Chords Req: Peter Amberly/Amberley/Emberlay/etc.

Subject: Peter Amberley - Need chords
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 02:20 PM

I am looking for the chords to play the song, "Peter Amberley" on the guitar. Many years ago, Canadian folk singer Bonnie Dobson recorded it on an album in the early 60's.

Subject: RE: Peter Amberley - Need chords
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 05:26 PM

Are you looking specifically for Bonnie Dobson's arrangement?

Subject: RE: Peter Amberley - Need chords
From: Nick
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 06:20 PM

Jed Marum's version is in D and goes:

D G A D
D G D Bm
D G D Bm
D G A D

Subject: RE: Peter Amberley - Need chords
From: Beer
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 07:21 PM

I use the same chords.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 01:21 AM

Back in the early 1960's Canadian folk singer, Bonnie Dobson (now living in UK) sang a song on one of her early folk LP's "live" recording of the song, Peter Amberley. I think the album was called, Bonnie Dobson at Folk City. It's a beautiful song and I would like to try and find the guitar chords for this song. If anyone has all the chords with lryics please post them. Thank You.

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 01:48 AM

Lin, there are many songs entitled that--or variations.

Is this the one you mean?

"(THOMSON, p. 65) The folksong source for Dylan's "Ballad of Donald White", can be found as No. 27 in the late Edith Fowke's "Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs" (1973), pp. 72-73, and in Digital Tradition (filename PTRMBRLY; play.exe PTRMBRLY):
PETER EMBERLY

My name 'tis Peter Emberley, as you may understand.
I was born on Prince Edward's lsland near by the ocean strand.
ln eighteen hundred and eighty-four when the flowers were a brilliant hue
I left my native counterie my fortune to pursue.
I landed in New Brunswick in a lumbering counterie,
I hired to work in the lumber woods on the Sou-West Miramichi.
I hired to work in the lumber woods where they cut the tall spruce down
While loading teams with yarded logs I received a deadly wound.

There's danger on the ocean where the waves roll mountain high,
There's danger on the battlefield where the angry bullets fly.
There's danger in the lumber woods, for death lurks sullen there,
And I have fell a victim into that monstrous snare.

I know my luck seems very hard since fate has proved severe,
But victor death is the worst can come and I have no more to fear.
And he'll allay those deadly pains and liberate me soon.
And I'll sleep the long and lonely sleep called slumber in the tomb.

Here's adieu to Prince Edward's lsland, that garden in the seas,
No more I'll walk its flowery banks to enjoy a summer's breeze.
No more I'll view those gallant ships as they go swimming by,
With their streamers floating on the breeze above the canvas high.

Here's adieu unto my father, it was him who drove me here.
I thought he used me cruelly, his treatments were unfair.
For 'tis not right to oppress a boy or try to keep him down.
'Twill oft repulse him from his home whcn he is far too young.

Here's adieu unto my greatest friend, I mean my mother dear,
She raised a son who fell as soon as he left her tender care.
'Twas little did my mother know when she sang lullaby,
What country I might travel in or what death I might die.

Here's adieu unto my youngest friend, those island girls so true.
Long may they bloom to grace that isle where first my breath I drew.
For the world will roll on just the same when I have passed away,
What signifies a mortal man whose origin is clay?

But there's a world beyond the tomb, to it I'm nearing on.
Where man is more than mortal, and death can never come.
The mist of death it glares my eyes and I'm no longer here,
My spirit takes its final flight unto another sphere.

And now before I pass away there is one more thing I crave,
That some good holy father will bless my mouldering grave.
Near by the city of Boiestown where my mouldering bones do lay.
A-waiting for my saviour's call on that great Judgement Day.


Edith Fowke remarks:
This tale of the young man from Prince Edward Island who was fatally injured in the Miramichi woods when a log rolled on him is the favourite ballad of New Brunswick. John Calhoun, one of the men who drove the injured lad down to his employer's home, described his fate in these verses, and a local singer, Abraham Munn, set them to and old Irish tune that has served for many songs both in Ireland and North America... The song is well known along the east coast... and it has also spread to Ontario.
(p. 200)"

from the contemplator

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 02:04 AM

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:bxEEPijeuJ8J:sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiPTRMBRLY%3BttPTRMBRLY.html+My+name+%27tis+Peter+Embe


The ABC notation and dulcimer tab and a midi file are there.

