15th March Roaming in The Gloaming


On the night when Jessie Buckley won best actress award at the Oscars for her role as William Shakespear's wife in the film Hamnet, she also chose this as her 'if you can only chose one' Desert Island disc. This is The Gloaming and the mesmeric 'Samhradh Samhradh.'

I had the privilige, not a word I use very often, to see them live in concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester over a decade ago. They were fabulous on the night and rehearing this for the first time in ages brought the memories flooding back.

The song whose title means  'bringing the summer in' is an ancient Gaelic Beltane song, sung in that language and thus  one that makes no sense to the majority of listeners. Even so the musicianship of the band shines through and cuts across and linguistic barriers. Sit back and enjoy. 


 Mayday doll, maiden of Summer  Up every hill and down every glen,  Beautiful girls, radiant and shining,  We have brought the Summer in.  Summer, 

Summer, milk of the calves,  We have brought the Summer in. Summer of clear bright daisies,  We have brought the Summer in.  

We brought it in from the leafy woods,  We have brought the Summer in.  Yellow Summer from the time of the sunset,  We have brought the Summer in.  

Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,  We have brought the Summer in. Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,  We have brought the Summer in.  

The lark is singing and swinging around in the skies,  Joy for the day and the flower on the trees.  The cuckoo and the lark are singing with pleasure,  We have brought the Summer in.  Summer, 

Summer, milk of the calves,  We have brought the Summer in.  Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,  We have brought the Summer in.

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