Stock# H003
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The
new CD "Home from the sea" by Jacouse contains 12 songs
performed by Margo, Arthur and Andrew. You can read the sleeve
note , historical notes on each song, and the lyrics
on this page.
|
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Jacouse - "Home from the sea"
“Here he lies where he longed to be; Here is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill”
by Robert Louis Stevenson
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Stock# H003
|
The
new CD "Home from the sea" by Jacouse contains 12 songs
performed by Margo, Arthur and Andrew. You can read the sleeve
note , historical notes on each song, and the lyrics
on this page.
|
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Arthur Wilson and Margo Falconer
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Jacouse
are Arthur Wilson and Margo Falconer, a brother and sister who have been singing
together and recording as a duo and with bands for over 15 years. They
have recently been joined by Andrew Hennessey on fiddle. and the result is
an interesting blend of pop, traditional folk and country music
What makes Jacouse different is that not only are they comfortable playing their own music, but are equally at home playing traditional scottish music or contemporary pop.
Andrew Hennessey - aka - AMBASSADOR XORG - composes and plays, starfish electric fiddle, acoustic fiddle, whistle, keyboards, bodhran - with the cast of SOLAN GLOBAL FOUNDRY.
'Cauther Fairs, Something Old, Something New' which enjoys favour with BBC Radio Scotland, presenting a variety of styles and Celtic sounds. Andrew Hennessey - 'The Fidel of Xorg' is a cross-section of musical idioms played on electric and acoustic violin by Andrew - originator of the Edinburgh Fiddle Style. The Mystery of Stargate Edinburgh - [narrated] Hennessey backs up his Netradioshow with the amazing alien and masonic mystery of Edinburgh - one of the worlds best kept secrets - The Mystery of Stargate Edinburgh. X-Files research into the Edinburgh UFO scene - narrated by Margot Daru - with some excellent and uplifting piping at the end. AEON - [narrated] A star wars faerie tale for the 3rd millennium.
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Andrew Hennessey |
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What is tradition?; is a question which, at first, may seem to be answered easily. Surely tradition is what has been around forever, or at least as long as anyone can remember. But tradition is in fact a much more elusive term to define. Traditions can be invented literally overnight and a spurious genealogy used to support a fake heritage. In Scotland we are, arguably, world leaders in the manufacture of an often kitsch quasi-historical view of ourselves - a perspective which is then accommodated and augmented by others. Call it ‘Balmorality’ or the ‘Brigadoon Syndrome’, but there is a disingenuous and unforgivable mythologising around so many so-called traditional aspects of Scottish culture. Our national psyche is so over-burdened with Scotch Myths, that at times there seems little room left to entertain the possibility of vibrant and energetic cultural development. One definition of tradition is not a moribund cultural fossil but rather what can be reinterpreted by successive generations who may find value and meaning for their own times. This is what Arthur Wilson, his sister Margo Falconer and their friend Andrew Hennessey have done in this collection. Scotland has a long tradition of song and it has been argued by the distinguished authority Hamish Henderson, amongst others, that there exists here less of a gap between folk culture on the one hand and high culture on the other than is the case with our southern neighbour, England. Whatever one thinks of this argument there is little doubt that a strong and vibrant undercurrent of song has always persisted in many parts of Scotland, often in those places where one may least expect to find it. Lying only a few miles east of Edinburgh on the sea coast of the Firth of Forth the community of Prestonpans is one such place. Eclipsed by its larger neighbour, few visitors will venture to “The Pans”. Yet the town has a pride and fragile beauty which can only be experienced by going there, walking around and listening to its inhabitants. Arthur and Margo’s family tradition is rooted in this community - both their grandfathers were miners. Music was very much a part of their upbringing, inherited from both sides of the family, but in particular from their maternal grandmother McArthur (née Margaret Hamilton). These songs were known to and sung by her and were part of her musical heritage reaching back into previous generations. As with my own grandmother (née Agnes Burns) grandmother McArthur was born around the turn of the century and would have known those who could remember people born soon after Burns’ death in 1796. Thus a very real and living tradition can be claimed for the handing down of musical material recorded here. Despite its proximity to the avowedly Anglicised Athens of the North, the speech and character of Prestonpans is distinctively Scottish. Indeed, the Scots language finds a secure stronghold in this part of the country. This is no fake tradition but a living, loving tongue which persists to this day in the mouths of the people. It is a way of speaking shared by Arthur Wilson and his family. It is neither affectation nor imposition but a quietly proud mode of expression. A kind of music or a mouth-poem where the accumulated experience of history, geology and climate intermix. The sea, the land and the sky imbue it with a brittle flavour. Scots is also the language of most of songs we hear in this collection. For let us be clear about a few facts. Scots is undoubtedly the majority language of Scotland. Grammar, phraseology, vocabulary and cadence set it apart from the English language. The language shares a common lineage with English but its use and currency go back many centuries and the literary tradition which evolved from a spoken one can be traced back at least as far as the 13th century. And although Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Lady Nairne and others knew the language and Burns, in particular, spoke Scots as his ‘mither tongue’, these figures functioned not as composers, but as collectors, often setting existing lyrics to older melodies, and modifying vocabulary and structure to suit their own tastes or the tastes dictated by the time. Here we find not preserved remnants of song but an amalgam of various forms where