Lyr Req: Killegrew's Soiree? / Kelligrew's Soiree

Subject: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Mike Ruddy
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 05:21 PM

Burl Ives once sang a song called Killegrew's Soiree. Anyone remember the rest of the words?

The middle of it was something like this:

Crooked Flavin struck the fiddler and a hand I then took in//

You should see George Clooney's beaver, flattened to the brim//

And Hogan's coat was like a vest, the tails were gone you see//

Oh, says I, the divil haul ye and your Killegrew's Soiree.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Alice
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 05:42 PM

Mike, search the database using Killegrew*. The title in the DT is spelled Kelligrew's Soiree, but within the lyrics it is spelled Killegrew, so there may have been a little confusion if you already tried a search. Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From:
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 06:13 PM

It is properly Kelligrew's Soiree. It was written by Joe Burke and is one of the most popular pieces in Newfoundland. Newer versions are done slowly, but traditionally (if I can say traditionally with respect to something written in the 1920's or 1930's)it was more uptempo. In Newfoundland the tune is sometimes played on the accordian as a dance.

If there is a spelling error in the lyrics, blame me. I posted it.

I can't imagine this song being covered by Burl Ives. On what LP was this?

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 09:16 PM

If you're searching, it's a prudent idea to avoid using names, if possible--to many spelling variants (even without typos.) A search on soiree (or soire* if you're uncertain about accented letters) will find it.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Alice
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 12:00 PM

Just a note, last year I found a songbook of Canadian songs in the University library here, and it included Kelligrew's Soiree, as well as The Squid Jiggin Ground, and others. When I get a chance, I will look up the title again if anyone is interested in tracking the book down. Alice in MT

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From:
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 10:01 PM

Probably one of the ones that used to be given away free to advertise Doyle's Cod Liver Oil. They were full of old Newfoundland party pieces, which both of these songs are.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 11:43 AM

My favorite in the book is "The Charming Young Widow I Met on the Train".. It's in the database. Alice, MT

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Charles Colyer
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 11:34 PM

"The Kelligrews (no apostrophe) Soiree" appears (music and words) on pages 90 and 91 of "The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs", first published in 1973 and compiled by the late Edith Fowke. The book includes excellent notes by Ms. Fowke and a discography.

Edith Fowke has taken the song from the 1940 edition of Gerald S. Doyle's "The Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland". She wrote "The words were written by one of the Island's favourite bards, John Burke, who used to sponsor variety shows in St. John's until his death in 1925. He patterned his ditty on Irish music-hall songs like "The Irish Jubilee" and "Lanigan's Ball", and set it to a rollicking tune.

"Kelligrews is a small village on the east coast of Conception Bay west of St. John's, and "Clara Nolan's Ball" was the title of an American vaudeville song of the nineteenth century."

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Mike Ruddy
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 11:45 PM

Searched DT like I was told, and found it. Thanks Alice and the rest. I am absolutely sure it was Burl Ives on an Old 33 record(Decca?)A picture of him playing a guitar on the front. I can still hear him singin it in my head..... You don't know how long I've, as the coasters once said, "been searchin'" for the words. Mike

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From:
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 12:50 AM

John, not Joe, yes, my apologies. I should know as I have the song in the 1957 version of Old Time Songs Of Newfoundland. I also have recorded versions of this song, including one played on the accordian very fast as a dance.

I once possessed an LP called, to the best of my recollection, The Irish Jubilee. Unfortunately I lent it out and no longer have it. Neither a borrower nor a lender be; better I had taped it. Can't even remember who did the album, although I recall that it was too Irish folksingers.

Anyway, it was indicated on the LP that the title song, apparently Irish-American was probably the ancestor of The Kelligrew's Soiree. Certainly the two songs shared some similarities, such as the listing of a nonsensical bill of fare. The tune, which I remember, was different from Killigrew's Soiree. The lyrics I can't remember except for a few lines and it isn't in the database. I wonder if someone has it and would post it.

It begins:

A short time ago, lads, an Irishman in New York was
Elected to the Senate by a very large majority

Then to celebrate his victory he throws a party -- "order up a hundred kegs of lager beer and give them to the poor."

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 05 Jan 98 - 08:06 PM

"The Irish Jubilee" was recorded recently by one Barry Gleeson, in Ireland, aided by some a suitably unruly group of singers from Dublin's Goleen Singers Club. I think he got it from ?? of the Boys of the Lough. Great song - you need a good memory and better breath to carry it! I'll post it if no-one else does, when I get a chance.

Regards

p.s Start is :

A short time ago, an Irishman named Doherty Was elected to the Senate by a very large majority...

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From:
Date: 07 Jan 98 - 06:45 PM

The version I knew was New York, not Dougherty, and it was two singers. No doubt there are variations on the song.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 12:09 PM

I've posted a set of words for "The Irish Jubilee" to a new thread.

Regards

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: dON bURRISS
Date: 28 Jun 98 - 11:09 PM

i'M LOOKING TO GET THIS MUSIC LIVE ON THE NET-- ANY SUGGESTIONS? tHANKS

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Art Thieme
Date: 16 Jul 98 - 09:18 PM

Burl Ives Decca LP___CORONATION CONCERT___(in London for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth). K.Soiree is NOT on that great concert album because Burl couldn't remember the words---he actually says that! Just for the heck of it, Burl Ives taped this concert with his own machine from a speaker (part of the PA system as I recall)and the thing came out good enough for Decca Records to issue. (Makes we wish we weren't such sticklers for "perfect sound" these days. Many things that ought to be available are not issued 'cause they're seen as inferior from a sound point of view.) Personally, I enjoy hearing the LP scratches---the 78rpm noises etc.---THOSE ARE THE SOUNDS OF TIME PASSING!!!

