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Past Lives and Restless Spirits
The Best of Gabriel's Gate
(C)opyright © 2007 Gabriel's Legacy Music.All rights reserved.
Revised liner notes by Frank Blair
Track List
1: The Butterfly / Drowsy Maggie / Joe Cooley's Reel / K-10
2: Arthur McBride
3: The Fife Hunt / Carmichael's Strathspey / Cup o' Tea / Lucky Bawdin's
4: So Early in the Spring / Maudabawn Chapel / Beare Island
5: The Galway Shawl
6: Grace
7: Mrs. O'Brien's / Master of the Sea / Flailng Katana
8: The Koteka / The Mossy Cottage / Lads of Leisure / The Fountain Raiders / Hound in the Hedgerow
9: Pat Murphy
10: The Friggin Reel / Farewell to Summer / Trip to Belgium
11: Denis Murphy's Polka / The 42£ Cheque / John Ryan's Polka
12: All the Cats Are Sailing / The Moving Cloud
13: Malcolm's Waltz
14: Gallipoli
1: The Butterfly / Drowsy Maggie / Joe Cooley's Reel / K-10
The first three tunes in this set are fairly common session tunes. The Butterfly and Drowsy Maggie are a popular slip jig and reel respectively. Joe Cooley's Reel refers to the great box player from Co. Galway. K-10 is an original tune by Keith and refers to the state highway that connects Lawrence, Kansas with the greater Kansas City area. The tune is meant to infer a trip down that road at a higher than recommended speed (an experience about which we can only speculate). If you listen close you can hear the occasional overpass and tin can.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Keith: Fiddle, flute
Brett: Accordion
Frank: Guitar
2: Arthur McBride
This anti-recruiting song has been in the repertoire of Celtic singers and bands for longer than anyone can remember. It was reported in the 1840s in Limerick and Donegal. There are also English and Scottish variants. Current speculation is that it is 18th century originated either in Scotland or Ireland. I gave it the "Latin-esque" beat while doing solo gigs in Leavenworth, Kansas at Rory's Irish Pub. The count off started with Brett counting off in German at a gig. An offhand comment during a rehearsal led us to the exclamation about bread.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Guitar, vocals
Keith: Mandolin, backing vocals, counting
Brett: Accordion, counting
I had a first cousin called Arthur McBride
He and I took a stroll down by the seaside
To seek our good fortune and what might betide
For it being on Christmas morning
And after resting we both took a tramp
We met Sgt Harper and Cpl Cramp
Besides the drummer who beat up our camp
With his row-dee-dow-dow in the morning.
"Well now," says the Sgt, "if you will enlist
It's ten guineas I quickly shall shove in your fist
Besides a crown for the kick up the dust
And drink the King's health in the morning"
Had we been such fools as to take the advance
The wee bit of morning we bartered on chance
For you have no scruples to send us to France
Where we would be killed without warning
"Well now," says the Sgt, "if I hear but one word
I instantly now will out with my sword
And into your bodies as strength will afford
So now my gay devils take warning"
But Arthur and I, we took in the odds
We gave them no chance for to launch out their swords
Our whacking shillaleghs came over their heads
And paid them look smart in the morning.
As for the wee drummer, we rifled his pouch
And made a football of his row-dee-dow-dow
Threw it in the ocean to rock and roll
And bade it a tedious returning
As for the old rapier that hung by his side
We flung it as far as we could in the tide
"To the Devil I pitch ye, " says Arthur McBride
To temper your steel in the morning.
3: The Fife Hunt / Carmichael's Strathspey / Cup o' Tea / Lucky Bawdin's
We always had a more "Scottish" or "Bluegrass" view of the world of tunes and how they should be played. We devised this set to accentuate that tendency. We played The Fife Hunt as a slow reel that leads into Carmichael's Strathspey. Brett found Cup o' Tea and Lucky Bawdin's in 1001 Fiddle Tunes and thought they had the kind of sound we were looking for.
