Bygone Ballads from Maine
In the early 20th century several "song catchers" traveled throughout Maine transcribing and recording songs from traditional singers. Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee research these archives and collections to find and present musical stories of romance, ramblers, and rogues. Songs and context are woven with history and humor. Castlebay interprets this music with their fine, expressive vocals accompanied by Celtic harp, guitar, fiddle, and woodwinds.
For over thirty years, Lane and Gosbee have been exploring the traditional music connections between the Celtic lands, the Canadian Maritimes and Maine. These regions share in the richness of this heritage as revealed by the many variations of ancient songs, tunes and stories carried by families moving through the area by land and sea.
Castlebay’s wide knowledge and deep cultural roots, their vocal and instrumental skills, and their personable performance style have been appreciated in museums, libraries, schools, arts centers and festivals in the US, Canada, the British Isles and Ireland
Julia Lane's ancestors have lived in Maine since the 1600’s, engaged in the traditional fishing, shipping, and lumbering industries for generations. Fred Gosbee's family were lumbermen, coming to Maine from the Maritime Provinces in 1922.
Since 1984, Castlebay has created a body of work which celebrates Maine’s heritage and environment, blending history, legend and experience into their personable performance style.
Castlebay has released over three dozen recordings and their book, Bygone Ballads of Maine, Volume I - Songs of Ships and Sailors, contains many of their findings including lyrics, tunes and relevant lore.
Castlebay’s wide knowledge and deep cultural roots, their vocal and instrumental skills, and their personable performance style have been appreciated in museums, libraries, schools, arts centers and festivals in the US, Canada, the British Isles and Ireland.
Audio Tracks
Newsletter & Concert Summary
Castlebay Concert - traditional and original songs
Sail, Power & Steam Museum, 75 Mechanic Street, Roclkland, ME
Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have been performing together since 1986 for folk clubs, concert series, libraries and festivals from Cape Breton to Florida, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. They are well-known in the mid-coast area for their sensitive arrangements of traditional songs and their original compositions. Julia has a clear soprano voice which has been compared to Jean Redpath and she is a skilled player on the Celtic harp. Fred has a warm baritone voice and plays (mostly) 14-string guitar, occasionally swapping that for Irish flute or viola to accompany Julia.
When not performing Julia is gardening or researching archives of songs collected in Maine in preparation for volume 2 of Bygone Ballads of Maine, while Fred splits his time between building another 14-string guitar and volunteering on the Virginia, a reproduction of the first English ship built in North America (Popham, Maine, 1607).
Tickets are $25 at the door with credit cards accepted. For more information, call 207-701-7627, or email <a href="mailto:sailpowersteammuseum@gmail.com">sailpowersteammuseum@gmail.com.
Past Library Performances
Anderson County Library , Anderson, SC 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019
Avon Free Public Library , Avon, CT 2004, 2005, 2010
Bangor Public Library, Bangor, Maine 2021
Camden Public Library , Camden, Maine 2003, 2005
Citizens Library , Washington, PA 2007, 2008
Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library , Clifton Park, NY 2005, 2007
Collier County Public Library , Naples, FL 2008
Crandall Public Library , Glen Falls, NY 2005
Fairfax Community Library , Fairfax, VT 2004
Jacksonville Public Library , Jacksonville, FL 2021*
Jay Niles Memorial Library , Jay, Maine 2022, 2023
Kennebunk Free Library , Kennebunk, Maine 2004, 2022
Lake Placid Memorial Library , Lake Placid, FL 2019
Lewis Public Library , Corinna, Maine 2002
Lucy Robbins Wells Library , Newington, CT` 2000
Lynn Public Library , Lynn, MA 2009
Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library , Presque Isle, Maine 2012
Memorial Hall Library, Andover, MA 2009
Newport Public Library , Newport, Maine 2022
Northeast Harbor Library , Northeast Harbor, Maine 2003
Peabody Memorial Library , Jonesport, Maine 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017
Pearl River Library , Pearl River, NY 2005, 2007, 2009
Plymouth Public Library , Plymouth, MA 2008, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Ridgefield Library , Ridgefield, CT 2008, 2016, 2022
Rockport Public Library , Rockport, Maine 2017
Rowan Public Library , Salisbury, NC 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020*
Rumford Public Library , Rumford, Maine 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
Sebring Public Library , Sebring, FL 2013
Simsbury Public Library ,Simsbury, CT 2004
Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME 2022
Smyth Library , Candia, NH 2016
Stewart Free Library, Corinna, Maine 2002, 2008
Topsham Public Library, Topsham, Maine 2023
Warner Library, Sleepy Hollow, NY 2004
Washington County Public Library, Chipley, FL 2014, 2016
Williamsburg Regional Library, Williamsburg, VA 2016
Wilton Library, Wilton, CT 2023
* postponed/canceled by Covid 19