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Green Fields of Canada by Rebsie [Email]

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 3828
Comments: 68
Votes: 37
Plays: 1450
Last Played: Oct 02, 2008 - 03:34:47 PM
Downloads: 269
Fans: 21
Uploaded: Mar 11, 2005 - 01:49:48 PM
Last Updated: Oct 23, 2005 - 04:57:18 PM
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Keywords:
irish (39), traditional (65), folk (361), emigrant (1), canada (13), melancholy (56)
Description:
Make yourself comfortable ... this is nearly six minutes long and plumbs new depths of melancholy. :-) It's an Irish emigrant song originating in the early 19th century, when Ireland was in economic crisis and thousands crossed the sea to Canada in search of a better life. (My own ancestors went the wrong way and we've been in south west England ever since.)

This song is dedicated to a very dear friend, Nigel Cole, who died last month. He shared my love of folk music and introduced me to dozens of wonderful songs, including this one.

Nigel, my only regret is that I didn't get to record your fiddle-playing, which would have been the perfect complement to this old tune.

Lyrics:
Farewell to the groves of shillelagh and shamrock
Farewell to the lads of old Ireland all round
May their hearts be as merry as ever I would wish them
When far away across the ocean I'm bound

Oh my father is old and my mother quite feeble
To leave their own country it grieves their hearts sore
Oh the tears in great drops down their cheeks they are rolling
To think they must die on a foreign shore

But what matters to me where my bones may be buried
If in peace and contentment I can spend my life
Oh the green fields of Canada they daily are blooming
It's there I'll put an end to my misery and strife.

The lint dams are dry and the looms are all broken,
The coopers are gone and the winders of creels
Away o'er the ocean go journeymen tailors
And fiddlers who flaked out the old mountain reels.

Farewell to the dances in homes now deserted
Where tips struck the lightening in splanks from the floor
The paving and crigging of hobnail on flagstone
The tears of the old folk and shouts of encore.

For the landlords and bailiffs in vile combination
Have forced us from hearthstone and homestead away
May the crowbar brigade all be doomed to damnation
When we're on the fields of Americay.


splanks = sparks
Americay = old Irish name for North America

Hardware:
M-Audio Keystation 49-e, Behringer condenser mic, Tascam thing.
All instruments are MIDI

Software:
GarageBand 1.1
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Moves me across the sea &mdash 03/11/05 - 02:41:57 PM
Slowly sings darkness and the hopelessness of fate to my
bones. Wow, very nicely done! Two comments first...
because your gorgeous voice is so prominent, you have to
be very careful to get any pops/clicks removed between
versus, because in this sparse mix, they distract more
than normal (and I thought I heard a couple)... and also,
even though this is long, it got me into a dreamy trance
following your voice and the drone, and when the last
verse ended, so did the music, and the trance, almost too
suddenly. I would like you to drop me more gently... what
if after the last verse, you did one more line's worth of
music with just the violin, retracing the whisps of the song
one last time before ending? This was gorgeous, by the
way, you keep getting better and better... Loreena
McKennitt's gotta watch her back, being in Canada may
not save her from the upcoming Rebsie!
ttfn,
Drakonis, lost at sea now...

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lost at sea &mdash 03/11/05 - 02:44:25 PM
uh, I really meant to type "between verses..." not "between versus..." while
listening to the haunting song I seem to have temporarily dropped my
spellchecker. :-)
ttfn,
Drakonis

---
deja vu, it's the next best thing to being there

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lost at sea &mdash 03/11/05 - 04:34:39 PM
Thanks Drakonis!
I keep getting compared to Loreena McKennitt and I must confess I don't
know her at all ... I think I've heard one of her tracks, but that's about it. I
must try her out some time.

I wondered about the ending, and thought about shoving in an extra few
bars of fiddle, but was put off by a fear of pushing it over 6 minutes. OK,
I'll finish it off properly if I do another version. And clean up some of the
pops.

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Wow &mdash 03/11/05 - 03:17:02 PM
what a beautiful voice you have indeed.
Fabulous song, and yes I do feel the music is a little
sparse behind your vocals but then again, the simplicity
of it all, pulls one in.
what a wonderful dedication to a friend Rebsie....

beautiful

SlimGirlFat

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Wow &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:25:42 PM
Thanks Slimmie, I appreciate your comments. I do like the sound of folk
songs on sparse backgrounds because it brings out the subtlety, but it's
a fine balance to get it just right.

