The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque

Subject: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: DeanofRochester
Date: 11 Nov 13 - 06:37 PM

I have been learning Steve Thomason's song The Bard and are wonsering about one of the lines: 'Shebra, starry barque still sailing across the skies until the dawn'
Does anyone here know who Shebra was or is and what the line may be referring to?
Thanks

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Nov 13 - 08:27 PM

A constellation?

Dunno

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 11 Nov 13 - 09:19 PM

Also referenced in Gartan Mother's Lullaby.

google Siabhra

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 Nov 13 - 04:06 AM

Steve Thomason looks in here and posts occasionally as a guest, so hopefully will pop up here....

The version of the words he gave me, with his Tracks in the Snow tape, about 12 years ago was "And Shebra, starry barque still steering, Across the skies until the dawn", but he is notorious for changing the words as songs mature!

Kitty

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: GUEST,SteveT
Date: 12 Nov 13 - 06:03 AM

What's with the "notorious" Kitty? Yes, I stole the line/idea from Garten Mother's lullaby – or at least I thought I had. When I first learned this song I asked a friend and he explained to me that Shiovre was an Irish fairy who sailed his boat (visible as a star) across the skies. (I think he might have been using a bit of poetic licence himself!)

A couple of years ago I was asked about the line by Jack Crawford (a wonderful singer, well worth listening to) and, now we're in the computer age, I was able to look up the references.   I found that Shiofre/Shiovre is indeed an Irish fairy but there seem to be no references to sailing across the skies (in fact the Sidhe are more likely to be found underground than in the sky) so I went back to the original line from Garten Mother's Lullaby, "Shiovre sails his boat 'til morn upon the starry bog" and I now sing "Shiovre fairy barque still steering, Cross starry bog until the dawn". (If I can't change the words of my own songs what can I change??)

As background to the song, I was driving home from a Wareham Wail. At the midnight banquet, after a highly successful theft of the pig's head, I, amongst others, had been told by the "Lord & Lady" of the feast that we'd be barred next year if we didn't behave. The words "I am the Barred" came to me and I made up the rest as I drove along – only it didn't quite turn out as expected. (I did get to sing it at the next year's feast though.)

I've put my "new" version on my Soundcloud account if anyone reads this and wonders what I'm talking about.

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 Nov 13 - 06:53 AM

Oops, apologies, I should, of course, have said "noted", not "notorious".... thanks for the explanation though!

Kitty

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: GUEST,SteveT
Date: 12 Nov 13 - 07:20 AM

Shame - I rather liked the thought of being notorious: I thought it might give me an air of rakishness, otherwise so sadly lacking!

Steve

Subject: RE: The Bard.. Shebra's Starry Barque
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Nov 13 - 09:55 AM

"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish song and poem written by Herbert Hughes and Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil, first published in Songs of Uladh [Ulster] in 1904. Hughes collected the traditional melody in Donegal the previous year and Campbell wrote the lyrics. The song is a lullaby by a mother, from the parish of Gartan in the lovely County Donegal. The song refers to a number of figures in Irish mythology, places in Ireland and words in the Irish language."

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Notorious is used to mean 'having a very bad reputation' or can also simply mean 'being famous for.' The second usage is getting rarer and rarer.