s death-bells

knelling, and realizes both her love and shame in

rejecting him. She dies of her sorrow, and the two

are buried side-by-side - a red rose grows from the

man’s grave, and a briar from Barbara Allen’s, the two

entwining into an eternal lovers’ knot.

“Barbara Allen” was first published as a broadside

in London in 1690, where the song was already

popular; and migrated with immigrants to the

United States, where its first broadside printing was

in 1836.

There are various versions of the song’s lyrics - not

unusual given that the song was passed down in

oral tradition in Scotland, Ireland, England and the

United States. It was collected in the Child’s Ballads

(The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis

James Childs, first published in 1860 and then in

a much expanded version of five volumes between

1882-1898); and by the American historian and poet

Carl Sandburg in his, The American Songbag in

1927. The song has appeared in countless sheet music

and songbook versions since that time (for example,

Pete Seeger’s American Favorite Ballads from 1961).

It’s been described as the, “most widely collected

song in the English language,” by musicologist Steve

Roud (who included it in his massive Roud folk song

index on-line).

While the song is generally believed to be a fictional

tale, some believe it to be a coded, libelous tune

about the scandalous affair between King Charles

II and his mistress, Barbara Villiers (who had five

children to whom Charles II ultimately admitted

parentage) - which could help explain the song’s

popularity in the boisterous taverns of the mid-17th

Century and later.

The song has been performed to various melodies

- again, not uncommon in the oral tradition. The

advent of sound recording in the early 20th Century

led to the more-or-less standardized version known

today.

“Barbara Allen” became equally popular in the

American Colonies, as immigrants brought it across

the Atlantic, and then across the United States as the

country pushed westward in its “prairie schooners” -

music historian Allan Lorax observed that the song,

“traveled westward with every wagon.”


59 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Dozens of giants of the folk world have recorded the

song in the modern era, among them Jean Richie,

Elizabeth Cronin, Sam Larner, Pete Seeger, Eddy

Arnold, the Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel,

June Tabor, Nancy Kerr & James Fagen, Dolly

Parton, Burl Ives, Jean Redpath, the New Lost City

Ramblers.

Joan Baez gives a haunting 1961 rendition; while Bob

Dylan, who recorded an eight-minute version live

at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village in 1962,

cites the song as a major influence in his folk period,

saying that without the song, “there would be no,

‘Girl From the North Country.’”

The song was even covered by one of the towering

figures in cinema: Porky Pig, in the classic Warner

Bros. animated comedy short, “Robin Hood Daffy”

in 1951! And the storyline has been adapted into

stage musicals and radio plays, and featured as

background music in numerous films.

As already noted, “Barbara Allen” is foundational on

several points. First, it’s one of the oldest and most

collected folk songs in the English language. It’s a

song that many of us in folk music learned early

on when when we were learning to play. It’s been

recorded by some of the biggest names in the music

industry. And it’s continues to have an impact on the

folk musicians of today and tomorrow - as you read

this, you can bet that somewhere out there around

the world, there’s a guitarist who is learning the song,

be it in organized lessons or on their own, to add to

their folk music repertoire.

With so many versions to choose from, it’s a

challenge to choose one to illustrate the lyrics, but

here’s one of the more modern iterations, taken from

Joan Baez’s 1961 performance:

BARBARA ALLEN

‘Twas in the merry month of May

When green buds all were swellin’

Sweet William on his death bed lay

For love of Barbara Allen

He sent his servant to the town

To the place where she was dwellin’

Saying, “You must come to my master, dear

If your name be Barbara Allen”

So slowly, slowly she got up

And slowly she drew nigh him

And the only words to him did say

“Young man, I think you’re dying”

He turned his face unto the wall

And death was in him wellin’

“Goodbye, goodbye to my friends all

Be good to Barbara Allen”

When he was dead and laid in grave

She heard the death bells knellin’

And every stroke to her did say

“Hard-hearted Barbara Allen”

“Oh, mother, oh, mother, go dig my grave

Make it both long and narrow

Sweet William died of love for me

And I will die of sorrow”

“And father, oh, father, go dig my grave

Make it both long and narrow

Sweet William died on yesterday

And I will die tomorrow”

Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard

Sweet William was buried beside her

Out of sweet William’s heart there grew a rose

Out of Barbara Allen’s, a briar

They grew and grew in the old churchyard

Till they could grow no higher

At the end they formed a true lover’s knot

And the rose grew ‘round the briar

| 60


Mike Turner

Links:

Joan Baez: https://youtu.be/

SKIOkSe2kXY?si=T2i61Me15dGE6how

Jean Richie: https://youtu.be/kTSP0ifyhO4?si=_

eEecTp_UJMf2g6B

Sam Larner: https://youtu.be/

k5v3QKcPYOU?si=YtuA2wvmu62CJ-jJ

June Tabor: https://youtu.be/

yp345XX9TSc?si=e0QQnYmMI74J4rQA

Porky Pig: https://youtu.

be/9MfBRXIb0uc?si=myyzVc45pKDvmWCl

Sources

Wikipedia: Entries on:

Barbara Allen (song)

Child’s Ballads

Carl Sandburg

The American Songbag

Roud Folk Song Index

Joan Baez

Bob Dylan

Charles II

Barbara Villiers

Robin Hood Daffy (film)

H.M. Brock

British Library Sound Archive

“Never Heard of Barbara Allen?”, BBC Late Junction

“Behind the Song: The Traditional Barbara Allen”,

American Songwriter Magazine

“Barbara Allen”, Song of America

“Song of the Week: Barbara Allen”, Folklife Today,

The Library of Congress

“The Ballad of Barbara Allen”, Appalachian Bare

Links to Mike Turner:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

MikeTurnerSongwriter

YouTube: www.youtube.com/MikeTurnerSongwriter

X: @SchoonerSkipper

Instagram: @MikeTurnerSongwriter


61 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

MAINE

USA

AMY

KYLE

&

MAURICE


Name


63 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

AMY KYLE & MAURICE

BULLDOG ALBUM Released 25th April

Amy Kyle is an American singer, educator,

multi-instrumentalist songwriter and

musicologist. She grew up in Windham,

Maine in the U.S.A. surrounded by music in her

big family where everyone played the piano and (at

least!) one other instrument.