Recorded on: Departures (2001)Frank: Bouzouki
Sean: Guitar
Brett: Accordion
Keith: Fiddle, whistle
4: So Early in the Spring / Maudabawn Chapel / Beare Island
I first learned So Early in the Spring from the singing of Jacqui MacShee of the group Pentangle, but by the time I wanted to perform it, I had forgotten most of the words. So I pieced together memories with several available sources to get something that seemed to make sense. This version is obviously Scottish in origin although the song exists in the Appalachians as well and England. When the band was performing we'd often have reason to do things as smaller sets (a necessary trip to the Necessary, for example - it is a bar after all.) Keith and I would do the song and tunes together as a duet as it is presented here. Maudabawn Chapel is an Ed Reavy tune. Ed Reavy was a fiddler and prolific composer of more than 400 peculiarly fluid, meandering tunes. He was born in 1898 in County Cavan at Maudabawn. This tune is named for the local church. Reavy moved to the States in 1912 and ended up in Drexel Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia, working as a plumber. He died in 1988. A later incarnation of the band took the name Cavan, partly as an homage to the impact the Ed Reavy had on the Celtic tune canon. Keith learned this tune from the playing of Phil and John Cunningham. Beare Island is a composition by Richard Dwyer of Castletownbeare, Co. Cork. It came to us from the playing of Kevin Burke.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Vocals, guitar
Keith: Fiddle
So early in the spring
I shed Dunbar to serve my King
I left my dearest dear behind
She often swore her heart was mine
For many days I sailed the seas
I could not find a moment's ease
In thinking on my dearest dear
But never a word of her could I hear
At last we sailed into Glasgow town
I searched the streets both up and down
Inquiring on my dearest dear
But never a word of her could I hear
So I went unto her father's hall
And loudly for my love did call
My daughter is married, a rich man's wife
She's wed to another, much better for life.
Then God curse your gold and your silver too
And God curse the girl who won't prove true
I'll sail the seas til the day I die
Braving waters warm and breakers high
5: The Galway Shawl
I had known of The Galway Shawl long before I actually learned it for performance. I was doing solo gigs in Leavenworth, Kansas and the owner of the bar where I was playing had heard Tom Dahill (a fine musician from Minneapolis) play it and had come to really like it. It's normally done a bit more jauntily but I thought it was better suited with a slightly slower, more measured presentation. It's most comfortable for me to sing in Eb (a horrible key for most other players), but Keith happened to have a bamboo flute that fell nicely in Eb.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Vocals, guitar
Keith: Flute
Brett: Accordion
In Oranmore in the County Galway
One pleasant evening in the month of May
I spied a lady, she was young and handsome
Her beauty fairly won my heart away
Refrain
She wore no jewels, no gold nor diamonds
No paint nor powder, no none at all
She wore a bonnet with a ribbon on it
And round her shoulders, the Galway shawl
We kept on walking, we kept on talking
Til her father's cottage came into view
Said she, "Come in sir and meet my father
And for the please him play The Foggy Dew"
So I played The Blackbird and the Stack of Barley
Played Rodney's Glory and The Foggy Dew
She sang each note like an Irish linnet
The tears fell down from her eyes so blue
Twas early early all in the morning
I hit the road for old Donegal
Said she "Goodbye sir" and as she cried
My heart remained with the Galway shawl
6: Grace
Although a modern song, the subject matter of Grace is deeply entrenched in the politics of the Easter Uprising in 1916. Joseph Mary Plunkett, the narrator of the song, was one of the principle players in the uprising. A poet, playwright, and student of Irish history he was also a founding member of the Military Committee of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) and was initimately connected with planning an uprising to bring self-government to Ireland. He met and fell in love with Grace Gifford, the sister in law of one of his close friends Tomas MacDonagh, in 1915 and a wedding date was set -- Easter Sunday 1916. Joseph had long been in ill-health and a few days before Easter he was hospitalized and had surgery for glandular tuberculosis and their wedding was postponed. Due to a series of miscommunications, internal tensions, and bad luck the uprising started on Easter Monday and Joseph left his sick-bed and joined Padraic Pearse and the other leaders at the GPO (General Post Office). When the uprising was supressed after 6 days he was taken prisoner to Kilmainham Gaol where he was tried with the others and sentenced to death. He petitioned the judge and warden to allow him to marry Grace before he was executed and the request was granted. A few hours before he was to be executed, he and Grace were wed in the prison chapel at Kilmainham. Early in the morning of May 4th 1916 they were given a few minutes to be alone together. Shortly thereafter he was executed. Grace Gifford Plunkett never remarried and later was held in Kilmainham Gaol herself during the Irish civil war. The reference in the last line is to one of Joseph Plunkett's more well known poems "I See His Blood Upon the Rose".
