Auld Lang Syne

It's a time of year when people all over the world join in singing Auld Lang Syne, a song Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote and adapted from an even older piece of music. Here's a fine version of it with Emily Smith taking the lead vocal, supported by Jamie McClennan and her own band members as well as members of the band Breabach. Smith, an award winning singer and songwriter, is from the area in the southwest of Scotland where Robert Burns made his home.




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Music Road: Song for the weekend: Emily Smith: Glory Bound
Music Road: Emily Smith, Jamie McClennan, and Robert Burns
Music Road: eddi reader, willie stewart, and the search for haggis

at the turning of the year: music and change

The turning of the years is often a time of change, a time of looking forward and looking back, a time for forgiveness, for beginning anew. The sort of music we meet here along the music road speaks of all these things, at times. Here are several albums which make good companions for such reflection.

In the songs on her album Before & After, Carrie Newcomer invites consideration of the joy and hardship of change, and the mysteries involved with it

Tommy Sands knows a good bit about change as it plays out through politics, and through the movements of history. Take a listen to how he puts this into song on Arising from the Troubles

The gifts of winter and longing for spring are both part of the landscape Jennifer Cutting and her fellow musicians in the Ocean Orchestra explore through their music on Song of Solstice

Legend and myth, the natural world, and how those resonate with the courage it takes to risk change are part of what Cathie Ryan considers through the songs she covers and the songs she writes for her album The Farthest Wave

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Music Road: rest in music
Music Road: Best Music, 2011

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve. A time for quiet, for contemplation, for gathering in the strands of holiday joy and connection, for solitude, for reflection. A time for celebrating wonder. A time for music.


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Music Road: fourth week in Advent: music and meditation
Music Road: Music for the first week in Advent: candle in the window
Music Road: music, autumn, and a cup of tea
at Perceptive Travel, a different look at Christmas Eve

fourth week in Advent: music and meditation

Advent is a time of reflection, a time for seeking peace. It is a time for the work of solitude and the work of being in company. A time for preparation, quiet, and connection. Whether Advent is part of the faith you mark or not, winter is a good season for such things. Music is a way into into and through these ideas, as well.




Wintersong by Tammerlin makes a good gateway and companion for these journeys. From the opening song Winter’s Grace though the carol Silent Night, Lee Hunter and Arvid Smith. invite the listeners along on a journey well suits the contemplative nature of winter, with room for consideration of its changes and challenges along with its comfort and peace. In keeping with the music they’ve chosen, their arrangements are spare and rich at the same time. Hunter, who does most of the lead vocals, has a natural and relaxed storyteller's style which finds her moving through music from France, Appalachia, and contemporary folk as well as traditional carols which focus and grace. There are four brief spoken word selections included within the program as well, two from the writings of Henry David Thoreau and one each from Annie Dillard and Wendell Berry. In Hunter’s voice and in the duo’s choice of music, these prove natural extensions of their winter ideas, as they illuminate the the music and the music adds dimension to the words.

The music on Fine Winter's Night from Matt and Shannon Heaton illuminates the season, too. Sacred and secular aspects of winter dance with each other through the original and traditional music the two offer. Matt sings lead on his original take on a Christmas encounter a century or so ago in First Snowfall of December, and on the Wexford Carol, a hymn from twelfth century Ireland. Shannon takes a light touch with the tale of Julius the Christmas Cat preparing for the Holy Family, and offers a new setting to sixteenth century poetry for winter in her version of Star Song. There are a number of sessional instrumentals with Matt on guitar and Shannon on flute, as well as more carols, and original songs. These frame the centerpiece of the album’s idea and music, the title track Fine Winter’s Night, in which the connection and solitude of winter’s journey meet.

the photograph on the upper right is of holiday lights on Harvard Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is copyrighted. thank you for respecting that.

you may also wish to see
Klezmer: Music for the Festival of Lights
Music Road: Song of Solstice: music for changing seasons
Music Road: Another Fine Winter's Night: Matt & Shannon Heaton

and

Delicious Baby's Photo Friday, where travelers offer new insights to the world each Friday

listening to Christmas: Celtic artists tell their favorite winter holiday music

Those who make music for their work enjoy music of the winter holidays as much as those who are in their audiences.

Tommy Sands thinks of the connections music makes, Heidi Talbot is enjoying sharing holiday music with her friends on stage and her young daughter at home, and Cathie Ryan has an album that she finds to be good company as background for holiday gatherings as well as for quiet reflection by the fireside.

take a listen to what Tommy, Heidi, Cathie, and others have to say about how they enjoy music at the holidays by following the links to these holiday articles:

listening to Christmas: Aoife Clancy, Tommy Sands, Matt Heaton
listening to Christmas: Heidi Talbot, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Patty Larkin
listening to Christmas: Shannon Heaton, Cathie Ryan, Mary Black, Hanneke Cassel

Americana: gift ideas and seasonal music

Melting pot, salad bowl, tapestry: the many and varied cultures and landscapes of the United States find voice in the music that has come to be known as Americana. At the holidays as well at other times of year, it holds many things to explore.