Though as a child Amy would hide whenever her

brothers and sisters played music in a minor key, she

has since learned to appreciate sad songs! She grew

up listening to James Taylor, Billy Joel and lots and

lots of Chopin.

A classically trained soprano who sang for years

with the Salt Lake City Opera, she moved to

France in 2014. Amy decided not only to leave the

classical world, but also the religious traditions of

her Mormon culture. Since she didn’t speak French

yet, she quickly started performing as a soloist for

local jazz bands and used music as her means of

communication.

Living in France began lots of new adventures,

including putting the poetry she’d written for years to

the music in her head. She soon began playing her

compositions in public at small venues in Paris. Amy

has devoted

her musical talent to the genres that have always

been in her heart: Jazz, Latin, Folk and Soul music.

Amy’s music is inspired by musical worlds that

bring her comfort, allow her to feel free and express

emotions ranging from rage to joy and everything in

between.

In 2021, while still living in Paris, Amy formed

her band Maurice to further give life to her

compositions. Maurice, includes three other talented

musicians, including guitarist (Guillaume Perrin),

bassist (Slim Abida) and drummer (Laurent Sériès)

all creators and wildly talented artists in their own

right. Amy teaches songwriting and communication

which influences her performance style (inclusive

and experiential) and her desire to open up the

artistic experience to everyone.

Bio:

Amy Kyle’s music is: “sexy, sneaky and quirky” -

Dustin Gledhill, international prize-winning pianist,

composer and songwriter.

“Très belle découverte ce soir avec la chanteuse Amy

Kyle et @maurice_music_group qui a fait chavirer la

Peniche Marcounet de sa voix suave et féline sur des

compositions groovy, jazzy et bien des fois funky.”

Aurelien Boucher, Sunhit Web Radio

“I’ve had the pleasure of listening to several new tracks

by singer-songwriter Amy Kyle. Her blend of folk, rock,

soul and Latin styles make for a jazzy little bouquet

of numbers that conjure up a cabaret evening of an

American finding herself in Paris. The bold sensuality

of a song like “Mango” is particularly striking, whilst

one can almost imagine “Wingspan” accompanying

a Bond movie, particularly in the song’s last half.

“Cherry Moon” takes us on the furthest journey of

all her songs, particularly in the song’s technically

accomplished middle section. Yet my favourite musical

moments are when her songs’ arrangements are

sparsest - certain moments allow a delicate intrigue

to possess our attention. All in all, a good start from

which Kyle can grow in her expressive confidence” -

Omar Shahryar, Composer and educator

Amy Kyle is an American singer, multiinstrumentalist,

and songwriter. Bulldog, her album

that is due to be released in March/April 2025, is an

album dedicated to joy and rebellion. Amy’s music

is inspired by the musical worlds of latin, jazz, funk

and rock.

Maurice her band, is made up of 4 talented

musicians, including a guitarist (Guillaume Perrin),

bassist (Slim Abida) and drummer (Laurent Sériès).

Amy is a music educator, and absolutely loves getting

people involved in the creative process. Amy and her

band Maurice welcome listeners to a creative and

inspiring world of innovation, improvisation and

inspiration.


Amy Kyle


65 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

HOLDERNESS

ENGLAND

UPCOMING GIGS:

Sunday May 25th – Patrington Church, Folk Musical ‘Sarah, Life Turned Her

That Way’

Thursday June 5th – Beggars Folk Club, Otteringham



67 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

CURTIS & MCLEOD

Singer/Songwriting Duo

Acoustic Indie Folk

(Formerly Oakleas Rise)

Curtis & Mcleod is the collaboration of

Holderness based singer/songwriters Lesley

Curtis & Stuart McLeod. They write, record

and perform original music, a potent mix of beautiful

melodies and poignant words. They can also include

a number of perfectly arranged covers in their set if

required.

Lesley sang at her first folk club in Cyprus when

she was 15 and her father was serving there in the

RAF. She became part of a travelling folk group,

culminating with an exciting performance at the

Curium Amphitheatre Folk Festival alongside The

McCalman’s, Isla St Clair and Mike Harding.

She then spent a number of years cutting her teeth

working in a variety of genres and bands touring

Europe and the UK. The pinnacle for her was in

2000 when she was asked to perform the music of

Eva Cassidy in theatres in the UK & Ireland. At

the same time, she began creating songs and felt

she had found her true vocation. She never looked

back and since then has written and recorded four

mainstream country/folk albums and three based on

holistic themes and an as yet unpublished children’s

musical. She listens to singers like Joan Baez & Bob

Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Eva Cassidy, Julie Fowlis, Karine

Polwart, Thea Gilmour, Gospel singers and bands like

Heart, Fleetwood Mac and the Dixie Chicks.

‘Shock Delayed’, ‘Naked’, ‘Looking for the Girl’ &

‘Natures Confetti’ ‘Music Moves Within Me’, ‘Soul

Dreamer’ ‘Serenity’ ‘‘Seraphina -The Angel Princess

Who Fell to Earth’

Born in South Shields, Stuart cut his teeth playing

guitar in various bands in Working Men’s Clubs in

the Northeast. He is a talented songwriter in his

own right with his unique style of writing and guitar

playing. He is influenced by Dire Straits, the Police,

Steve Earl, Queen, Kris Drever and Ryan Adams.

After a chance meeting with Lesley in 2012 they

began a collaborative songwriting partnership on

songs for her latest album before they decided to

work as a couple creating and playing their own

brand of eclectic music.

Lesley & Stuart released their first album together

‘Little White Lies’ under the name of ‘Oakleas Rise’.

But after COVID they decided that they wanted a

change and a chance to dedicate more time on the

things they loved and moved to the East Riding of

Yorkshire in 2022, to live near the inspiring Spurn

landscape and coast.

