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05 Nov 02 - 06:43 PM (#819432) Subject: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: SINSULL John Nolan sang a version of the "Great Silkie" at Barry Finn's two years ago - it is the same ,I think, as in the Digitrad, I think. Can anyone recommend a recording either on CD or LP? Thanks, Mary |
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05 Nov 02 - 06:54 PM (#819441) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Peter T. Judy Collins has a fine version on her now rereleased "maids and golden apples" twofer album. (Great Selkie of Shule Skerry). yours, Peter T. |
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05 Nov 02 - 07:59 PM (#819491) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Mary in Kentucky Art Thieme sings it on his CD. |
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05 Nov 02 - 08:46 PM (#819522) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Susan of DT Jean Redpath on her untitled Philo album with the ponies on the cover. There are two common tunes - you can listen to them from the DT and a couple of other tunes. |
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05 Nov 02 - 09:29 PM (#819534) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Maddy Prior, on "Ravenchild" (Park Records, 2000). |
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05 Nov 02 - 09:55 PM (#819546) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas Of the two best-known tunes, one is traditional and the other is modern, written by Dr. James Waters of Columbia University. In the DT, both Silkie1.mid and Silkie2.mid are transcriptions (in different keys) of the modern tune. Silkie2.2.mid is a traditional tune taken from Bronson, though according to Alan Bruford (The Grey Selkie, in Ballad Studies, ed. Emily Lyle, 1976) it doesn't actually belong to the text with which it has been matched. |
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06 Nov 02 - 08:29 AM (#819795) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Peter T. Does either tune appear in the film "The Secret of Roan Inish?" yours, Peter T. |
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06 Nov 02 - 02:44 PM (#820166) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: sharyn Alison McMorland sings this on Belt Wi' Colours Three (Tangent Records, 1977) The note says the tune comes from John Sinclair, Flotta, Orkney in 1938 and the text from Anne Gilchrist. This is the "traditional" tune others are speaking of -- it is the more dramatic tune, the tune Baez sings is prettier. Coincidentally, as I write, Ray Fisher (on tape) is singing a variation of this tune that is almost a new tune in and of itself). |
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06 Nov 02 - 03:17 PM (#820185) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Tim Peter T. -- not on roan Inish soundtrack My two cents -- Joan Baez version by far the best |
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06 Nov 02 - 03:26 PM (#820193) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: RolyH Trees - The Garden of Jane Delawney Which is pretty rare on vinyl but is available on CD |
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06 Nov 02 - 08:04 PM (#820369) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: SINSULL Thank you, all. Looks like I will be investing in a few more CDs. |
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06 Nov 02 - 09:56 PM (#820441) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Sandy Paton Joan Baez sang the Great Silkie to the James Waters tune. You can see the slightly confused reference in her Ballad Book. The copyright on the Waters tune, by the way, is held by Folk-Legacy. Sandy |
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07 Nov 02 - 11:31 AM (#820773) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Peter T. How did it get into Folk Legacy's hands, Sandy? (I love the tune, just wondering about the history). yours, Peter T. |
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07 Nov 02 - 12:29 PM (#820828) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Naemanson I used to do this with an old girlfriend. Then I lost the girlfriend and even worse, I lost the chords to the song. Can anyone provide the chords Joan Baez used? |
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07 Nov 02 - 01:15 PM (#820875) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas The Joan Baez Songbook suggests chords as follows for the key of D: An [G(D)]earthly [F(C)]nurse sits and [G(D)]sings, And aye, she [F(C)]sings by lily [G(D)]wean, And [C(G)]little ken [G(D)]I my [F(C)]bairn's fath-[G(D)]er, Far [F(C)]less the [Am(Em)]land where [Dm(Am)]he dwells [G(D)]in. |
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07 Nov 02 - 02:46 PM (#820952) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Q There is a little gem of a recitation composed by Gordon Bok that fits into the Silkie legends, called "Peter Kagan and the Wind." Copyright Gordon Bok, 1977. "North Wind's Clearing" cd (and also "Peter Kagan and the Wind"), Folk-Legacy. The text is on this website: Kagan and the Wind Kagan, a dory fisherman, is married to a seal. When a storm catches Kagan, she comes and saves him from freezing to death in the open dory. Jim Branigan recorded this on "The Singing Bard." Also Makem, who also gives the text on his website, Liam Clancy and others.. |
