Our Ship She Lies Ready
a collection of songs on emigration
Verbal Arts Centre, no number
Captain Thompson; Lough Sheelin Side; Craiggie Hills; Bogs of Shanaheever; Pride of Moville Town; O'Reilly from the County Leitrim; Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore; The Banks of Drumreagh; Culmore; Carrickmannon Lake; The Connereys; Our Ship She Lies at Anchor; Our Ship She Lies Ready; Pretty Susan the Pride of Moyclare; Beaver Brig; Homeward Once More.Oh what a delight! Two singers from the North of Ireland (one from the southeast, one from the northwest), singing completely unaccompanied a great selection of interesting and delightful songs. Their voices are similar enough to make the record sound coherent, while their styles are quite different, adding interest for the perceptive listener.
Both Jim and Jackie are very fine singers, and are on extremely good form here. Jim MacFarland has (rightly) been heard a good deal in England at small festivals and singing weekends, but Jackie Boyce will, I think, be less well-known outside Ireland, so it's a delight to hear so much of him here. They each take it turn-and-turn-about to sing eight of the 16 songs on this CD - and every one's a winner.
Really there's so little to say about this CD - it's probably about as perfect as one could possibly want - but I think you need to hear just a little of what's in store for you when you buy a copy ... as you certainly should. So here's Jim MacFarland singing The Connerys, with it's fabulous tune (sound clip left), and here's Jackie Boyce singing Pretty Susan the Pride of Moyclare (sound clip right).
Sad to say, it doesn't seem to be easily available for sale on the Net, so buy it direct from Jim at: jimmacfarland@hotmail.com Price £10 + postage, or contact the Verbal Arts Centre's Claire McDermott: claire.mcdermott@verbalartscentre.co.uk or 028 7127 2519
Rod Stradling - 9.6.09
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