After getting married in 2024, they decided to change

their name to Curtis & Mcleod to reflect a new era!

The couple have also released an alter ego album

under the alternative name ‘The Lost & Found Club’

plus a number of singles in the past few years. They

are currently recording their second album which

reflects the Indie Folk direction that has evolved over

the past few years. It’s been delayed nearly a year as

Lesley recovered from a broken shoulder in 2024.

They play folk clubs, pubs, music cafes, arts centres,

house parties, music events, festivals and events for

good causes.

They are also key performers of The Beggars Music

Foundation and their Folk Musical ‘Sarah, Life

Turned Her That Way’ which is a collective of

musicians telling the story of Anglo-Irish landowner

Sarah Kelly. Stuart produced and recorded the CD

of the musical, and as well as both performing in the

show, they wrote two songs for it. The show plays in

venues and churches throughout the East Riding of

Yorkshire.

The duo features Stuart predominantly on guitar

and lead & harmony vocals. Lesley plays percussion,

shruti, harmonium, keyboards, occasional guitar

and sings lead and harmony vocals. Stuart has been

known to tell a good yarn or two about the songs they

write.

| 68 12


aaa

Curtis & Mcleod


69 13 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

FOLK

READS

Kindle £11.99

Hardcover £32.00

Paperback £13.78

Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize

England was once dubbed ‘the land without music’, but in the early twentieth century collectors

and enthusiasts such as Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Percy Grainger

discovered a vital heritage of folk song, vibrant and alive among working men and

women. Yet after more than a century of collecting, publishing and performing songs,

there are still many things we don’t know about England’s traditional music. Where did

the songs come from? Who sang them, and where, when and why? Why did some songs

thrive, and did the collectors’ passions and prejudices determine what was preserved, and

what was lost?

In answer to these questions, acclaimed folklorist Steve Roud has drawn on an unprecedented

range of sources to present an intricate social history of folk song through the

ages, from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century. It is an absorbing and impeccably

researched account that gives a sonorous voice to England’s past.

Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571309720/

ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_0_lm

This enthralling book will take you, month-by-month, day-by-day, through all the festivities

of English life. From national celebrations such as New Year’s Eve to regional customs

such as the Padstow Hobby Horse procession, cheese rolling in Gloucestershire and

Easter Monday bottle kicking in Leeds, it explains how they originated, what they mean

and when they occur.

A fascinating guide to the richness of our heritage and the sometimes eccentric nature of

life in England, The English Year offers a unique chronological view of our social customs

and attitudes


ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_1_lm

Kindle £9.99

Hardcover £7.94

Paperback £13.59

Poetry and music have been associated with each other from the very beginning. The

Penguin Book of English Song draws together a great variety of English poetry (including

Irish, Scots and Welsh writers) that has reached a wider audience through the magic of

music. Richard Stokes’s rich anthology of verse stretches from the fourteenth century to

the twentieth, collecting poems that have inspired musical settings by one hundred English

poets, along with a treasure trove of illuminating notes and marginalia about their

lives, work and, often, their approach to music.

Kindle £5.99

Hardcover £8.76

Paperback £13.59

Stokes gathers together in a single volume a huge amount of information about English

song that will assist musicians in performing these works, and enlighten all those enthusiasts

who delight in the fusion of words and music that has produced countless moments

of incandescent magic.


ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_2_lm

| 70


Amazon Folk Books

For instrumentalists or singers, this collection features melody, lyrics and chords for guitar,

ukulele and keyboard for 30 traditional favorites. Includes: Bound for South Australia

* The Drunken Sailor * Eliza Lee * Fiddler’s Green * Haul Away, Joe * Leave Her, Johnny

* Nassau Bound * Roll the Old Chariot Along * The Scotsman * Spanish Ladies * Wellerman

* and more.


ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_3_lm

Kindle £6.99

Paperback £12.99

Titles from England: Hares on the Mountain * Allan Water * My Boy Willie * Greensleeves

* The Three Raven * Early One Morning * Lavender’s Blue and more. Titles from

Ireland: Let Erin Remember the Days of Old * The Rising Moon * The Road to the Isles *

and more. Titles from Wales: The Bells of Aberdovey (Clychau Aberdyfi) * The Kind Old

Man (Yr Hen Wr Mwyn) * Over the Stone (Tros y Gareg) * The Dove (Y Deryn Pur) and

more. Scotland Titles: Baloo Baleerie * Corn Rigs Are Bonne * and more.


ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_6_lm

Paperback £22.28

With these easy-to-follow piano sheet music books, anyone with a love for folk songs and

a spark for the piano can bring these classics to life. Experience the joy of mastering these

songs your own way - guided by the friendly advice of the Easy Piano Teacher!

Paperback £13.99

Here’s what you can look forward to:

Notations that are a breeze to read, designed for easy learning

Free online video tutorials showing you how each song is played

Handy tips on finger placement for both hands to make learning smoother

Full sing-along lyrics for each song, because music is more fun together!

You’ll discover a beautiful mix of folk tunes that includes classics like ‘All In A Garden

Green’, ‘All Through The Night’, and ‘Auld Lang Syne’, along with favorites like ‘The Irish

Washerwoman’, ‘The Keel Row’, and ‘Sweet Polly Oliver’.

Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09917WZJN/

ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_5_lm

A wonderful collection of one hundred traditional unison songs with piano accompaniments.


ref=pe_22122701_1245269851_em_2p_4_lm

Sheet Music £17.50


71 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

GALWAY CITY

IRELAND

| 72


Name


SFM

MAGAZINE

DAMIEN QUINN

Damien Quinn is originally from Kildare, he’s

now based in Galway City. He started playing

the Bodhrán professionally in 1987 when he

joined then Donál Lunny Band, which was formed for a

special concert for the ”O Riádá Retrospective”, which was

broadcast live on TV and Radio and was one of the first

digital recordings of Irish Music made in Ireland at that

time.

From 1987 Damien recorded, played and toured with some

of the main innovators in Traditional Irish Music such

as Van Morrison, The Chieftains, Andy M. Stewart, Elvis

Costello, Cian and The lark.

