Incidentally, as John Nolan says there are other cultural traditions in Newfoundland. I once heard a Newfoundland fiddler who played in a style very much like the Cape Breton style. There are also the French and the English. Many Newfoundlanders trace their heritage back to Devon and that's where some of the songs came from.

I'd like to find a recording on CD of the song The Boarding House on Federation Square.

John, are you related to the Nolan that wrote and sang Aunt Martha's Sheep? Dick Nolan, I think his name was.

Here are the lyrics -- someone can fill in the blank as to place name:

AUNT MARTHA'S SHEEP

Come gather all around me and I'll sing to you a tale
About the boys from ------- who almost went to jail
It happened on a November night when all hands were asleep
We crept up over Joe Topp's Hill [phonetic] and stole Aunt Martha's sheep

Now if you pay attention, I know I'll make you laugh
We never went to steal the sheep; we went to steal the calf
But the old cow she got angry when we woke her from her sleep
We couldn't take any chances so we had to steal the sheep.

We caught the woolly animal, and dragged her from her pen
She said good-bye to little lambs she'd never see again
She knew that those dark strangers soon would take her life
In less than half an hour she felt the dreadful knife.

Aunt Martha she got angry when she heard about her loss
She swore she'd catch the robbers no matter what the cost
So early the next morning she to the office went
And to the RCMP a telegram she sent.

The Mountie got the message, and started in to read
"This is from Aunt Martha, relating an awful deed
Last night my sheep was stolen, by whom I cannot tell
I'd like for you to catch them and to drag them off to jail."

Well just a short while later, about twelve o'clock that night
We had the sheep a-cooking, and everyone feeling tight
The smell of mutton and onions, no man could ask for more
We were chug-a-lugging Dominion when the Mountie walked through the door.

He said "Sorry boys, your party, I really don't want to wreck,
But I smelled the meat a-cooking so I had to come in to check
Aunt Martha's sheep's been stolen, and the thief is on the loose.”
We said "Come right in and join us, Sir, we're having a feast of moose."

He came right in and he sat right down and we gave him a piece of the meat
He said, "This is the finest piece of moose I know I'll ever eat"
At two o'clock in the morning, he bid us all good day
"If we get any leads on the sheep, Sir, we'll phone you right away."

He said "Thanks a lot, you're a darn fine bunch and your promise I know you'll keep
If everyone was as good as you, she wouldn't have lost her sheep.”
After he left we had the piece we had in the oven to roast
Now we might have stole the sheep boys but the Mountie ate the most.

---

See thread on Aunt Martha's Sheep (click)