Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom

Subject: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 06:24 PM

I came across him when looking at the Rita McNeil thread. My goodness, he has a beautiful voice. My computer lets me listen to 3 seconds and stalls for 15 seconds...so I didn't listen to any whole songs, but he has a very lovely, strong voice. A young man..not sure where from, Cornwall perhaps. mg

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 07:00 PM

Here's the lad Apparently he lives in Canada - see here's his blog. Good voice all right. And it's an interesting blog too.

When I have problems with slow loading YouTube, I just push the pause button and drop over to somewhere else for a couple of minutes to give it time to load, and then open it up and it plays without pausing.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: Folkiedave
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 07:26 PM

Cornwall, Ontario.

Excellent singer.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 07:49 PM

Fredericton, New Brunswick. Maybe he moved.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: mg
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 02:21 AM

I have just spent an hour or so listening...he has an astounding voice..I love Killikrankie and Bide Awa the best. If he just sticks to singing his natural voice and not trying to imitate anything else he is in the big leagues for sure. mg

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: mg
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 02:12 PM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fdQhefFBY4E

Braes of Killikranie


Here he is singing the braes of Killikrankie. I am afraid that I must insist that everyone listen to this 10 times or so at least.

He does have a pretty voice..very pretty...but there is just something else..something that does not come along often...perhaps he is a transmitter or some sort..like bringing the voices from Killikrankie on to us or something. I definitely see it in this song, and a few others (he has 95 songs on you tube...some are nice but not all that...). mg

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 03:10 PM

My wife and I stumbled on this guy several months ago when we were watching Great Big Sea videos on You-Tube and a related video was BardofCornwall singing "Donkey Riding" accompanying himself on bodhran. I was blown away! I believe he is now a Myspace friend of my wife (I don't do Myspace). She asked about buying a CD and he doesn't have one but he is working on it. I think he is just getting started as a professional musician, playing local gigs and whatnot, but I hope to see his career take off because he certainly has the talent.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: mg
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 07:24 PM

My opinion is his voice is almost as good as Gordon Bok's..my gold standard. I certainly think it is comparable to Stan Rogers, Eric Bogle, John McCutcheon etc...one of the prettiest voices ever I would say...and it just sort of tumbles out of him, at least on the Braes of Killikrankie and some others. Someone has to get to him before the fans on youtube keep telling him he is like James Taylor as some have. He has such natural talent he should just open his mouth and sing and let it come out purely in his own voice. mg

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: CET
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 08:23 PM

I think I would put him as the equal of Gordon Bok and Stan Rogers, and I don't say that lightly. I also would not have used the word pretty to describe his voice. I think it's better than that. Pretty (for a man's voice) suggests smallness, even weakness, and his voice is anything but. It's a strong voice, and masculine, although light in the sense of being very free and smooth.

Who is this guy?!!! Does he perform anywhere? My guess is that he might have a hard time getting hired at a lot of Canadian folk festivals - too powerful, too trad.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:29 PM

I too bumped into him accidentally some months ago. His rendition of Northwest Passage blew me away. I am almost afraid to say it: Better than Stan Rogers. His voice has a lot of Stan's characteristics, but with the edges taken away and extra honey mixed in. Were I a young maiden, I would have swooned.

Special. Very special.

Why does Canada have such amazing baritones? It seems more than their fair share.

Subject: RE: Review: BardofCornwall Ytube phenom
From: mg
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:36 PM

I think he is doing smaller events like Highland Games etc. He should be at say the Vancouver Folk Festival, things like that. if there are any festival organizers, radio people etc. paying attention here, as you should of course whenever I expound on something, give him a listen. mg

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:51 PM

Somebody get the word out to Sandy and Caroline. What a find this guy'd be for Folk Legacy!

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:56 PM

Very interesting voice; quite original. Incredibly powerful as long as he sticks within his range. Thanks, mg, for the heads up. I will want to follow this one.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: open mike
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 01:43 AM

he deserves to be recorded by pros.
the recordings on you tube have
distractions such as light behind
him obscuring his face, and sounds
and wind that obliterate his voice.

I hope he will get the quality
recordings that will capture the
quality of his voice with better
microphones, and better conditions.

(wind socks on microphones to
eliminate the interference, and
different mics on instrument and
voice so that they can be balanced
so the instrument doesn't drown out
his amazing voice.)

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 01:55 AM

Bard of Cornwall on Myspace

my favourite is "North West Passage" & I also love Farewell to Nova Scotia, Working Man, Waltzing Matilda, Mary Ellen Carter ...

also, check out his Tagged Response

I've just spent an enormous amount of time listening to a few his songs - good thing I have lots of stuff to do in a very short time, or I'd be listening still.

sandra (still listening, but I will close youtube after this song, I have so much to do!)

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: ard mhacha
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 06:45 AM

His good looks may attract the ladies, having just heard his version of The Foggy Dew I wouldn`t be going out to buy it.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: mg
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 01:19 PM

there are very many of his songs that I found so so...I think he made a quantum leap in some of them though. mg

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: CET
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:28 PM

I do feel that his voice is the equal of Gordon Bok or Stan or Garnet Rogers, but I'm not ignoring the huge body of work that those singers have created, and the years they have spent devoted to their art. I haven't heard Bard's version of "The Foggy Dew" yet, but I'm certainly prepared to believe that this rendition might not be up to the level of some his other stuff. He's a young man, and even with all his talent he probably has some learning to do. That being said, his version of Killiecrankie is stunning - the best I've heard. I can imagine that a beautiful voice can even interfere with a traditional song, if the singer isn't careful. Like a lot of fine singers, he might benefit from a good teacher, if he could find one that respects his art and helps him find his own voice.

All that being said, I definitely am going out to buy his first professional recording, whenever it appears.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: mg
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:45 PM

I think he has to watch out and not put on airs, not try to be sensitive, emotive etc. Just straight and simple, and like someone said, in the right key...he does much better in the lower ranges I think. mg

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 01:32 PM

For a young guy he's developing quite a wide repertoire of Traditional songs.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:07 PM

Thanks again mg for putting this guy's music on my radar. I've already learned a few songs from watching his videos.

..and the kid has as good an answer to the "what is folk" perennial Mudcat topic as I have heard. click, and then scroll the video ahead to 3:12. Gives me hope for the future!

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: CET
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 10:39 AM

I also like the fact that his cat shows up in some of his videos.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: sapper82
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:04 PM

He's not three bad! In fact I'd say he's bloody good!

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:09 PM

Does this Bard have a myspace?

Sal

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Thompson
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:31 PM

Lovely rich resonant voice. Where's the cat? I have a cat hunger on me after my own little pet being put to sleep yesterday.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 04:43 AM

Sal - I gave a link to his Myspace site a couple of days ago.

sandra

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: CET
Date: 10 Apr 08 - 07:38 PM

I can't remember which video the cat appears in, but I definitely saw a moggie wandering around in a couple of them.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: GUEST
Date: 26 May 09 - 09:05 PM

I was looking for a rendition of Willie Mcbride and popped him up. i was just about to leave when I saw it was homemade and then he made a sound. Fantastic voice! Really exceptional.

Subject: RE: Review: Bard of Cornwall Youtube phenom
From: Emma B
Date: 26 May 09 - 09:46 PM

I was looking for one of my Favourite Stan Rogers songs after hearing a moving rendition from Dan McKinnon this w'end and came across Northwest Passage - excellent!