FTX-240 - THE TRAVELLING NATION

Bruce Cardwell & Rob Strawson

Bruce & Rob, known in Herefordshire as "Kesty", are joined by local musicians, Patrick Forester, Jon Press and Dave Dekker. Their instruments include banjo, bodhran (single stick drum), bouzouki, cittern, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, Northumbrian small-pipes and tin-whistle. Their ballads and instrumentals are mainly traditional, but they include some composed items from each of them: Bruce's own words to a 16th Century Italian Dance-tune and another about his father's village of Dundrum on the coast of Co Down, Rob has one about a dream he had whilst under the influence, he remembers not of what.

1. THE TRAVELLING NATION (Cardwell/ Anon: La Rota); Breton dance tune: Bruce (vocal/ guitar, whistle), Rob (voc/ fiddle/ bouzouki), Dave (drum) 3.27

2. JOSEPH BAKER (the Cheshire sportsman): Rob (voc/ fid/ bou), Bruce (gtr/ mandolin) 2.37

3. DUNDRUM (Cardwell) Bruce (voc/ gtr), Rob (voc/ fid) 2.45

4. PAT GEARY'S & DENIS MURPHY'S (Instrumental: Two Kerry Slides): Bruce (cittern), Rob (fid), Patrick (gtr) 2.42

5. I AWOKE IN FEAR (Strawson): Rob (voc/ fid/ gtr), Bruce (voc/ whi), Patrick (gtr) 2.24

6. THE ROCKS OF BAWN: Bruce (voc/ gtr), Rob (voc/ fid), Dave (drum) 2.43

7. THE ROWAN TREE (Air); 79th's FAREWELL TO GIBRALTAR (March comp P.M. McDonald): Bruce (pipes), Rob (fid), Patrick (gtr) 4.57

8. RATTLIN' ROARIN' WILLIE (Song); THE ATHOLL HIGHLANDERS (Jig): Rob (voc/ fid), Bruce (pipes/ cit), Patrick (gtr), Jon (banjo) 3.29

9. SHE MOVES THROUGH THE FAIR (or OUR WEDDING DAY/ Hughes): Bruce (voc/ gtr), Rob (fid), Patrick (gtr) 3.25

10. MADAM BONAPARTE, PROUDLOCKS & REDESDALE HORNPIPES: Bruce (pipes), Patrick & Jon (gtrs) 3.47

11. THE HILLS OF GRANEMORE (Hare-hunting Song): Bruce (voc/ gtrr/ pipes), Rob (voc/ fid) 3.20

12. DIDO BENDIGO (Fox-hunting Song): Bruce (voc/ gtr/ mandolin), Rob (voc/ fid) 2.54

13. THREESCORE AND TEN (broadside by Grimsby fisherman, William Delf, about a disastrous gale on February 8-9th, 1889, when 40 fishermen lost their lives): Bruce (voc/ gtr/ whi), Rob (voc/ fid) 3.59

Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1980.

Bruce CARDWELL comes from Belfast but travelled extensively before he settled near Rob in Herefordshire. His father was born at Dundrum, a coastal village in Co Down. His Northumbrian small-pipes were made by John Addison of South Summercoats, Lincolnshire, and his cittern by Noah Morris of Titley, Herefordshire.

Rob STRAWSON was born in Oxford and was a classical violinist before coming to traditional fiddling. The recording by Pete Williams, Eardisley, Herefordshire.