In this setting we'll be doing songs appreciative of nature and some old favorites.
Julia and I have been working on a book of traditional songs collected in Maine in the early 20th century. We were on the verge of self-publishing when the manuscript was picked up by Loomis House Publishing. Bygone Ballads of Maine, Vol I – Songs of Ships, Sailors & the Sea contains 165 nautically themed songs, with attendant notes. This is not an archival work — our intention is to have a book that can be used by singers. To that end we have "mended" songs where there were missing verses or lines, either by pulling from other versions or by adding new material.
We have started taking pre-orders at the discounted price of $25 including free shipping.
The manuscript is in the final edit stage as of September 1. We are looking for a late September or early October 2021 release.
The cover price of the book is $30 plus shipping.
Castlebay has been musically weaving together the heritage of New England and the Celtic lands since 1987. Members Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have loved and researched traditional music for most of their lives and blend history, legend and experience into their personable performance style. Their concerts feature poignant ballads sung in Lane's ethereal soprano and Gosbee's rich baritone interspersed with joyous dance tunes played on Celtic harp, guitar, fiddle and tin whistle. Castlebay treats the audience to a musical journey through time and across the Atlantic. The duo also presents special theme concerts on various aspects of Celtic lore, nautical life or Colonial America.
"What captivated [the audience] were Julia and Fred's musicianship, the apparent casualness with which they weave their listeners into magical worlds of storytelling, song, and harp, and their down-to-earth (and sea) Maine coast and Celtic tunes, tales, and salty humor".
Castlebay has toured the Eastern U.S., Ireland, England and Scotland playing at festivals and arts centers, as well as on radio and television. The duo maintains a commitment to cultural education, exchanging music and lore with colleagues. They provide folklore and music programs for schools, museums, libraries and Elderhostels exploring Celtic lore and tradition throughout the eastern US and the British Isles. Castlebay has released 35 recordings including both original and traditional songs, Christmas harp recordings, and the "Tapestry" collection, a 6-part instrumental series.
None of this would be possible without the help and support of many friends. Our thanks to you all.
Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee are members of American Federation of Musicians Local 1000.
Why Tradition?
The people who inhabit a region resonate to their environment, working with it to survive and even to enrich their lives. Work habits and social behaviors arise according to their relationships with seasons, weather and the condition of the land. From these come belief systems, folklore, art and music. Immigrants carry the ancient traditions of their race as well as internalizing the influences of the new place.
In the drive for "progress and success" awareness of connections and responsibility for each other and our environment has been obscured. One of our biggest needs is to understand and appreciate community and resources, both environmental and spiritual. The knowledge of these relationships is paramount in Celtic tradition and has relevance in modern society.
The music and lore of both the Celtic lands and New England is alive with imagery associated with our relationships to each other and the natural world. The stories and songs are a vehicle for explaining them and attempting to transform, or be transformed by them. Hearing and understanding ancient stories and music inspired by elemental experience can help us refill our own wells of creativity and reweave the web of connection. They are timeless, and provide revelation, and even healing, for both the bard and the audience.
Castlebay is eligible for funding support from NEST Roster - New England Foundation for the Arts and is listed in the Maine Arts Commission Artist Directory
Julia and Fred are members of American Federation of Musicians Local 1000 and are eligible for funding through the Music Performance Trust Fund
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About the Newsletter
We send out the newsletter 6-12 times a year. You will get a bit of news about our adventures, pre-release info about our recordings and a summary of upcoming concerts. You can opt out of our mailing list any time.
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CONCERTS
Previous events
Sail with us and enjoy the music of Maine as well as the Celtic lands of Scotland and Ireland. Concerts and informal workshops aboard. Bring your voice, and your musical instrument if you have one!
This is a commemorative concert remembering the Hesper and the Luther Little, two four-masted schooners that were abandoned in Wiscasset just beside US 1. They were there from the early 1930s until they were removed in 1988.
Private Event
Rescheduled from August 5. The event is free and open to the public.