In 1999 Damien was asked to join Riverdance where he

was a featured soloist in The Liffey Company. Damien

took time out from performing in 2005 when he returned

to education receiving an Arts Degree and a Masters of

Literature in History.

In 2019 Damien was ivited to perform Bodhrán for TEDx

Galway. The Bodhrán in this composition becomes the

voice of social consciousness, exploring some of the key

issues of the day. Damien returned to session and concert

work in 2021 and since then has contuinned to exploer

the dymanics of the Bodhrán. In 2023 he recorded his first

Traditional CD in many years “Tell here I am” which is a

modern study of solid style Bodhrán featuring the Banjo

and Piano playing of Brian Mc Grath from Fermannagh

and the singing and guitar playing of Donál Clancyfrom

Waterford.

Damien’s latest project is Fleadh Town which he has been

developing since 2019. In 2022 Fleadh Town recieved

funding from the Galway City Council to perform a

concert of Traditional Music and Song in An Taibhdhearc

featuring some local musicans. Since then Fleadh Town

hasbeen developed even further.

So, what is Fleadh Town? (FT) (Basically (FT) is a

moveable feast of culture which is designed to engage all

artists no matter the region, through recording and live

performance).

| 74


Damien Quinn

’S FLEADH TOWN ALBUM

TRACK LIST FOR FLEADH TOWN

1 Reels: Cameronian / Tailor’s Thimble / The

Lobster 03:26

2 Reels: Navvy on the Shore / Molly from

Longford / The Mother and Child 04:02

3 Jig / Reels: Old Hag You Have Killed Me /

Forget Me Not / Matt Peoples’ 04:31

4 Song / Jig: In a Big Country / Bill Collins’ Jig

04:05

5 Jig: Helvic Head 5 Jig: Helvic Head 04:22

6 Polkas: The Return of Spring / The Mountain

Pathway 04:02

7 Barndance / Jig / Reel: Far From Home / The

Battering Ram / Darby’s Farewell 05:19

8 Hornpipe / Slip Jig: Leitrim Fancy /

Foxhunters 04:34

9 Hornpipe / Reels: The Rose of Drishane / The

Broomstick / The Heathery Breeze 04:14

10 Jigs / Reel: Fairhaired Boy / The Lark on the

Strand / Edenderry Reel 04:40

11 Reels: Maids of Castlebar / Monaghan Twig /

The Piper on Horseback 03:33

Damien Quinn began developing Fleadh Town in

2019. It is a moveable feast of Irish culture designed

to engage artists through recording and live

performance. On this album Damien has assembled

some of the best musicians in traditional Irish music

to play a collection of tunes chosen from across his

long career. It also includes a rendition of ‘In a Big

Country’ by Seamie O’Dowd featuring Bill Collins’.

Released October 31, 2024

Musicians:

Aiden Flanagan: Flute

Brian McGrath: Banjo & Piano (Musical Director)

Cathal Hayden: Fiddle

Pádraic Keane: Uilleann Pipes

Seamie O’Dowd: Vocals, Guitars, Bass Guitar &

Bouzouki

Alan Kelly: Piano Accordion

Derek Hickey: Box

Dónal Clancy: Bouzouki

Damien Quinn: Bodhrán

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Mulligan at

Audio Monkey Kinvara Galway, June - October 2024

Produced by Paul Mulligan, Brian McGrath, and

Damien Quinn

Photos: Damien Quinn

Cover design: Sliabh Design

IMRO © QT Records 005

Damien Quinn’s Bodhrán’s made by:

Brendan White (Holland)

Brendán De Faoite (America)

Mick Vignoles ( Claddagh Galway Ireland)

Ivan Berto (Italy)

Mossiegee ....It was a bloody GOLDEN age for the

wee drum, today we’re all almost passe with the tipper

gymnastics of the current and highly trained crop of

players but back then you needed to dig like a farmer

in the potato famine to even find tone control let alone

double downs.... Tommy Hayes Johnny McDonnagh

Kevin Conneff and Big Jim Sutherland were our heroes

and then we experienced an explosion with one of the

shining lights being Damien Quinn Favorite track: 1

Reels: Cameronian / Tailor’s Thimble / The Lobster.

Link to the album on Bandcamp:

https://damienquinnsfleadhtown.bandcamp.com/

album/damien-quinns-fleadh-town

CD’s available through maiul order and selected

record shops

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/profile.

php?id=61567861807370


SFM

MAGAZINE

| 76


Name


77 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

DAVID CARROLL & FRIENDS

Review By:

Paul George

Sonwriter, Musician, Author,

Magazine Editor - NE Guitars

So when I was asked to write a

review for ‘Bold Reynold’ I thought

to myself, ‘How hard can it be?

I’m a well rounded musician and

writer with a wealth of experience,

easy peasie’. I’m telling you folks, I

couldn’t have been more wrong. The

album took me on a journey which

I didn’t expect, but more of that in a

few moments...

‘Bold Reynold’ is, in it’s most basic

form, a collection of traditional

and modern folk works which have

been given, in most cases, a new

lease of life by David Carroll, and

a whole host of well known friends

including two members of Fairport

Convention (Chris Leslie and Dave

Pegg), three from Gryphon (Brian

Gulland, Dave Oberle and Graeme

Taylor), and Tom Spencer (from The

Men They Couldn’t Hang and The

Professionals), plus fine vocalist Lucy

Cooper.

Created and arranged with more

instruments than you can point a

stick at such as bassoon, clarinet,

cor anglais, crumhorn, harmonium,

dulcimer and uilleann pipes

alongside the more expected fiddle,

whistle, mandolin, bouzouki, electric

and acoustic guitars, bass and of

course, a drumkit, which only goes

to enhance the artistic creativeness of

a very fine work of art.

I have read quite a few articles

telling of David’s career and the

collaboration with the album but

quite frankly this kind of review

doesn’t give the album it’s full justice.

