The Drunken Maidens. Short Bio. Discography

Transcription

1 The Drunken Maidens Tagline Traditional Folk, by Un-traditional Folk. Short Bio Contact The Drunken Maidens, an all-female acoustic band, specialize in tight vocal harmonies which are inspired by performers such as Sweet Honey in the Rock, Mediaeval Baebes, Great Big Sea & the Wailin Jennys. In addition to their voices, the band incorporates guitar, fiddle, mandolin, whistles, mountain dulcimer and percussion. Threads from traditional ballads, shanties, old time and bluegrass, fiddle tunes and early music are woven together to produce a colorful and varied blend of British and American music, old and new. Discography 1. Byker Hill / Elsie Marley 2. Maids When You re Young 3. Staten Island Hornpipe (instrumental) 4. Li l Liza Jane 5. The Keeper 6. Maiden s Choice (E. Bradtke) 7. S ann An Ile 8. Tree (L. Waterfall) 9. The Cuckoo 10. The Drunken Maidens 11. Princess Royal

2 Samples Music, Video and Photographs can be found at Notable Performances 2015 o Tumbleweed Music Festival, Richland, WA o Wooden Boat Festival, South Lake Union, Seattle, WA. o Northwest Folklife, Seattle, WA. o Maritime Festival, South Lake Union, Seattle, WA. o Phinney Arts and Music Series Concert, at the Woodland Park Presbyterian Church, Seattle, WA. Aug 2014 o Princeton Traditional Music Festival, British Columbia, Canada

3 The Maidens Lori Bellamy grew up listening to her father sing bluegrass music, loudly and off key as they made frequent road trips to the family homestead in east Tennessee. This led to her lifelong love of traditional music. After a longish stint in musical theatre, Lori is back singing the music she loves. When she's not rehearsing and performing with the Maidens, Lori moonlights as a tutor. Lori made her way from Delaware back in She had a strong desire to stick her toes in the pacific ocean, which she did. She met her true love and has been here ever since. Liz Savage was raised in New York City but soon felt the call of the open road and headed west. By day she teaches science students while at night she transforms into a soulful blue grass star. Through the past two decades Liz has been involved with several bands in the Pacific Northwest including "Twins before Birth" and the Folk/Americana group "Rodeo Lagoon". Alongside Alicia Healey she opened for such greats as Art Garfunkel, Cheryl Wheeler and Catie Curtis. They also played at Folklife and Wintergrass where Liz has continued to work for many years. Helen Gilbert hails from England where she developed a strong passion for the music of her ancestors, which she too inherited from her father. Descending from Miners, Mariners and Farm Labourers she particularly enjoys lending her accented vocals to stories of longing and hard times. Helen traversed the globe in 1999, stopping in California before arriving in Seattle where she quickly put down roots. Her wanderlust satiated for a spell she has been known to lead the Seattle and Port Townsend Shanty Sings and hosts a monthly Pub Sing at T.S. McHughs.

4 Elaine Bradtke is an accomplished musician, fiddle scraper, mandolin plucker and semi-soprano. By day she is a music editor, transcriber, researcher and cataloguer for the James Madison Carpenter project and the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library of the English Folk Dance & Song Society. Former groups include the "SOAS Ceilidh Band" in London and the "Fab Girls Du Northwest" mostly in Seattle where you may also catch her performing with the "Village Carolers". Cat Fox began making musical instruments in 1981 by building bodhrans, before progressing to dulcimers and guitars. In 1989, after an impressive apprenticeship, she came to Seattle and started her own shop where she still works on instruments of the famous and the obscure. Cat brings vocals and a number of instruments to The Maidens. Her first foray into music was playing classical piano, then Irish music, then Old Time music. She played with the fondly remembered local band The Wailing Strangers and was also in the unlamented Paddy Shillelagh, Seattle s Worst Irish Band. No one remembers them, and that s a blessing. Cat also takes the blame for writing Chipmunk with a Death Wish. Sorry.

