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Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid

07 Aug 25 - 03:22 PM (#4226857)
Subject: Origins: Pentangle song Brigid
From: GUEST,Eva

Hi mudcats,

way back in the 1980s I heard a song on a regular folk show broadcast on the German radio program Bayern 3. The presenter said the artist's name was Pentangle, which was a group I had never heard of before then. The presenter also said the title of the song was Brigid, although only having heard the announcement, I can't be sure of the spelling. I remember the lyrics quite well having made a recording, which I unfortunately lost. The song starts: "One by one her sisters married
best friend Kathleen did the same"
and continues soon after:
"So at the age of 26, Brigid saw herself as an old maid." Does anyone know where this was released and how to find it?

Thanks in advance,

Eva

07 Aug 25 - 04:39 PM (#4226862)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: Helen

Hi Eve,

I remember hearing Pentangle back then but I don't remember the song you are looking for. There is a list of all Pentangle songs here:

Pentangle - Songs

Maybe the title is not Brigid. Also there are a lot of their songs on video, e.g. YouTube.

Someone here at Mudcat might know the song.

07 Aug 25 - 05:07 PM (#4226863)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: GUEST,Bsllyholme

The lyrics you posted are from a song called Brigid which was written by Irish singer Jane Cassidy. She recorded it on one of her Claddagh label albums about 30 years ago. I have never heard anyone else sing it.

07 Aug 25 - 06:28 PM (#4226866)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: maeve

Thank you, Guest Bsllyholme! I found the following thanks to your information at https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/jane-cassidy-and-maurice-leyden-why-hard-work-is-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-for-folk-duo/30923748.html

"...Jane had started writing songs while still a student at Queen's University; her first was about a boozy Irish spinster she met while working as a chambermaid in London's Waldorf hotel.

"Later covered by Andy Irvine, Brigid was the catalyst for several commercial recordings by Jane including Waves of Time (Claddagh 1983), The Empty Road (Claddagh 1985) and Mary Ann McCracken 1770-1866 (Ashgrove Music), a tribute to the famous Belfast radical, featuring Maurice."

More information about Jane at the article.

07 Aug 25 - 06:32 PM (#4226867)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: maeve

No lyrics but excellent information about Jane Cassidy here:
https://www.ulsterfolksong.com/jane-cassidy/

07 Aug 25 - 06:42 PM (#4226868)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: Helen

Thanks for that information GUEST,Bsllyholme and maeve.

It looks like the spelling of the name might be Bridget and not Brigid, but I can't find the song listed under Jane Cassidy's song lists.

Bridget - Andy Irvine [1989 The Irish Bouzouki]

07 Aug 25 - 06:43 PM (#4226869)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: GerryM

There is an Andy Irvine recording of Bridget at https://youtu.be/Kz7A1la9Qf0?si=vfg6LGAIsA_hAl-f

07 Aug 25 - 06:59 PM (#4226870)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: Helen

We posted at almost the same time, GerryM. Great minds think alike. :-)

I love it when Mudcat answers questions within a very short space of time - in this case it was 3 hours.

08 Aug 25 - 03:18 AM (#4226878)
Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brig
From: John MacKenzie

Jane is a FB friend of mine, so you can find here there.

08 Aug 25 - 06:48 PM (#4226913)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: Helen

Just out of interest, does anyone know if Jane Cassidy recorded the song and whether it was on any of her albums?

08 Aug 25 - 07:16 PM (#4226914)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: GUEST,Ballyholme

Yes, it’s on her second album. The title escapes me.

08 Aug 25 - 07:25 PM (#4226915)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: Helen

Thanks, Ballyholme. I found this info:

Jane Cassidy - IrishRock.org

The song is listed on the B side of the album An Empty Road, released by Claddagh Records in 1995.

13 Aug 25 - 05:13 PM (#4227118)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: Helen

Refreshing this thread - hoping that Guest, Eva comes back and sees that the mystery is solved.

14 Aug 25 - 09:18 PM (#4227151)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: Helen

I'm a bit surprised that someone would start a thread asking for help on solving a musical mystery and then not come back looking for the answer. Anyway, whinge over now, back to business!

Maybe the title of this thread could be changed to

Song title: Bridget by Jane Cassidy

15 Aug 25 - 03:25 PM (#4227189)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: GUEST

Jane Cassidy
I wrote Bridget and very chuffed to discover Penrangle sag it. Ir was erroneoysly ascribed to Andy Irvine by Waltons in his Boyzouki Book - not Andy's fault. I eecorded it on my 1985 album 'The Empty Road' Claddagh Records.
Jane

15 Aug 25 - 04:21 PM (#4227191)
Subject: RE: Origins:Looking for Pentangle song entitled Brigid
From: Helen

Wow! Welcome to Mudcat, Jane Cassidy. :-)

We aren't sure that Pentangle sang the song Bridget. As Eva said in her original post she heard it on a radio show in the 1980's and as she recalls it was attributed to Pentangle but she may have misheard that. I have tried searching for songs performed by Pentangle but I can find no reference to a song called Bridget or Brigid, the spelling which Eva thought was correct.

Helen, in Australia