When You’re Ready

Spanish Ladies

The earliest record of this song is in the 1796 logbook book of the HMS Nellie where it would have been used as a capstan shanty, to be sung as the sailors raised the anchor for their homeward voyage.

Horizonto/Mystery Inch

The first tune is a jig which was written and arranged for the band Blowzabella by bagpiper Paul James. It is followed up by another Jig written by David Kosky, a guitarist and frequent collaborator with Damien O’Kane.

Country Carrier

This song is one that we both remember being sung around the house when we were children. In contrast to the rest of the tracks, it’s a music hall song written around 1867 by an entertainer named Harry Clifton. Incidentally it was an early track of the band, The Yetties, of which the drummer Bonny Sartin is a relative.  The accompanying tune is an original composition by Will.

Thresherman

Published in J H Dixon’s Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, 1846; this song has been found in multiple broadsides dated from the 19^th century. Though originally written in a major key, several minor variations were created such as the arrangement of Harry Holman from Copthorne, Sussex which served as the inspiration of both the Dr Faustus and Faustus versions which in turn is what we used as a basis for our arrangement.

Temperly Hornpipe/Bye a While

The first jig was one taken from a tune set on Faustus’ first, eponymous album though we struggled to find information on the original source. There is another tune with the same name written by Mike Peat, but this bears no resemblance to the jig we play. The second tune is written by Pádraig Rynne and was taught to Will by Stuart Duncan, recorder player for Out of Hand.

American Stranger/Princess Waltz

One of our favourite songs in our father’s repertoire, this song has always had a special place for both of us. This pre-American Revolution song has Scottish roots and was published in numerous 18^th century broadsides. In 1906 John F. Guyer and Dr George Gardiner compiled versions of the text from both Alfred Porter from the Basingstoke Workhouse and Henry King of Lyndhurst and the tune was later collected by Cecil Sharp from James Saunders of Newcastle on the 2^nd of September 1910.