Folk artists who are pagan

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 01:40 PM

Tabster, you may have a very good discrimination case as we now are encompassed by the Equalities Act, beliefs section. [Unless that is your job description said anything about witches should not apply!!!]

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 01:50 PM

Although a total materialist, I have a deeply entrenched fascination in all aspects of Western Spirituality, which must include the Wyrder aspects of folklore, witchcraft & paganism, so-called.

Just uploaded this today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7FUAsiVyc, which is typical of the genre, being two interleaved songs based on the incantations of Isobel Gowdie (by Robert Graves & Raymond Greenoaken) but YouTube won't let me add the notes just yet...

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Anne Lister
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 06:23 PM

Cats, I think it's a bit late to go for the discrimination issue now. I did try the Press Complaints Commission, though, on the grounds of being photographed without my consent, being misquoted and being totally misrepresented. They were useless. They said it was the journalist's word against mine - which wasn't totally correct, as there were many witnesses present at the event - and they weren't prepared to pursue it.
It's a long story. Did give me a great line to use in promo, though - "Anne Lister, a chubby witch, performed cosmic love songs and a comedy routine".   Not sure which was the most inaccurate part of that!

Anne

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: silverfish
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:33 AM

If we put ourselves forward under ANY tag we invite comment or criticism.
My advice?
Any press reporter is less interested in your opinions and beliefs. They wish to write something catchy that THEY will be remembered for...
Just like songwriters, really.
I get some interesting reactions when filling in forms... booking in hospital they can't understand whether I want them to call a priest, pour whiskey (yes, I prefer Irish) or bury me under the grass verge beyond the parking lot if the operation goes wrong!!!
As if it would make any difference to me...
I shall write songs and perform to the end - beyond that will be interesting (or not).
Blessed Be.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Anne Lister
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:53 AM

The interesting thing about my experience is that I DIDN'T put myself forward under any tag. It was supposed to be an event for people by invitation only and the journalist in question faked an identity for himself - but there were no tags or labels and I certainly didn't lay claim to any. This particular journo was interested in being paid for writing his piece and accuracy (and "the public interest") had nothing to do with it. His piece of rubbish put my job at risk and also put the people whose farm it was at risk (he published their address and phone number) as well as an RAF officer who was present whose personal information he published.
According to his article, the event was some kind of drug and sex orgy with a parody of the Mass involved - if it was any of that kind of thing I certainly didn't see it or participate in it.

You can tell that some years later it still rankles, more than a bit!

Anne

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Bearheart
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 08:36 PM

Sorry to have missed this thread the first time around.

Have been singing since I was two, and almost all of it "folk",never as a job though I like to think of myself as an artist.

On a spiritual search since a young teen, I discovered Wicca and Paganism in 1982 (I'm 54 now, so...). There are as one person said, many different kinds, I consider myself the "live in the woods, talk with the spirits, grow my own food and medicine, study metaphysics, do rituals from time to time" kind of witch...Not New-Agey, not white-light airy fairy, BUT I still take the spirit world seriously.

I have to say I've seen some (pagan/metaphysics/spirituality) bashing here from time to time that didn't please me much, and some pretty cool folks have stopped posting to threads like this because they got tired of it. I think some of the nay sayers do it to piss people off and kill these threads. (This is aimed of course at some of the older posts)

Frankly my opinion is if you don't care for this kind of topic, go away. Some of us like to hang out together and get to know others of like mind, compare notes etc. I love folk music esp Celtic/Nordic (PARTLY) because there is a lot of the Old Religion to be found in it.

One of my Norwegian Hardanger fiddle cds says that the old fiddlers used to go out in the woods and play for days till the wood spirits came to them and gave them a new tune. Makes sense to me.

Don't suppose Wuzzle is around, but just want to say I liked that piece the Swan, and if you are around, did you write it?

OH yeah and Heathen with a capital H is a term used by a lot of people in the Norse tradition to describe their brand of (Neo)Paganism

Bekki

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 09:02 PM

One of my Norwegian Hardanger fiddle cds says that the old fiddlers used to go out in the woods and play for days till the wood spirits came to them and gave them a new tune.

Same in Shetland. I have a few Shetland tunes on my website that were said to have been composed by the fairies.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Bearheart
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 10:25 AM

Jack, will you send a link? I would like to see them.

(Of course they probably ONLY do this if you go out into the woods and play for days!!!)

