The highwayman is a particularly strong effort, especially in comparison to her earlier. Stream loreena mckennitt on amazon music unlimited now. From the quinlan road recording the book of secrets. It is derived from momus, the personification of satire and mockery.
Its new years day as the book opens, and amateur sleuth and english teacher amanda pepper defies the cold to take in the annual mummers parade in philadelphia. The mummers parade features music, dance, comedy, and mime, along with dazzling costumes and floats. Mummers celebrations in america date back to colonial times, when the boisterous swedish custom of celebrating the end of the calendar year with noise making and shouting was combined with the tradition of the british mummery play. My mother mixed the dough for our christmas cake on the kitchen table. Even with those rock beats it still sounds really lovely.
While the origins of mumming and the mummers play arent definitive. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. History, heritage, folklore, and news from county sligo. The album is certified doubleplatinum in the united states. For the most part, mummery and the mob are not synonymous. Philadelphia mayor warns mummers to end blackface or risk.
The philadelphia mummers parade is believed to be one of the oldest folk festivals in america, and a tradition that has been going on since the time of ancient egyptians. This song though is not so much a tribute to mumming as a celebration of nature. Some mummer groups dance around the midsummer bonefire but, as the very essence of the christmas mummers is involved with death of the old year and revival of the new, this is just ridiculous. Aided by a pop crossover remix, the single helped propel her sixth lp, the book of secrets, to number three in canada and into the billboard top 20, making it her highestcharting release to date. This short story recalls my first encounter with the mummers.
Mummers mostly performed seasonally, at christmas or easter. This is a nice book with an interesting history of the parade and organizations who participate in it. Theyre dressed in humorous costumes and dance to recordings such as the. In 1998, mckennitt scored her biggest hit with the mummers dance. I normally enjoy this series, but this one left me a bit unimpressed.
A brief history of mummering live rural newfoundland. The mummers storytelling around the world tellatale. The book of secrets by loreena mckennitt album, celtic. The mummers parade, in 10 vintage photos curbed philly. Mummerys exact roots are lost in ancient history, but enough remains to piece together a coherent picture of its beginnings, which persist today, though in a radically different form. But the history of the mummers stretches back way before it came to philly. In addition to the studio version, which was recorded for the 1997 album the book of secrets. She also made them out to be rough, and very hot headed. The book of secrets, an album by loreena mckennitt.
The oldest folk parade in the country has always been quite the spectacle. The book of secrets features a cast of over two dozen musical collaborators, and the eight songs contained therein, including north american hit single the mummers dance, leads the listener on unexpected journeys. Its any man, woman or child involved in the fantasy of song, dance and costume splendor on each january 1st in the annual philadelphia new years day parade, said martz. A mummers dance through ireland by loreena mckennitt. The author attempted to draw the mummers as hardworking, family oriented people who love their city and their culture, and she did. Thank you for taking the time to read about my article on a brief history of mummering. The longbanned tradition of mummering in newfoundland is making a comeback resurrecting a centuriesold christmas ritual with creepy masks, horse.
Recent examples on the web kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin. However, the word mummer can be traced back to ancient greece. Mckennitts single the mummers dance was a widespread success, receiving considerable airplay in north american markets during the spring of 1997, and was used as the theme song for the shortlived tv series, legacy. I dont think we were drawn in a particularly good light. The mummers dance, a hit song from the album the book of secrets by loreena mckennitt, refers to a springtime traditional mummers play as performed in ireland. The mummers dance is a song by loreena mckennit, a canadian world music artist. Mummers were and are actors and other entertainers that were. The mummers dance is a song written, composed, and performed by canadian celtic singer loreena mckennitt, released as a single from the album the book of secrets in 1997. The mummers curse by gillian roberts nook book ebook. Sadly, her world crumbled that july when her fiance, ronald rees, died while on a sailing trip with his brother and a family friend in georgian bay. The philadelphia mummers parade is believed to be one of the oldest folk. The mummers dance is a single by canadian celtic singer loreena mckennitt from the 1997 album the book of secrets. From new york citys thanksgiving and columbus day parades to the indianapolis 500 and the mardi gras, children of all ages sing and dance to the sights and sound that is uniquely the joseph a.
