The New Demesne: Field Recordings by Alan Lomax, Ireland 1951
( Reel-to-Real 2024 )Available for purchase:
In January 1951 the famous folk-song collector Alan Lomax, accompanied by American singer Robin Roberts, came to Ireland for the first time. The purpose of the visit was to make state-of-the-art reel-to-reel tape recordings of Irish traditional songs and instrumental music, and its outcome was to be the first of a commercial series of LPs—another new technology—in what would become the landmark World Library of Folk and Primitive Music, compiled by Lomax for Columbia Records.
Guided in Ireland by the uilleann piper and singer Seamus Ennis, who was working as a professional collector with Radio Éireann and who would feature prominently on the recordings, and assisted by the Irish Folklore Commission and Radio Éireann, Lomax and Roberts recorded for weeks in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Donegal.
Selections from the resulting tapes were issued on the Ireland volume of the Columbia series in 1955 and re-issued on CD by Rounder Records in 1998. "The New Demesne" is by far the most in-depth presentation of these historic recordings.
"Contrary to popular conceptions that Irish traditional music was on its knees in post-war Ireland, Lomax’s richly eclectic archive suggests a different reality." —Siobhan Long, Irish Times
- Seamus Ennis - Song - As I Walked Through Dublin City 01:01
- Robin Roberts - Song - Dublin City 01:55
- Seamus Ennis - Reel - The New Demesne 02:08
- Alan Lomax - Song - Old Joe Clark 01:26
- Seamus Ennis - Song - Go Deimhin, a Mháire 01:12
- Seamus Ennis - Song - The Old Man Rocking the Cradle 02:24
- Seamus Ennis - Air - The Trip over the Mountain 01:23
- Elizabeth Cronin - Song - Uncle Rat 01:43
- Elizabeth Cronin - Song - A Bhean Úd Thíos & conversation with Alan Lomax 03:08
- Song - Elizabeth Cronin_Lanigan’s Ball 00:52
- Elizabeth Cronin - Song - Shule Agrah 02:10
- Alan Lomax & Elizabeth Cronin - Conversation about song 01:02
- Elizabeth Cronin - Song - Lord Gregory 04:01
- Seán Ó Súilleabháin / Sean O’Sullivan & Diarmuid Ó Ríordáin / Dermot O’Riordan -Song - Lá Úd na Meithile 01:28
- Peigí Ní Scanláin / Peggy Scanlon - Song - A Mharcaigh ón Mhumhain 01:06
- Máire Ní Shúilleabháin / Maire O'Sullivan - Song - Cuir a Chodladh an Seanduine 01:20
- Gobnait Ní Chróinín / Abby Cronin - Song - An Cailín Aerach 02:02
- Diarmuid Ó Ríordáin - Song - Cu - cú - ín 02:06
- Máire Ní Shúilleabháin - Song - Crónán na Bó 01:20
- Máire Ní Cheocháin / Maire Keohane - Song - Cois Abhann na Séad 02:38
- Máire Ní Shúilleabháin - Song - Idir Chaiseal is Durlas 02:02
- Gobnait Ní Chróinín - Song - Réidhchnoc Mná Duibhe 02:19
- Máire Ní Shúilleabháin - Song - An Cailín Aerach 00:55
- Beairtle Ó Conaola / Bartley Conneely - Song - Amhrán na mBréag 02:32
- Seán Jeaic Mac Donncha / John Jack McDonagh - Song - An Bonnán Buí 03:47
- Beairtle Ó Conaola - Song - An Sceilpín Draighneach 03:08
- Seán Jeaic Mac Donncha - Song - Amhrán Rinn Mhaoile 03:24
- Beairtle Ó Conaola - Song - Púcán Mhicil Pháidín 03:24
- Beairtle Ó Conaola - Song - Sadhbh Ní Bhruinnealla 02:11
- Seán Jeaic Mac Donncha - Song - Róisín Dubh 03:24
- Beairtle Ó Conaola - Song - An Táilliúirín Magaidh 03:35
- Aggie White - Reel- Maudabawn Chapel 01:18
- Aggie White - Jigs- The Irish Washerwoman, Whelan’s 01:34
- Aggie White - Reels- Bonnie Kate, Jennie’s Chickens 02:10
- Colm Ó Caodháin (Colm an Bhlácaigh) / Colm Keane - Song - A Pheigí na gCarad 02:26
- Colm Ó Caodháin - Song - Na Ceannabháin Bhána 01:08
- Colm Ó Caodháin - Song-story - An tSeanbhean & conversation with Seamus Ennis 04:41
- Meaigí Nic Dhonncha (Meaigí Sheáinín Choilmín) / Maggie McDonagh - Song - Mo Cheallachaín Fionn 01:56
- Meaigí Nic Dhonncha - Song - Ní Phósfaidh Mo Mháire 02:04
- Meaigí Nic Dhonncha - Song - Cailleach an Airgid 01:22
- Meaig í Nic Dhonncha - Song - An Rógaire Dubh 00:54
- Meaigí Nic Dhonncha - Song - Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh 00:53
- Alan Lomax; Aggie White; Ballinakill Ceili Band. - Song - Uncle Joe; Reel- Miss McLeod’s 01:48
- Ballinakill Ceili Band - Reel - The Twelfth Day 01:37
- Eddie Moloney & Chet Coughlan - Reels - The Maid among the Roses, Shannon Breeze 01:16
- Ballinakill Ceili Band - Jig - The Lark in the Morning 01:20
- Aggie & Bridie White - Reel - The Mason’s Apron 01:31
- Ballinakill Ceili Band - Reels - The Ashplant, The Grouse on the Bog 01:55
- Cití Ní Ghallchóir (Cití Eoin Éamoin) / Kitty Gallagher - Song - An Mhaighdean Mhara 02:20
- Néillidh Ó Baoill (Néillidh Pháidí Néillidh) / Neillidh Boyle - Air - The Girls of Keadew 01:54
- Cití Ní Ghallchóir - Song - Is Deas an Fear i mBaile Mé 02:17
- Neillidh Boyle - Story with lilt 01:06
- Cití Ní Ghallchóir - Song - Bríd Bhocht 01:21
- Mickey Doherty - Jig - Haste to the Wedding; Air - The Match is Made 02:03
- Mickey Doherty - Reel - The Moving Bogs of Allen 01:35
- Mickey Doherty in conversation with Seán Ó hEochaidh - Story - The Twisting of the Hayrope; Reel - The Girl was Smart for the Fiddler 04:27
- Mickey Doherty - Reel - Old Peter Street 01:49
- Mickey Doherty in conversation with Seán Ó hEochaidh - Story - The Fiddler with One Tune; Reel - The Fairy Reel 05:42
- Seán ’ac Dhonncha (Johnny Joe Pheaitsín) / John McDonagh - Song - Bean an Fhir Rua 03:37
- Seán ’ac Dhonncha - Song - Green Brooms 02:28
- Mickey Cronin - Song - Gleann Cam 01:00
- Mickey Cronin - Song - My Name is Pat O'Donnell 05:12
- Seamus Ennis - Air - I’ll Mend your Pots and Kettles 01:48
- Seamus Ennis - Song - The Herring 01:25
- Seamus Ennis - Song - As I Roved Out 01:26
- Seamus Ennis - Hornpipes - The Groves, O’Dwyer’s 04:22