Windsniffer (2007)

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Windsniffer CD cover

$18

“Windsniffer and Other Assorted Legends”

It was July, 2004, the last practice before Glenn headed back home to New Brunswick for his vacation. As he sometimes does, Les had just told Glenn another interesting story from his own home province of Newfoundland. This one was about Lauchie McDougall, a Newfoundland farmer who for 30 years was employed by the Newfoundland Railway to gauge wind conditions near Port Aux Basques, using nothing but his nose, and report if he felt it was safe for the trains to cross.

“Les”, says Glenn, “That’s a song if I ever heard one.” Two weeks later he returned back from New Brunswick with the song. After over a decade of writer’s block, Glenn had found his new calling. There were stories to be told.

After 15 years of playing mostly traditional music, Brown Ale has produced its first collection of primarily original historical Celtic and East Coast songs and tunes about such legends. Some are true, some are myths, but all of them are told with heart, in their own authentic style.

“There's a good degree of hum-ability across the album.”
- Mike Beggs, Brampton Guardian

“Brown Ale's Windsniffer sounds excellent.”
- Mike Ford

“McFarlane proves to be quite a remarkable songwriter.”
- Roddy Campbell (Editor in Chief, Penguin Eggs Magazine)

 

Track Listing

To hear a 30 second sound clip please click on the song title links.

  1. Come to the Ceilidh
    - barn burner opener with reels at the end
  2. The Saint Johns Wort
    - tender Celtic Ballad from a 14th Century poem
  3. A Toast to King Henry VIII
    - Morris Dance style sing-a-lon
  4. Bring the Cup to the Rock
    - uptempo fictional story for Newfoundland hockey fans
  5. She Moved Through the Fair
    - well known Irish Air, sung to a piper’s drone
  6. The Country Claire Set
    - medium Irish jigs
  7. The Heather Ale
    - uptempo Scottish poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
  8. Noel Dinn (Man of the Island)
    - tribute to Newfoundland Folk/Rock group Figgy Duff
  9. The Hammered Geese on the Mountain Set
    - an ammbient slow air and some jigs
  10. The Shipbuilding Song
    - sea song style sing-a-long
  11. Windsniffer
    - medium waltz ballad (title song)
  12. Tunes from Harry Bradley
    - reels and marches
  13. My Life with the Vikings
    - reflective dramatic ballad
  14. The Sealers' Ball
    - well known Newfoundland song and a reel
  15. Yankee Privateer
    - oral recitation