These songs are part of a rich heritage of singing and storytelling that came with immigrants to Maine from Britain, Scotland, and Ireland. Some retain the original lyrics and melodies. Others have been changed as memory and environment have dictated. These songs give us a window into history, romance, anxiety, and humor shared by our ancestors at work and leisure.
We'll be doing some historical songs with an eye toward local characters and events.
Live music takes place from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm with food and beer. The Local first started with the concept of bringing the community together and socializing around local food and drink. People can purchase their tickets either online or at Morning Glory. Capacity is 100 people.
$16 General, 10 & Under are Free.
We'll be doing songs from Julia's forthcoming book 'Songs of the Sea, Ships & Sailors.' If we have a firm release date by then we'll also be taking orders.
17th-18th century song and dance workshop
Pownalborough Courthouse, 23 Courthouse Road, Dresden, ME 04342
We will be instructing area reinactors on songs and dances of the 17th and 18th century as well as the finer points of historically acceptable flirting.
Bygone Ballads of Maine
Next Generation Theatre at Between Friends Art Center, 39 Center Street, Brewer, ME 04412
We'll be sharing some maritime songs from Julia's upcoming book of traditional Maine songs collected in the early 20th century.
$18 advance/ $20 at doorClick here for concert guidelines https://www.cadenzafreeport.com/covid-message. The concert will be live streamed on the Cadenza facebook page. Donations to the musicians are encouraged.
A May Garland is a concert in celebration of the Celtic holiday of Beltane, also known as May Day. In olden times a "garland" was not only a woven chain of flowers, but also a collection of songs and music. In this May Garland, traditional musicians Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee of Round Pond (known as Castlebay) will join voices and instruments to weave together songs and tunes, poetry and lore all celebrating the coming of Spring. These fine singers support their vocals with a variety of instruments including Celtic harps 12 string guitar, fiddle, and woodwinds.
The evidence left us by the early inhabitants of the British Isles indicates that they viewed the calendar year as a circle or wheel with fixed points determined by solar and lunar activity. In addition to the well-known solstices and equinoxes, the ancients marked the cross quarter days or halfway points between with appropriate celebration. Beltane, also called May Day, is one of these "cross-quarter" days and is celebrated on May 1st, the midpoint between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. In Northern Europe, the first of May has been, since ancient times, a time for revelry and celebration. The world is finally released from Winter’s grasp and Spring rejuvenates every living thing.
The music and lore of the Celtic lands is alive with imagery associated with the turning points of the year and our relationship to the natural world. New life in all it's forms is celebrated as are symbols assuring the fertility of animals and crops for the rest of the year. The great fruitfulness of the earth and the exuberance of Spring, the "Queen of May" and her consort, the Green Man, are honored, beginning the night before, with a carefree sense of playful abandon. In many areas, these traditions are still carried on as, rising to greet the dawn, celebrants sing, gather flowers, dance around the May Pole and parade through the streets.
Drive Cold Winter Away” — songs and tunes from Ireland, Scotland and the British Isles.
Boothbay Opera House, 86 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Maine’s premier Celtic duo, Castlebay, will “drive cold winter away” with joyous and mysterious seasonal songs and tunes from Ireland, Scotland and the British Isles. The lilting sound of Celtic harp, Irish flute, fiddle and guitar will mingle with vibrant songs of revelry and wonder. Come celebrate, sing along and experience a little Celtic enchantment. LIMITED SEATING. All Reserved, Socially Distanced. Masks required. Windows open, so bring jackets and blankets. 7 PM Concert, doors open at 6:30. Bar serving refreshments. Advance tickets are $20, and available only directly from the Box Office at 207-633-5159.
Seasoned with heritage and humor, Castlebay’s ‘T is Winter Now-Christmas in New England program features both colonial and contemporary music, poetry and stories of winter in New England. Songs and traditional tunes accompanied with guitar, Celtic harp, fiddle and woodwinds lift the spirit and warm the heart. Due to Covid19 concerns there will be no in-house audience. The show will be livestreamed on our the Camden Opera House facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/camdenoperahouse