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Lovely &mdash 03/11/05 - 03:18:15 PM
I agree with drakonis about both the lovelyness of your
voice and this song and the popping problems between
verses.

Thank you, Rebsie, for keeping this wonderful music alive
and introducing it to me.

[ Reply to This ]
Lovely &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:32:38 PM
That's a lovely thing to say, thanks! I will look into the popping, which
seems to be a constant hazard with condenser mics ... I already had to
delete one take because my cat jingled her collar right under the
microphone.

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Gorgeous &mdash 03/11/05 - 04:54:33 PM
That was so beautiful. I absolutely love your voice. And I
really enjoy the way you lay down a drifting, soft bed of
music (kept wonderfully sparse) in order to highlight the
vocals. Folk songs like this are all about the heartfelt lyrics
and lilting melody. You spotlight them perfectly.

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Gorgeous &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:40:22 PM
Thanks for your lovely comments, Joanna. I thought about adding some
more instruments, but a lot of these songs seem to sound best over a
simple drone ... I'm delighted that you enjoyed it.

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Sorrowful but uplifting reverie &mdash 03/11/05 - 04:59:29 PM
Ooh, this is silken melancholic. I am caressed by your
graceful vocalizations and timeless ambience.

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Sorrowful but uplifting reverie &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:45:56 PM
Oh good! I'm glad the song created a mood. Emigrant songs are always
melancholy but this one has an exceptionally sad, beautiful tune.

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You did it again! &mdash 03/11/05 - 05:03:57 PM
Enchanting voice... again, I can't say enough about how
you make this sound so simple... I know this must not
have been easy to sing. Kudos to you!

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You did it again! &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:52:20 PM
Thanks! I did have to do a bit of practice, mainly on the twiddly grace
notes. But I didn't used to be able to sing grace notes at all, so I'm
pleased with the way it's turned out ... my voice is improving thanks to
all the wonderful encouragement I've had on MacJams.

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Bravo &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:01:54 PM
I can imagine my Irish ancestors singing this. Another
haunting, beautiful performance.

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Bravo &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:56:31 PM
Thanks Mungo! I'm glad it meant something to you.

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A wonderful thought &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:10:12 PM
I'm sure Nigel would have loved it! Otherwise I need
not add to the already lengthy list of spot-on
comments. Sorted!

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A wonderful thought &mdash 03/11/05 - 07:00:43 PM
I remember playing this in a jam with Nigel, years ago ... no GarageBand
in those days, unfortunately.

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A beautiful song &mdash 03/11/05 - 06:42:15 PM
And so beautifully rendered.
You really have this genre down, Rebsie! The nuances in
the vocals, the way you interpret the lyrics. So lovely, time
after time.
I love listening to your voice. Thank you so much for these
contributions to MJ.
Your singing is an inspiration.



[ Reply to This ]
A beautiful song &mdash 03/11/05 - 07:08:12 PM
Wow, thanks Mystified! You've been an inspiration to me too, and I've
gained so much from your advice and encouragement.
I feel very much at home with traditional music and I'm having a
wonderful time exploring it.

[ Reply to This ]
Rebsie... &mdash 03/11/05 - 10:08:12 PM
...and her Mona Lisa smile. This is genuinely illuminating!
I see this in a movie. Crisp and crystal. Smile on...

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Rebsie... &mdash 03/13/05 - 04:21:49 PM
I've had a big smile on my face since I found GarageBand. Thanks,
Alimar, for listening and commenting ... it's much appreciated.

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Stunningly beautiful &mdash 03/11/05 - 11:08:13 PM
This is indeed a very touching folk song and you perform
it beautifully. The sparse, dreamy setting is perfect. Thank
you for this lovely work.

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Stunningly beautiful &mdash 03/13/05 - 04:27:29 PM
Thank you! I'm very glad you like it.

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Beautiful &mdash 03/12/05 - 04:10:45 AM
That's how my ancestors got here... although they were
Scottish. :P Near perfect treatment on an old traditional.

My only complaint is that I had headphones on and I could
hear the cut offs from when you have vocal tracks and
not. Might do some little fade ins and outs or crossfades
on that to hide its existence.

