The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry and other legendary folk ballads  Starring three amazing and very distinct versions of The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry  song, beginning with Barbara Dickson 's version from 1996, the classic cut by Judy Collins from 1962 and concluding with a mighty June Tabor interpretation from 2011. Selkies are mythological shape shifting half seal - half human hybrids from Norse and Celtic traditions. These selkie folk (Scots) who wear seal skin could be benevolent or vengeful in equal measure but could be tricked into marrying humans by the hiding of their precious seal skins. Such unions were usually deemed to have ended in tragedy. Selection of artful & fiddle-heavy folk numbers. ^^stream & download^^ TAP PLAY ONCE THEN TWICE to play here or tap building icon to enter the internet archives page (and our lives) & stream or d/l^^   Barbara Dickson  made a return to singing traditional material in the mid-90'. Tracks from her 1...

A Planxty Circle Session     Cool as Lough Erne celtic folk selection and a hats off to the legendary Irish folk group Planxty and related artists. Also features some very nice Scottish, Northumbrian and English folk songs. Like much Gaelic art, the music here has a comforting cyclical feel to it over the length of the session.   ^^stream & download^^ TAP PLAY ONCE THEN TWICE to play here or tap building icon to enter the internet archives page (and our lives) & stream or d/l^^   Big spotlight on legendary Irish folk supergroup and multi-instrumentalists  Planxty along with some of its esteemed & luminous members. Four tracks here from their classic 1970's albums with Andy and Christy alternating on lead vocals. Really chilled version of The Lakes of Pontchartrain , I just love Moore's vocal phrasing here.  Andy Irvine name his name in the 60's with folk group Sweeney's Men  , who enjoyed success on the London scene, before hooking up wi...

    If I was a Blackbird Yes indeed.   ^^stream & download^^ TAP PLAY ONCE THEN TWICE to play here or tap building icon to enter the internet archives page & stream or d/l^^ Naturally, for the times we're living in, a good few peace songs fade in and our. Leads with some gorgeous laments from Scottish singer Jean Redpath ,  Barry Dransfield  and the title song by Silly Wizard  Trademark socially conscious lyrics from the great Christy Moore , including the wonderfully heartfelt The Least We Can Do . Seth Lakeman blazes through a number of powerful tunes from his Poor Man's Heaven and new The Granite Way LPs. As soon as I first hear him he brought progressive rock bands like Rush to mind. Folky instrumentation & subject material enthused with rock production values and vocals ; contemporary folk rock at its most fiery & edgy!   Karine Polwart sets the pace with a few of her older recordings from 2006-07. Soaring voice, flowing mus...

  A Seafarer's Life: Music and Song A Collection of folk tunes & songs about the sea and the lives of everyday people during the eras of exploration & colonialism. From the humble life of Jack Tar aboardship on the high seas and on foreign shores to the loved ones that he left behind back at home, from slaveships & privateers to haulers, whalers, traders, frigates & gunboats and then, finally, the long-awaited return to a friendly shore & home port... Stream/download here   Popular historic, traditional seaman's songs, jigs, reels & melodies sail astern with more contemporary compositions. Show Of Hands feature on 4 tracks, painting a story of epic proportions with Tall Ships . Fiddler/singer Barry Dransfield is a specialist in the field and features heavily with several classics as do Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick . Regular June Tabor co-collaborators Mark Emerson , Andy Cutting & Tim Harries carry the swing with great interpretations of ...