[mplpost] Canada - A Folkie History?

[rtwright@grassrootsgroup.com]

Tom;

A similar thread was going about a year ago in response to a posting by
Tony.  At that time I replied with the following, which still holds true.
**********
Tony;

Couldn't agree more about the lack of traditional or "authentic period
music" on the CBC history series.  Overall I think the series is good and
as complete as a TV series can be, though there clearly are some biases.

However, it could have been wonderful with the right musical score.  For
instance, the first hurdy-gurdy in North America was, I am told, played by
a young French man who played to the natives.  And your mention of early
Canadien music, heck even some of Stan Rogers stuff would have worked.
Think of his song about Brock. I was singing it to myself as the Canadians
charged up the hill.

But, the music had been planned long before it was even shot.

Two summers ago my son and I worked on the Cariboo goldrush segment for
several days, as researcher, fixer, guide, wrangler and talent  It
show[ed]s on Jan 7, at the tail end of the fur trade. (My son Raven is the
miner in the red shirt, often leading Charley our mule.  If I am not cut I
am Judge Begbie.) [I was cut - fleeting fame--and Charley is now in mule
heaven.]

When we were shooting dancehall scenes in Barkerville I told the director
that I had been researching gold rush music for years and could easily put
together a group of musicians that would sound authentic to the time, with
music from the period, music written in Barkerville, during the gold rush.

 (This material became our Rough But Honest Miner CD. And, for
clarification, I am not entirely unfamiliar with the process. I have
written several radio scripts, filmed and directed 13 shows for CBC TV,
was the subject of a National Film Board documentary and wrote scripts for
two videos.)

However, my offer of "authentic music" was spurned with "No we don't need
it. We have our own music and musicians."
Hell, I didn't even care if they used us, I just wanted some good
traditional music used.  It was not to be.
That said, I don't think what is being used is bad.  But, as Tony has
said, it could have been GREAT.

Richard Wright

********
All of the songs and music on our Rough But Honest Miner CD are authentic
to the time, even if some are not what are termed "folksongs".
They might also have used their own material, the CBC LP collection, or
some of Tiller's Folly's" material, or Paddy Tuttie's . How about Mtis
fiddling, Scots pipers...

I think of Ken Burn's series on the Civil War and some of the sound tracks
Mark Knoppfler (sp?) has written for various period pieces and how they
brought the period to life.

Ah well, maybe next time

Richard Wright

http://goldrushbc.com
--



> Hi,
>
> The recent thread about Canadian Traditional songs, along with my
> watching several episodes of `Canada, A People's History' last night,
> brought back the thought that there is so much good music they COULD
> have used for the series.... I put together a short wish list, mostly
> from my own collextion, but I'm sure the group can add many more
> suggestions.
>
> My list is heavily weighted with Tamarack, Tanglefoot and Stan Rogers,
> but that's because my collection is weighted that way 8-)
>
> 1576 - Frobisher Bay - Tamarack (I know it's not strictly about Martin
> Frobisher's voyages, but close enough)
>
> Voyageur period - La V'la M'amie - Tanglefoot
>
> 1755 - I think `Evangeline' by The Band & Emmylou Harris on `The Last
> Waltz' is about the Acadian Expulsion...?
>
> 1759 - Brave Wolfe - Martin Carthy (Non-Canadian singer, but perfect
> song for the event)
>
> 1775-1813
> Fire & Guns - Tanglefoot
> Loyal She Remains - Tamarack
> McDonnel on the Heights - Stan Rogers
> The Nancy - Stan Rogers
> Laura Secord - Tanglefoot
>
> 1845 - Lord Franklin - Eileen McGann, Tamarack, Martin Carthy again (or
> many other versions)
>      - Northwest Passage - Stan Rogers
>
> 1870 - Red River Rising - James Keelaghan (is this really about the 1870
> rebellion?)
>
> 1885 - The Last Battle - Bill Gallaher & Jake Galbraith
>
> 1914 - Hillcrest Mine - James Keelaghan
>
> 1917 - Vimy - Tanglefoot
>
> 1927 - The song about the Peace Tower by Bobby Watt (don't know the full
> title, but heard him sing it last year at Goderich)
>
> 1944 - Walcheren Causeway - Jack Whyte (I heard this on Max Ferguson
> years ago - a poem by the official poet of the Calgary Highlanders)
>
> 1975 - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot
>
> Songs for the railway...
>         Once upon a Railrod - Ian Tamblyn
>         Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
>         Rolling Home Canadian - Eileen McGann
>         Canadian Pacific - Hank Snow
>
>
> There must be dozens of others - any suggestions??
>
>
> Cheers
> Tom
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