Australian workhouse girls from Ireland

Subject: RE: Australian workhouse girls from Ireland
From: zozimus
Date: 07 Feb 12 - 06:09 PM

Hi mg, I've sent you a PM

Subject: RE: Australian workhouse girls from Ireland
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 07 Feb 12 - 05:04 PM

The Wild Bees' Nest The Wild Bees' Nest was a research and songwriting project involving a group of traditional singers from throughout Ireland. The project was conceived and devised by Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert and supported by The Arts Council in conjunction with The Bealtaine Festival, The National Library of Ireland and the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

Eleven singers hailing from Waterford, Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Dublin participated in the project:

Luke Cheevers, Fergus Russell, Tim Lyons, Pat Burke, Anne Parsons, Niamh Parsons, Paddy Daly, Tony McGaley, Micheál Marrinan, Mick Fowler and Tim Quan.

Stage One of the project provided the singer the opportunity, through focused research, to gather further information on a song of their choice. From October to December 2010 they researched material in the National Library and ITMA. This was in regard to both the background and events which inform the song and in relation to different versions of the song which exist on commercial and field recordings etc. On December 18th they performed the songs in question, at a concert in The National Library.

Subject: RE: Australian workhouse girls from Ireland
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 12 - 03:54 PM

There's a song called "God's Police" by Australian Ted Egan. However, that song seems to imply that Caroline Chisholm helped Earl Grey in bringing these girls from Ireland. If you look up www.wildbeesnest.ie you should find a new song called "Caroline Chisholm, the Emigrants Friend", which attempts to show that the work of Chisholm was seperate from the Earl Grey scheme. The wildbeesnest was a project where 10 people were asked to research a subject of their choice and write a song about their findings in a traditional mode. A CD of the songs will be available in a month or two.

Subject: Australian workhouse girls from Ireland
From: mg
Date: 07 Feb 12 - 02:44 PM

Are there songs specific to the famine? It might be one we would want on CD. I know there is one about girls of other eras but I want one specific to famine in Ireland...I suspect there are some. There is a memorial to them..about 4,000. Lots of info on internet and descendents write about them. Has to be sung by someone of Irish descent because that is theme of CD.

If there are none, should be..if someone wants to write one that would be great. No guarantees about CD but it should at least be in circulation. I would want to avoid some of what was said about them at the time..they cleaned the workhouses of prostitutes, etc. No doubt that some were forced into prostitution before or after journey but for this particular purpose I would rather not go there in the song.   mg