Not that you shouldn’t read other

articles. But I wanted to tell of the

effect ‘Bold Reynold’ had on me and

why I found a review to be more

like a visitor to Manchester giving

his view on a Lowry painting. In

my opinion, this album needs to be

lived by the listener, to feel each song

through the lyrics and incredible

arrangements. One literally needs to

walk in the footsteps of the artist to

fully appreciate the artwork.

What is he talking about, I hear you

say? Well, let’s start at the beginning

with ‘The Last Leviathan’. Now I

have to set the scene of how I listen

and review albums. It’s all done in

my bath (each to his own, I suppose)

But the setting allows me to

completely immerse myself in every

part of the song being played without

distraction and in complete peace.

So when I pressed play, I expected

a traditional folk song played in

the old ways. Not a bit of it! The

instrumental intro is simply magical.

| 78


David Carroll

The haunting woodwind started my

journey by literally taking me out to

sea with this rework of a great antiwhaling

song.

One thing I do not want to do is

spoil the journey by dissecting each

song in turn but I will say that, where

most folk albums can tend to centre

around the musicians muse and area’s

of thought, ‘Bold Reynold’ transports

you from songs of historical nautical

journeys to tales of brave heroism

during past battles to the tranquility

of Irish Mountains, and on where

ever you mind dares to venture when

immersed in the nine tracks. But

there are a few suprises along the way.

David and friends, included on of my

all time favourite tracks ‘She move

through the fair’ which I came to

love after hearing a version by Sinead

O’Connor some years ago which

reminded me of my time spent in

South Armagh back in the 80’s. But

being honest, I didn’t know what to

make of the album version at first

because it was so different. I had to

listen to the song a few times before

I got it but boy, did I get it? David

and (I think, forgive me if I’m wrong)

Lucy Cooper are nothing short of

stunning. The vocal arrangements

between the two are to die for sat

perfectly over a beautifully picked

acoustic guitar. For a song that has

stood the tests of time, to be recreated

in such a brave and creative way

has to be applauded. It is by far, my

favourite track on the album.

Other songs on the album I was

drawn to was ‘Poor Murdered

Woman, the Napoleonic war ballad

‘Banks of the Nile’ which I have to

say, again I loved, ‘The Battle’ and the

finale ‘Gentlemen of High Renown’

which is a wonderful climax and

ending to the journey.

I could go on for hours about the

nine tracks and take you down the

roads I have walked with David and

the gang but as I said, It would simply

deprive you of the experience and

journey of exploring the work of

what I can only refer to as a real Folk

craftsman accompanied by stunning

musicians.

In summary, this is one hell of an

album. Finely crafted in the studio

by some of the finest folk artists that

you could put together in one place.

I loved it, I now have it on Spotify

and will continue to listen to it. I

recommend you all do the same.

Buy the album on Bandcamp,

download it on to your device, run

a bath with lots of bubbles, turn the

volume up and set sail on your own

journey...

Note from SFMM - If you enjoy Bold

Reynold, then you’re also going to

love the next album - Bold Reynold

Too. Both Bold Reynold albums are

now available on Spotify, Amazon

Music and Apple Music - give ‘em a

listen…

Links:

Website: - https://www.boldreynold.

co.uk/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/

david.carroll.96592


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SFM

MAGAZINE

TOM LARKIN

DEBUT SINGLE

‘HOW DID I’

My name is Tom Larkin, a folk singersongwriter

currently based in Brighton

England. I’m excited to share that I have

released my debut single, “How Did I” on 30 January

2025.

“How Did I” is a deeply personal song, with gentle

guitars and earthy piano that underscores the

heartbreaking story of a man slowly losing the good

memories of his first love as they are replaced with

regrets about the post relationship fallout.

The music of the song creates this dreamy atmosphere

that pulls the listener into the mind of the singer, as he

converses with the disappearing memory of his former

lover.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.

php?id=61569027686807

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/

tomlarkinmusic

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

UCg9043guJXPpk1S0kjgzzig

SOUNDCLOUD LINK TO HOW DID I:

HERE:

SFMM - Please take a moment to give Tom’s debut

song a listen. He’s a young artist just setting out on his

musical journey, and we wish him every success for

the future. I’m looking forwards to hearing more from

Tom in the future. Jane Shields.


TOM

LARKIN


SFM

MAGAZINE

LONDON

ENGLAND

Broomdasher Are A London Based acappella

group who have many years experience of

music making bewfore they came together in

2016.

Since then they’ve created an enviable reputation

for their arrangements, harmonies and engaging

live shows, which give the audience plenty of

opportunities to join in.

BROOMDASHER GIGS:

Monday 17th March 7.30 pm

Tonbridge Folk Club

Ye Olde Checkers Inn

122 High Street

Tonbridge TN9 1AS

Hat Collection (Suggested £8, £6 concessions)

Tuesday 16th September 7.45pm

Hoy At Anchor Folk Club

The Estuary Club

1386 London Road

Southend On Sea SS9 2UJ

| 82

£7 members £9 non members

Thursday 9th October 19.30

Islington Folk Club

Brewhouse & Kitchen

Highbury Corner

2a Corsica Street

London N5 1JJ

Price tbc

Wednesday 19th November 1930

Romford Haverfolk

The Golden Lion

2 High Street

Romford

Essex RM1 1HR

Price tbc

Broomdasher band members are:

Richard Cryan,

Deena Marcus- Jedamzik,

Margaret Moore

Jo Swinhoe.


Name aaa

BROOMDASHER

JO SWINHOE

Jo has been performing as a singer since she was a

child with many classical groups, choirs and a soloist.

She is a late entrant to the folk scene but loves the

authenticity of the stories and voice which the songs

bring to audiences. Jo sings with two other duos in

folk clubs in the South East and London, and was a

member of the Cecil Sharp House Choir.

RICHARD CRYAN

Richard has been performing as a singer and instrumentalist

since he was 7 and has always been in a

band of some sort, including rock and folk music. He

also plays in the band Dorten Yonder and is responsible

for many of the arrangements Broomdasher

perform.


