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Keywords:
english (24), england (9), british (27), traditional (65), folk (354), medieval (14), mandolin (37), fiddle (25), spooky (22), creepy (26), ghost (26), loss (34), grave (5), death (130), dead (19), necrophilia (1), rebsie (46), mandolinquent (20), revolving doris (11)
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Description:
This is an ancient English song about love, loss and talking to the dead. It's one of my all-time favourite folk songs ... spooky, ethereal and beautiful ... and we've brought it into the 21st century with an electro-acoustic arrangement. Hope you like it.
Rebsie: voices, Yamaha 12-string acoustic guitar, keyboards and software instruments
William: mandolin, bottleneck guitar, scary violin
Words and music: Traditional, arranged by Rebsie and William.
Lyrics:
(Time, an ever-rolling stream, bears all her sons away
They fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the breaking day)
Cold blows the wind to my true love
And gently drops the rain
I only had but one true love
In greenwood he lies slain
I'll do as much for my true love
As any young maid may
I'll sit and mourn all on his grave
For twelve months and one day
When twelve months and one day was past
The ghost began to speak
Why sit you here all on my grave
And will not let me sleep?
There's one thing that I want, sweetheart
There's one thing that I crave
And that is a kiss from your lily white lips
Then I'll go from your grave
My lips they are as cold as the clay
My breath smells earthly strong
And if you kiss my cold grey lips
Your days they won't be long
Go fetch me water from the desert
And blood from out of a stone
Go fetch me the milk from a fair maid's breast
A young man never has known
'Twas down in yonder garden
Where you and I would walk
The fairest flower that ever I saw
Is withered to a stalk
The stalk is withered and dry, sweetheart
And the flower will never return
And since I lost my own true love
What can I do but yearn?
When shall we meet again, sweetheart
When shall we meet again?
When the oaken leaves that fall from the trees
Are green and spring up again
Weep not for me my own true love
Mourn not for me, I pray
But make yourself content my love
Till God calls you away
Hardware:
Instruments as above, and two Macs.
Software:
GB 1.1
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Really great &mdash 07/21/05 - 09:37:37 AM
I liked this a lot. Very good singing and a really tastefull accompaniment. I think I'll fav this to download when I get home. It's a great song.
Minor nitpick (not meant to detract from the general excellence of the song): the solo section in the middle has a few minor timing problems that are a little distracting. But it could be an eccentricity of phrasing that is similar to some of the vocal lines, not uncommon in traditional music. I liked the instrumental thing tacked on at the end, but it sounded a little tacked on, and maybe that would've been better in the middle where the other solo was. [ Reply to This ]
Really great &mdash 07/21/05 - 11:52:37 AM
Ha! You spotted the minor timing issue. It's very charming of you to put
it down to eccentricity of phrasing ... but I must confess it's actually just
old-fashioned MIDI latency. Which of course we added deliberately
[cough] to keep it within the folk idiom.
Very glad you like the song - thanks! [ Reply to This ]
rebsie's ethereal voice arising from the mist &mdash 07/21/05 - 09:57:03 AM
of twangy, slidey stuff with great plucky bits and that patting! not technical terms i know but this is lovely and it will replace the previous version in the car immediately. it's kinda like bromyard meets dr. who - fantastic you two - i'm in the mood for a dulcimer now x thank you [ Reply to This ]
rebsie's ethereal voice arising from the mist &mdash 07/21/05 - 05:02:54 PM
Glad you like our twangy slidey stuff. Can I have some of whatever you just
smoked?
Thanks for your love, friendship and support, Caroline. Oh, and find us a
dulcimer and we'll play it on our next track. [ Reply to This ]
Thank you &mdash 07/21/05 - 10:45:05 AM
for posting this.
It was one of those rare occasions when you hear
something you've never heard before and it strikes you
instantly. And yes, I very much liked the 21st Century
approach to what, 12th?, 14th? Century music. I could go
on but we've talked about Maddy Prior, Dave Pegg et al
before. [ Reply to This ]
Thank you &mdash 07/21/05 - 06:10:30 PM
Delighted you like it, snowdragon. Thanks very much. Yes indeed, this song
has been around in one form or another since medieval times. The words I've
got here are probably 17th century but the tune is older. [ Reply to This ]
echoes of long ago &mdash 07/21/05 - 12:16:41 PM
This is a fantastic atmosphere you both created! It takes
me back to a time in another life....
Rebsie, your voice is lovely in its expressiveness and
breathiness, perfect for this subject matter. Your vocals
continue to evolve in a very exciting way.
