Tracks:

Edward Boyle (trad. arr. Cowan)
From the singing of Cathal McConnell (Cathal’s source: Paddy Maguire, Aughakillymaude, Co. 
Fermanagh, Ireland)

Edward Boyle is a song about emigration. It originated in a time when many young men were 
leaving Ireland to seek their fortunes on the “shores of Amerikay”. I always thought that Edward 
Boyle must have been quite a guy: not only was he popular and a fine athlete, he played the flute 
as well.

McGinnis Gets A Job (trad. arr. Cowan)
From the singing of  Joe Hickerson

Also known as “Last Winter Was a Hard One”, this is a song about the competition for 
employment in the cities between two immigrant groups, the Irish and the Italians. According to 
Joe Hickerson, the songs seems to have appeared in the late 19th century, when “ethnic groups 
were exploited and pitted against each other by contractors and the like, in order to keep strikes 
broken and wages low”

The Rose You Wore For Me (Danny Carnahan)

It is a difficult thing to leave the only home you‘ve known to travel toward an unknown future. 
Northern California songwriter Danny Carnahan has captured these feelings evoked in a song 
with vivid images and rich narration. Danny wrote this song for his great-great-grandfather who 
made it all the way to California from Ireland in the early 1840s working as a blacksmith. He 
lasted less than two years, hated it, and went back to Europe as penniless as he'd left. But he 
was lucky. He saw his family again. 
 

Bold Archer (trad. arr. Cowan/Bartley) 
From the singing of Tony Rose

Known as “Archie O’ Cawfield” in Scotland and “Billy Broke Locks” in America, this story could be 
described as a Red Tape Ballad. It involves Archer, who is held in prison with assorted manacles, 
chains and heavy iron balls weighing about two tons. His friend, Bold Dickie, breaks into prison 
and carries Archer away, chains and all. The red tape comes in when the High Sheriff catches up 
with them and is not so much concerned with his escaped prisoner, but with the loss of two ton of 
ironmongery, which he has probably had to sign for at some point. 

The Dreadful Ghost (trad. arr. Cowan)
From the singing of Tony Barrand

This Jonah Ballad comes from Canada, collected by Helen Creighton. A jonah is someone who is 
blamed for any misfortune that might befall a ship in the course of a voyage. Usually this person is 
sacrificed so that the voyage may proceed. Tony says that the first time Jean Ritchie heard him sing the 
Dreadful Ghost” she remarked that it must have been sung by a woman.

Blackwaterside (trad. arr. Cowan)

Recorded by many, this song comes from the Irish tradition and has a “young girl is made 
promises that aren’t kept” theme. I like the strength of character this young lass shows, thus, the 
upbeat arrangement.

The Long Grey Line (Alan Hunter)

I met Alan Hunter while I lived in Edinburgh in 1997 and was impressed by this man’s passion for 
his politics and his music.  Of the many original songs that Alan shared with me, this one 
beckoned.  Tinkers are looked upon with a mixture of envy and disdain, yet the lure of the 
travelling life is a romantic albeit a difficult one.  Alan met up with a band of tinkers one night and 
in the discourse that took place, the “Long Grey Line” was mentioned a number of times. When 
Alan asked what was meant, one of the men he’d been talking with exclaimed “The road, man! 
The road!” Not long after, Alan met another man in a pub in Edinburgh, who was talking quite 
loudly and in a very negative way about Tinkers in general.  Alan began talking to this man and 
was struck by the fact that he was almost 70 years old and had never been out of the Edinburgh 
area. He was decrying a group of people who had seen much more of the world than he had.

Bay of Biscay-O (trad. arr. Cowan)

There are many songs about the Bay of Biscay, which is located in southeastern Europe, 
bounded by France and Spain. The coastline varies from rocky cliffs to sandy beaches, thus 
winds and currents make navigation difficult. 

Across the Water (Ken Batts)

While living in Finland with his wife, Ken read an article in the local equivalent of People 
magazine about a couple who met on the island Korkeasaari. Connected to the mainland by a 
footbridge, the island is home to a zoo, where the man worked, and a fishing village. Ken decided 
that a fisherman was more romantic than a zookeeper and "Across the Water" was born.

The Verdant Braes Of Skreen (trad. arr. Cowan)
From the singing of Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle

Another “False Young Man” ballad, this one comes from Ireland and credits Frank and Francis 
McPeake of Belfast as the source singers of this version.

The Bold Princess Royal/Old Favourite (trad. arr. Cowan/Bartley)
From the singing of  The Copper Family, East Sussex, UK

In my opinion, one cannot sing traditional songs without paying tribute to The Coppers. I first 
heard an Irish version of this song years ago, but enjoyed the Copper version much better. It’s 
always nice to see the good guys win. The jig comes from West Clare in County Clare, Ireland

Darlin’ Corey (trad. arr. Cowan/Bartley)

This was a favourite song when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My mom had purchased a recording 
by a folksinger named June Bugg, and I immediately fell in love with this song. “Darlin’ Corey” is a 
tune that all banjo players know well and the song is usually performed in a bluegrass style. I 
adapted the song to an unaccompanied blues style, and when Geoff Bartley came along with his 
resonator guitar, the song became complete for me.

Johnny Be Fair (trad. arr. Cowan)

I first heard this from folklorist David Ingle. This is an old Irish joke that somehow found it’s way 
into a song. Buffy Saint Marie recorded a version of this long ago with a few more verses. This 
version gets right to the point.