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SFM

MAGAZINE

DEENA MARCUS JEDAMZIK

Deena grew up in a musical family with regular

sing arounds at home, performing in folk groups

and alongside many of the great folk artists of the

60s throughout her teens. Deena’s love of folk music

has continued with appearances in the London

Folk scene and she was a member of the Cecil Sharp

House Choir.

MARGARET MOORE

Margaret has been performing folk and pop music in

groups since she was 10 and was a regular featured

singer at her local Irish Centre. This has continued

with other groups such as the Bloomsbury Woodwind

Ensemble, and Cecil Sharp House Choir where

3 of the group first met.

Broomdasher are an a capella folk group. Over the

last seven years, they have released three albums,

and have been fortunate to have been rebooked

everywhete they have performed.

You can discover more about them at their website:

www.broomdasher.com

John Tams gave us permission to perform How High

The Price which we had arranged by Sally Davies

and have performed for the past seven years.

If we have a concern for folk in the future, it’s the

diminishing club audiences where singers and

performers learn their trade. Big names do bring

in larger audiences but smaller clubs can’t afford to

book them. So that leaves a bit of a conundrum!

Here’s what Readifolk say about us...

“Broomdasher brought their Festive Frolics on their

return visit to Readifolk on Sunday, They provided

an impressive selection and arrangement of songs

- delightful close-harmony singing and lots of

audience participation- a truly wonderful evening’s

entertainment.”

They regularly sing at folk clubs and festivals, have

hosted their own radio specials and been re-booked

everywhere they’ve performed. All their recordings

are in the British Library’s National Sound Archive

Collection as “an outstanding example of grass roots

folk music today”. Mike Norris of EFDSS Radio

says, “Lovely harmonies, they clearly enjoy singing

together”.

In 2022 and 2023 they sang across the country at

twenty British Cathedrals with Paul Hutchinson’s

band Coracle in “From Pub to Pulpit” celebrating

Vaughan Williams’s’ 150th birthday and the only

RVW150 Festival touring event. Their 2023 album,

Ingrave Epiphany features all the songs they sing on

the tour with hymns recorded live with Cathedral

choirs.

In 2021, they toured their much-praised folk

musical, based on Edith Holden’s Country Diary of

an Edwardian Lady. The CD of the show was hailed

as an album of the year by Folking’s Mike Davies and

described as “wonderful” by Folk London.

Broomdasher are an affiliate member of the English

Folk Dance and Song Society based at Cecil Sharp

House, Camden, London, where most of them sang

before forming the group.


Broomdasher

INGRAVE EPITHANY ALBUM

NOTHING TO DO WITH ME ALBUM

THE COUNTRY DIARY IN SONG ALBUM

All three albums are available from

Broomdasher’s website shop link below:

https://www.broomdasher.com/media/shop/

index.html


85 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

RONN

VAN

ETTEN

| 86


Ronn Van Etten

MUSIC FOR WORLD PEACE RECORDS

RONN VAN ETTEN

Act Of LOVE, Act Of PEACE

Singer, songwriter, producer, musician Ronn van Etten

is a vocalist/ guitarist/multi-instrumentalist from The

Netherlands. He has released various albums having his

debut, “Stil en Verwonderd” (“Silent and Amazed”) in 1995.

Other releases (with English pop songs) are “All Sorts... One

Guy”, in 2015; “Shades of Blue” in 2016; “WAVES” in 2018;

“61 - Etched in Memory” in 2019 and, “Black White Colors”

in 2020.

“Being in contact with- and releasing several songs on the

label “Music For World Peace Records” (MFWPR), I came

in contact with Mike Turner – one of the other artists on

the label. He had a nice piece of lyrics, inspired by a quote

by Mother Theresa. We worked it out into a complete set of

lyrics. Mike and I had a couple of iterations on the lyrics,

mailing between The Netherlands and Penssylvania-usa. It

became my 4th single release on “Music For World Peace

Records”. Mike put in a bit of a melody he had as did I.

I started recording the song with a simple acoustic guitar

theme, just having bought a beautiful Taylor guitar and the

idea Mike had. I wanted to use a kind of string ensemble and

more ‘classical’ instruments – thinking of Yesterday and that

kind of songs. And I still had a piece of music waiting to be

finished, that became the chorus, in another key than the

verse was made, so that was a nice extra musical twist.”

You can listen to the song and download from the label-site

here: https://musicforworldpeacerecords.com/single/34239/

act-of-love-act-of-peace

II and all other wars”, says Ronn. “May 5 is our liberation

day remembering the freedom we have in all areas of life.

This song came after watching the tele on May 4 and having

shared the two minutes of silence.”

Song link: https://musicforworldpeacerecords.com/bowyour-head

.

More information about Music For World Peace Records is

available at https://musicforworldpeacerecords.com/home

Ronn’s support for MFWPR goes beyond just his releases

on the label - Ronn also has partnered with a subsidiary

label, Captain Blue Records, to release his album,

“Journey to Centre”, with meditative tracks like “Inwards

- Birth of Joy” (https://musicforworldpeacerecords.com/

inwards-birth-of-joy) and “Towards Thought” (https://

musicforworldpeacerecords.com/towards-thought. A

portion of proceeds from streaming goes to support

MFWPR).

Check out more of music and background info about Ronn

van Etten at https://ronnvanetten.nl/

And of course you can listen/look at many videoclips

Ronn made. Apart from many live-video’s,

playing with his bands or solo, this is a playlist

with all original songs: https://youtube.com/

playlist?list=PL541D22164455B92D&si=KsW2mGPZrlz__

RAe

“I started out playing guitar as a 10 year old kid; later on, I

wanted to play in bands. Who didn’t? Ever since I started

writing songs (back in …ehm … 1968) I had a more or

less acoustic song every once in a while, up till now. Like

“Lullaby for Iann”, a song for my grandson.

Another example is a song I wrote for a friend of ours, after

she lost her husband, and she placed a Facebook post with

just the words “sometimes a good cry …”. That inspired me

to write, record and release the song “Sometimes a good cry”

the very same day (listen here: Sometimes a good cry).”