Mando, your instrumentals are top-notch and lend the
perfect touch to this timeless music.
Your partnership is one of the strongest and most
distinctive I have heard on MacJams to date. Your
combination of forces is VERY powerful; you create a very
distinctive style all your own.
Although you are each very talented independently, there
is just something very special about the TWO of you
together. I heartily encourage you both to put out an
album. It would be very successful, I think!
My only minor observation is that the vocals sometimes
were slightly too prominent in the mix (in my
headphones, at least) -- either that, or perhaps bring up
the instrumental levels up a little more during the vox.
Great job, both of you! I am in total awe of your talents. [ Reply to This ]
echoes of long ago &mdash 07/21/05 - 05:56:16 PM
Wow, it means such a lot to me to see such wonderful comments, Cameron.
All the more so because you're a 'real' musician! I'm in total awe of your
talents too, so I'm delighted you think so highly of us.
Your vote of confidence in us as a duo is much appreciated. And you're right,
something magic happened when I started working with William, and it's got
better and better ever since.
We are starting to put together tracks for an album. This is our sixth
completed song, so we're getting there.
Thanks again, Cameron. You've made my day with your lovely comments. [ Reply to This ]
A fantastic collab &mdash 07/21/05 - 12:53:31 PM
Another well-chosen and interpreted song, beautifully
performed with shimmering production. [ Reply to This ]
A fantastic collab &mdash 07/21/05 - 06:16:55 PM
man i love this &mdash 07/21/05 - 02:43:42 PM
great work, you two...the blend is awesome....from
ancient to modern
great work!!! in my iPod thanks!! [ Reply to This ]
man i love this &mdash 07/22/05 - 08:17:39 AM
Really glad you're enjoying it enough to put it on your iPod, ziti. Thank you! [ Reply to This ]
Riveting &mdash 07/21/05 - 03:11:34 PM
Wow.
Not sure what to say. Will have to come back. May be one
of the best songs I've heard. Wow.
10-10-10-10 [ Reply to This ]
Riveting &mdash 07/22/05 - 08:20:00 AM
Excellent! &mdash 07/21/05 - 03:45:51 PM
The joining of your talents in this song is perfect! I enjoy
the elements of the ancient and the modern melded
together. I've said it all before, and I'll say it again--you
make a great team. Looking forward to the CD! ;)
[ Reply to This ]
Excellent! &mdash 07/22/05 - 08:23:28 AM
Aw, thanks very much Myst, for your lovely comments. And for the
encouragement you've been giving me about doing a CD ... it's so
appreciated. [ Reply to This ]
Oooo &mdash 07/21/05 - 03:56:53 PM
Wow, really nice. Great singing, playing and mixing. Kind of like a nicely sedate Steeleye Span song. [ Reply to This ]
Oooo &mdash 07/22/05 - 10:36:22 AM
epic folktronica! &mdash 07/21/05 - 04:10:12 PM
Wooo..this is really nice guys. You do these folk ballads
so well and I thinkk the modern electronic feel really gives
this an extra lift. Great vocals Rebsie! As everyone seems
to agree this is a very fruitful MJ partnership...long may
you continue to beguile us..
Steve [ Reply to This ]
epic folktronica! &mdash 07/22/05 - 10:49:17 AM
Folktronica - that's a good word. I love the sound of ethnic instruments set
against electronica, and I'm amazed there aren't more people doing it. Thanks
very much for your comments, Steve. [ Reply to This ]
Something old, something new… &mdash 07/21/05 - 05:08:17 PM
It feels like I've heard almost every version of this
track there is and yet I never tire of what is
fundamentally the most amazing song. Of course this
is the new version of one of Rebsie's earliest MacJams
posts and it's still perhaps my favourite of hers. This
new version has been blessed with a greatly
improved vocal (and it was pretty special to begin
with) and some impressive musical additions thanks
to Mr Mando. I have mixed personal feelings about
the additional instruments: for the most part I love
them but occasionally the Mandolin sticks out in the
mix a bit too much for my tastes (mainly nearer the
start), plus I like the stripped down, more ethereal
feel of the original (please, everyone, go back to the
original, listen and compare & contrast). And yet
some of those new musical touches are amazing. I
love the extra guitar and "scary" violin… man, if it has
strings Mando can make it sing like a host of angels.
You guys are too talented and I'm just nitpicking.
