|
28 Jan 13 - 02:09 PM (#3472566) Subject: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,Breanna Lester and Joe Scanlon As part of our research about "Songs of Death and Disaster" we have so far located 19 songs (or poems) about the 1917 Halifax explosion. (It is not always clear if something is a song or a poem.) The words from the 19 are listed below. Macintyre, Daniel (Undated) The Halifax explosion song" Mestre, Eric (Undated) "The Ballad of the Halifax Explosion" O'Brien, Mary Ellen (1945) "Halifax Disaster" Peppard, Rosalie (Undated) "Sparkles on her face" The following are all in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and apparently were all collected and given to the museum by D. Stone. Nothing further is known about this person. We would appreciate any information about any of these songs and anything about Stone. (There is a second Stone mentioned with a different initial.) In other news, the disaster song project has resulted in two publications: Scanlon, Joseph, Nick Johnston, Allison Vandervalk and Heather Sparling (2012) "101 Years of Mine Disasters and 101 Years of Song: Truth or Myth in Nova Scotia Mining Songs? "International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters Vol. 30 No. 1 pp: 34-60 Scanlon, Joseph, Allison Vandervalk and Mattea Chadwick-Shubat (2012) "Challenge to the Lord: Folk Songs About the 'Unsinkable' Titanic" Canadian Folk Music Vol. 45 No. 3 pp: 3-10 Please post any info or ideally sent it to Breanna Lester (breannalester@cmail.carleton.ca) or Joe Scanlon (jscanlon@connect.carleton.ca) |
|
28 Jan 13 - 02:45 PM (#3472589) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,999 "The words from the 19 are listed below." ?? |
|
28 Jan 13 - 03:00 PM (#3472595) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,Breanna Lester and Joe Scanlon The song titles are posted here. Sorry for the mishap. ------ (Undated) "December 6" ------ (Undated) "Black Rain" ------ (Undated) "West Street Firemen" ------ (Undated) "Prairie Sailors" ------ (Undated) "Silver Moon" ------ (Undated) "Ghosts of Richmond" ------ (Undated) "I wonder, I wonder" ------ (Undated) "And They're Gone" ------ (Undated) "I heard the soldier's calling" ------ (Undated) "Smoke and Cinders" ------ (Undated) "Ash Pan Anny" ------ (Undated) "Take her away" ------ (Undated) "North Ferry" ------ (Undated0 "Vince's Song" ------ (Undated) "The Halifax Explosion" |
|
28 Jan 13 - 03:06 PM (#3472597) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST This may be Dave Stone, local songwriter who has written several songs about the explosion. Here are some links. http://www.halifaxexplosion.org/music_legacy.html http://www.folkalley.com/openmic/artist.php?id=1292 http://www.snaphalifax.com/index.php?option=com_sngevents&id%5B%5D=217949 |
|
12 Feb 13 - 10:13 PM (#3478870) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,Breanna Thanks for the help, much appreciated. Also, is there any information about these songs/poems? (Lyrics, places to find tracks? Schortmann, Marion, "December Disaster" "Halifax Catastrophe"- R.H. - a survivor (poem) "Halifax Disaster"- O'Brien, Mary Ellen (1856-c1945) "Halifax Disaster, The"(1975)- Hall, Barbara "Halifax - Linden, Eric "Halifax Explosion"- Debaie, Mary Ellen (O'Brien) "Halifax Explosion"- Randy Ross "Halifax Explosion"- Morash, Clyde "Halifax Explosion"- Donaldson, Mae "Halifax in Ruins"- Fullerton, Sgt S B "Messenger of Hell"- Davidson, Wilbert (Bill) Forrest "Record of Halifax Explosion"- Hall, Clark Thanks! |
|
13 Feb 13 - 01:22 AM (#3478894) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: meself It may be relevant that Dave Stone's bio, on the 'folkalley' website linked above, says that he worked for a few years at a 'museum in Halifax' - quite possibly the Maritime Museum, as there aren't too many others. |
|
05 Dec 15 - 10:57 PM (#3756030) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,chuck Messenger of Hell by Wilbert Forrest Davidson is a story. It is printed in a book called Yarns Worth The Telling (published in 1995 by Senior Writers Guild of Nova Scotia). |
|
06 Dec 15 - 08:26 AM (#3756090) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,HiLo I believe that today is the98th anniversary of that tragic event, is it not? I was wondering if any of these songs have been recorded, if so, are they available?? |
|
06 Dec 15 - 09:22 AM (#3756097) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,henryp Halifax singer-songwriter Dan McKinnon is perhaps best known in the city as a busker at the Saturday morning market. In 1997, in cooperation with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, he recorded an album of songs about Nova Scotia history. The lyrics of one song, "Remember Me," are a composite of Explosion survivors' stories. The chorus tells of a small china mug found undamaged in the wreckage of Richmond. I remember it well'twas the calmest of days I remember the sky looked so blue Mommy and Carmen were practising hymns And the light from the window shone through With a flash the earth trembled the flooring gave way The ceiling and walls tumbled down The only thing saved from our old house but me Was this wonderful cup they found It said.... Remember Me, Remember Me Inscribed on its side were two words to abide by Remember Me |
|
06 Dec 15 - 09:47 AM (#3756100) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,HiLo Thank you very much.Is the available as a cd, do you know ? |
|
07 Dec 15 - 06:01 AM (#3756350) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,henryp You can hear it here; https://myspace.com/danmckinnon/music/song/remember-me-27221767-27022952 It's on his CD Just Another Day. You can buy it here; http://www.danmckinnon.ca/recordings.htm And you can see him here; Dec 10 Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia Songs of the Season at The Rose & Kettle Tea Room Dec 12 Liverpool, Nova Scotia Songs of the Season at Lane's Privateer Inn And in May 2016 he is touring England and Scotland. Lucky us! |
|
07 Dec 15 - 06:39 AM (#3756360) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,Iain G David Stone did work at the Maritime museum in Halifax he is a Friend of mine, He has a Facebook page, I am sure you could get in touch with him through that. I have some of his CD's if you want any info let me know. I shall be sharing a beer or two with him next June when I am over in Nova Scotia. Every year David puts on a show The Halifax Explosion in Story and Song at the maritime museum. Iain Glover |
|
07 Dec 15 - 07:20 AM (#3756369) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST,HiLo Thank you both very much. |
|
07 Dec 15 - 08:53 PM (#3756599) Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion From: GUEST David Stone produced a CD, "Her Own War: The Halifax Explosion Project," which contanins more than a dozen songs he's written on the subject. Several different singers perform the songs. I can't recommend this album highly enough! In addition, Bob Quinn wrote the song "Night Train," which has been recorded by John Gracie on his "Nova Scotia Lullabye" CD. And Chuck Hall has written a dandy, titled simply "Halifax." In excellent ballad style, it recounts the story from the POV of a young boy accompanying his grandfather, a doctor from Boston, on the train to to Halifax to render aid to the victims. This is on his CD, "The Northern Sagas." There is also a song titled "The Sixth Day of December," written and performed by Penny MacAulay (? as I remember it) on LP. Don't know if it's available other than that. |