5 Long Bio Once upon a time in the misty hills of Seattle, a group of women joined their voices in harmony and The Drunken Maidens, an entertaining acoustic band, was born. They specialize in tight vocal harmonies, inspired by performers such as Sweet Honey in the Rock, Mediaeval Baebes, and the Wailin Jennys. In addition to their voices, the band incorporates guitar, fiddle, mandolin, whistles, and percussion. Threads from traditional ballads, shanties, old-time and bluegrass, fiddle tunes and early music are woven together to produce their colorful and varied repertoire. Their blend of British and American, old and new material includes the wistful strains of Appalachian music, saucy English folksongs, ancient melodies and recently written songs, all arranged to showcase the intricate blend of their voices and instruments. The Drunken Maidens have an excellent rapport with their audiences, and the group s joie de vivre and merry banter enliven their shows. Notable recent performances have included the seventh annual Princeton (BC) Traditional Music Festival, The Pacific Northwest Folklore Society s Folk Musicians Showcase, Northwest Folklife and Tumbleweed Music Festival. The group recently released their first album Maiden Voyage, featuring some of their non-traditional arrangements of traditional songs. Selections include: The Keeper an allegorical ballad with roots in the seventeenth century, that somehow found its way to the Appalachian region in the twentieth; the classic Carter Family love song Are You Tired of Me My Darling?, the delightfully cheeky warning song Maids, When You re Young, Never Wed an Old Man ; Maiden s Choice, an original instrumental with renaissance overtones; and of course, their infectiously syncopated interpretation of Drunken Maidens, the song that gave them their name.

6 Maiden Voyage The Drunken Maidens -Liner notes All songs and tunes are traditional unless otherwise noted Byker Hill / Elsie Marley A song about coal miners from Newcastle-Upon Tyne. Elsie Marley is a tune associated with a popular nursery rhyme about a real woman who ran a pub. Maids, When You re Young, Never Wed an Old Man Found in both Ireland and England, our advice to young women is loosely based on the version in the New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Staten Island Hornpipe A jaunty tune with a salty flavor and the slightest Irish accent. Li l Liza Jane Popularized as a southern dialect song a century ago, it was probably an African-American folk song before then, and has been sung by generations of children in the ensuing years. The Keeper (To The Green-o) Dating back to a mid 17 th century broadside called The Huntsman s Delight, or, The Forrester s Pleasant Pastime our abridged version was sung by the Englishman Sam Bennett in 1933 to James Madison Carpenter and his wax cylinder recording machine. Maiden's Choice (by Elaine Bradtke) written while driving on Maiden Choice Lane in Paradise by the Beltway (on the southwest corner of Baltimore). Written in the late 20 th century in a renaissance style, it sounds much older than it is. Sann an Ile an example of mouth music; dance tunes sung to inconsequential lyrics, usually when there aren t any instruments available. In this case the words are about the beautiful Island of Islay (home of some very good distilleries). None of us are Gaelic speakers, but we do our best. Tree (by Linda Waterfall and a group of fifth graders) The first time we sang this song was in a snowy apple orchard. The rolling echoes of the Woodland Park Presbyterian Church give it an especially atmospheric sound.

7 Cuckoo Versions of this folksong are found on both sides of the Atlantic, ours is from the Appalachian branch of the family and includes a lap dulcimer. The Drunken Maidens - (also known as Three Drunken Maidens ) about a saucy group of women from the Isle of Wight; a place off the south coast of England once famous for smugglers and cheap booze. We took our band name from this song. Vocals: Lori Bellamy, Liz Savage, Helen Gilbert, Backing vocals Cat Fox, Elaine Bradtke. Instruments: Liz Savage Guitar, Helen Gilbert - whistle and percussion, Cat Fox whistle, percussion and lap dulcimer, Elaine Bradtke - fiddle and mandolin.