The Butterfly - Liner Notes


1. The Butterfly
Shelley first performed and recorded this Irish slip jig with the band Orison in the early ’80s. Jesse created this arrangement after learning the tune at Shelley’s Celtic camp six years ago when she was a 15-year-old student. To continue the tradition, Shelley's teen band Dé Chéadaoin has just recorded it on their first CD.
Irish Flute & Whistle: Shelley Phillips, Double Harp: Jesse Autumn, Cello: Barry Phillips
Arranged by Jesse Autumn

2. Newcastle
A country dance tune from John Playford's The English Dancing Master, 1651. Shelley first heard the tune performed in the film Restoration. Her husband Barry arranged it and at first considered including it on his Cello album. As a perfect piece for the oboe, however, it naturally found its way on to The Butterfly.
Oboes & English Horns: Shelley Philips, Cellos & Percussion: Barry Phillips

3. Cold Frosty Morning
Shelley first heard this old time American tune late one night as the strains of flute and fiddle echoed out from behind the flute maker’s booth at the Oregon County Fair. She plays a flute from that same maker on Lowlands of Holland (track #14). She later heard this tune on the Chris Norman album The Man with the Wooden Flute.
Harp & Whistle: Shelley Phillips, Double Harp: Jesse Autumn, Wooden Flute: Lars Johannesson, Fiddle: Deby Benton Grosjean, Cello & Tabla: Barry Phillips, Guitar: William Coulter

4. King of the Faeries / Temple Hill
King of the Faeries is a set dance that Shelley learned while performing as part of a St. Patrick's Day tour. Temple Hill is a reel from Cork that the English composer and folksong collector Percy Grainger used in his folk music setting Molly on the Shore. Shelley created her own arrangement for the 1999 teen Celtic camp.
Harp, English Horn, Whistle & Kalimba: Shelley Phillips, Cello: Barry Phillips, Hammered Dulcimer: Harris Moore, Double Harp: Jesse Autumn

5. All in a Garden Green - Imogen Holst (arr.) / The Honeysuckle - Anthony Holborne
Shelley and her sister learned All in a Garden Green when they lived in Kent for a year as teenagers. She found this arrangement by Gustav Holst's daughter in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in the Cecil Sharp House in London. It’s a Playford dance tune. The Honeysuckle is a piece by one of Shelley's favorite Renaissance composers, Anthony Holborne.
Winds: Shelley Phillips, Percussion: Barry Phillips, Bassoon: Christa Stiner

6. Sackpipslåt från Norra Råda / Konvulsionslåten - Anders Norudde
These tunes were both gleaned from a stack of wonderful CDs that Lars brought back with him from Sweden. Sackpipslåt is a Swedish bagpipe tune from Northern Värmland that has become very popular among fans of traditional Swedish music. Shelley first heard it played on bagpipe by a band called Blå Bergens Borduner. Anders Norudde (of the Swedish groups Hedningarna and
Blå Bergens Borduner) composed Konvulsionslåten on his Moraharpa, a 16th century keyfiddle.
Harp: Shelley Phillips, Flute: Lars Johannesson, Fiddle: Deby Benton Grosjean, Guitar: William Coulter, Cello & Tabla: Barry Phillips

7. Rain - Kim Robertson
Shelley learned this original composition from Moonrise, a recording by Kim Robertson. Kim has always been Shelley's favorite Celtic harp player. She has collaborated with her several times, the most recent being for Kim’s Gourd album Searching for Lambs. Barry added tabla to this piece soon after he started lessons with tabla master Zakir Hussein.
Harp: Shelley Phillips, Cello & Tabla: Barry Phillips

8. Le Rossignol (The Nightingale) / Cuncti Simus - Anonymous
Shelley learned Le Rossignol from an album of medieval music that she had when she was in high school. The second piece is a medieval lauda, or song of praise to Mary. Shelley and Janet have also recorded a vocal version of Cuncti Simus for the Community Music School Christmas album Mid Earth Rejoices.
Harp, Whistle & Oboe: Shelley Phillips, Recorder: Janet Herman, Percussion & Cello: Barry Phillips

9. Johsefin's Dopvals - Roger Tallroth / Polska efter Pelle Pederson
Johsefin's was composed by Roger Tallroth (of the group Väsen) for his niece's christening and Shelley learned it from their album Essence. The polska is another tune from Blå Bergens Borduner. Shelley learned these pieces by listening to them while slaving over a hot stove during canning season in Oregon.
Harp: Shelley Phillips, Double Harp: Jesse Autumn, Flute: Lars Johannesson, Cello: Barry Phillips

10. Neil Gow's Lament at the Death of His Second Wife - Neil Gow
Shelley arranged this tune at the Ancient Arts Center in Alsea, Oregon, where she often goes in late summer to help with farm work. A beautiful yurt there has great acoustics for music. This poignant melody was written by the 18th century Scottish fiddler Neil Gow. Shelley once went to a party at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School dressed as his departed wife, with wings and a white face. Alasdair Fraser, the amazing Scottish fiddler, went as Mr. Gow.
Harp: Shelley Phillips

11. George White's Favorite / Blackberry Blossom
Shelley learned both these tunes from Jesse, who in turn learned George White's from Irish flutist George Grasso, and Blackberry Blossom from the playing of Kim Robertson. Jesse and George work for Shelley every year at teen Celtic camp.
Double Harp: Jesse Autumn, Irish Flute: George Grasso, Low and High Whistles: Shelley Phillips, Hammered Dulcimer: Harris Moore, Cello: Barry Phillips, Guitar: William Coulter

12. Separation of the Soul from the Body - Carolan
Turlough O'Carolan, the famous 18th century blind Irish harper, composed this tune, which once again comes by way of Kim Robertson. Shelley and Neal recorded another version of the tune for the Gourd Music release Celtic Voyage.
Mountain Dulcimer: Neal Hellman, English Horn: Shelley Phillips, Cellos: Barry Phillips

13. Lowlands of Holland
Shelley has loved this traditional song ever since she heard Dolores Keane’s recording of it. She has fond recollections of busking in the Netherlands. Martin Simpson laid this track down shortly after he played a concert with Barry and Shelley in Santa Cruz.
Guitar: Martin Simpson, Flute & Whistle: Shelley Phillips, Cello: Barry Phillips

14. Divinum Mysterium
Shelley originally recorded this track with the band Anjali. Sales of Anjali recordings go to benefit an orphanage in India run by the Hanuman fellowship. One afternoon Jay and Shelley were at the piano looking at early chants from the Anglican hymnbook, and they arranged this 10th century Sarum plainchant. Barry and Don then added additional parts.
English Horn: Shelley Phillips, Piano: Jay Jackson, Violin: Don Lax, Cello: Barry Phillips

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