-
Recent Posts
Google Ad
Crazy Domains (my hoster)
Spotify
Categories
Recent Comments
Archives
- July 2022
- November 2021
- September 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- January 2021
- August 2020
- April 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
Meta
Social
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Category Archives: Ballad Analysis
Will the real Ned Kelly please stand up?
I recently did this recording of a song about Ned Kelly written by Australian singer Trevor Lucas in the 1970s. The song was performed by Fotheringay in the UK (played here without Trevor, who passed in 1989) and later picked … Continue reading
Four Treasures of Ireland
I have been working my way through The Secret Rose and Other Stories, which is a compilation of several short stories and essays by William Butler Yeats. As a ballad collector and writer I was very pleased to find many … Continue reading
Ye Sons of Australia
Ned Kelly was executed at Melbourne gaol on 11 November 1880. While I don’t consider myself and Australian songwriter (I was born in New Zealand, and am more drawn to the songs of Ireland and Scotland), it was a little … Continue reading
Posted in Ballad Analysis, Blog Post, Folk Music
Tagged kate kelly, kelly gang, ned kelly
Leave a comment
Love in a Tub – Roud#556
I have been listening to Rachel McDonough’s renditions of ballads from the Francis Child collection for about four years. These ballads are mostly of English/Scotts/Irish origin from the 1600-1700s or earlier. While many of these ballads were revived/re-discovered in the … Continue reading
A Factory Lad – Part 4
Wherever you go in society, politics are sure to come up. After spending a day listening to the Australian Folklore conference speakers at the National Library on 18 April and speaking with more people who were part of the Australian … Continue reading
Posted in A Factory Lad - Project, Ballad Analysis, Blog Post, Folk Music
Tagged Colin Dryden
2 Comments
Stand and Deliver
Daoiri Farrell’s latest CD includes the ballad, Valentine O’Hara, sung here in 1978 by Frank Harte. While doing some research before making a recording I came across this Mudcat.org thread linking the song to Allan Tyne of Harrow. To me … Continue reading
Posted in Ballad Analysis, Blog Post
4 Comments
Who was Ossian Macpherson?
When a certain flavour of fundamentalist Christian has a public and pious rant about the satanic evils of Halloween, I cannot help but feel sympathy and sadness. It isn’t fair to blame people for their ignorance, and in most cases … Continue reading
Posted in Ballad Analysis, Blog Post, Folk Music, Poetry
7 Comments
Nine Tailors make a Man
In the New York Times, on 10 December 1904, can be found a letter to the editor arguing over the origins of the phrase ‘Nine Tailors make a Man’, which was obviously in common currency at that time. The correspondent … Continue reading
Posted in Ballad Analysis, Blog Post
Leave a comment
The Stolen Rhyme
I have always loved the haunting ethereal beauty of Loreena McKennitt’s setting of William Butler Yeat’s poem, The Stolen Child, to music. I tried to practice singing the song before doing this recording for my YouTube channel, but even after … Continue reading
William’s Razor – Yass History
As a lover of ballads it is always exciting when you can pair a particular place and time with a ballad that has been circulating for 100 years or more. I had been singing Mary from Dungloe for many years … Continue reading
Posted in Ballad Analysis
3 Comments