Love it, just as I always knew I would. Sorted! :-) [ Reply to This ]
Something old, something new… &mdash 07/22/05 - 11:42:15 AM
Thanks very much for your comments Eppy. I appreciate your nice remarks
about my vocal and about my original version of the song (which was the first
thing I ever recorded in GarageBand, incidentally, and I hadn't a clue what I
was doing, hehe). I was happy enough with the previous, simpler version, but
I always wanted to put some more real instruments in it. The character of the
song has inevitably changed a little but it's much closer to what I always
wanted it to be.
We'll have to agree to differ on the mandolin levels - I love it just as it is. [ Reply to This ]
haunting &mdash 07/21/05 - 07:27:39 PM
I remember your first, more traditional production of this
song which I enjoyed tremendously. This new version is
wonderful, haunting still but epic. I agree with the others'
nitpick comments about some of the timing and levels here
and there, but overall it sounds great. You two are a great
team. [ Reply to This ]
haunting &mdash 07/22/05 - 11:52:01 AM
Thank you Peter ... you've been supporting me since my first upload on
MacJams and it's always greatly appreciated. [ Reply to This ]
Just love techno folk! &mdash 07/21/05 - 09:11:36 PM
Seriously, the combination of Rebsie's beautiful
voice, Mando's - well - mando and scary violin, and
the techno loops does it for me (not to negate the
guitars of course). It really suits your voice Rebsie,
and adds extra life to the old tunes. New genre?
techno folk?
Wouldn't be folk without timing glitches!
Will listen more closely on phones tonight. [ Reply to This ]
Just love techno folk! &mdash 07/22/05 - 03:21:38 AM
Just love techno folk! &mdash 07/22/05 - 12:21:35 PM
Thanks very much for your lovely comments, jiguma! I'm really glad you like
the electro-ethnic style. And you're right - can't have a folk song without a
few random changes of timing, can we? Hehe. [ Reply to This ]
Wowzers &mdash 07/22/05 - 04:22:12 AM
This is magnificent. I loved the first version -- it was one
of the first songs I heard of yours, Rebsie, and I remember
being blown away by it. But with the addition of the
inimitable Mando and his incredible musicianship, this
one is incredible.
Rebsie, your vocals are, as always, perfect. You have, to
my mind, the ultimate folk song voice. They come alive
when you sing (even when about the dead).
Mando, holy cow, I didn't know you could play the violin!
That was amazing. Okay, I've run out of superlatives, but
there's a reason you two are on my top of the heap list of
Macjammers.
I'm just so darned happy you found each other! [ Reply to This ]
Wowzers &mdash 07/22/05 - 01:28:46 PM
Is there anything he doesn't play, Joanna? He's a true multi-instrumentalist.
Thank you so much for saying such wondrous things ... it means such a lot to
me. That's the best compliment you could have given me about my voice. [ Reply to This ]
Damn! &mdash 07/22/05 - 08:39:19 AM
The reincarnation of Fairport Convention has occurred!
This bit of occult happening took place in cyberspace
while the rationalists were sleeping. Geez a mighty kids,
did they teach you this kind of stuff in school while we
were learning "Old Susanna"? Beautiful singing and
production. Rebsie is that the regular echo on your voice
or is it one of the delays? Whatever it was very effective,
just the right amount. You have such an ethereal,
ghostlike voice that I expect to see you floating by my bed
some night. [ Reply to This ]
Damn! &mdash 07/23/05 - 05:28:47 AM
Hehe. Thanks bronco. Next time I have an out-of-body experience I'll fly
past your room and say hi.
That's just regular GarageBand echo ... though I double-tracked the
vocal and only put the echo on one of them.
And no, Brits are taught the most godawful cheesy folk songs at school
which are enough to put most of us off our native music for life. We're
trying to redress the balance by promoting some of the decent stuff ... [ Reply to This ]
i NEVER do this &mdash 07/22/05 - 09:09:10 AM
...I already left a comment...but after repeted
listenings...this is just plain MASTERFUL!...from concept to
performance to production....
immediatley, have children!
peace [ Reply to This ]
i NEVER do this &mdash 07/23/05 - 05:46:22 AM
Well, I'm about as maternal as a house brick ... so I guess we'll have to
stick with the musical offspring.
Thank you so much for your wonderful compliments, ziti. [ Reply to This ]
Sweet &mdash 07/23/05 - 01:38:38 AM
Really enjoyed this one, great atmosphere.
Excellent concepts on the instrumentation.
