Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs

Subject: Review: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: JMB
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 02:52 PM

Has anyone heard of a singer known as Ed Sheeran? I saw an article headline of this man singing Irish folk songs, and his name sounded familiar. I take it he sings mainstream music as well. I'm curious about his music after coming across this article headline. I'm in Nova Scotia, and I play traditional and modern styles of Celtic music, mainly on the Scottish side influenced by artists like John Allan Cameron and Runrig. Could Ed Sheeran be a good way to introduce traditional Celtic folk music to a new demographic? What are your thoughts and does anyone have more knowledge of him?

Subject: RE: Review: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 03:33 PM

He doen't sing Irish folk songs. I believe he included 'The Parting Glass' as a hidden bonus track on his debut album. But that's it. He's a singer-songwriter who sings contemporary pop songs. Absolutely nothing whatsoever trad or folk or Irish or 'Celtic' about him.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 04:11 PM

This is the fellow with red hair and tattoos on his arms?

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 05:09 PM

That's the lad. He was almost universally hated in Ireland till he appeared on a popular talk show as a treat for a little girl who was a huge fan. He was sweet to her, and sang his biggest hit with her as asked. Then she was dismissed and he was asked to sing a couple more songs, and rather than being showbizzy, he went and brought her back in and she sang the whole set with him! Lovely guy! Now super-popular - that lovely set showed him in his true colours and so he has been revealed since.

Here he is singing The Parting Glass in Dublin, dedicated to his gran.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 05:11 PM

Oh, and currently he's
recruiting Irish dancers for his new video.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 05:17 PM

Oh, and his grandparents are from Gorey in Wexford, he used to busk on the streets in Galway, and he has a cousin Laura who's a musician, also in Galway.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: JMB
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 06:26 PM

Okay. Thanks for the information. I just saw a headline of him that said he was singing a traditional song, so I was hoping he was going to do some more.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 03:51 AM

For the record Ed comes from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 03:52 AM

and he's a very good singer/songwriter.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 07:31 AM

An excellent acoustic singer songwriter whose songs are fashionable in folk clubs these days.

It's people like Ed who are ensuring simple ballads about life remain in the oral tradition when the whinging old codgers who put folk in a false time bubble are pushing up the daisies.

Happy New Year to all and especially those who yearn to wear their trousers up to their tits like Bob Copper never did.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 09:44 AM

Nope he sure isn't Irish nor does he sing any Irish/Celtic stuff that I know. I suppose he could loosely be termed Folk/ish/rock/pop bit of an acquired taste in my opinion that I have no wish to acquire!

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 01:23 PM

He's made a song or two for "The Hobbit" films.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Noreen
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 01:23 PM

Perhaps you could read the thread and follow a link or two before commenting, Desi C? Your ignorance is showing.

I think he is very brave to sing unaccompanied- and unamplified- in a large venue. Educating the masses about a different style of signing!

Good lad Ed.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Marje
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 03:51 PM

My two granddaughters (12 and 13) are fans of Ed Sheeran, and the older one, who has a fabulous voice, sings some of his songs. I like some of his material too, and his rather folky delivery, which says something for the breadth of his appeal.

When my husband (their grandfather) died a few months ago, I asked the 13-year-old singer if she could sing something at his memorial service. Thanks to Ed Sheeran, she was familiar with The Parting Glass and agreed to sing it. She did it unaccompanied, singing with such power and sweetness that people were remarking on it for weeks afterwards. I was so proud of her! So I'm grateful to Ed Sheeran.

Marje

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Learaí na Láibe
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 04:20 PM

I've just listened to a few of his songs on youtube. They were nice catchy numbers but to my ears, the arrangements, singing style and accent were pure International / Americanized pop. Apart from the fact that the singer/songwriter is Irish, there was nothing Irish or "Celtic?" about the numbers.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 04:26 PM

My car radio has a number of FM stations programmed into memory.

Ed Sheeran's hit singles are in regular rotation on those stations. He is indeed right in there with the Ryan Seacrest celebrity mix. And who all has he done duets with, I'm trying to recall now, some of the duet songs were charming.

