Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song

Album:
Irish Roses - Women of Celtic Song

Artist:
 Rowena Taheny,  Laurel MacDonald &  Eleanor McCain. 

Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser

  ''Kilkelly'' 

Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song

Artist: I believe it's Rowena Taheny, but it could also be either Laurel MacDonald or Eleanor McCain. 

Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser

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Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John

Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat McNamara's so good

as to write these words down.

Your brothers have all gone to find work in England,

the house is so empty and sad

The crop of potatoes is sorely infected,

a third to a half of them bad.

And your sister Brigid and Patrick O'Donnell

are going to be married in June.

Your mother says not to work on the railroad

and be sure to come on home soon.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70, dear and loving son John

Hello to your Mrs and to your 4 children,

may they grow healthy and strong.

Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble,

I guess that he never will learn.

Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of

and now we have nothing to burn.

And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her

and now she's got six of her own.

You say you found work, but you don't say

what kind or when you will be coming home.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80, dear Michael and John, my sons

I'm sorry to give you the very sad news

that your dear old mother has gone.

We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,

your brothers and Brigid were there.

You don't have to worry, she died very quickly,

remember her in your prayers.

And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning,

with money he's sure to buy land

For the crop has been poor and the people

are selling at any price that they can.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90, my dear and loving son John

I guess that I must be close on to eighty,

it's thirty years since you're gone.

Because of all of the money you send me,

I'm still living out on my own.

Michael has built himself a fine house

and Brigid's daughters have grown.

Thank you for sending your family picture,

they're lovely young women and men.

You say that you might even come for a visit,

what joy to see you again.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92, my dear brother John

I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner to tell you that father passed on.

He was living with Brigid, she says he was cheerful

and healthy right down to the end.

Ah, you should have seen him play with

the grandchildren of Pat McNamara, your friend.

And we buried him alongside of mother,

down at the Kilkelly churchyard.

He was a strong and a feisty old man,

considering his life was so hard.

And it's funny the way he kept talking about you,

he called for you in the end.

Oh, why don't you think about coming to visit,

we'd all love to see you again.

  ''The Water is Wide'' 

Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song

Artist: Rowena Taheny, Laurel MacDonald & Eleanor McCain. 

Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser

------------------------ 

The water is wide, I cannot get oer 

Neither have I wings to fly 

Give me a boat that can carry two 

And both shall row, my love and I

A ship there is and she sails the sea 

She's loaded deep as deep can be 

But not so deep as the love I'm in 

I know not if I sink or swim

I leaned my back against an oak 

Thinking it was a trusty tree 

But first it bent and then it broke 

So did my love prove false to me

I reached my finger into some soft bush 

Thinking the fairest flower to find 

I pricked my finger to the bone 

And left the fairest flower behind

Oh love be handsome and love be kind 

Gay as a jewel when first it is new 

But love grows old and waxes cold 

And fades away like the morning dew

Must I go bound while you go free 

Must I love a man who doesn't love me 

Must I be born with so little art 

As to love a man who'll break my heart

When cockle shells turn silver bells 

Then will my love come back to me 

When roses bloom in winter's gloom 

Then will my love return to me

  ''The Skye Boat Song'' 

Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song

Artist: Rowena Taheny, Laurel MacDonald & Eleanor McCain. 

Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser

Lyrics (may differ from original text) 

--------------- 

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing

Onward the sailors cry.

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye

Loud the wind howls

loud the waves roar

Thunderclaps rend the air

Baffled our foes

stand by the shore

Follow they will not dare

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing

Onward the sailors cry.

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye

Many's the lad fought on that day

Well the claymore did wield

When the night came

silently lain

 ''She Moved Through the Fair''

 Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song

Artist: Rowena Taheny, Laurel MacDonald & Eleanor McCain.

Song: She Moved Through the Fair

Track: 3

Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser 

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My young love said to me, my mother won´t mind 

And my father won´t slight you for your lack of kine, 

And she stepped away from me and this she did say, 

It will not be long love ´til our wedding day.

She stepped away from me and she moved through the fair, 

And fondly I watched her move here and move there, 

Then she went her way homeward with one star awake, 

As the swan in the evening moves over the lake.

The people were saying no two were e´er wed, 

But one has a sorrow that never was said, 

And I smiled as she passed with her goods and her gear, 

And that was the last that I saw of my dear.

I dreamt it last night that my young love came in, 

So softly she entered her feet made no din, 

She came close beside me and this she did say, 

It will not be long love ´til our wedding day.

 ''The Wind that Shakes the Barley''
Album: Irish Roses - Women of Celtic Song
 --------------------- 
I sat within a valley green,
I sat there with my true love,
My sad heart strove the two between,
The old love and the new love, -
The old for her, the new that made
Me think of Ireland dearly,
While soft the wind blew down the glade
And shook the golden barley.

Twas hard the woeful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
Twas harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us
And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek next morning early
And join the brave United Men!"
While soft winds shook the barley.

While sad I kissed away her tears,
My fond arms 'round her flinging,
The foeman's shot burst on our ears,
From out the wildwood ringing, -
A bullet pierced my true love's side,
In life's young spring so early,
And on my breast in blood she died
While soft winds shook the barley!

I bore her to the wildwood screen,
And many a summer blossom
I placed with branches thick and green
Above her gore-stain'd bosom:-
I wept and kissed her pale, pale cheek,
Then rushed o'er vale and far lea,
My vengeance on the foe to wreak,
While soft winds shook the barley!

But blood for blood without remorse,
I've ta'en at Oulart Hollow
And placed my true love's clay-cold corpse
Where I full soon will follow;
And round her grave I wander drear,
Noon, night and morning early,
With breaking heart whene'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley!

 ''Loch Lomond'' 
Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song
Artist: Rowena Taheny, Laurel MacDonald & Eleanor McCain. 
Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser
---------------------- 
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomon'.
where me and my true love were ever wont to gae
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.
O ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.
'Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomon',
Where in purple hue the Hieland hills we view,
An' the moon comin' out in the gloamin'.
O ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'.

''The Flower of Magherally'' 
Album: Irish Roses: Women of Celtic Song
Artist: Rowena Taheny, Laurel MacDonald & Eleanor McCain. 
Arranged by: Carlyle Fraser
--------------------------- 
One pleasant Summer's morning, when flowers were a blooming-oh
Nature was adorning, and the small birds sweetly tuning-oh
I met my love near to Banbridge town, my charming blue-eyed Sally-oh
She is the queen of the county Down, the Flower of Magherally-oh
With admiration I did gaze all on that fair haired maiden-oh
Adam ne'er so much was pleased when he first saw Eve in Eden-oh
Her skin was like the lily white, that grows in yonder valley oh
And I think I'm blessed when I am nigh the Flower of Magherally-oh
Her golden hair in ringlets fell, her boots were Spanish leather-oh
Her bonnet with two ribbons on, her scarlet cap and feather-oh
Like Venus bright she did appear, my charming blue-eyed Sally-oh
She is the one that I love dear, the Flower of Magherally-oh
And I know the day will surely come when we'll join hands together-oh
And I'll bring home my darling girl in spite of wind and weather-oh
For let them all say what they will, let them rail and rally oh
I will wed the girl I love - the flower of Magherally-oh.