A couple of years ago Ronn came in contact with Taylor

Sappe from “MUSIC FOR WORLD PEACE RECORDS”

and together they released several songs. Another MFWPR

release, “Bow Your Head,” is a tribute to the victims of

war - those killed, injured, displaced by war’s violence and

aggression.

“Each year in May 4 we remember the dead in World War


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SFM

MAGAZINE

LONDON

ENGLAND

SAM

T

| 88


SINGER SONGWRITER SAM T

DEBUT RELEASE

EMPTY HOUSE

Sam T is a London-based singer-songwriter

whose melancholic folk songs resonate with

both delicacy and depth. Armed with just his

guitar and a voice imbued with raw emotion, Sam

crafts music that lingers in the listener’s soul. His

unique sound stems from a richly diverse musical

background: originally trained as a classical composer,

Sam transitioned into a versatile guitarist, playing

in bands that spanned genres from indie to progressive

rock.

Now, as a solo artist, Sam weaves his eclectic influences

into a singular sound that is both timeless and

innovative. His folk-inspired songs carry an alternative

edge, blending intricate guitar work, haunting

melodies, and introspective lyrics. This latest chapter

in Sam T’s musical journey transforms his years of

experience into a powerful synthesis of the experimental

and the intimate, offering a fresh perspective

on homespun songwriting.

Whether performing on stage or recording in the

studio, Sam T invites listeners into a world of quiet

intensity—where every note tells a story and every

silence speaks volumes.

Emerging artist Sam T introduces his unique brand

of melancholic folk with the release of his debut

single, ‘Empty Home’. Known for his ability to blend

delicate acoustic instrumentation with haunting

emotional depth, Sam T’s music invites listeners into

a world that is as introspective as it is impactful.

Sam T

singer-songwriter traditions, ‘Empty Home’ eschews

overt political or social messaging in favour of creating

a visceral emotional experience. It asks listeners

to place themselves in this stark reality and reflect on

how they might respond to the profound solitude.

This debut marks a bold new direction for Sam T,

whose musical journey spans a rich and varied background.

Originally trained as a classical composer,

Sam honed his skills as a guitarist in London’s indie

and progressive rock scenes. Now stepping forward

as a solo artist, Sam channels his diverse influences

into a sound that is both timeless and unconventional.

His work pushes the boundaries of acoustic

folk, incorporating intricate guitar arrangements and

unexpected melodies that challenge and captivate in

equal measure.

‘Empty Home’ lays the foundation for an ambitious

new project that seeks to redefine folk music’s possibilities,

embracing the strange and the beautiful in

equal measure

.

Spotiufy link: https://open.spotify.com/track/1aBB3MiXO5gw4aXZy2BHvj?si=cbbc8ce8e3224015&nd=1&dlsi=2241415418eb4015

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/samtsounds/

empty-home/s-qyCEST1gY1b?si=0872f902118f433da3ddfd-

6b5a51c119&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

‘Empty Home’ is a folk song for the end of the world.

Written during the summer of 2024, the song imagines

a post-apocalyptic earth devastated by nuclear

war, told from the perspective of the last living

person. As they traverse a desolate landscape, the

protagonist reflects on the loneliness and fear of

isolation, juxtaposed with the peculiar freedom of

a world devoid of humanity. The lyrics explore the

bittersweet idea of learning to love an “empty home.”

Merging elements of folk, alternative-folk, indie, and


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MAGAZINE

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MAGAZINE


aaa


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MAGAZINE


aaa

Contact: Cian O’Flynn casting@raglanroad.com

https://www.raglanroad.com/entertainment


SFM

MAGAZINE

SFM

MAGAZINE

Album R

DAMIEN QUINN

FLEADH TOWN

Released Oct 31 2024

CD’s also available from:

damienbodhranquinn@yahoo.

com

TRACK LIST

• 01 Reels: Cameronian / Tailor’s Thimble / The Lobster 03:26.

• 02 Reels: Navvy on the Shore / Molly from Longford / The Mother and Child 04:02

• 03 Jig / Reels: Old Hag You Have Killed Me / Forget Me Not / Matt Peoples’ 04:31

• 04 Song / Jig: In a Big Country / Bill Collins’ Jig 04:05

• 05 Jig: Helvic Head 5 Jig: Helvic Head 04:22

• 06 Polkas: The Return of Spring / The Mountain Pathway 04:02

• 07 Barndance / Jig / Reel: Far From Home / The Battering Ram / Darby’s Farewell 05:19

• 08 Hornpipe / Slip Jig: Leitrim Fancy / Foxhunters 04:34

• 09 Hornpipe / Reels: The Rose of Drishane / The Broomstick / The Heathery Breeze 04:14

• 10 Jigs / Reel: Fairhaired Boy / The Lark on the Strand / Edenderry Reel 04:40

• 11 Reels: Maids of Castlebar / Monaghan Twig / The Piper on Horseback 03:33

DAMIEN QUINN ‘FLEADH TOWN’

I can’t praise this album enough to do it the justice it honestly deserves. You

really need to take a listen for yourselves. There are traditional Reels, Jigs, Polka’s

Barndance, Hornpipe and songs, all expertly captured on this awesome album, and

performed by some exceptionally talented artists. Give it a good listen please, it

truly deserves to be heard. If, like me, you enjoy traditional folk music then this is

one album you simply must acquire to add to your folk music collection.