Strange, didn't feel like 6 minutes... I could've taken
another three of that I'm sure! Wonderful job! Splanks
flew!



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Splanks for the memories &mdash 03/13/05 - 04:48:20 PM
Ah yes, you might have gathered that production is not my strong point.
I've still got a lot to learn about how to get rid of pops and clicks without
leaving audible gaps.

Thanks for commenting. Scotland suffered a lot of forced emigration
around the same time this song was written ... you can still see the ruins
of abandoned cottages in wild and lonely places, where whole villages
were wiped off the map.

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Airy, ancient &mdash 03/12/05 - 07:57:14 AM
Excellent craftsmanship on this, vocally. This is not an
easy song to sing. I agree with Packo about the cutting in
and out between phrases. Might reduce the breathing
sounds (if you want to?) by backing away from the mic a
bit. It is picking up every breath in this lovely, airy lament.

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Airy, ancient &mdash 03/13/05 - 04:58:36 PM
Thank you for your nice comments. I couldn't decide whether to do
anything about the breathing or not ... sometimes it bothers me and
sometimes I hardly notice it. It's still early days for me with the
condenser mic, so I'm trying to find a technique which minimises the
extraneous sounds.

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What can I say... &mdash 03/12/05 - 09:19:49 AM

your songs are required listening by all macjammers as
far as I am concerned. I am always transported to
another place and time when your music hits my ear.

This is good.

Jack

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What can I say... &mdash 03/13/05 - 05:00:53 PM
What a lovely thing to say ... thanks Jack!

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YEAH! &mdash 03/13/05 - 02:33:05 AM
Good Job Rebsie!! You have a very soothing voice, and I love these old folk tunes!! DO MORE!!! PLEASE!!

I only wish there were some "tribal Drums" in there, a beat to reach the very soul. Perfect otherwise. I was glad to listen not all six mins!!! HEh.. :)

You got another fan!

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YEAH! &mdash 03/13/05 - 02:37:21 AM
wow thats a mighty big typo.......I ment:

I WAS GLAD TO LISTEN TO ALL SIX MINS!!!!!!!!

Too bad the won't let us edit our song comment posts!

Oh well.

CHEERS!!!

:)

---
George W. Bush is an ANUS.

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YEAH! &mdash 03/13/05 - 05:05:29 PM
Cheers Ronnie, it's great to have you as a fan. I will definitely be doing
more of these, and I'm working on one which will have a bit of a tribal
drum groove ...

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Another hit :) &mdash 03/13/05 - 07:35:58 PM
This is great. Can't add much to what's been said but once again, a simple background works very well to feature the voice. Reminds me of Clannad.

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Another hit :) &mdash 03/15/05 - 04:45:35 AM
Thanks for dropping by. I have listened to a lot of Clannad over the years
so they've probably influenced my style to some extent.

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Fantastic &mdash 03/13/05 - 11:21:44 PM
Your voice is beautiful. And your wonderful lyrics and melody truly carry us away to another place and time. This is folk music at its best.

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Fantastic &mdash 03/15/05 - 04:52:05 AM
Very nice of you to say so, Jenny. Thanks!

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lovely and moving &mdash 03/14/05 - 09:19:01 PM
I love this kind of music. I'm so sorry your friend didn't
have the chance to play the fiddle on it, but I'm sure he's
enjoying it somewhere, just the same. Thanks for posting.

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lovely and moving &mdash 03/15/05 - 04:54:44 AM
I'm sure he is ...
Thanks, Daphna, for visiting and commenting. It's appreciated!

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BEAUTIFUL again ! &mdash 03/15/05 - 03:02:22 PM
Hi Rebsie!
You've done it again!
Stunningly beautiful!

Wish I had words enough, but ... this music opens my
heart. I am a little different a person after listening to this
than I have been this whole day before.

One of the very best so far I've heard on this site. And
even outside of it … why don't they play music like this on
my radio?

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BEAUTIFUL again ! &mdash 03/16/05 - 04:50:42 PM
Wow, what can I say? Thanks Johannes! I'm very glad you like it. I'm a
great admirer of your music too.

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Super lovely... &mdash 03/16/05 - 05:39:20 AM
... that electronic drone is great. Can I go off on one here?
So many places you visit around the world seem to have
the ghosts of Irish immigrants lurking - after all, as
labourers they built so much of London, or New York, or
Sydney. The electronic element places the song in 2005;
but the singer sounds like they're singing about Ireland in
1850. To me that slightly jarring mix of old and new
makes it sound like like it's being sung by one of those
ghosts who lurk in modern cities.