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 02:20 AM

'Peter Emberley'


'Peter Emberley'. The story of a young man from Prince Edward Island who was fatally injured in the Miramichi lumberwoods when a log rolled on him. John Calhoun, a friend of the lad, composed the verses in 1881 and a local singer, Abraham Munn, set them to a traditional Irish tune. The ballad is the favourite lumbering song of New Brunswick; it also was sung along all the east coast of Canada and in Ontario lumbercamps. The tune is used as the theme of the second movement of Kelsey Jones' Miramichi Ballad. The song is published in Edith Fowke's The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs and was recorded by Tom Kines for Canadian Folk Songs: a Centennial Collection (9-RCA/RCI CS-100-7/5-ACM 39 CD) and Charlie MacKinnon (Boot BTM-2006). Words to the variant 'Peter Amberlay' were published in W. Roy Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia (Cambridge, Mass 1928). A 'Peter Rambelay,' to a different tune, can be found in Helen Creighton's Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia and has been recorded by Wade Hemsworth (Folk FW-6821) and Alan Mills (RCI 21).

Bibliography
Manny, Louise. 'The ballad of Peter Amberley,' Atlantic Advocate, vol 53, Jul 1963

Author Edith Fowke

The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2010 Historica Foundation of Canada

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 02:22 AM

'"Day of Mourning: The Miramichi Monument

ON THE MIRAMICHI: The monument erected by the Miramichi and District Labour Council is situated at River Front Park (Ledden Street) on the north shore of the Miramichi River. Note the symbolism of the open honour roll and the caged canary, and the importance of the inscription: "Fight for the Living! Mourn for the Dead".


The dangers of the workplace are well-known to the people of the Miramichi. The history of the lumber camps, mill towns and other workplaces of the region is marked by the memory of hundreds of lives lost and thousands of injuries sustained in the course of employment. "The Ballad of Peter Emberley", one of the classic folk songs of the North American lumber woods, remembers one such event, as does the black granite stone placed over Emberley's grave at Boiestown in 1963. More recently, in 1995 the Miramichi and District Labour Council dedicated a Day of Mourning monument to the many workers and families who have suffered from workplace death and injuries throughout the Miramichi."'

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 12:08 AM

To Guest 999

Thank you for posting the song lyrics for Peter Amberlely. It is pretty close to the words that Bonnie Dobson sang with just a few differences I believe.

In your post you mentioned a book, Edith Fowkes, "Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs" and went on to mention "Digital Tradition,"
"file name, play.exe"
I'm afraid I got a little lost with that part of the message(digital tradition) as I have no idea what that means or the other things metioned (play.exe) don't know or understand what that is either. I am not much of a computer person or tech person when it comes to these various computer terms.

I am still trying to find just the chords to play this song on a guitar though.

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: Beer
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 12:30 AM

Why make it so difficult. You can play and sing it in three chords.

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 02:06 AM

Yes, it is difficult. I am very new at playing guitar so I do not know what the chords are!!!
Thank you very much!

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 03:51 AM

Hi-
I don't know if this will help you, but the tune is the same as "The Lakes of Ponchartrain." It's played in 3/4 time, so there are (basically) three strums to a measure. Try this chord pattern (playing each chord 3 strums):

G D C G    Em C G G
G G Em D    G G C C
G G Em D    G G C C
G D C G    Em C G G

I tried to simplify this from the chords you'll find on page 12 of the Rise Up Singing songbook.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 08:53 AM

The version of "Peter Emberley" which I know is the one which Tom Kines recorded for the Columbia LP boxed set "Canadian Folk Songs". The tune used is "Tramps and Hawkers" which for me has only a distant similarity to "Pontchartrain", or indeed to "Van Dieman's Land", as I grumbled in this thread about Tramps and Hawkers.

C)My name 'tis (G7)Peter Ember(F)ley, as (C)you may (F)under(C)stand
I was (C)born on Prince Edward's (F)is(C)land near (F)by the (G7)ocean (Am)strand
In (C)eighteen hundred and (F)eighty-(C)four when the (F)flowers were a (G7)brilliant (Am)hue
I (C)left my (G7)native counter(F)ie my (C)fortune (F)to pur(C)sue

Subject: RE: Peter Amberley - Need chords
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 01:05 AM

To the person named Charmion who replied about the chords for the song, Peter Amberley.

Yes, I am looking specifically for Bonnie Dobson's arrangement.
If you could please post this I would be very grateful.

Thank you

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 08:44 PM

If anyone can listen to a recording and transcribe chords, please contact me. I need to build a list of people who can do this.
Also, if you can transcribe a MIDI after listening to a tune, I'd sure like to know.
t'anks.

-Joe Offer-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Guitar chords for song, Peter Amberly.
From: JedMarum
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 09:03 PM

If you play the first song in the jukebox on this page you'll hear my version of this song. And Nick has listed the chords I use above.