This is a rebel tune in many ways, but more than that it is a love song.Recorded on: Foundation (1998)
Frank: Vocal, guitar
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
As we gather in the chapel here in old Kilmainham Gaol
I think about the last few weeks, oh will they say we failed?
From our school days they have taught us we must yearn for liberty
But my only wish in this dark place is to have you here with me
Refrain
So Grace just hold me in your arms and let the moment linger
For they'll take us out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I slip this wedding ring upon your finger
Now we won't have time to share our love, but we must say goodbye
Grace, I know it's hard for you to ever understand
The love I bear for these brave men, my love for this dear land
But when Padraig called me to his side down at the GPO
I had to leave my own sickbed, to him I had to go
So as the dawn is breaking, sure my heart is breaking too
And as they lead me out to die my thoughts will be with you
So I'll scratch some words upon the wall so that everyone will know
You loved so much that you could see our blood upon the rose.
7: Mrs. O'Brien's / Master of the Sea / Flailng Katana
Mrs. O'Brien's is an original slow jig that I wrote in honor of my mother-in-law, Shirley Gresham O'Brien. An incredibly interesting person that I was not able to fully come to know. She passed away during the recording sessions for Departures. Keith spent some time working for the Missouri Repertory Theater providing music for their productions. Master of the Sea is an original tune of his that came from that experience. Brett started applying his considerable skill to composition and Flailing Katana was one of the results. The short form of the story involves Brett confronting an intruder in his home in the wee hours of a morning by brandishing a katana in a menacing fashion. At some point, Brett realized that he was naked. We are uncertain which weapon frightened the intruder more.
Recorded on: Departures (2001)Frank: Bouzouki
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
Sean: Guitar
8: The Koteka / The Mossy Cottage / Lads of Leisure / The Fountain Raiders / Hound in the Hedgerow
This set of original tunes (two jigs and three reels) was devised to let us highlight the composing styles of the individual members of the band. Brett wrote The Koteka and named it after an Indonesian social adornment. Frank wrote The Mossy Cottage, whose name comes from the "Big Book of Filth" (you'll have to look it up yourself.) We explored French-Canadian tunes at some point and Keith was inspired enough to write Lads of Leisure, a reference to his cats. We were left with a conundrum of where to go out of Keith's tune in D-major so Brett suggested G-minor and wrote a tune to fill the need. The Fountain Raiders is named after a story involving a couple young ladies, a late night drive, running out of gas, and a clandestine operation to liberate gas money from a nearby fountain. Finally Hound in the Hedgerow is a Keith composition and a quick reel that lets us all end together. Sean provides the backbone for the set, moving fluidly with us through each of the seemingly disparate styles and keeping it all together.