Couple of things: 1) Voice was mixed too high, overpowering the ambience 2) Experimenting with re-arrangement of back instruments can add power
Cheers [ Reply to This ]
Sweet &mdash 07/24/05 - 02:45:23 AM
Thanks very much for your comments, arcifus, they're much appreciated! [ Reply to This ]
Fab! &mdash 07/23/05 - 05:12:44 AM
Memories of Steely Span. You guys deserve a professional studio mix followed by a commercial top ten hit. Top quality...how can I rave ... let me count the ways! [ Reply to This ]
Fab! &mdash 07/25/05 - 02:35:15 AM
Nice &mdash 07/23/05 - 07:57:43 AM
This is one of my favs of yours. You maintain a very nice old
english folk feel. William does a nice job as well.
Good going [ Reply to This ]
Nice &mdash 07/25/05 - 02:37:01 AM
I'd like to sign up... &mdash 07/23/05 - 10:54:20 AM
...for the Rebsie and Mando mailing list. I can't believe I missed out on two days of listening ecstacy.
I actually gasped and clapped when I saw you had a new song. I think it may be time for some (extensive) therapy.
This is wonderful, but I want to listen to it a few times, mull over the song's relationship to Jimmy Osmond and then come back to comment properly. [ Reply to This ]
I'd like to sign up... &mdash 07/23/05 - 12:09:04 PM
Sorry about that, Lisa ... one of us will email you next time we release a song.
I can help you with the therapy though. The song is about lost love and not
knowing when to let go. Symbolically, it's a dialogue between you and Jimmy:
Jimmy: "Lisa, it's time you tore down all my posters and started listening to
some decent music."
Lisa: "Oh no, Jimmy, I'm just making a life-size 3D model of you from used
pink glitter pens."
Jimmy: "You must forget me Lisa, or how will you ever be able to do your own
stuff in GarageBand?"
Something like that. [ Reply to This ]
One of the things that struck me... &mdash 07/24/05 - 02:28:38 PM
...(after my four or fifth listening this morning) is the slow
shift from the modern, technological instruments at the
beginning to the more traditional instrumentation at the
ending. Taking us, literally, from the present to the past.
That was VERY cool! This is the first time I've heard this
particular song, but I love these songs. They are very lyrical
and haunting and tell such great stories. The best ones can
be made, remade, reconceived, reworked, etc. and they
always sound great. This is an incredible work guys.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! [ Reply to This ]
One of the things that struck me... &mdash 07/27/05 - 07:11:13 AM
Thank you very much, jgurner, that's a lovely comment. Very true, these old
songs can be remade and reworked and pushed to extremes without losing
their sense of antiquity or their inherent beauty. And great fun it is too,
experimenting with them and trying unusual instrument combinations. We
hadn't really noticed the transition from present to past in this song until you
mentioned it ... so thank you for that insight! [ Reply to This ]
Just my sort of thing... &mdash 07/24/05 - 09:16:18 PM
...Being a Fairport and Steeleye Span fan...There's much of
"Lowlands of Holland" in the feel of this...
This is my favorite of the tunes I've heard from you too. I
like the juxtaposition of the old and new, I like the drums,
I like the instrumental bit at the end, and it doesn't sound
tacked on to me...it sounds like the sort of "tune-after-a-
ballad" that you'd find on Liege and Lief.
I, too, am bothered here and there by the timing being off;
if there's a way to correct that, it will make the song fly...I
think this is the strongest Rebsie vocal I've
heard...Despite, or perhaps because of, my own struggles
to sing on pitch, I tend to be picky about it in songs and
with other people...The vocal here has a lightness and
ease that I haven't felt was there in the previous
offerings...
I also think I left a comment for, maybe, Join The Queue,
that suggested a "binding instrument" or something, and I
think here in this song the violin, drums, mandolin and
guitars get good and thick...it hangs together for
me...There's this skirling, swirling sense of ensemble
playing that I like...
Nicely done...
Ed [ Reply to This ]
Just my sort of thing... &mdash 07/27/05 - 07:15:22 AM
Thanks Ejh. I'm a big Steeleye and Fairport fan too, and "Lowlands of Holland"
is one of the songs I've got my eye on for a future project ... [ Reply to This ]
wow.... &mdash 07/25/05 - 07:11:51 AM
just a great treatment of a classic.....u guys have refreshed it
and joined it to the digital age.......great lush vocal and
mando is in great supportive mod......truly excellant!!! [ Reply to This ]
wow.... &mdash 07/27/05 - 07:17:46 AM
Wow &mdash 07/25/05 - 08:54:36 PM
Man! You guys are gettin serious...
Excellent production! A very nice piece.
Congrads!