Art

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Jul 98 - 06:33 PM

Burl Ives did record K.Soiree on another album. Art

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: GUEST,Mark Sculley
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 06:12 PM

I lived in St Johns Newfoundland in the early 1950s and clearly remember the song. I still have the lyrics that were on a piece of paper -- typed in probably 1954 - somewhere with my old reeel to reel tapes. I also have a recording from that period that I copied from reel tape to cassette to preserve it, also with my music collection. I want to say it was Burle Ives as someone else in this thread has mentioned.

I asked a musician by the name of Pat Carol who was playing in Murphy's Pub in Old Town Alexandria (Virginia) this past Wednesdy evening (20 Oct 04) if he knew it but he did not.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From:
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 06:58 PM

Hi Mark. I am not surprised that it wasn't known down there. It's really mostly known here in Canada, and in places where Canadians or Newfoundlanders frequent. Fun song.

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: GEST
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 08:26 PM

Kelligrews doesn't have an apostrophe according to this sheet music. :-)

Subject: RE: Killegrew's Soiree
From: Flash Company
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 11:26 AM

Josh McCrea recorded this too!

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killegrew's Soiree (Kelligrew's Soiree)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 11:26 AM

Burl Ives DID sing 'Killigrew's Soiree' and made a fine job of it too. It comes on a 10inch vinyl LP called 'Folk Songs Dramatic And Humorous'issued in the UK on Brunswick LA8633, circa 1956 or 57 I would guess. He sang it up-tempo, dealing with the tongue-twisting lyric with obvious relish, helped by his immaculate diction. He considered it an Irish song "adopted by the Canadian folk singers who made it yet more robust". This may be why he sang with an 'Oirish' inflection, my one quibble with the performance. The other tracks on the album are Goober Peas, Git Along Little Dogies, From Here On Up, The Golden Vanity, Hush Little Baby, Tibby Dunbar, I know An Old Lady, Old Bangham, and I Wonder As I Wander.

Ives mentioned the song on his 'Coronation Concert' album, a 'great concert album' as Art Thieme correctly says, one that shows to perfection his command of his material and his (seemingly) effortless rapport with an audience. 'Coronation Concert' came out on Brunswick LA 8048, later re-issued on Coral CP 31. Of the numerous reissues made since Burl Ives death this one is missing, as is his 'Down To The Sea in Ships', a crying shame,in both cases.

Incidentally, the album 'Burl Ives in Europe' a live concert recorded in Oslo in 1979 shows a voice lessened by time, but with his gift of communication absolutely undiminished. A Brunswick sleeve note writer, uncredited, wrote of Burl Ives, 'His simplicity, like that of all great artistes, is an illusion, a technical achievement in timing and emphasis, created with consummate artistry by a true artiste'. I can't argue with that.

Burl Ives heard ballads from his Grandmother...'To me her ballads brought a world shining with excitement and colour', and when he tried to make a commercial career as a singer he chose to continue singing ballads and folk songs. This was a bold decision,there was no widespread folk revival to join in with, no folk club or festival scene to hook into, but along with Will Geer, Pete Seeger, Woody and Cisco, etc, he helped form one. His actions in the McCarthy era put him well out of favour in folk circles, and he thereafter recorded much that to my mind was unworthy of his talents. Nowadays he is thought of as Frosty The Snowman, and the singer in Disney movies, as well as for a couple of country music hits. Poor stuff compared to his folk song repertoire. His standing with today's folk followers is prety low, but I say we should not forget the part he played in bringing notice of folk music to the general public, helping the folk revival get started with his records and books. We owe him a lot.

He certainly inspired many people over here, the great Cyril Tawney for one. He inspired me. I have him to thank for my life in folk music,and I told him so the one time that I met him. There were other influences later of course, but Burl Ives started it all for me. I still play his albums and still get a kick out of that beautifullly controlled, lilting voice.
I've heard that there was a concert in New York not long before Burl Ives died in which he took the stage with Pete Seeger, Ives was in a wheelchair. That seems to me to have been a fine 'burying the hatchet' gesture by Pete, and I'll bet it was a fine concert too. If anybody has a tape of it, please let me know.   Burl.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killegrew's Soiree? / Kelligrew's Soiree
From: GUEST,Carwalker in Ottawa
Date: 25 Jun 11 - 06:00 PM

My grandfather had a copy of an album called Burl Ives Sings for Fun, which included Killigrew's Soiree, among other comic songs. (It also included Goober Peas, but none of the rest of the songs mentioned by Burl in the previous post.) There were fourteen tracks, including The Fox, The Three Jolly Huntsman, and The Big Rock Candy Mountain. As kids, we never got enough of listening to this album.

The contents appear to be available from Amazon as mp3s here: www.amazon.com/Burl-Ives-Sings-For-Fun/dp/B0049XHW8C.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killegrew's Soiree? / Kelligrew's Soiree
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Jun 11 - 08:45 PM

I heard this one first sung by Alan Mills on his Folkways Recording SONGS OF NEWFOUNDLAND back in the early 1960's. I'm sure there's many versions of the song but it must have been one hell of a party!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble