1. Au Gavarrat (Occitan traditional music from Gascony)
The melody of a traditional song from Gascony France. It is a traditional Occitan song and not French (Occitan is the language of the troubadours and also that of the inhabitants of the south of the French state). “Au gavarrat” means a place planted with gorse, a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family, the leaves of which are modified to form spines, native to western Europe and North Africa.
Special thanks to Joan Francés Tisnèr for his help and inspriation.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Shira Kammen -vielle
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble & finger cymbal

2. Boyne Water (Ireland)
This reel is named for The Battle of the Boyne on July 1^st, 1690, which was fought across the river Boyne in Ireland between the Irish King James II and William of Orange. William defeated his opponent and ushered in the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland for generations to come.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

3. Coilsfield House (Scotland)
Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) composed this melody and named it after a mansion on the Eglinton Castle Estate in south Ayrshire. Thanks to Barry for the beautiful cello chords.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

4. The Blackbird (Ireland)
A traditional Irish hornpipe, also known as An Londubh, The Blackbird Set Dance.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

5. Xinjiang Folk Tune (China)
Robin learned this tune from the playing of Ziming Han, the Chinese virtuoso of the Yangqin, the Chinese hammered dulcimer

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp, bansuri flute
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

6. Kalonji (Robin Petrie)

This composition is named for a spice used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, also known as Nigella Sativa, or black cumin.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Peter Maund – frame drum

7. The Snows they Melt the Soonest (England)/The Rights of Man

The Snows they Melt the Soonest

A haunting song collected from a Newcastle street singer in 1821.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

7. The Rights of Man (Ireland)

It is believed that the name of this hornpipe refers to the title of Thomas Paine’s book, published in 1791.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

8. Bidh Clann Ulaidh (Scotland)

This traditional lullaby is from the Hebrides.  A mother sings to her baby about the great wedding that her family will plan for her when she is of marriageable age.  The chords are an homage to Tony McManus’ brilliant accompaniment of fiddler Alasdair Fraser from the album Return to Kintail.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

9. Pomashko Shirto (Bulgaria)

A beautiful dance tune that Robin learned from Ryan Francesconi.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips –finger cymbal
Peter Maund - frame drum

10. Dans Plin (Breton)

This dance comes from the area of Western Brittany between Carhaix and Bourbriac, which is known as the Pays Plinn.  It is a tight circle or horseshoe dance of many people with little hops that move to the left in a clockwise direction.  Shelley learned it from Dave Shepherd from the band Blowzabella.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp, oboe
Barry Phillips – cello

11. Scarborough Fair (England)

A traditional song that was popularized by Simon and Garfunkel in the 1970s, but dates back to the Middle Ages. It refers to an old market fair in Yorkshire. The lyrics tell of a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips –finger cymbal

12. Variations on a Greek Folk Tune

This piece is inspired by a tune from the Greek Islands.
Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp, oboe
Peter Maund - frame drum
Barry Phillips – cello

13. Bisonpolskan*(Olov Johansson)

We learned this tune from the great Swedish band Väsen, composed by their nyckelharpa player after his first trip to North America in 1991.  Many thanks to Barry Phillips and of course Roger Tallroth for the arrangement ideas.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Shira Kammen - fiddle
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

14. Bagpipers (England)

This tune dates from 1799.  We learned it from the playing of the band Leveret.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips – Celtic harp

15. Morgan Magan (Turlough O’Carolan)

This tribute was composed by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) in honor of Morgan Magan, a man from Togherstown, in west County Meath.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello

16. Studentenmarch (The Netherlands)
A tune from the seventeenth century.

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer
Shelley Phillips - Celtic harp
Barry Phillips – cello ensemble

*Note – Bisonpolskan is only on the Cd, no digital release.

Recorded in Santa Cruz, CA at Bear Creek Recording Studio
Recording Engineer - Andy Zenczak
Mixed by – Barry Phillips
Mastered by – Barry Phillips
CD Design - Lynn Piquett

Produced by Robin Petrie and Shelley Phillips
Executive Producer - Neal Hellman

Robin Petrie - hammered dulcimer on all tracks

Robin’s dulcimer made by Russell Cook
Shelley’s harp made by Thormahlen Harps
Cover painting - The Bower Meadow by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 - 1882).
Photo of Robin and Shelley by Nathan Phillips