Was it Taylor Swift?

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,irishmusiclover
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 07:58 PM

Iam requesting lyrics for irish song erin,s lovely shore if someone can help me Couldn,t find it anywhere to print

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: daithi
Date: 24 Jan 17 - 09:02 AM

...you can see him singing one of his songs in Irish, here:

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjDpoya-NrRAhULC8AKHfL4DWYQtwIINDAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGNLKSPxmvpI&usg=AFQjCNGcuRZYeTRPiRZpw-RMuQrRnG_KTA

or here:

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjDpoya-NrRAhULC8AKHfL4DWYQFgg6MAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.ie%2Fmusic%2Flisten-ed-sheeran-sings-thinking-out-loud-in-irish-and-its-fantastic%2F524608&usg=AFQjCNFcbhW9PAHtiHJanHId12fJCswhMw

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 24 Jan 17 - 10:47 AM

from above
Blickie 1   Blickie 2

All good artists search for novelty, and draw from their exposure. If he pulls a few of his followers to folk and they find it good - I for one will applaud him for it. If he can do justice to Folksongs without telling me how to vote I will applaud him all the more.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 03:59 AM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran

should clear up a few things.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 04:09 AM

By the way, his latest song is called Galway Girl; he's going to be filming the video in Galway and is recruiting Irish dancers for it.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: daithi
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 04:20 AM

Thanks for clickies, Mr. Red - I couldn't make it work ! :-)
Dáithí

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 04:22 AM

It that the one out of the Magners ad?

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 04:30 AM

"Could Ed Sheeran be a good way to introduce traditional Celtic folk music to a new demographic?"

Irrespective of how much anyone here likes the pop singer-songwriter Ed Sheehan, the answer to the OP's questions remains 'no'.

He recorded The Parting Glass - as a bonus track on his first album. That's it. So the most he can be said to have done is introduced some teenagers to The Parting Glass. Everything else he has done is pop with a bit of acoustic guitar, and I think his more recent stuff has gone a bit more soul/hip-hop.

He might well be featuring some Irish dancing in his new video, but the same can also be said of videos from Irish-American hip-hop group House of Pain, Irish middle-of-the-road pop group Boyzone and Irish stadium rockers U2.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 04:35 AM

Sheeran has his own record label, no wonder Taylor Swift got him on her tour. They both have a business brain. Reading the Wiki it is obvious the guy has nouse, and and knows how to reward his audience. He gives back.
A (relatively) closet Folkie IMNSHO.

AND ...................

Jamie Lawson, the label's first signee, met Sheeran while they were both in London's folk circuit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran > Gingerbread Man Records

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 12:45 PM

Re Noreen
What vdo you mean by follow a link or two Noreen! I only pointed out that he wasn't an irish singer, besides an Irish singer would likely use a grown up size guitar

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Noreen
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 03:15 PM

Desi, if you had read the thread and followed the links in it before you posted you would have heard Ed singing The Parting Glass, unaccompanied, in a lovely traditional style.
You probably might not then have posted:
"nor does he sing any Irish/Celtic stuff that I know"
which showed your ignorance.

Understand now?

(Can't see any relevance in the size of the instrument he plays- do you believe the bigger the instrument the better the player? smh)

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Helen
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 03:45 PM

Guest,

"From: GUEST,irishmusiclover - PM
"Date: 22 Jan 17 - 07:58 PM

"Iam requesting lyrics for irish song erin,s lovely shore if someone can help me Couldn,t find it anywhere to print"

It's better to start a new thread if you want an answer to a specific request. It also helps if you tell us a bit more information about the song especially the name of the singer, or where you heard the song, e.g. the title of the album, etc.

Is this the song you are looking for:

Theresa Rodgers-Erin's Lovely Shore

The tune is Raglan Road.

Helen

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Jan 17 - 05:06 PM

The Parting Glass is of course Scottish. Not that this changes very much.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 06:19 AM

Doesn't matter what he sings, plays or sounds like... he appeals to the primal instincts of young girls....

