Lyr Req: Waterdance CD songs on it?

Subject: Waterdance CD songs on it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 01:41 PM

Buried in an unrelated thread:

Subject: Waterdance
From: GUEST,Alexandra Ross - PM
Date: 02-Jul-02 - 03:48 PM

I heard this CD called Waterdance (by Katie LaRaye Waldren and Candace Kreitlow). Does anyone know if the songs have words, and where I can find them? They might be called by different names as I can't seem to find them under the names of the cd.
If anyone knows my email is

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Waterdance CD songs on it?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 02:55 PM

For the curious, the track-listing is:

Waterdance/Gayfeather
Canarios
Gaia
Banish Misfortune
Reaping the Rye
Cluck Old Hen
The Water is Wide
Wind That Shakes the Barley
Woodland Jig
Free Little Bird
Old Molly Hare
Shady Grove
Butterfly/Swallowtail
Over the Waterfall
Gaelic Aire
Little Rose is Gone
June Apple
Black Mare of Fanad.

Here are a few comments to start the ball rolling. I haven't heard the record, bar a short sample of the first track.

Canarios is a dance tune of Spanish origin which seems to have been quite popular in England in the 19th century. Rodrigo used it in one of his concertos. Never had words set to it so far as I know.

There are two quite distinct tunes called Banish Misfortune; both are Irish double jigs. One has an associated song, Máire Ni Éidhin; the other apparantly does not.

The version of The Water is Wide which most people know (and which I assume is meant here) was noted by Cecil Sharp from Mrs. Caroline Cox at High Ham, Somerset, in August 1905. The song-family has been much discussed here in the past; links to most of those discussions can be seen at The Water is Wide - one more time!.

There are several distinct tunes called Wind That Shakes the Barley. If it's slow, then it may well be the one to which Robert Dwyer Joyce set his song of the same name, and which is in the database here: The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

Gaelic Aire could be anything at all!

Waterdance/Gayfeather and Gaia are probably modern compositions.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Waterdance CD songs on it?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 11:48 AM

A little more. Much of the information below comes from Andrew Kuntz' The Fiddler's Companion, which is the best place to start looking for background on dance tunes.

Earlier discussion here in the Forum, including Gaelic text of Máire Ni Eidhin as referred to above.

Cluck Old Hen: Text in the Digital Tradition database: CLUCK OLD HEN
At The Fiddler's Companion: Cluck Old Hen (search results)

Old Molly Hare is an American variant of a tune first published c.1805 by (and attributed to) Nathaniel Gow, as The Fairy Dance.
In the DT: OLD MOLLY HARE (OLD MOTHER HARE)
At The Fiddler's Companion: Old Molly Hare (search results)

Shady Grove is known in a number of variants, some of which have associated lyrics. Type shady grove into the "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page, hit GO and start reading...
At The Fiddler's Companion: Shady Grove (search results)

Over the Waterfall was apparantly used for two stage-songs; The Feller That Looks Like Me (USA) and The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue, which is probably the original title (UK; by the Music Hall performer Harry Clifton, 1824-1872, who is also credited with a number of other songs which have found their way into tradition).
At The Fiddler's Companion: Over the Waterfall (search results)

June Apple: presumably the Old-Time breakdown? There is a snatch of verse sometimes sung to the "b" part:

Wish I was a June Apple,
Hanging on a tree,
And every time my true love passed,
She'd take a little bite of me.

See also these previous discussions for more:

June Apple lyrics?
Lyr Req: June Apple

Black Mare of Fanad. A Donegal name for the reel more usually known as The Nine Points of Roguery. Never used for any song that I've heard of.

Free Little Bird As recorded by Dykes Magic City Trio; at Roots of American Fiddle Music.

After a bit of practice and perseverance with search-engines (the one here that I mentioned earlier is very useful, though not indexed as often as we might like) you will be able to find this sort of information for yourself. Although many dance tunes have at one time or another had songs or snatches of verse associated with them, a great many never have.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Waterdance CD songs on it?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 12:02 PM

Great work there, Malcolm! Thanks! I sent her an email with a link to this thread; hope she will check in. Regardless it will be a good reference due to your kindness.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Waterdance CD songs on it?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 03:49 PM

Water Dance! Is that like River Dance, but not so moving?