We'll do some songs and tell about the process of finding, transcribing and editing that we engaged in to prepare the book for publication.
The book is done! 160+ songs with complete lyrics, melodies, and historic notes.
You can hear midi files of all the melodies at this link: http://castlebaycds.com/bygone_ballads_1_sound.html
"One of the very best books on historic songs of the sea. There are many such books, but few achieve such a high level throughout, with such attention to musical detail and such precise writing. The lengthy introduction itself is invaluable to anyone interested in historic music, the sea, and Maine. "
Dr. Stephen Sanfilippo, Ph.D. Maritime History, educator, performer, author & editor
"Not since Joanna Colcord published Roll and Go in 1924 have we seen such a comprehensive compilation of songs from the sea as this one. Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have brought forth not just the songs, but so much important contextual information, such as a map of the location of singers, the source of the song, the melody to which the song is sung, and editorial notes that compare songs with other known versions, or similar songs known by different names.
"This is a book that will be a treasure to singers, but also to folklorists, ballad scholars and historians. The authors have exceeded their goals to create a song book. They have created a volume that will stand proudly on library bookshelves next to books by Phillips Barry, Fannie Eckstorm, Joanna Colcord and other ballad scholars."
Pauleena MacDougall, Ph.D., Former director Maine Folklife Center, author & editor
Softcover edition is $29.95 plus s&h.
Hardcover edition is $39.95 plus s&h
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.
CONCERTS
Previous events
We'll be performing some songs from our book "Songs of Ships & Sailors" as part of the Oceans of Possibilities summer reading program.
I have been volunteering on the construction of this replica of the first ship built in Maine (1607) which will launch on June 4. There will be plenty of music, food, and ceremony.
This is a showcase or round robin concert. We'll be joining several other fine Celtic acts including Will Woodson and Catilin Finney, Kevin McElroy, Ed and Laura Pearlman, and others.
This is a Zoom presentation. Contact Maine Historical Society for details.
We'll be doing some songs and discussing how and why Julia Lane made the book, Songs of Ships & Sailors
We'll be sharing some good old Maine story-songs with 350 fifth through eighth graders.
In this setting we'll be doing songs appreciative of nature and some old favorites.
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.
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.