Er. Or something like that.

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Super lovely... &mdash 03/21/05 - 03:29:24 PM
Yeah, I feel my ancestors breathing down my neck when I do these
songs!

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superb poetic words here &mdash 04/10/05 - 09:26:54 AM
Seems brilliant to me.

Good job

Thanks for sharing

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superb poetic words here &mdash 04/28/05 - 05:09:04 AM
The words are very poetic ... this version comes from a book by a 1960s
Irish singer called Paddy Tunney, and I think he may have spiced it up
and added a few lines of his own.
Thanks for listening!

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Very Beautiful &mdash 04/12/05 - 09:55:59 AM
I love the vocal pickup of the Behringer Mic that you have
achieved here. I also like the drone sound that you have
used to replace what I think would normally be taken by a
bagpiper. I hate the bagpipes, and so I really like the
replacement droning instrument that you have used.

This piece was really a nice little history lesson for me, as I
had never know about such immigrations from England to
Canada before. I really appreciate meaningful lyrics that
let me walk away with something, and this piece is
attribution to that.

It is also nice to hear the difference in accents that we
have. A world apart, yet we have choosen your language
here in America to share. A common thread.

Back to the song:

SImple, beautiful, and not a moment was I without
enchantement. I highly diagree with Drakonis' comments
on this one. I think that your vocal technique is superb
and I wouldn't recommend that you change a thing about
this track.

I appreciate your shyness that you talk about in your
artists' description. I have the same problem and I know
that I am thankful for the modern technology that we have
that allows us to perform without having the pressure of
the audience on us.

Good work. I surely enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing.



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Very Beautiful &mdash 04/28/05 - 07:56:14 AM
Thanks very much for your comments, MidiMacMan, I'm very glad you
like the song. Part of the appeal of these old songs for me is the history
behind them. It feels pleasantly strange to be singing something which
was sung 200 years ago, recreating the emotions our ancestors must
have felt.

And I agree, it is amazing that the language which originated on this
small island is being spoken half way across the world. We have different
accents and a few different spellings but can still communicate freely.

Thanks for listening!

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Glad you got your interface cleaned up! &mdash 04/23/05 - 05:35:16 PM
It's a joy to hear your voice nicely picked up w/o the
noise! Very evocative. Look forward to hearing more.

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Glad you got your interface cleaned up! &mdash 04/28/05 - 08:00:18 AM
Thank you! Yes, the line hiss is a thing of the past ... I just have my
breathing and the humming of the Mac to contend with now! Thanks for
your support.

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Mind's eye &mdash 04/26/05 - 10:11:18 AM
Very professionally done. You capture the melancholy and
strength of this music so well. The song creates a space
above the ground, as if seen from a circling falcon. Or a
spirit unleashed.

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Mind's eye &mdash 04/28/05 - 08:05:10 AM
Wow, thanks Tobin. It is a powerful song and I'm glad you like what I've
done with it. It took me to another time and place while I was recording
it.

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A stunning &mdash 05/03/05 - 04:00:39 PM
velvety voice and hearing you sing this song makes me feel like I was back then in time. Just like being at a ren fair or SCA event and hearing the bards sing. Impressive. In reading your profile it says you stumbled into garageband because your roof collapsed and you recieved a G5 w/garageband. Never have I been happier to hear someones house fell apart since the end result has brought you here m'lady. serendipty at its finest.

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A stunning &mdash 05/04/05 - 04:43:19 AM
You're absolutely right, that ceiling collapse which seemed such a
disaster at the time turned out to be an enormous blessing. GarageBand
has changed my life. And MacJams has been an even bigger blessing,
bringing me some wonderful new friends. Thanks ever so much for your
lovely comments, they're much appreciated.

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gorgeous! &mdash 05/28/05 - 03:22:13 AM
i feel like these comments must sound like a broken record
to you, but your voice is gorgeous...

made me want to make the 5 mile drive to canada!

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gorgeous! &mdash 06/03/05 - 05:17:08 PM
Nope, doesn't sound like a broken record at all ... nice comments are
always appreciated. Thank you!

