As the Black Mill Turns: Ashley MacIsaac with Mary Jane Lamond and "Sleepy Maggie"

Juno Award winning and platinum-selling fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, accompanied by singer Mary Jane Lamond, brings us the random tune today called Sleepy Maggie. A Canadian artist from Cape Breton, Ashley MacIsaac is from a family of fiddlers - his sisters are all touring fiddlers and his cousin is Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster. In addition to his music, he is known as an openly gay musician, his struggle with addiction to crack cocaine in the late 1990s, and occasionally eccentric behavior. He has indicated a recent desire to enter Canadian politics. Sleepy Maggie is sung in Scots Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond, a Canadian Celtic folk musician who presents traditional Celtic tunes in contemporary musical styles. Her vocals on this song first brought her to widespread public attention. You can find Sleepy Maggie on MacIsaac's 1995 album Hi™ How Are You Today? and on the 1998 compilation CD Putumayo Presents: Celtic Tides.

Sisterly Love: Gjallarhorn and "Systrarna (The Sisters)"

Today's tune is from Gjallarhorn. Gjallarhorn was formed in 1994 in a Swedish-speaking portion of Finland and performs world music based in the folk music and traditions of that region. As such, their music tends to be Swedish in nature, but based in acoustic folk music unique to the Ostrobothnian area. Gjallorhorn is also known for their use of the hardanger fiddle, an eight or nine string violin (as compared to four strings on a standard violin), and lead singer Jenny Wilhelm's singing technique called kulning, a technique based on Scandinavian cattle herding calls consisting of high pitched wordless tones designed to be heard over long distances. The band's name derives from the name of the horn of the Norse god Heimdallr, who blows the Gjallarhorn signaling the last battle of the Norse gods. This song, Systrarna (The Sisters), can be found on their 2006 release Rimfaxe.

Music of My People: Genticorum and "Les Remon"

Bonjour! Today's random tune is by Québécois traditional music trio Genticorum, who was founded in 2000 and is based in Montreal. Formed by musicians who have a love for French Canadian fiddle tunes and folk music, Genticorum performs their own compositions and arrangements and meld different kinds of acoustical styles. Their lyrics are all in French. They have released five albums. This song, Les Remon, can be found on their 2009 CD La Bibournoise.

Until the Cows Come Home: Gjallarhorn and "iVall (@Ley)"

You might not like the random tune for today...it is a bit to listen to but there is a method in it. Today's tune is from Gjallarhorn. Gjallarhorn was formed in 1994 in a Swedish-speaking portion of Finland and performs world music based in the folk music and traditions of that region. As such, their music tends to be Swedish in nature, but based in acoustic folk music unique to Ostrobothnian area. Gjallorhorn is also known for their use of the hardanger fiddle, an eight or nine string violin (as compared to four strings on a standard violin), and lead singer Jenny Wilhelm's singing technique called kulning, a technique based on Scandinavian cattle herding calls consisting of high pitched wordless tones designed to be heard over long distances. The band's name derives from the name of the horn of the Norse god Heimdallr, who blows the Gjallarhorn signaling the last battle of the Norse gods. This song, iVall (@Ley) is literally cattle calling in improvisation with a pastoral tune. Cattle calls were traditionally used as a signalling system when the cattle were out to pasture in the summertime, and here Gjallarhorn incorporates this into a strange yet compelling tune on their 2006 release Rimfaxe.

Bowing Like a Champ: Vincent Griffin and "The New Year's In / Youghal Quay"

The New Year's in! At last that's what this random song for today is about. The New Year's In / Youghal Quay is by Vincent Griffin, a traditional Irish fiddler from County Clare in Ireland who won the prestigious All-Ireland fiddle championship in 1974. He made his first solo album in 1977 after a chance meeting with the Scottish/Irish/Celtic band The Boys of the Lough. I can't find much more information about him, other than raves on the internet about his fiddle playing. Today's song, which I believe either refers to a quay in a town called Youghal along the Blackwater River in County Clare (which might make sense given that Vincent Griffin is from County Clare) or to a quay in the community of Youghal a resort town in County Cork in southern Ireland, can be found on the compilation album Harps, Pipes and Fiddles (2008).