Ideas for gifts, and for Americana music for the winter season, as well:


Kyle Carey draws in her interests in the music of Scotland and Cape Breton with her knowledge a love for the music and landscapes of Appalachia on her debut album Monongah.

Suzy Bogguss is a gifted songwriter and interpreter of contemporary song. She started out singing American folk music and often includes that in her concerts, too -- and she became concerned when she noted that many members of her audience didn’t know the words to songs such as Red River Valley, Banks of the Ohio, and Wayfaring Stranger. Whether it proves a refresher course or an introduction, her album American Folk Songbook is a fine choice for gift giving and for adding to your own collection.

Matraca Berg writes songs that a long list of Nashville superstars record. Her album The Dreaming Fields is a collection of stories by turns funny, reflective, and thought provoking, tales of people of the American south which resonate with people across the globe.

Carrie Newcomer knows a bit about those across the globe connections. She had an unexpected chance to spend time giving concerts and workshops in India. She’s connected that experience with her midwestern Americana ideas in her album Everything Is Everywhere.

seasonal music
Kathy Mattea has two holiday albums well worth your attention, the southern gospel tinged Good News and Joy for Christmas Day, which holds both traditional and contemporary songs of Christmas. The title song of the latter speaks of the place of Christmas amidst the hard knocks of life.

Matt and Shannon Heaton make their music where Irish tradition meets Americana. To experience what that means, take a listen to their seasonal album Fine Winter's Night, which includes traditional Irish and Shetland tunes, an original song for which Matt got the idea from looking a Victorian house down the street, and a piece which is an African American song turned Celtic lullabye.

Gretchen Peters knows that the holiday season goes beyond jingle bells and festive Santas, too. On her album Northern Lights she includes traditional, original, and contemporary songs which look at the many sides of sides of the holiday season with a compassionate and thoughtful gaze. It’s all good stuff, but especially take note of her original song Waitin’ on Mary and her cover of Kim Richey’s Careful How You Go.


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for more Americana holiday music suggestions
Music Road: listening to Christmas

third week in Advent: music and community

Music is an art of both solitude and community. In creation, in practice, in performance, in contemplation, music is shared with and thought about on one’s own. The work of the Advent season, the work of winter, is like that too, a time for reflection as one walks the winter days or sits by the fire, and gatherings in company with many friends or just a few, to celebrate the season in good company. All good things to enjoy and remember this third week in Advent.


music to go along with these ideas

Music Road: 6 of the best Christmas Songs
Music Road: Best Music, 2011
at A Traveler’s Library Texas music fo a Christmas night


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at Perceptive Travel wreaths, music, and legend
Music Road: music, autumn, and a cup of tea

song for an Advent weekend: Oíche Chiúin

In the midst holiday preparations, take a bit of time for quiet reflection on the season. Whether Irish is your language or not, I think you will recognize the song.

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, and Eleanor Shanley sing
Oíche Chiúin from Geantraí na Nollag, broadcast in Ireland on TG4 at Christmas 2010



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Music Road: music, autumn, and a cup of tea
Music Road: listening to Christmas: Heidi Talbot, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Patty Larkin
Music Road: holiday gift ideas: Irish music

second week in advent & music

The second week in advent brings with it a call to reflection, to mediation, to taking in of knowledge and seeing how all that may become wisdom. I’ve always found music, especially the music we meet and talk about here along the music road, a way into wisdom, knowledge, and contemplation. Whether you are playing or listening, this sort of music engages heart, mind, and spirit.

Ideas for music for the second week in advent

Matt & Shannon Heaton: Fine Winter's Night the title track, and original by Shannon, brings in connection and contrast between the wintry weather and the warmth of friendship, between the solitary and connected aspects of the work of winter, and of Advent. It is also one of my favorite Christmas albums

another album that makes a good companion to contemplation and reflection this season is A Mandolin Christmas. from Karen Mal and Will Taylor. though both are skilled on many instruments, they chose just mandolin and guitar for a journey ranging from traditional carols to popular seasonal favorites, from folk arrangements to ones with a a dash of jazz. this is a new release from Taylor and Mal this season, and looks likely to become a holiday classic









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Music Road: Another Fine Winter's Night: Matt & Shannon Heaton
Music Road: music, autumn, and a cup of tea
Music Road: 6 of the best Christmas Songs

holiday gift ideas: Irish music

Music always makes a fine gift at the holidays, and Irish music all the more so. Whether you prefer to give and receive music that way or to create a mix of tracks on your own, here are suggestions for recent releases along with a several longtime favorites, and a book, as well.

