The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169638   Message #4101737
Posted By: GUEST,M Dixon
10-Apr-21 - 09:15 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Gull Decoy by Larry Gorman
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Gull Decoy by Larry Gorman
Thank you, Joe. It's a fascinating song. I'm sure it hasn't even been sung in public on Prince Edward Island since the 1800s??? Gorman's songs have barely even been recorded. It almost doesn't make sense as there was a "Larry Gorman Festival" here for many years. I performed a few back in the 2000s and even met "Sandy" Ives at one. But the songs are odd and long and rely on local reference for their full impact so they're just not performance friendly at all.

The melody I'm using is from the 1947 John B. Stymiest recording made by Louise Manny in New Brunswick. When Ives collected the song in 1957 he got THREE DIFFERENT tunes to the lyrics. I have yet to hear those three melodies.

I have transcribed and posted here another very rare PEI Gorman tune, DAME BRUIN, which was only remembered and found in manuscript form in 1957. No tune was remembered so I am writing my own music for a few of these Gorman songs.