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Ahhhh nice..... &mdash 06/14/05 - 07:52:48 AM
Cant belive i missed this tune when it was posted..

Wonderfall voice....
maybe we can do something together some time?

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Ahhhh nice..... &mdash 06/15/05 - 12:38:28 PM
Thanks Thompa! Yes, why not? You know I'm a fan of your music!

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A sad goodbye &mdash 07/31/05 - 03:18:42 PM
I sense your loss of a good friend and the loss of the Irish
of their homeland as they ventured to a land they had not seen
though Canada is a wonderful place.
very good use of the software instruments/midi and a strong
but enchanting voice as usual.

dwwave

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A sad goodbye &mdash 08/24/05 - 03:42:30 PM
I'm glad I managed to convey some of that sense of loss. Thanks very much
for listening and commenting.

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this &mdash 06/06/07 - 11:26:44 AM
is intense.i love the droning in the background while you carry the whole melody. if you ever want someone to throw some sort of pyshedelic soundscape over one of your songs, please let me know.

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&mdash 06/11/07 - 10:09:30 AM
Well that's an offer I can't refuse. :)

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This is the place &mdash 06/11/07 - 10:48:36 AM
where loneliness lives... and I don't just mean the loneliness of missing a person, or a place. This is a far more profound ache of leaving a home that can no longer be called a home.

Once, I stood on the grey ocean-washed rocks of Nova Scotia, and found myself lost in thought, thinking about the ships that once brought people to a new world they'd never known.

I can feel the wind and the scent of the sea to this day, and this piece captures the mood and sentiment of what I felt, standing on those rocks. This is stark and bold and raw, all the more so for its gentle and flowing sound.


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&mdash 06/12/07 - 05:38:28 PM
What a thoroughly charming and evocative comment, thanks Rik. I've never been to Canada so I lack that particular perspective on the song ... I've seen the remains of abandoned cottages left behind by the emigrants but I've never seen the places they ended up.

I'm so glad the song touched you emotionally ... that's really its sole purpose.

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I just can't &mdash 06/15/07 - 06:49:13 PM
resist these traditional songs - the more melancholic the better. Your voice conveys this so well and the simplicity of the backing adds a real sense of loss.

Peter

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Thanks Peter &mdash 06/16/07 - 07:55:54 AM
I'm really glad you appreciate the songs with sparse backing tracks. I always feel guilty about doing them in case people think I'm just being lazy, or find them boring, but there is a particular effect created by singing these old modal melodies over a simple drone. It's something to do with the way the melody and drone interact with each other ... there are subtle harmonies made by each note of the melody in relation to the drone. I hope that makes sense - it's not an easy thing to put into words.

And yes, the emptiness of the arrangement adds to the sense of desolation and loss.

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Wow-beautiful. &mdash 07/01/07 - 10:46:55 PM
Rebsie, unreal job...beautiful voice and recording of it, and wonderful backing music. I am definitely teary-eyed after hearing you sing this with those lyrics. It reminds me of my Jewish ancestors in a sense of leaving home. Anyhow, great work here. Tx for posting.

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What a pleasure to hear &mdash 09/25/07 - 05:21:47 PM
Simple, heartfelt, executed with great skill. This piece really works well, and the vocals are so expressive! As a Canadian descendant from Irish immigrants (and English/Scots and French too) I have a real resonance with this music. It also makes me think of putting together some traditional music from the East Coast of Canada sooner rather than later!

Thanks for sharing,
Doug

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In appreciation.. &mdash 11/21/07 - 12:52:45 AM

What can I say Rebsie, except my thanks to you for your rendition of this beautiful song.

Every time I listen to the words, I am refilled with my feelings and my desire to see the beauty of Canada and especially BC, for myself.

The times are very different now I know, but I "range and explore" BC by webcam, so I know fairly well what that part of Canada looks like now.

In my own way I guess I keep a part of our tradition alive in the songs I sing and love. I know that if I leave the UK, to travel overseas as I wish to do now, I will take that tradition in my heart and mind, where ever I go.

Thanks again Rebsie.

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&mdash 11/21/07 - 05:23:54 AM
Thanks very much for your nice comment.

I know what you mean about carrying the tradition within yourself. For the most part it's the English folk muse I'm channelling, so in some ways I'm stepping outside my territory with this song ... but it felt right.

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