October Winds: Music for Halloween and Beyond...

"The October winds lament around the castle of Dromore..." and echo in my imagination, continuing to inspire my musical projects and festival offerings in this busy and rewarding Autumn! As you may know, the modern celebration of Halloween descended both from traditions associated with the Celtic festival of Samhain as well as customs from the Christian feast of All Hallows Eve (the Even of All Saints).

The following eloquent quote from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy describes well the nature of the earlier feast:

“The idea that Samhain is a juncture between the two halves of the year saw it acquiring the unique status of being suspended in time - it did not belong to the old year not the new. It could be said that time stood still on this night and the implications of this were immense. During this night the natural order of life was thrown into chaos and the earthly world of the living became hopelessly entangled with the world of the dead. But the world of the dead was itself a complicated place, peopled not only by the spirits of the departed, but also with a host of gods, fairies and other creatures of uncertain nature.”

I have a special fondness for music that evokes the half-light of shorter days and the tricks of the eye that can play upon one's imagination in the twilight of the day and of the year.

Bill Douglas- "Into the Twilight"

https://youtu.be/yEtNBk4aQEQ

This heart-achingly beautiful and elegant instrument by Bill Douglas is a fairy-tale in sound... I discovered Circle of Moons the library's CD archives when I was just a teenager, and after hearing his unique blend of jazz, classical, Celtic, and world music, my life was never the same. The mood this piece creates reminds me of the mystery of a library at night as well as of the "place between asleep and awake" in which the fairies dwell.

Anuna - "Ah, Robin"

https://youtu.be/OHGJ4qWq6Sc?si=282bLJ0M5Pw9dV1b

Some of the eerie little vocal effects at the beginning of this track remind me of the "Wisps" in the Dinsey Pixar film Brave, which is strangely appropriate since Merida is heard to recite this verse (with considerable discomfort!) during the film as part of her princess duties! It is based upon an English 
Renaissance verse by Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Loreena McKennitt's The Visit

https://open.spotify.com/album/0f5KgfmCqghm7poQtVVU9t?si=RgzEqt5SR1iyatSxGx3hWg

A 1992 classic, Loreena McKennitt's The Visit is now over 30 years old. What a profound influence this album has had on my musical life! It includes such wonders as the wild and lively "All Souls Night" (hence its mention here!), the tragic beauty of "The Lady of Shallott," and the haunting "The Old Ways" among other treasures...

Maddy Prior- "Reynardine"

https://youtu.be/Elt5pqVN0n8?si=RF3PE7tpjLMKuMVu

Maddy Prior, a musical legend of Steeleye Span fame, gives us an epic rendition of the supernatural ballad in which a mysterious man lures a young woman away to the mountains. In some variants, Reynardine is merely a criminal, but in this one, he is clearly meant to be either a werefox or a vampire! 

Aine Minogue- “Fyvie Castle”

https://youtu.be/-FmGM2JywEM?si=3YJwiLB-v6gU4HX8

Harpist Aine Minogue is a queen of ethereal atmosphere, and here she dedicates a song to the infamous Fyvie Castle of Scotland in honor of the Celtic feast of Samhain. Listen carefully to her spooky bent notes on the harp, and between the notes, you might hear the licentious laughter of ghosts in the castle still echoing from an ancient feast!

Dougie MacLean- "All Together"
https://youtu.be/ZlnGd8Rv9Ew?si=Pqa99AIpQdNgbGRY

Dougie MacLean creates a lighter mood with his upbeat 1990's reel to celebrate the spirit of the ceilidh and of the festival! I have many festivals on my calendar, so I am looking forward to many days of musical celebration! I love the inebriating little fiddle instrumental at the end of this set; its little modal surprises are simply intoxicating!

Hedy West - "The Wife of Usher's Well" 

https://youtu.be/ui-mmz8G5RQ?si=ymtpnQ8FHYz0aZA2

What a welcome surprise was Hedy West's rendition of an American variant of "The Wife of Usher's Well," a ballad with origins in Scotland and England! It has that same beautiful mountain minor sound characteristic of "Cluck Old Hen" and "Old Joe Clark." I discovered it while preparing a workshop called "Unquiet Ballads" for the QuaranTune Virtual Dulcimer Fest." It tells a haunting tale of the ghosts of three songs who return to their mother to bring her peace.

Jean Luc Lenoir - Old Celtic & Nordic Ballads

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2VsMZ4GWxiMwJFv65CelzKOROAZSUg2f&si=34bMyyHDuf5_vySQ

This delightful collection of old songs about supernatural creatures of fantasy was recorded and published in France. A multi-instrumental ensemble (including mountain dulcimer!) as well as several fine vocalists bring this music to life with freshness and enthusiasm. It's a wonderful introduction to traditional folk music on these themes, and among my personal highlights are "The Elfin Knight" (Scottish) and "Liti Kjersti og Elvekjongen" (Norwegian).