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07 Nov 02 - 04:08 PM (#821022) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Q Jim Brannigan is spelled with two n's and the Album is "The Singing Bird," not "bard." |
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07 Nov 02 - 04:16 PM (#821026) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas See also this earlier thread, Peter Kagan and the Wind, where the full text was posted. |
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07 Nov 02 - 04:45 PM (#821049) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: TonyK Karan Casey's version as a member of Solas is my favorite, on their 'The Words THAt Remain' CD. |
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07 Nov 02 - 05:41 PM (#821094) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: SINSULL I love "Peter Kagan And The Wind". Listened to it tonight on my way home from work. Hi Brett! Now that you have the chords, will you sing it at the Chantey Sing for us when Roll & Go takes a break? |
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07 Nov 02 - 08:48 PM (#821209) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Guy Wolff This is fun.. Lui Collins and I did this on a phylo records in the seventies that was re issued by Green Linnett called "Made In New England" Lui Collins .. I think Lui has some at her web -sight.. ALso I just redid it for old times sake with a nod to Lui on my new CD comming out this mounth.. (Just called up the Patons to get the licencing today ! funny thing! !!!) As always when it comes out I will give a batch to Max for all he has done here.. I love Lui's vertion.. I hope you can hear it.. All the best , Guy |
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07 Nov 02 - 08:53 PM (#821212) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Sandy Paton To answer Naemanson's question: One day, while Folk-Legacy was still operating out of an old farmhouse in Vermont, a young fellow came by to get some records from us. Bought our early albums Frank Proffitt and Hobart Smith, as I recall. When he told us his name was James Waters, we asked if, by any chance, he was the fellow folks had told us who composed the splendid modal tune for "The Great Silkie." He allowed as how he was. Turns out he had never copyrighted it. We urged him to do so, and he said, "You can be the publisher, if returns from the tune will help you produce more albums of genuine traditional folk artists." We handled the copyright for him, and then things got complicated. Turns out that Pete Seeger had thought the tune to be traditional, and borrowed it to set the Turkish poet's "Girl of Hiroshima." This had been recorded by one of the 50s popular groups, as well as by Pete, himself. When Pete learned that Jim Waters had wrwitten the tune, he went out of his way to make sure that royalties from his recording of the tune came to us. Unfortunately, Manny Solomon at Vanguard, and many others who recorded "The Silkie," took advantage of the late copyright disclaim responsibility for royalties. Even though Joan Baez's book actually says that the tune was by James Waters (who wrote it, by the way, while he was a banjo-picking student at MIT), Vanguard never paid Jim a cent for her recording, as it was released before the copyright was filed. Legally, they were within their rights, I'm told, but ethically...? Even admitting that the tune was the creative work of Jim Waters? Well, Pete Seeger has always been a man with a great sense of ethics. He alone took the honorable stand, God bless him. So, James Waters, who wound up teaching high school math in Vermont and is now retired, and his publisher (us) never got rich off of his wonderful melody. I'm too tired to go back and proof read what I've written, so that's the story, folks, warts and all. Sandy |
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07 Nov 02 - 09:00 PM (#821216) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Mary in Kentucky Here are some links to info on the Silkie Legend Sigurd Towrie's Orkney Website Selchies Selkies: The legend in Scottish history |
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08 Nov 02 - 08:42 AM (#821361) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Peter T. Thanks, Sandy. Pretty sleazy -- but then, given the crummy liner notes in Vanguard's recent releases (what is it with these people?), it sounds like par for the course. yours, Peter T. |
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08 Nov 02 - 02:34 PM (#821654) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: Big Mick And only on The Mudcat will you folkies be able to get such a great bit of folk history straight from the horses mouth. Sandy, I feel so blessed to have you and Caroline as friends. Wonderful stuff, my good friend. By the way............I owe you a call. Mick |
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08 Nov 02 - 02:45 PM (#821670) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Great Silkie From: MMario |