...and the grandmotherly instincts of much older women who possibly share a home with cats, and collect soft cute animal toys...

.. then there's the middle category, women in their 50s like my mrs..
who would give him one if they only had the chance... 😜


btw.. anyone ever seen anyone else in public playing a Martin Ed Sheeran X Signature Edition...???

Or do they just hang on fans bedroom walls.....???

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 06:24 AM

errmmm... perhaps I could have said cute cuddly Sheeran appeals to the Ed-ipal mothering instincts of middle aged women..... 🙄

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 11:55 AM

re Noreen
And if you had read my post properly you'd know that I nsaid he'd not sung any THAT I KNEW OF

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Noreen
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 06:37 PM

Desi, I read your post so properly I even quoted it back at you, as you would see if you read my post properly!

If you had had the courtesy to read the previous posts before posting, it would have saved you exhibiting your admitted ignorance.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 07:24 PM

..actually... my mrs has changed her mind.. now she says "he's too young and gingery...!!!" 😜

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 07:56 PM

btw.... "Educating the masses about a different style of signing!".. priceless..

I want that on a T shirt...

... condescending British folkie pomposity at it's best... 🙄

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 03:53 AM

U2 used to sing 'The Auld Triangle' as a staple on one of their tours. Does that mean we should have a thread on what a great folksinger Bono is, and how he introduced loads of people to Irish folk music? Ditto Thin Lizzy for their version of Whisky in the Jar. This is pretty thin gruel.

Fact is, if somebody really really loves a certain type of music, they tend to sing more than one song in that genre.

I wonder if there are hip-hop fans posting on hip-hop forums about what a great job Jim Moray is doing introducing folkies to hip-hop, given that he once featured a rapper on one track on one of his many albums (his version of Lucy Wan)? Hands up how many mudcatters became big converts to UK Grime after hearing that?

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 01:04 PM

ooh you are a hard woman Noreen, not having heard just one song is hardly ignorance surely! But you'll be glad to know that I did just now listen to his version and found it dreadfully crap! And that is my considered opiniion based on the research of listening and my skills as a mucisian

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 01:50 PM

Helen: Raglan Road's tune is of course "The Dawning of the Day"

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 28 Jan 17 - 04:38 AM

Fact is, if somebody really really loves a certain type of music, they tend to sing more than one song in that genre

If he sang "Wild Mountain Thyme" (ignoring that some of the verses were written by Francis McPeake or that Ed might have tinkered for copyright reasons) would he be a little more Folkie?

Being a singer songwriter is good fair for a Folkie and his Wiki has him doing the Folk circuit at some time. Where did Dylan go when he had done enough Folk?

He loves music & doing spontaneous things for his fans, and charity. It makes him a dude, with a soupcon of Folkie in him. I doubt I would choose to listen to most of his stuff but if I heard him I would not switch off.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 30 Jan 17 - 01:40 PM

Helen: Raglan Road's tune is of course "The Dawning of the Day"
Actually I think you'll find Raglan Roads tune is not Dawnikng Of The Day, that was in Fact Frank Kavanagh's original title for the poem, Luke Kelly changed it for copyright reasons. And he used a trad old Irish tune, I think called Fine Gael En La ( I can't vouch for the spelling)

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 30 Jan 17 - 02:04 PM

Fáinne Geal an Lae. It means literally "The bright ring of day". There are two songs of this name, they predate Kavanagh by 250 and 100 years respectively. It is the later one by Edward Walsh which is translated into English as The Dawning of the Day.

Kavanagh would have been aware of this, and included the phrase "The Dawning of the Day" in his poem Raglan Road. It is thought that he had this tune in mind when he wrote it.

Source 1

Source 2

I know nothing about Connellan's earlier Fáinne Geal an Lae.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 17 - 02:29 PM

Of course American country music and Irish Folk music have no areas of confluence.
Rubbish! I am thinking.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 31 Jan 17 - 03:48 AM

Country yyyy....yes, and Western NO

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Feb 17 - 12:54 PM

"Everything Has Changed:" that was the name of the duet that Taylor Swift sang with Ed Sheeran.