Bekki

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 12:05 PM

I am the only Jack Campin in the world, so googling for me is pretty straightforward.

My site: http://www.campin.me.uk

The Shetland fairy tunes: http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/ShetlandFairyTunes.abc

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 12:16 PM

How intriguing. Similar themes of receiving songs from the spirits seem to occur worldover. Yet in most cultures where I've heard of similar stuff, such songs are usually pragmatic and purposive. And I believe usually given, so that the 'shaman/healer' can then call on the aid of said spirit in his work. Wish I knew how to read those ABC's. Anyway they're in 'The Shetland Folk Book' too, so I know where to look.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Rog Peek
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 02:58 PM

Jackson Browne self confessed.

So please forgive me if I seem
To take a tone of judgement
For I've no wish to come between
this day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus.

(final verse of 'The Rebel Jesus')

Rog

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 03:12 PM

Wish I knew how to read those ABC's.

If you're using a Mac, download BarFly - you won't regret it. I don't know about PC software, as I use Noteworthy on the PC for historical reasons - although I can recommend Bryan Creer's ABC/Noteworthy/ABC conversion program.

At a pinch I should think you could sight-read ABC - "c2e c2e|ecA A2A|" to take a couple of bars at random, means
C crotchet E quaver C crotchet E quaver
E quaver C quaver low-A quaver low-A crotchet low-A quaver
('low A' meaning the A below the C, not the one above the E)

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 04:25 PM

Sheesh, I said how to deal with ABCs right on my homepage.

Use the converter at folkinfo.org. Paste ABC into the appropriate box. Press button. Get a score displayed and click on it to play it as MIDI. You don't need anything but a browser on your own machine.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 05:51 PM

There's that also! Shouldn't have forgotten that - I've even got it bookmarked: Folkinfo abc converter.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Lady Mondegreen
Date: 13 Aug 09 - 05:51 AM

A copy of a post my partner Corwen made to another forum answering the same question:

British:
Well you know Damh the Bard...http://www.paganmusic.co.uk/
The Dolmen: http://www.thedolmen.com/band.htm (lovely folk who host great camps)
Druidspear http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=88047252 (Don't know if these guys are still going)
Dragonsfly: http://www.dragonsfly.org/ (Celtic/eastern folk with the odd pagan song. Nice)
Spacegoats: http://www.pondlifestudios.com/artist_information.asp?id=1 (Not going any more but luckily their fantastic music is still available from Pondlife)
Jabberwocky: Andy Letcher's project with Krismael of Spacegoats. No website and the band only made one album, called Mimir, buy it if you see it! Funky Pagan music with hammer dulcimer and bagpipes.
Andy is still active, currently in a project with my partner Kate's brother Colin and his wife Jane, called Telling the Bees http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=136179322 Don't know how 'Out' pagan it is but I'm sure they are worth watching.
Heathens All who were an out Pagan band became Seize the Day (more political, but worth listening to.)http://www.seizetheday.org/ (I'm hoping they will re-release the Heathens All stuff as none of my old tapes work!)
Silver on the Tree: http://glastonburymusic.org.uk/sott/ (the first Pagan music I heard. Eye of the Aeon and Mystic Spiral are classic Pagan albums)
Paul Mitchell:http://www.myspace.com/pagansatire http://paul.makingithappen.co.uk/ (wonderful satirical songs about Paganism from a really great bloke.)
Paul is in a new band Mad Magdelin http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=275337903
Paul Newman but his website seems to be down.
Last but definitely not least, the wonderful Carolyn Hillier and her partner Nigel Shaw. http://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/ (they play apart and together, beautiful shamanic pagan music, and run a really nice festival every other year at their home on Dartmoor)

And of course if you are desperate theres always Kate and I...
We play as a duo called Rigantona:
http://www.rigantona.co.uk
but Kate also has a CD of her own called Kate Fletcher, Fruit which received good reviews in Pagan Dawn, Sacred Hoop, TDN and the folk press: http://www.katefletcher.co.uk

A lot of North European music has really Pagan or Shamanic elements, try

Scandinavian/Finnish:
Gjallahorn:http://www.gjallarhorn.com/main.html (fantastic Swedish 'New Folk' band)
Garmana:http://www.noside.com/Catalog/CatalogArtist_01.asp?Action=Get&Artist_ID=14 (driving moody Hurdy Gurdy, big percussion with lovely female vocals)
Hedningarna: http://www.noside.com/hedningarnabio.html (techno with joiking, singing and lots of ancient instruments)
Korpiklaani: http://www.korpiklaani.com/ (Finnish Pagan Heavy Metal)

Germanic:
Schelmish:http://www.schelmishuk.co.uk/ (Bagpipes and big drums)
Omnia: http://www.omnia-neocelt.com/ (Dutch I think? Upbeat pagan music)
Faun http://www.faune.de/web2007/index.html (have heard of these guys but haven't heard their stuff yet)

Saami:
Wimme Saari: http://www.noside.com/bio_wimme.html (Joiking [shamanic singing] with a really dark voice and beautiful jazz folk accompaniment)
Marie Boine: http://www.mariboine.no/ (most famous joik artist)
Ulla Pirrtijarrvi (my favourite but I can't find a web presence.)

Russian:
have just discovered Ivan Kupala, they are like a Russian version of Enigma, slightly dated Euro-techno with Slavic folk instruments and old Karelian (Russian Finnish) ladies singing, which sounds kind of Saami/Native American. Completely wonderful, and oddly compelling. Just found some videos on You Tube and I like the band even more now. Great to see pop videos full of old ladies.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E_0j_38Tda0 (beautiful)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GnqWC9T-T1c (moving)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aa49gyJZYb4 (funny)

Plus USAnia
Reclaiming http://www.reclaiming.org/ (Political Feminist Paganism, 4 chant CDs to date)
There are a lot of Usanian artists I don't really know judging by this CD: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Pagan-Song/dp/B0001RZGC4
and lots more producing music that might be categorised by some as Pagan, like Jennifer Berezan http://www.edgeofwonder.com/biography.html and some who are definitely Pagan but whether what they produce counts as music...http://www.neopagan.net/ (Isaac Bonewitz)

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: matt milton
Date: 13 Aug 09 - 06:14 AM

I'm not pagan at all. But I've been enjoying playing a lot of animal-centred nonsense songs/childrens' songs recently, imagining them to be animist satires on organist religion, or synthesizing recognition of our animal nature [as it were]. Songs like Buckeye Jim and Wish I was A Mole In the Gound and Raccoon and Possum.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 04:04 AM

Sadie Damascus sang a funny song tonight called "Bandersnatch" about you-know-what. The tune was very familiar, and Sadie said it was the tune for "Heretic Heart," which in turn was an older tune. It was very familiar to me, but now I'm not sure if I have the right tune in my head. I'm thinking it is one of the alternate tunes for "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
So, what's the tune?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Megan L
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 04:41 AM

Joe I only know of three tunes for little town of Bethlehem,
St Louis (which seems to be used in America) Forest green (The one we use in Scotland) and a tune I have never used called wengen

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 04:56 AM

Forest Green is Vaughan Williams' arrangement of The Ploughboy's dream, and is by far the most common tune for this hymn not only in Scotland, but in England and most of the Commonwealth.

H. Walford Davies wrote two tunes for this hymn, Wengen and Christmas Carol, neither of which I know.

Most information here is from Wikipedia, although I did know where Forest Green came from (Vaughan Williams collected it in a village of than name in Surrey, which, paradoxically, is not the home of Forest Green Rovers who come from Gloucestershire).

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 05:01 AM

So Paganism has space goats???

Why didn't I know this?

The other cults only have churches, mosques and guilt. Where do I sign up? Do I have to pretend to believe in nonsense?

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 05:13 AM

I have the dots for a tune used for "O Little Town" in Cornwall.
It says "Words Bishop P. Brooks", "Melody from Sandy's Christmas Carols 1833".
Got this from a Folk South West weekend led by Eddie Upton in 1998.
It doesn't give a name for the tune though.

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 05:34 AM

[quote]
Frankly, I don't give a whoopty-doo whether someone is Baptist, atheist, Zoroastrian or a devotee of Taoism. Can they play? Can they sing?
[/quote]
+1

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 04:03 AM

Thanks, folks. I'm pretty sure the melody for "Heretic Heart" is Forest Green. The tune is known in the U.S., but not widely.
Now, I just have to gt a copy of those "Bandersnatch" lyrics from Sadie. She says it's a filk song.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Folk artists who are pagan
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 08:27 AM

Interesting comments from over the years. I was thinking that if you think of it the right way, the hymn This is My Father's World has a very animistic point of view. As someone who chose a different path than the fundamentalist one that I was brought up in, I find this is still a stirring song.