8989
Cydniko [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 07/27/05 - 07:19:53 AM
Yep, we are getting serious! Thanks very much for your comment and
generous vote. It's appreciated. [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 07/25/05 - 10:29:57 PM
Wow &mdash 07/27/05 - 07:21:33 AM
Beautiful &mdash 07/28/05 - 08:54:21 AM
Beautiful &mdash 08/02/05 - 03:31:11 PM
Loved the Song!! &mdash 07/28/05 - 02:36:21 PM
A very excellent quality song ,both sound quality wise and
music and lryics, very nice voice, liked the acoustic
instruments.
what kind of microphones are you using and ? interface?
G5 silver tower or one piece(just curious)
I look foward to listening to more of your catalog! [ Reply to This ]
Loved the Song!! &mdash 08/02/05 - 03:43:57 PM
Thanks very much, David, nice of you to drop by. Much appreciated.
I don't know exactly what William uses but I'm doing my bits with a dual
1.8GHz G5, a Behringer B-1 condenser mic and a Tascam US-122 audio
interface. [ Reply to This ]
Well impressed &mdash 08/02/05 - 07:56:33 AM
I love this (and the photo). My experience is that it's tricky
keeping a ballard like this 'alive' over so many verses but
you've succeeded.
However I do kinda agree with the previous comment that
the instrumental at the end could have been built into the
main body of the piece. But this is not really a criticism and I
know that doing it live the way you've done it would work
very well.
Is the tune 'Star of County Down? [ Reply to This ]
Well impressed &mdash 08/02/05 - 04:04:22 PM
Thank you, Komrade K, I'm very glad you like it. You're right, the tune is
very, very similar to the Star of the County Down ... they probably came
from the same source. Thanks very much for listening and commenting. [ Reply to This ]
Rebsie... mando.... &mdash 08/27/05 - 05:45:25 PM
I am hooked. Somehow I have this thought that if I were
to move to England (I have been there once), immediately I
would be in both the present and the past... an ancient
and wondrous heritage & culture as well as a contempary
scene of creativity, hopes, and longings. (by the way,
sorry it has taken me so long to listen to this song).
Again, you two have joined together to produce a
beautiful folk song experience. There are very few artists
(collabs included) I can click that will not let me down.
You rank at the top of that list. Keep musically bringing
the past into the present. It is a little of what sparked my
desire to put Shakespeare's Sonnets to music via
Postludes Trio. But you have moved the goal way down
the field.
This song is perfectly performed and recorded. If it were
entirely original, I would have given it straight 10's. As it
were, you will have to settle for a 10-10-9-10.
Jack
[ Reply to This ]
Rebsie... mando.... &mdash 08/29/05 - 08:59:51 AM
Wow, thanks Jack, that's such a lovely comment and means a lot to us. We're
delighted you enjoy our songs so much, and as you've probably already
realised, we're having a fantastic time working together.
It's very rewarding to work with these old songs ... they seem to have a life of
their own and adapt themselves very readily to modern arrangements, but I
guess that's how it works – for centuries each generation has adapted the
songs to make them relevant to their own time and culture. It's a way of
keeping the oral tradition alive and I'm very proud to be a part of that.
If you and Barb find yourselves visiting England again let me know ... I'll show
you around some of the interesting places the tourists don't know about! [ Reply to This ]
gem &mdash 09/02/05 - 06:48:38 AM
hiya rebsie and william,
really lovely song. i love stories about love, unfilled ones,
or too great that nothing can break it. truly beautiful. dont
know much about english folk or trad music, but i can
imagine it can not be too far to scottish or irish. it reminds
me a lot of irish song star of county down. it has very similar
melody line. where do you search for gems like that? ceilidh [ Reply to This ]
gem &mdash 09/02/05 - 03:47:50 PM
Hi ceilidh, thanks for your nice comment. There are a lot of similarities
between English traditional music and Irish and Scottish ... as you noticed,
the tune to this one is almost the same as The Star of the County Down,
though whether the melody originated in England or Ireland I don't know. We
do songs from all three countries. [ Reply to This ]
gem &mdash 09/02/05 - 03:55:53 PM
I nearly forgot to answer your question ... I use lots of different sources to
find good folk songs, including old books, old recordings, modern recordings
and the internet. I'm always looking out for them. [ Reply to This ]
Haunting &mdash 09/04/05 - 12:38:24 AM
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Minor nitpick (not meant to detract from the general excellence of the song): the solo section in the middle has a few minor timing problems that are a little distracting. But it could be an eccentricity of phrasing that is similar to some of the vocal lines, not uncommon in traditional music. I liked the instrumental thing tacked on at the end, but it sounded a little tacked on, and maybe that would've been better in the middle where the other solo was.
[ Reply to This ]