Recorded on: Departures (2001)Frank: Bouzouki
Sean: Guitar
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
9: Pat Murphy
I was introduced to this song about 20 years ago now in the playing of a group called Clairseach. It also goes by the names Pat Murphy of the Irish Brigade or Song of the Splintered Shillalegh. The song itself comes from the American music halls of the 1860-70s . During the American Civil War there were several units organized from the increasing immigrant populations. As its name sugggests, the Irish Brigade was composed mainly of Irish immigrants. The commander most often associated with the Irish Brigade was Gen. Thomas Meagher, who is mentioned in the song. Known for his anti-English sentiment he had been exiled to Tasmania for his separatist views, escaped, and eventually made it to America. Elements of the Irish Brigade were organized expressly to earn combat experience to be used in trying to free Ireland, possibly by invading Canada to hold parts of it ransom. That notwithstanding, the 69th New York, the core of the Irish Brigade, was known for hard fighting and easy hospitality. They were highly decorated, valorous soldiers and regardless of their political sentiments their cause was ultimately an American one. The songwriter hopes that their sacrifice and contribution won't be forgotten by their adopted home. We tried to do our part to ensure that it won't be. True to the spirit of those that volunteered on both sides, we arranged in both Dixie and The Star Spangled Banner to compliment the song.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Vocal, guitar
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
Twas the night before battle and gathered in groups
The soldiers held close to their quarters
A-thinking no doubt of their loved ones at home
Of wives mothers sisters and daughters
With a pipe in his mouth sat a handsome young blade
And his song he was singing so sweetly
His name is Pat Murphy of the Irish Brigade
And he sings of the land of shillalegh.
Says Pat to his comrades, "Its a shame for to see
brothers fighting in such a queer fashion.
But I'll fight til I tie if I shouldn't get killed
For Amerikay's bright starry banner."
Far away to the east is a handsome young blade
His song he was singing so sweetly
It's honest Pat Murphy of Meagher's Brigade
And he sings of the land of shillalegh.
But the morning came soon and poor Paddy awoke
While the rebels had their satisfaction
The drummers were beating The Devil's Tattoo
A-calling the boys into action
Then on the field of battle was seen
Their blood for the cause flowing freely
But their bayonet charges they lead on the field
With a cry for the land of shillalegh.
Now the battle is over, the dead lay in heaps
Pat Murphy lays bleeding and gory
A hole through his head from a rifleman's shot
Had ended his passion for glory
No more in the camp will his laughter be heard
Nor his song he was singing so sweetly
He died like a hero in the land of the free
Far away from the land of shillalegh.
Now surely Columbia will never forget
While honor and fame hold communion
How bravely our Irish volunteers fought
In defense of the land of our Union
And if ever old Ireland for freedom should strike
Will a helping hand offer it freely?
And the Stars and Stripes can be seen alongside
Of the flag of the Land of Shillalegh.
10: The Friggin Reel / Farewell to Summer / Trip to Belgium
Another all original tune set. The Friggin Reel originally had a much stronger, more expletive enriched title which was hastily changed when had to perform a gig in a church. It was christened after I had spent an entire evening trying to record it for presentation to the rest of the band, having to start over after each mistake. Farewell to Summer was one of the first original tunes that I submitted to the band for arrangement. It's a reel, which is unusual for my writing style, and had an interesting sound that we decided to take in a "klezmer-esque" direction. Trip to Belgium was written by committee one evening at rehearsal as we tried to find a good exit tune for the set. I had some chord changes; Keith added a base melody; we tweaked it together from there.
Recorded on: Departures (2001)Frank: Bouzouki
Keith: Fiddle, mandolin
Brett: Accordion
Sean: Guitar
11: Denis Murphy's Polka / The 42£ Cheque / John Ryan's Polka
These are three popular polkas. Denis Murphy's and John Ryan's make the round of sessions very regularly. Planxty did these tunes as a set on their Cold Blow and the Rainy Night album. We made a few changes giving them a little more bluegrass-y sort of feel. I had also wanted to try shifting The 42£ Cheque into Dminor which gave it sort of a gypsy vibe.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Guitar
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
12: All the Cats Are Sailing / The Moving Cloud
Keith brought these tunes to the band's attention as a set. All the Cats Are Sailing was written by Keith, inspired by an old session tune All the Ships Are Sailing. The Moving Cloud is itself an old session tune. We arranged this set guided by the spirit of Matt Malloy with a healthy dose of backbeat.
