Song request: "Banks of the Lee"

[Stormowl]

I'm curious if anyone has the sheetmusic for the song "Banks of the Lee" as played by Wild Mountain Thyme/3 Pints Gone? I believe that the song book is out of print...any suggestions?

Also interested in any info on playing this on the whistle...which key whistle should be used, etc...

Thanks!!


-Owl

[bepoq]

Hi, just noticed this. If you happen to be still on the board. It is in The Andy M. Stewart Collection songbook which is unfortunately out of print so you'll have to hunt that up on the web I suppose. The Four Star Trio recorded it on a recording called the Square Triangle (Craft Recordings CRCD02) along with some excellent sliabh luachra music. There is also an excellent idiomatic recording by Seamus Fay, the Cavan lilter, on an album of his lilting. But you can also try sites such as http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=5838 to get info about it. As to the key of whistle, you play it in whatever key you like unless you are trying to play along with a recording, and then you play it in whatever key matches the particular recording you are listening to. On that Fay recording, he sings it with no accompaniment, which is quite common, and I would be surprised if he sang it in the same key 5 out of ten times. If you take my advice, learn the song by ear and sing it or play it from memory. A word of warning from Fred McCormick's review of the Four Star Trio recording off the Musical Traditions site, http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/croppy.htm:

The Banks of the Lee is a stalwart of the fleadh competition scene. There its commonality among certain entrants reminds me of Cecil Sharp's observation on All Jolly Fellows that Follow the Plough; "the bad singers often know but little else".


I like the song though and have it in my repertoire. Good luck and enjoy.

[bepoq]

Hah, I should have read your post more carefully - you mention an out of print song book which is probably the Stewart one - sorry. The pleasure of learning it by ear and singing it unaccompanied, by the way, is that you can choose whatever key is most comfortable for you and if you don't like the one you chose, you can stop and start again.

[Stormowl]

Thanks...and yes, it was that particular songbook I was referring too. I've been working on learning by ear...slow work for me, but I'll get there.

Thanks for the info and suggestions!

[JohnPalmer]

I have that songbook, but I never listen to or play that particular song, because my wife's name is mentioned in the song, and it's just too sad to think about.

JP

(Haven't replied in years)