In Review

A project of The Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place (MMAP) and MUN Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA), Newfoundland and Labrador Folklore: A sampler of songs, narrations and tunes is a 27-track CD featuring field recordings from MUNFLA's vast collection. Producer Dr. Peter Narvaez and his team have done a great job selecting performances that are varied and eclectic, and that highlight the diversity of the oral traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Several of the tracks are contributions from such well-known traditional artists as Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, Bernard Felix and Minnie White. Their pieces are delivered with the vibrancy and style that made them so popular with folk audiences in the province. No less engaging are the selections from lesser known artists, including some dexterous flat-picking from singer/guitarist Kevin Beanland, a terrific rendition of “Tom Tobin’s Dickybird” by Mike Meaney, and the Music Hall-inspired “St. John’s Girl,” delivered with precision and energy by Peter Letto.

Other great tracks include “The Girl from the West Country” by Mack Masters, The Scottish Gaelic “Oran a Tombaca,” sung by Allan MacArthur, and “Romeo and Juliet,” a recitation from John Thomas Power of Tors Cove.

This CD isn’t for those who prefer slick, professional production. The performers are captured in their own homes on portable recorders by folklore students and researchers who also the record ambient sounds of real life: a phone rings in the middle of Annie Green’s “Why Don’t Father’s Ship Come In”; Annie Walters clears her throat in “The Bird Rocks”; and various tracks are interspersed with conversations between performer and collector.

These interruptions may distract some, but they serve as a reminder that there was once a time when our oral traditions were not solely products to be packaged and sold; they were an integral and meaningful part of daily life in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Musician and singer, Jean Hewson has been performing and teaching for over 20 years.

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	In Review by Jean Hewson The Broadside Vol 11. No. 1 July 2007

	A project of The Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place (MMAP) and MUN Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA), Newfoundland and Labrador Folklore: A sampler of songs, narrations and tunes is a 27-track CD featuring field recordings from MUNFLA's vast collection. Producer Dr. Peter Narvaez and his team have done a great job selecting performances that are varied and eclectic, and that highlight the diversity of the oral traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador. Several of the tracks are contributions from such well-known traditional artists as Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, Bernard Felix and Minnie White. Their pieces are delivered with the vibrancy and style that made them so popular with folk audiences in the province. No less engaging are the selections from lesser known artists, including some dexterous flat-picking from singer/guitarist Kevin Beanland, a terrific rendition of “Tom Tobin’s Dickybird” by Mike Meaney, and the Music Hall-inspired “St. John’s Girl,” delivered with precision and energy by Peter Letto. Other great tracks include “The Girl from the West Country” by Mack Masters, The Scottish Gaelic “Oran a Tombaca,” sung by Allan MacArthur, and “Romeo and Juliet,” a recitation from John Thomas Power of Tors Cove. This CD isn’t for those who prefer slick, professional production. The performers are captured in their own homes on portable recorders by folklore students and researchers who also the record ambient sounds of real life: a phone rings in the middle of Annie Green’s “Why Don’t Father’s Ship Come In”; Annie Walters clears her throat in “The Bird Rocks”; and various tracks are interspersed with conversations between performer and collector. These interruptions may distract some, but they serve as a reminder that there was once a time when our oral traditions were not solely products to be packaged and sold; they were an integral and meaningful part of daily life in Newfoundland and Labrador. Musician and singer, Jean Hewson has been performing and teaching for over 20 years. (back to table of contents)