Recorded on: Foundation (1998)Frank: Guitar
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
13: Malcolm's Waltz
I wrote this tune in the summer of 2000 while we were rehearsing and putting the final set list together for what would become Departures. I have long struggled with weight issues and they came to a head for me that year. I turned to surgery to offer a light at the end of the tunnel. In the process of researching surgical options, I came across the website of Malcolm Wilcox. He was my age, almost exactly my size, was having the same sort of problems and come to the same conclusions. I followed his entries closely and saw a lot of myself in his posts. He was having his surgery in May and I had found his journals just a few days before his scheduled time and they struck very close to home. I was hoping that he would be an inspiration. I had planned on contacting him post-op as we had so much in common. Unfortunately, I never did.
Malcolm collapsed and passed away a couple days after surgery. I had a snippet of a tune running around in my head at the time and I finished it off in a few days and presented it to the band. We got it worked up and put it on the album. It was one of our best received tunes and continues to be the one that I'm most proud of having written -- my tribute to a friend I never met.
Frank: Bouzouki
Keith: Fiddle
Brett: Accordion
Sean: Guitar
14: Gallipoli
This song seems to come from the period just after the end of World War I. I came to know it from the playing of The Fureys. It pushes several buttons, being a sentimental song of the war, an anti-recruiting song, and a rebel tune all at once. While I was familiar with Gallipoli and it's impact in WWI, I didn't have a good feel for the real toll that this campaign took until I was in the band with Brett, who's family was intimately involved. This is Brett's perspective from the original liner notes :
"Growing up in New Zealand gave Brett a unique perspective on World War One and its meaning. ANZAC Day (a national holiday in NZ and Australia every April 25th) is commemorated with dawn parades, firing of cannons, and poppies worn by the nation as a reminder to such a tragic waste of life. Nowhere was this waste more exemplified than on the beaches of Gallipoli. As a boy, Brett had marched as a flag bearer with the remaining few survivors of this "Great War." As a teenager, he learned from his grandfather that their family had lost several of its sons to this futile campaign. Later he learned how ANZAC troops were used by the British as a dispensable military decoy; there were, after all, colonists. As an adult, he came to understand a burgeoning nation's credo for this important day: 'Lest We Forget.'"
Frank: Guitar
Brett: Accordion
I remember the day, it stands clear in my mind
We were down at Dun Laoghaire to wave you goodbye
Your ma was quietly weeping, there was a tear in my eye
As you sailed to Gallipoli to die
Refrain
You were all that we had, your mammy and me
When you marched, head erect we were proud as could be
And it killed your poor ma and it's slowly killed me
When you were blown to kingdom come on the shores of Gallipoli
You looked so proud as you stood there, a glint in your eye
We sang rebel songs as the streamers flew high
Your ma turned away and I heard her sigh
For you were sailing to Gallipoli to die
We only got the one letter, but we knew right away
It said "Deepest regrets. Your son was bold and he was brave"
You were only eighteen but your mammy and I
Let you go to Gallipoli to die
You died for the wrong country, died for the wrong cause
Your ma often said that it was Ireland's great loss
All the young men who marched to foreign shores to fight the war
When the greatest war of all was at home
Credits
K-10, Master of the Sea, Lads of Leisure, Hound in the Hedgerow, All the Cats are Sailing-- (C)opyright © 2001 Keith Van Winkle. All rights reserved.
Mrs. O'Brien's, The Mossy Cottage, The Friggin Reel, Farewell to Summer, Malcolm's Waltz
-- (C)opyright © 2001 Frank Blair. All rights reserved.
The Flailing Katana, The Koteka, The Fountain Raiders
-- (C)opyright © 2001 Brett Gibson. All rights reserved.
Grace
-- (C)opyright © Sean and Frank O'Meara, Bardis Music. All rights reserved.
All other tracks traditional, arranged Gabriel's Gate. (C)opyright © 1997-2007. All rights reserved.