Buy loreena mckennitts album titled a mummers dance through ireland to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. I dont have the album it is on, but i hope ill be able to get it soon. The book of secrets is the sixth studio album by loreena mckennitt, released in 1997. The tune was included on the album the book of secrets, which was released in 1997. The song refers to seasonal mummers play performed by groups of actors, often as housetohouse visits. O light the candle, john the daylight has almost gone the birds have sung their last the bells call all to mass sit here by my side for the night is very long theres. I have three of loreenas albums, including the book of secrets, and i really liked the mummers dance.
The longbanned tradition of mummering in newfoundland is. To give the book of secrets a little credit, theres a lot more meat to it than the average na release, with more history and better. Loreenas sixth studio album and a worldwide chart success, featuring hit single the mummers dance. One of the many small museums left as a legacy of the 1976 bicentennial celebration, the mummers museum celebrates a centuriesold philadelphia tradition, which can be traced back to english settlers who brought to the colonies their christmastime custom of dressing in costume and. Oh, dem golden slippers polish american string band perhaps its ironic that the famous strut and theme song of the philadelphia mummers, made up almost exclusively of white men, come from africanamerican culture. Listen to your favorite songs from loreena mckennitt. The book of secrets for more information about loreena mckennitt visit her official web site at. The book of secrets by loreena mckennitt on amazon music. The mummers dance is a single written, composed, and performed by canadian celtic singer loreena mckennitt, who released it from the album the book of secrets in 1997.
The mummers museum preserves memorabilia of the past and explains the customs of the mummers clubs. This book explores the community created and annually reaffirmed by the philadelphia mummers. Listen to your favorite songs from the book of secrets by loreena mckennitt now. The word mummer can be traced to greek mythology, according to the mummers museum. List of songs with songfacts entries for loreena mckennitt. Be a part of our rich history by hiring the joseph a. Another possible factor is that he may have seen the mention of mummers in thomas hughes book tom browns school days, published in 1857. In some ways, we can see the afterlife of the minstrel show on display in the mummers parade even now, said dr. Mumming a yuletide tradition irish customs world cultures. I would be happy to answer some questions you may have, if i am able. The mummers dance loreena mckennitt the book of secrets. Mckennitts single the mummers dance was a widespread success, receiving. History of the mummers mr mummer philadelphia mummers. From the quinlan road recording the book of secrets the mummers dance words and music by loreena mckennitt when in the springtime of the year when the trees are crowned with leaves when the ash and oak, and the birch and yew are dressed in ribbons fair when owls call the breathless moon in the blue veil of the night the shadows of the trees appear.
The story behind the mummers theme song, oh, dem golden. Billie jean, delilah, sara, laura and sharona do you know who the girls in the songs really are. The famous mummers parade is an extravaganza that draws enormous crowds who cheer through chattering teeth, as more than thirty thousand clowns, string bands, and fancy brigades strut their stuff up broad street. The mummers at charney bassett would therefore have been something quite novel to him, and this may explain why he drew the sketch and noted down the words. Great background information lends insight in the to political nightmares of staging it and excellent facts about the roots of the mummers themselves. The word mummer is unfamiliar to most people, and i had to look it up. England in ribbons, a song by hugh lupton and chris wood is based on the characters of a traditional english mummers play. The mummers dance 1997 mike scott of the waterboys. The mummers dance by loreena mckennitt song meaning, lyric. Although the lavish event is now televised to a wide audience, it is still rooted in the same neighborhoods where it began. Provided to youtube by universal music group the mummers dance loreena mckennitt the book of secrets. When in the springtime of the year when the trees are crowned with leaves when the ash and oak, and. Recorded at real world studios with a stellar musical. Yet some of my favorite tracks, the mummers dance, sound very celtic in their rhythm.
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