A Spade’s A Spade
Nae Goat's Toe
FGCD008

1. Spade Mill Hornpipe
Set to the rhythms of the machinery that drives the light hammer. Composed by Willie Drennan.

2. Heavy Hammer Hornpipe
The biggest, heaviest and loudest hammer in the mill gets you in marching mode. Composed by Willie Drennan. This tone is also the opening piece for the stage show, Fae Lang Syne. This track was filmed live at Patterson's Spade Mill as part of a 'Dander with Drennan' documentary seris which was a ‘Straight Forward Production’ for BBC Northern Ireland.

3. Patterson’s Jig
Set to the rhythms of Patterson’s turbine. Composed by Willie Drennan.

4. Strap Press Reel
Dance tunes must surely have been in the heads of those who worked the strap press. Composed by Willie Drennan.

5. My Lagan Love
This enchanting song of love was written by Thomas Campbell. The Lagan Stream rises in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains and meanders its way to Belfast Lough. Sung by Davy Sloan. Sharon Carrol on harp.

6. William Young’s Lament
The lament of William Young who was forced to flee his home near Ballymena after the 1798 rebellion. Words by David Herbison, the Bard of Dunclug. Tune by Willie Drennan.

7. An It Taks / Lovely Londonderry
Words by James Fenton. Air adapted from traditional for Scottish Highland Pipes.

8. Carrickfergus
This song is well known throughout the western world. This version is sung by Kerry Jordan of Carrickfergus, County Antrim.

9. Ower The Fiels Tae Tildarg
This tune was composed by Willie Drennan to tell the story of the fiddle he recently acquired from the late Agnes Brown of Cairncastle. Shortly before she died, Agnes gave the fiddle to Willie and told him the story of how her great grandmother had walked the field paths to Tildarg to receive the fiddle from relatives (The McConnels) sometime in the 19th century. A round trip of over twenty miles.

10. Derry Vale
Set to The Londonderry Air, it is believed that this song of exile predated the more commonly known Danny Boy. Thanks to Isabel McCullock of Cookstown for the words. Features Caroline Drennan, Kerry Jordan and Sharon Carrol.

11. Battle of Garvagh (Lass O Gowrie)
This is a classic example of how tunes have gone back and forth between Ulster and Scotland, often picking up different names. Other variations of this tune are played in Southern Ireland.

12. Tam Madoul
Surely everybody wants to be like Tam Madoul? Composed by Willie Drennan.

13. Lambeg and Fife
The fifing tune The Rosetree is also played as a fiddle tune throughout the British Isles and North America.

14. Drowsy Maggie
There was nothing drowsy about Maggie. This fiddle tune of Scottish origins is well known throughout the British Isles and North America.

15. Ye Jacobites By Name
Written by one of the greatest poetic geniuses of all time, Rabbie Burns. As is often the case with Burns, there is cleverness and subtleness in what appears a straightforward lambasting of the futility of war. Burns, in his later years, was probably also trying to get the message out that he himself was no Jacobite as others had accused him of being sympathetic to that cause.

16. Bagpipe and Drum Medley
Highland Laddie/ Black bear. Both of these very old Scottish tunes are popular in all aspects of traditional music in Ulster. The Black Bear, in particular, has historic significance as it is associated with the Cameronian Regiment, which was formed by Covenanters in 1689. This unorthodox rendition features Ian Burrows on Highland Bagpipes and brings in the Lambeg.

Willie Drennan - Vocals, Fiddle, Flute, Drums
Ian Burrows - Highland Bagpipes, Lowland Pipes, Drum, Vocals
Gareth Fulton - Flutes, Drums, Vocals
Caroline Drennan - Lead Vocals, Percussion
Kerry Jordan - Lead Vocals, Fiddle
Ken Hopkins - Accordion, Vocals
Davy Sloan - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Diane McCullough - Fiddle, Accordion, Vocals
Emma Smith - Fiddle, Accordion, Vocals
Sharon Carroll - Harp, Vocals
Eleesha Drennan - Fiddle, Vocals

The title, A Spade’s A Spade, relates to the first four tracks of this CD, which were originally recorded at Patterson’s Spade Mill near Templepatrick in County Antrim. Owned by the National Trust, it is an excellent museum which has preserved the spade mill in its natural working state. The spade mill is full of music - from the rushing water that turns the mill wheel to the various rhythms of the machines. Its not too difficult to imagine mill workers in days gone past, taking the music of the mill home with them at night and transposing it on to fiddles, flutes and drums.

We are particularly indebted to Chief Spade Maker, Colin Dawson for his enthusiastic support for this recording project.

U.K. Customers