As to Sheeran's roots, he has a tuneful single playing on the radio currently, probably an original composition of his, called "Castle on the Hill." It is nostalgia for his upbringing in the lyrics.

"I'm on my way
I still remember these old country lanes
When we did not know the answers..."

"I found my heart and broke it here
Made friends and lost them through the years
And I've not seen the roaring fields in so long
I know I've grown
I can't wait to go home"

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Feb 17 - 01:02 PM

That's the difference between me and Ed Sheeran.. and why he's a famous rich pop star and I'm not...

My song about my upbringing started off..

"My home town's a depressing ignorant violent shit hole..."

... and never progressed any further before i gave up writing it.... 🙄

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: michaelr
Date: 23 Feb 17 - 03:14 PM

Irish trad band Beoga will be featured on two tracks of Sheeran's upcoming CD.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 17 - 09:55 AM

Ed Sheeran is a pretty respected producer and engineer as well. Produces his own stuff, almost since he started, and the signings on his label, Gingerbread man, Jamie Lawson and Foy Vance. Neither of them are known for their traditional songs, but they would be welcome in any folk club I've been in.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Feb 17 - 05:29 PM

Ed Sheeran session for Clara Amfo! last Tuesday on BBC Radio 1.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 04:55 AM

Fáinne Gheal an Lae does, yes, mean *literally* "the bright ring of the day"; however, the term in Irish is a compound for the dawn, a metaphor for the bright ring of light on the horizon at dawn.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Thompson
Date: 03 Mar 17 - 08:35 AM

Interesting piece in The Irish Times quoting Ed Sheeran - small extract:

There's a strong presence of his much-reported Irish background on the album too, so our attention quickly turns to Galway Girl, a céilí-inspired tale of a "Galway girl and the perfect night", with added musicality from Belfast-based Beoga.

(snip)

The nod to Ireland doesn't end there. In the album's deluxe version, we'll also hear Nancy Mulligan, a quintessential trad song about his Wexford-based grandparents' marriage despite their Catholic-Protestant divide. Even more trad songs were recorded, but they didn't make the final cut.
"I was angling for this to be a trad album," Sheeran says. "I've always wanted to make one, and I recorded about six or seven songs for this. But it only ended up being two of them.
"I grew up on Planxty and The Chieftains, and I really like Irish music. I don't think enough people use it in pop music. For some reason it's considered twee and old, but it's such exciting, youthful music, it should be at the forefront of pop culture. Hopefully if these songs are successful, more people will do a bit more like it."

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 03 Mar 17 - 10:07 AM

In an interview with the Guardian yesterday he said:

Sheeran says of his label: "They were really, really against Galway Girl, because apparently folk music isn't cool. But there's 400m people in the world that say they're Irish, even if they're not Irish. You meet them in America all the time: 'I'm a quarter Irish and I'm from Donegal.' And those type of people are going to fucking love it. My argument was always: well, the Corrs sold 20m records. The label would say, 'Oh the Corrs, that was years ago,' but who's tried it since the Corrs? There's a huge gap in the market, and I promise you that in two years' time there will be a big folk band that comes up that's pop, and that will happen as a result of labels being like: 'Oh shit, if he can put a fiddle and uilleann pipe on it, then we can try it as well.'"

Which could be interpreted as a purely commercial gesture: tapping the Irish diaspora. But YMMV.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Mar 17 - 06:16 PM

Ed Sheeran session on Chris Evans Breakfast Show!

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Mar 17 - 06:17 PM

Ah, there are 4 songs in the last hour of the programme.

Subject: RE: Ed Sheeran and Irish Folk Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 05 Mar 17 - 08:56 AM

The history of pop is litered with people who have been used, have "used" stuff and say they love the music. From all I hear and read, Ed is way too smart for all that shit. He loves and lives music, but he ain't no mug. And he likes his Folk. Good on him.
It rewards him hansomely, but he gives back. And he really is a genuinely nice guy.