SAYDISC SDL 426 - Traditional Songs & Dances of Sardinia

All these recordings were made by Father Damian Webb in June 1962, when there was very little tourism, bandits were still active, and many buildings still showed the scars of war. His starting point was the city of Nouro on the central mountain range, which rises to over 6,000 feet, where he recorded folk songs and children's singing games in the local orphanage. Not far from Nuoro, near the East coast, in the rural town of Dorgali, he found a local folksong group who were much in demand, in the tiny fishing village of Santa Maria Navoresse he recorded a blind accordion player and, in nearby Baunei, a player of the "Launnedda", a multi-reed instrument confined to Sardinia and some home-made Jew's Harps, but one of his most interesting recordings were made at Lotzorai where he captured the sounds of the mountain goats and sheep as well as more stunning examples of children's games and ballads.

1. Pastoral Sounds: from Lotzorai - 2'59"

2. La Povera Cecchina (Poor Little Blind Girl); I Colori dell'Arcobaleno (Colours of the Rainbow) & Il Treno (The Train) - children, Nuoro - 4'26"

3. Ballo tondo - Nuoro dance group with accordion - 2'07"

4. Vanto alla Fidanzata - Dorgali song group - 1'57"

5. Ave Maria (Hail Mary) - Nuoro children - 4'32"

6. Ballo (Tre passos) Dance music on launedda & jew's harp - 3'45"

7. Su Sa Corte De Su Re (Near the King's Courtyard); Sas Cozzulas de Jubanna (Little Cakes of Joanna); Ite Bella Pizzina (What a lovely baby girl) children at Nuoro - 3'06"

8. Dance music played on accordion, Santa Maria Navoresse - 3'03"

9. Three Sardinian love songs - Dorgali song group - 11'05"

10. Un Vaso di Porcellana (A Porcelain Vessel); I Tre Tamburi (Three Drummers); La Bella Villana (The Beautiful Country Girl) - Lotzorai children - 3'56"

11. Passu tozzau/ Dyllu: Nuoro Country Dance group - 5'23"

12. Sas Rundine e S'Oddeu (The swallow & God); Quell' Ucelletto (That Little Bird); Le Rondinelle (The Swallows); La Formicuzza (The Little Ant) - Nuoro children - 4'51"

13. Blind accordion player, Santa Maria Navoresse - 1'52"

14. La Solitudine (Solitude) - Lotzorai children; Gioco Topolino (The Little Mouse Game) - outside the Case Populari, Nuoro; Madama Le Frulle Frulle (Madam Egg Whisk): Lotzorai children; Siamo Sette Cavaglieri (We Are Seven Horsemen) outside the Case Populari, Dorgali - 4'25"

Recording, notes & photographs by Damian Webb, June 1962. Edited and produced by Gef Lucena 1998.