You've asked for
it, and we've finally done it!
The CD that represents the best of Marcille Wallis & Friends -- Live,
as it should be!
Recorded
Live at the WNC Highlands Celtic Festival, Black Mountain, NC
Marcille Wallis: hammer dulcimer, guitar (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8, 15)
Don Pigeon: vocals, mandolin, whistle, guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 9-14, 16, 17)
Matt Miller: fiddle
Track Listing and Notes
1 The Piper’s Weird / The Athole Highlanders / Lark in the Morning
We
often begin our performances with this medley of tunes. When Ann and Cal
dance their way onstage to "Lark in the Morning," it sets a lively
tone for the rest of the evening.
I can just hear the comments over the name The Piper's Weird! However, it's not at all what it seems. The Piper's Weird, also known as Macrimmon's, is said to have been written by piper Donald Ban MacCrimmon, who predicted his own death at the 1746 Battle Of Culloden. "Weird" is a Scots word which means a person's destiny. Legendary Scottish fiddler/composer James Scott Skinner transcribed the tune. The Athole Highlanders and Lark in the Morning are both traditional tunes; the first is actually a 6/8 pipe march and the second is a four-part Irish jig.
2 Rare Old Mountain Dew (Edward Harrigan / Dave Braham)
From
Don: I learned this grand old tune from Seamus O'Dyer (RIP). He could
really sing 'em.
From
Matt: When it came time to pick the tunes for my set, I had a number of songs
in mind, but these three all outshone the others for a number of reasons; I loved
the energy and visceral feeling that they gave me when I played them, and the
natural progression of the keys they were in gave the whole set a nice
build. The first song, Cuckoo's Nest, is one that I learned
from a werewolf banjo player and dear friend of mine, David Capps. The
second song is one of my all time favorite fiddle tunes, and in a way, I feel
like I built this set around it. The last song, Road to Spencer, is a
relatively young tune written by bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs. I added
it as a tribute to a long time friend and cooking god, Uncle Jerry, who loves
this song almost as much as I love his baked ziti!
4 Wild Mountain Thyme (Francis McPeake)
From
Don:
I always sing this one for the love of my life, Carol.
From
Don:
You can never have a good kitchen session without some lively polkas!
From
Marcille: From the time I was a little girl whose feet didn't touch the floor
as she played the piano, to the time that I was all grown up and playing the
dulcimer for my living, my parents always loved to hear me play music.
Ever since the time I nervously played this as the offertory at First Baptist
Church of Arcadia, Florida, this medley of hymns remained one of their
favorites.
7 Whistle set: Jackie Coleman’s / Christmas Eve / The Ships Are Sailing
From
Don:
I put this set together one rainy Sunday afternoon. Brightened my day!
The St. Anne's Reel is a traditional French-Canadian fiddle tune that is well-loved by musicians in many traditions. Is there "magic in the music?" Composer David Mallett evidently thinks so, as he wrote this ballad based on the tune!
From Matt: This is one of my all-time favorite songs, sung by one of my all-time favorite people!
9 Monstah Jig Set (Road to Lisdoonvarna / Andy deJarlis's / The Swallowtail / Tobin's Favourite / Morrison's Jig)
From
Marcille: The genesis of the "monstah jigs" was the ODPC FunFest, a
dulcimer gathering in Evart, Michigan, which "everybody" just refers
to as "Evart." A group of us Celtoids would get together, night
after night, playing up all the tunes we knew in common, teaching each other new
tunes, and having a blast. Somewhere along the way, I started referring to
a particular set of jigs as the "monstah jig set;" fellow dulcimer
player Kathy Case suggested that we add a new jig each night, and ... I think we
may have grown the Evart set to eight or nine, maybe even ten! Nowadays,
for the sake of our audience, we mostly stick to the same set of five tunes, but
ya never know ...
10 The Skye Boat Song / Loch Lomond
These
two songs also have associations with the Battle of Culloden. The Skye
Boat Song recalls the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, aka "Bonnie
Prince Charlie," or "The Young Pretender," after his defeat at
Culloden. In Loch Lomond there is some doubt as to the exact
meaning behind the famous lyrics "O
ye’ll tak’ the high road, and Ah'll tak' the low road," but there is no
disputing the fact that it is one of the most beloved songs in the Scottish
tradition.
11 The Hills of Connemara
A
song about moonshinin' in the hills of Connemara, Ireland, played and sung as if
it came straight out of the hills of North Carolina!
12 Sound Of Sleat (D Mackinnon)
This tune has been one of our big dance numbers since Ann and
Cal joined Marcille Wallis & Friends ten years ago. The dance, called
"The Chase," is playful and romantic and funny and charming and ...
all that.
13 Whiskey In The Jar
A
highwayman, perhaps a would-be Robin Hood, is double-crossed by his lover;
hilarity ensues. One of the most widely performed and beloved songs in the
Irish tradition, Whiskey in the Jar has been recorded by The
Dubliners, Thin Lizzy, even Metallica! Wonder if they do the hand-clapping
bit (4 - 2 - 1) at a Metallica concert?
14 Orange Blossom Special (Ervin Rouse / Chubby Wise)
The
Orange Blossom Special, it is said, was the first streamline train to be seen in
Florida. Fiddlers Ervin
Rouse and Chubby Wise took a promotional tour of the train, got themselves
liquored up, and proceeded to write what is arguably the essential tune
in every good old-time/bluegrass fiddler's repertoire. Matt, a great
old-time/bluegrass fiddler, has made this tune his own; on any given night you
may hear him improvise on Vivaldi ... or on Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC or Black
Sabbath. We never really know what's coming next, and the coolest thing
about it is ... Matt doesn't either.
15 Scotland The Brave
We
play for a fair amount of Scottish events. How else would we end the
concert?
16 Amazing Grace
From Matt: An incredible hymn, and Marcille's solo intro is one of the most moving renditions of this song you will ever hear.
Dedicated
to our many friends and fans, who’ve given us so much support and
encouragement over the years!
Love
and Special Thanks to our families – to Greg McGrath, Carol Pigeon, Candy
& David Miller – for … driving us to and from gigs … keeping us fed
and watered … taking tickets and overseeing merch sales … in other words,
for seeing to the details of our work, so that we can play!
Photos
of Marcille Wallis & Friends by Candy Miller
Photo of Marcille by Lindsey Wallis
Photo of Don by Susan Woodman, Mydarkhalf
Photography, Old Fort, NC
Photo of Matt by Candy Miller
Graphic Design by Jeanette Gander, Buffalo
Graffix, Port Charlotte, FL
