Insight
"Ancestral Songs" finds Pamela Morgan revisiting her traditional roots, presenting 10 songs that she learned in the 70's from traditional singers, and arranging them for guitar. For 19 years, Pamela Morgan was lead singer, guitarist, and arranger for the Canada’s pioneering “Celtic” band, Newfoundland’s Figgy Duff, who brought the traditional music of Newfoundland to the world stage. Since then, Pamela has been spearheading her own independent record label, Amber Music, producing music for NL's finest roots artists, including three of her own solo CDs, and licensing tracks to various labels worldwide. Over the last few years, she has represented Canada at Expo in Japan, toured extensively in England, Canada, the US and Europe, and overseen productions of two original scores for live theater, including her own folk opera, “The Nobleman's Wedding.” She continues to write, arrange, perform, and tour, in her own highly original and hauntingly beautiful style.
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Pamela Morgan - Ancestral Songs
Ancestral Songs
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Credits
Musicians
Pamela Morgan: acoustic guitar, vocal
Chris Leslie (special guest): violin (3, 5, 8), viola (10)
Production
Produced by Pamela Morgan
Engineered by Mark Lee
Recorded at Blue Moon Studio, Oxfordshire, England
Mastered at SRT, St Ives, England
Songwriting
Songs from the oral tradition of Newfoundland and Labrador
© Pamela Morgan Publishing
‘A Barque in the Harbour’: first heard from Gerald Campbell of Branch, St. Mary’s Bay, in the mid-1970s
‘Lady Margaret’: learned from Mose Harris of Lethbridge, Bonavista Bay. A version with a different tune was in Emile Benoit’s repertoire
‘Lord Bateman’: learned from Mose Harris. Anita Best also sings a version learned from Mrs. Kate Wilson
‘Early Spring’: found in Kenneth Peacock’s Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. Sung for Morgan by Becky Bennett, neighbour of Charlotte Decker of St. Paul’s
‘The Green Shores of Fogo’: found in Peacock’s collection and sung for Morgan by Philip Foley of Tilting
‘My Gallant Brigantine’: learned from Mose Harris
‘The Dole Song’: transcribed from a tape of Jack Lushman Sr. of Ramea for the songbook Come and I Will Sing You. Likely locally composed, composer unknown
‘Bold Lamkin’: learned from Mose Harris
‘I’ll Hang my Harp’: learned from Bill Foley, brother of Philip Foley, at Philip Foley’s home in Tilting, Fogo Island
‘Thomas the Rhymer’: a favourite of Noel Dinn’s, recorded as Morgan remembers him singing it
Artwork / Design
Denise Grant: photography
John Andrews: design
Ship image courtesy of the Centre for Newfoundland Studies
Dedication
Intertwined are also the spirits of those who inspired me to go searching: Ches Skinner, Laverne Squires, Philip Dinn, Anita Best, Des Walsh, and our absent friends: Emile Benoit, Neil Murray, Noel Dinn.
Pamela Morgan, May 2005
Special thanks
George Morgan for suggesting the concept
John Littler for insisting on Blue Moon
Mark Lee for proving him right
Chris Leslie for playing my language
Jeremy Carroll for lending a sharp ear
Steve Head for the “Button” (Lord Bateman)
John Littler for the “Froggy Bottom” (Lamkin, Thomas the Rhymer)
The people of Bodicote for sharing the pleasures of English country life: Mark, Wendy, Ruth, Jeremy, Vanessa, Steve, Jim at the Plough, Sir Brian, et al., and especially John Littler for the suite at Molyneux Drive
Elinor Morgan for the eagle eye
Mary Martin Rowe for rescuing me yet again
Andre Wall for keeping the home fires burning
The following people bought this album, sight unseen, song unheard, investing in me, keeping the faith: Peter Coleridge, Patrick Smith, Susan Longmire, Elizabeth Roscoe, Marygrace Morris, Sir Douglas Hart, Eleanor Swanson, Katie and Sarah Sullivan Fooks, and those who prefer to remain anonymous.
Headway Electronics (www.headwayelectronics.com) makes the best acoustic instrument pickups.
Release
Amber Music, 6550-2, Canada, 2005
CD
℗ Amber Music Limited
For lyrics visit www.pamelamorgan.ca
MAPL
Made in Canada
Barcode: 7 75020 65502 7
Matrix
085B6<2236>0206550 MUSIC MANUFACTURING SERVICES
Mastering SID code: IFPI L485
Mould SID code: IFPI 81B0
Inner ring: AD/CA
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