FTX-905 - LES RAFTSMEN

ALAN MILLS - Canadian Folksongs

30 songs, of which 8 are in French. A live concert with this outstanding folksinger is the best way to learn about Canada. He has been compared with Charles Marchand, having not only "une voix d'or" and revealng the soul of a people, but, wherever he went, he was an ambassador for the two cultures, French and English. Guitar accompaniment by Steve Benbow. Talk before all songs except #13. Timings include talk and song, but not applause.

1. A LA CLAIRE FONTAINE - 3'06"

2. THE THREE CROWS (collected by Helen Creighton) - 2'15"

3. KANGAROO SAT ON AN OAK (coll Creighton) - 2'37"

4. WEE COCKSPARRA SAT ON A TREE (Maxwell Dunbar) - 2'45"

5. ISABEAU SE PROMENER version 1 (coll Marius Barbeau) - 1'03"

6. ISABEAU SE PROMENER version 2 - 3'45"

7. SHE'S LIKE THE SWALLOW (coll Maud Karpeles) - 2'17"

8. LES RAFTSMEN (coll Louisa Manning) - 4'02"

9. TIME TO BE MADE A WIFE (coll Maud Karpeles) - 2'37"

10. OLD MAN CAME OVER THE LEA (coll Creighton) - 1'48"

11. MON PERE IL M'A MARIE (coll Creighton) - 1'37"

12. I MARRIED A WIFE - 2'53"

13. LE PETIT CORDONNIER (coll Creighton) - 1'48"

14. COLD LIVER ILE (coll Barbeau) with chorus - 3'20"

15. PEGGY GORDON (coll Creighton) - 3'14"

16. BOLD WOLFE (sung unaccompanied) - 4'39"

17. BALLAD OF NEW SCOTLAND with ch (coll Roy Mackenzie) - 3'02"

18. FRANCOIS MARCHE - 3'11"

19. SIR JOHN FRANK-E-LIN (Tune: McCaffery) - 3'31"

20. L'HOTELIER with ch - 2'55"

21. THE JONES BOYS - 2 versions (Louisa Manning) - 2'10"

22. PETER EMBERLAY (by John Colquoun/ coll Mackenzie) (unacc) - 4'41"

23. SQUID-JIG FROUND (Arthur R. Scammel) - 1'32"

30. LA FILLE DE L'AVOCAT with ch (coll Barbeau) - 2'45"

ALAN MILLS (1914-1977), born as Albert Miller, was a native of Lachine, a historic suburb of Montreal, and started work as a newspaperman who began to collect and sing folksongs as a hobby. Winning an audition in 1935, he toured Canada with the noted musicologist, John Goss, and the "London Singers" Quintet. In 1944 he changed his name and became a full-time folksinger, starting with regular broadcasts, "Folk Songs for Young Folks" on CBC in 1947.

In 1951 he wrote "The Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly", popularised by Burl Ives, and in 1955 he started giving concerts in company with the fiddling step- dancer and Toronto taxi driver, Jean Carignon, who said of him: "In my whole life I have never met such a wonderful man, and, in all likeliehood I never shall again". His other partner in concerts was Helene Baillargeon who said of him: "he was an upright man, a jovial, humble, affectionate and generous man. While he was always tolerant about the behaviour of others, he was truly inflexible in the domain of art; everything had to be authentic as well as artistic.

Recorded by Peter Kennedy, London 1959. Published by kind permission of Mrs G.L.Mills 1978. Alan Mills acknowledged the work of collectors and collaborators in Canada: Edith Fowke, Richard Johnston, Maud Karpeles, Kenneth Peacock and Helmet Blume.

Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1981.