Long Time Courting is a band of Boston women musicians, each of whom has a strong career in other musical endeavors. The four friends really liked the way they sound when they play and sing together, though, and they wanted to share that. Their debut album Alternate Routes made the best music of 2011 list here at Music Road.

It’s been a while -- six years -- since Mary Black has released a studio album. The Dublin based singer offers Stories from the Steeples, a new collection which shows that she is still following the path of unique and adventurous song selection, with a taste for contemporary songwriters and a bit of tradition as well. Duets with the likes of Finbar Furey and Janis Ian feature on this album along with Black’s always distinctive voice. Between this and her last studio release, one of the things Black did was put together a compilation album 25 years 25 songs , which would also make a fine gift for yourself or anyone on your list who enjoys good singing.


Jennifer Cutting has a musical imagination which deepens Celtic music by illuminating it through voice and instrument with her group the Ocean Orchestra. Together they have made the album Song of Solstice: Celtic Music for Midwinter. Original and traditional song and tune including a lively piece honoring the Green Man of Celtic legend and a graceful take on the seasonal song In the Bleak Midwinter are among the choices. Solstice, too, was a pick for best of year 2011 at Music Road.

Songs from the tradition in English and Irish, classy contemporary songs, and original music that engages aspects of Irish myth and nature with daily life today, not to mention a fine voice, thoughtful interpretation, and great backing from the likes of John Doyle and John McCusker: The Farthest Wave from Cathie Ryan would make a fine gift for an Irish music lover on your list, or someone you’d like to introduce to Irish music.

How about a Christmas album or two?. Cherish the Ladies have two holiday albums out, and they’d both be good selections for giving and for your own listening. A Star in the East finds lead singer Michelle Lee Burke having a fine time with All on a Christmas Morning and Home on Time for Christmas, while the always stellar musicianship of this group shines on the Greensleeves Jig and The Frost Is All Over. On Christmas Night also from CTL offers a lovely version of that quintessential Irish song of winter, The Castle of Dromore, with Heidi Talbot as the singer, along with well chosen selections of seasonal song and tune, including an understated version of the often overstated O Holy Night, with Talbot again on voice.




If tunes are what you are looking for, Shannon Heaton’s album of original and traditional music on the flute The Blue Dress is just what you’re looking for. The folk as RTE Lyric fm have put together Masters of the Irish Harp which makes a good choice too. It’s a gathering of tune and talent that’s both instructive and enjoyable, with a wide ranging group of players who are truly masters at what they do.

If reading about Irish music is to your gift recipients’ tastes, then you’ll want to consider Bright Star of the West: Joe Heaney, Irish Song Man. Joe Heaney was a legendary sean nos singer from Connemara , in the west of Ireland. He was also a complicated and complex man living at a time of transition for Irish and Irish American music. Though the prose is more than a bit dry and academic, authors Sean Williams and Lillis O’Laoire, professors as well as musicians, take the facts of Heaney ‘s life into discussion of sean nos, Irish traditional music, the role of men in Irish traditional culture, the nature of Irish American life, and other subjects.

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Music Road: Best Music, 2011
Music Road: holiday gift list: music of Canada
Wreath, music and legend

Music for the first week in Advent: candle in the window

There is a tradition in Irish households, in Ireland and through the Irish diaspora across the world, to leave a light in the window on Christmas eve, and at times during other nights in December as well. This is meant to show that the holy family, on their journey seeking shelter that Christmas eve in Bethlehem, would be welcome. It’s also meant to show that Christ is welcome here, and that strangers weary on the road this Christmas season find welcome at this home. The Christ candle, we always called it when I was growing up.

Moya Brennan and Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh grew up in Donegal, in the north west of Ireland. They went their separate ways into top level careers in music, Brennan playing the harp and singing with the group Clannad and Ni Mhaonaigh singing and playing the fiddle with the band Altan. Each has had success as a solo artist, as well. In this video, they are taking a walk on a winter day in Donegal, and they sing a song Mairéad wrote, called Soilse na Nollaig, which you might translate to English as Christmas lights or December lights. It’s a fine song to hear during this first week in Advent.




Moya and Mairéad recently joined forces with two other childhood friends to form the group T with the Maggies, and they’ve so far released one album. They have done several Christmas concerts in Ireland, so perhaps a holiday album may in future. Music Road: from Donegal: T with the Maggies

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Music Road: Dual: Julie Fowlis & Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Music Road: Cathie Ryan: teaching tradition