Quebecois: Genticorum and "Le Pommeau"

Today's random song is from Canada - Quebec to be exact. Genticorum is a traditional musical trio from Montreal where each member provides percussion by clogging. They fuse modern composition of their own with elements of classic folk and Celtic music. The members came together through a love of French Canadian fiddle tunes and folk music. Their name comes from a word that one member of the trio remembers his grandfather singing, though he does not know the meaning. They sing all of their songs in French. This song, Le Pommeau, can be found on their 2009 album La Bibournoise.

Rescued: Gjallarhorn and "Sylvklar"

Today's song is by Gjallarhorn, from their 2006 album Rimfaxe (2006). The song, Sylvklar (Silverbright), is a mediaeval ballad about Prince Roamtree who, after looking through seven kingdoms for his sister Silverbright, learns that she is kidnapped by a mermaid. When he finally arrives at the ocean demesne of the mermaid, he finds Silverbright serving as her maid. He tricks the mermaid by using seductive words and rescues Silverbright, and the mermaid becomes so enraged she splits into pieces.

Gjallarhorn was formed in 1994 in a Swedish-speaking portion of Finland and performs world music based in the folk music and traditions of that region. As such, their music tends to be Swedish in nature, but based in acoustic folk music unique to Ostrobothnian area. Gjallorhorn is also known for their use of the hardanger fiddle, an 8 or nine string violin (as compared to four strings on a standard violin), and lead singer Jenny Wilhelm's singing technique called kulning, a technique based on Scandinavian cattle herding calls consisting of high pitched wordless tones designed to be heard over long distances. While Gjallarhorn was on hiatus for a number of years after the release of Rimfaxe, they began touring again in 2011 and were expected to release a new album in 2013, though there is still no mention of it on their website.

Remembrance of the Road: Dervish and "The Trip to Sligo"

The Trip to Sligo, today's random song, is one that I can identify with because I made the trip to Sligo from Belfast by bus one beautiful sunny day in the late 1990s. Ireland is a beautiful country, and we rolled through the hills of Northern Ireland toward the coast. I was with three Germans, and our plan was to get out at Sligo and hitchhike down to Galway. For a number of reasons this was a bad idea but we did it, splitting up into two groups of a man and a woman so that we would be able to get rides. It took a long time.

Because of this, I never stopped in Sligo, which was a pity because Sligo was the childhood and spiritual home of one of the most illustrious poets of the English language, William Butler Yeats. Despite the fact that he only really spent his childhood there, Yeats was buried in County Sligo after a long literary, political career and somewhat tempestuous personal life. Here is a poem by him that I think relates to today's song and mentions Sligo as well:

The Fiddler of Dooney
by William Butler Yeats

When I play on my fiddle in Dooney.
Folk dance like a wave of the sea;
My cousin is priest in Kilvarnet,
My brother in Mocharabuiee.
I passed my brother and cousin:
They read in their books of prayer;
I read in my book of songs
I bought at the Sligo fair.
When we come at the end of time
To Peter sitting in state,
He will smile on the three old spirits,
But call me first through the gate;
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle,
And the merry love to dance:
And when the folk there spy me,
They will all come up to me,
With "Here is the fiddler of Dooney!"
And dance like a wave of the sea.  

Fiddling (and fluting with guitar accompaniment) is a part of today's song.  Dervish is a traditional Irish band from County Sligo described by the BBC as an "icon" of Irish music. Formed in 1993, they represented Ireland in 2007 in the finals of the Eurovision song contest. They have also been known to stand for their principles. In 2012 they canceled tour dates in Israel and announced a cultural boycott of the country, which in turn led to a negative backlash at home. The Trip to Sligo is from their 1997 album Live in Palma, and is a set of reels.

More Celtic? Eileen Ivers and "The Rights of Man"

I was bogged down in meetings today and don't have time to write a post. But, here's your random tune for today. The Global Music randomizer seems to want Celtic again, so you've got it!

Eileen Ivers is an American fiddler whose parents were Irish born. She was raised in The Bronx and took up fiddle at nine years old, studying under Irish fiddler Martin Mulvihill. She first toured with the band The Green Fields of America. She later was a founding member of Cherish the Ladies and performed with them for several years. She joined the smash show Riverdance in 1985, replacing their original fiddler. She recorded an air used in the movie Gangs of New York, and she also appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Some Mothers' Son. She has released seven solo albums. This song, The Rights of Man, is from her 1996 album Wild Blue, and can be found on Putumayo's Women of the World: Celtic II.