older oral forms have been altered and preserved. One definition of tradition, therefore, may be a cultural form which has been continuously modified and remains open to reinterpretation. Interestingly, and in line with this tradition of evolution and adaptation, Arthur and Margo, assisted by Andrew have added their own touches and peculiarities to many of these songs. One of these is the instrumental version - performed by Andrew - of ‘Johnnie Cope’. This was composed in the aftermath of the battle of Prestonpans in 1745 - a Jacobite victory over the Hanoverian forces under the command of General John Cope. (The lyrics, by Adam Skirving of Haddington, and melody were transcribed by Burns around 1790). The setting here hints at the Gaelic tradition of its composition through the use of bodhran (a traditional small drum) and whistle. It is, in words which Burns may have used, ‘a richt guid rant’. Returning to their own speech and their own community, Arthur, Margo and Andrew have found a music which best expresses their love of place and people. GILES SUTHERLAND Giles Sutherland is a writer and critic. He currently writes a column on visual art for ‘The Times’ |
Jock o' HazeldeanThis romantic ballad was one of many written by the famous Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, 1771-1832 who spent much of his time in his home, Abbotsford, in the Scottish Borders. He was very interested in preserving the local traditional songs and stories and he wrote this song for his daughter, basing it on an old border legend. It tells the story of a young girl being promised riches and titles if she marries a nobleman's son, Frank, Chief of Errington and Lord of Langley Dale However, she is crying because she is in love with someone else who does not have a title. The last verse is exciting and joyful as she runs away with her lover, Jock o' Hazeldean leaving the rich bridegroom standing at the altar. "Why weep ye by the tide,
ladye? "Now let this wilfu' grief be
done, "A chain of gold thou shalt
not lack, The kirk was decked at mornin'
tide loot - let Johnnie Cope (Instrumental)This jaunty melody is an old Scottish fiddle tune and the title refers to an English general, Sir John (Johnnie) Cope. This instrumental version was arranged by Andrew while Arthur sings the song on track 12. Aye Waukin' O!A very sad song written by Robert Burns, 1759 - 1796. The person in the song is grieving after losing a lover and cannot sleep (Aye waukin' oh - always awake). What makes it so poignant is that the joy of spring time contrasts with the lover's sadness. This song was sung last year at the funeral of Donald Dewar, the First Minister of the new Scottish Parliament. Aye waukin' o! Waukin', aye, an'
wearie;
The De'il's awa' wi' the ExcisemanA lively dance tune called "The Hempdresser " with words by Burns. It shows how much the people wish that the exciseman (custom's officer) would be taken away, so that they enjoy themselves drinking and dancing. Various Scottish dances are mentioned in the song. Burns wrote the words when he was actually working as an exciseman himself! The de'il cam' fiddlin' thro' the
toun,
The Queen's MarysThere are many versions of this ballad. It is based on the legend that Mary, Queen of Scots had four ladies in waiting and one of them was executed on the Queen's orders. This was because she had caught the attention of the Queen's husband. In the song the unfortunate lady is sadly lamenting how it was her beauty that led to her death. There are also various suggestions as to who the "me" in the song refers to. Could it be, Marie Hamilton, Marie Fleming, Marie Ogilvy? Who knows? The list is endless.
Duncan GrayAgain, this is an old Scottish fiddle tune used by Burns to reflect the jauntiness of Duncan in this poem. When Duncan continually tries to woo Maggie she spurns his advances, but when the tables are turned and he ignores her pleas, she is not long in attempting to do a bit of wooing herself! All ends happily. O gin I Were a Baron's HeirIn this Burns song the young man is admitting to his girl that he has nothing to offer her but his love, admitting that he has no riches or titles. We are led to expect that the girl will say she loves him, as he is expressing his feelings so beautifully. The melody is an old Scottish air.
Logie o' BuchanThe girl in this song appears to be telling the local laird (lord) about the pressure she is under to marry a well off suitor after her young lover has been taken away. However she vows to remain true to him, just as he has promised he will return to her. The words are set to an old Scottish melody. O Logie o' Buchan, o Logie the
Laird
Iona Boat SongThe story goes that this melody was sung by the monks of long ago, when they rowed the dead Kings of Scotland from the mainland to be buried on the sacred island of Iona, off the West coast of Scotland. Macbeth and Duncan, who were immortalised in the play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare are buried there and their graves can still be found. The melody was arranged and the words written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton, who was the founder of The Glasgow Orpheus Choir. Softly glide we along, The Laird o' CockpenThe Laird in this song is a comical character, as he is puffed up with pride. This song was written by Lady Nairne and she pokes fun at the Laird (Lord), who is all dressed up to go courting and is amazed when the object of his affections turns down his offer of marriage. The melody is an old air "When she cam' ben, she bobbed" The Laird o' Cockpen, he's prood and he's great,
Oh, Wert Thou in the Cauld BlastThis tender love song is reputed to be one of the last songs written by Robert Burns and he wrote it for young Jessy Lewars who helped the Burns household during the poet's final illness and his wife's confinement. In it a lover is expressing the depth of his love for the young woman by declaring how he would protect her and share her worries and she would be the most important possession in his life, even if he had great riches and ruled the world. The beautiful melody is by Mendelssohn. O wert thou in the cauld blast, cauld - cold Johnnie CopeThis jaunty melody is an old Scottish fiddle tune and the title refers to an English general, Sir John (Johnnie) Cope. The writer of the lyrics, Adam Skirving, is mocking the general, whose army was defeated by the Highlanders, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, at the Battle of Prestonpans during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar, gin - if |
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