Jane Shields SFMMagazine

Musicians:

Aiden Flanagan: Flute

Brian McGrath: Banjo & Piano (Musical Director)

Cathal Hayden: Fiddle

Pádraic Keane: Uilleann Pipes

Seamie O’Dowd: Vocals, Guitars, Bass Guitar & Bouzouki

Alan Kelly: Piano Accordion

Derek Hickey: Box

Dónal Clancy: Bouzouki

Damien Quinn: Bodhrán

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Mulligan at Audio Monkey Kinvara

Galway, June - October 2024

Produced by Paul Mulligan, Brian McGrath, and Damien Quinn

Photos: Damien Quinn

Cover design: Sliabh Design

IMRO © QT Records 005

Damien Quinn’s Bodhrán’s made by:

Brendan White (Holland)

Brendán De Faoite (America)

Mick Vignoles ( Claddagh Galway Ireland)

Ivan Berto (Italy)

TRACK

• 01 Act Of Love Act Of Peace 3:26 / Ronn Va

• 02 All We Need To Do Is Care 3:57 / Taylor

• 03 Better World 3:01 / Narboth Mathol / Mi

• 04 Bow Your Head 3:56 / Ronn Van Etten

• 05 Butterfly 4.30 / Bobby Tiberi

• 06 I Stand For You 4:10 / Alycia Catizone

• 07 Matthew Mark Luke & John 4.51 / L&M

• 08 Soldier 2:54 / Alycia Catizone

• 09 A Bridge 3:22 / Steve Nyhoff

• 10 Colors And Hues 3:26 / Mike Turner / Jan

• 11 Love Will Save The World 2:21 / TaNayha

• 12 Prayer For The Living 4:03 / David Phillip

• 13 Bring Us World Peace 4:16 / Alycia Catiz

• 14 Music For Peace 6:17 / Ronn Van Etten

• 15 To War 4:47 / John O’Sullivan / Taylor Sa

MUSIC FOR WORLD PEACE RE

What can I say about this album? A whole

operatives and performers from around th

Peace’, one of three albums produced by th

to date. Each song brings its own unique m

performed with the universal message of h

an end to all wars. It is truly deserving of a

you live, and if this music interests you th

Peace family. It’s there for everyone, you’ll

For every track on this album it is free to l

donation to our cause and receive a CD qu

Click on the Download button and enter t

donations will help us with our mission. I

help, please click the share button and sha

as you can. Using the the wide-reaching p

producers, song writers, lyricists, musician

from all over the world who want to join i

Artists on this album are from the followi

Netherlands - Ronn Van Etten

Alabama USA - Mike Turner

Pensylvania USA - Taylor Sappe - Alycia C

South Africa - Narboth Nathole

New York USA - Bobby Tiberi

Phillipines - L & M Project Band

Louisiana USA - Steve Nyhoff

England - Jane Shields - David Phillip Irel

Chicago USA - Clare Stephen

Australia - John O’Sullivan (Sullie)

Florida USA - TaNayha

| 98


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MUSIC FOR

WORLD PEACE

RECORDS

Folkies For Peace

Released 2022

Available from:

https://musicforworldpeacerecords.com/folkies-for-peace

LIST

n Etten / Mike Turner

Sappe

ke Turner

Project Band

e Shields

/ Mike Turner

Ireland

one / Taylor Sappe / Clare Steffen

ppe

CORDS ‘FOLKIES FOR PEACE’

host of talented songwriters, production

e world are gathered here on ‘Folkies For

e Music For World Peace Records team

erits, and all the songs were written and

ope to bring the world peace and to see

listen by all folk music fans wherever

en why not join the Music For World

be made to feel very welcome.

isten, though you are invited to ‘make a

ality audio file download of this song’.

he amount you wish to donate. Your

f you cannot donate but still want to

re this song with as many of your friends

ower of the internet we bring together

s, singers and other supportive resources

n that effort. Join us on Facebook.

ng countries:

atizone

and

TRACK LIST

• 01 Farm Girl 3:04

• 02 Arts & Crafts 2:37

• 03 Mooon-nlite Yodel 3:10

• 04 Delta Moonlit Sky 4:05

• 05 Everything’s Gonna Be Alright 2:24

• 06 Runnin’ Lil’ Behind 2:38

• 07 Bouncin’ In The Buggy 2:38

• 08 The Ballad Of Sid Harkreader 2:47

• 09 Jessica Blue (Alternate take) 3:35

• 10 The King Of Basin Street (A Tribute) 4:21

• 11 Your World Squirrel 3:05

• 12 New Jerusalem 2:50

MARK BRINE

RURAL NOTES

Released Sept 1st

2024

Available from:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/rural-notes/1759610110

MARK BRINE ‘RURAL NOTES’

One of Mark’s first musical influences was Hank Williams and others followed like Muddy

Waters, Buddy Holly, Howlin’ Wolf. Mark has a unique tone to his vocals, a mix between a

yodel and a nasal inflection that at times reminds you somewhat of Jimmie Rodgers. His

songs take you on a journey to an untouchable world that is hazy around the edges. A place

where though life is still precious, death can still shatter your soul. Everythings Gonna Be

Alrite is an uptempo song with a taste of the Bayou. Jessica Blue sounds raw. New Jerusalem

has a melody and lyrics you could sing along to. To date Mark has released twenty albums.

Check him out.

The band on this album include:

Mark Brine-Vocals, guitar;

Brian Whaley-Violin, fiddle;

George Kost-Steel guitar and

Keeve Brine-Bass, keyboards.

ON ‘THE KING OF BASIN STREET ONLY’ - the musicians are:

Mark Brine-Vocals, guitar;

Gregory Thompkins-Sax;

Jim Orr-Piano and

Brian Whaley-Fiddle.

This 12 song album was Produced and Mixed by Mark Brine and Mastered at Forest Hills

Studio, Maryland.

Other Mark Brine Albums To Look Out For Are: https://markbrine.com/albums

The Carol And The True Folk Legend Of Jack Frost Soundtrack, Mary Had A Choice Too,

A Boy Scout’s Work Is Never Done, Tall Tales & Therefor Truths, Vinnie & Ant Ethel,

American Bleak House, I’m Not Anyone, Out On Luke’s Highway, Electric Hillbilly, All

Alone & Blue, Mark Brine & His Folkabilly Bluegrass, I Deliver, Old Timey Tunes Vol 2,

Return To Americana, New Blue Yodel, Real Special Feelin’, For Karrie, American Pieces,

Fortunes, The Meeting Of The Hats, Live Folkabilly, Return Of The Drifter,


99 |

Simply Folk Magazine - Issue No:4

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Simply Folk Magazine - Issue No:4

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

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