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Handed Down
Handed Down celebrates traditional songs and the people who sing them. The show is presented by Jenny Shaw, an amateur musician and professional writer. Each episode is full of music, tales and curiosities as we delve into the history a single song, often with the help of a fellow folk musician, to uncover the strange stories and colourful characters that lie beneath.
These are the songs that have been handed down from our ancestors. This podcast and the people involved in it help keep them alive so that we can hand them down in turn to future generations.
Handed Down
Wild Rover with The Haar
The Wild Rover is a sailors' song, known in most of the places where seafarers from these isles gathered. But I can guarantee you've never heard it done like this before!
In today's episode I'm with The Haar, shortly before the release of their new album Where Old Ghosts Meet. We chat about this song, described as being like a handshake for sailors meeting in far away places, and why they chose to add a new verse.
They also talk about their approach to traditional music, and improvising in a style in which a whole host of musical backgrounds and traditions meet. What could be more fitting for such a well travelled song?
The Haar are:
Adam Summerhayes – fiddle
Murray Grainger – accordion and vibrandoneon
Cormac Byrne – bodhrán
Molly Donnery – vocal
You can find their website at http://thehaar.ie/
The episode includes excerpts of the following songs, all from their forthcoming album:
- Danny Boy
- Dónal Óg
- Carrickfergus
- Whiskey in the Jar
- Wild Rover (in full)
You can buy the album at https://thehaar.bandcamp.com/ and I would heartily recommend it.