Song of the Sea
Song of the Sea
Though fans of Lane and her ensemble Castlebay likely have heard much of this before -- the songs have been written over the course of almost two decades, and only five of the 13 haven't been previously released -- Song of the Sea is beautiful both because it reflects a true love of the ocean that those who have an affinity for it will recognize immediately and because the songs are sequenced to suck you down like a riptide.
The title cut opens the CD, chock full of waves crashing and seagulls calling (she recorded the seagull sounds herself) as Lane sings her observations about a day's walk on the beach. It's followed by the instrumental "Winds of Change," on which Lane plucks out a haunting harp melody. "Monhegan" is as beautiful a ballad about a place in Maine as any you'll ever hear. "The Fishwidow's Song", one of the newly recorded numbers, could be the story of a Monhegan-ite or any other coastal woman gripped by the uncertainty of life lived at the ocean's pleasure.
And so it continues in the same lyrical and musical vein without ever becoming boring or precious. Pay particular attention to "The House on the Hill", that abandoned place we've all stumbled across which made us wonder about what went on before it came to be empty. Also note the story-songs "The Phantom Ship" (you know what this is about) and "The Isle of Malaga", the terrible tale of a woman uprooted from her Carribean home, then shunned by the inhabitants of the Maine island to which her new husband has brought her.
That Song of the Sea should stand up so well ought to be no surprise, because Lane has so much material to work with. She's also one of the Maine coast's foremost voices and instrumentalists.
"Lane is an accomplished musician. Listen to this."
Dirty Linen Magazine, Maryland
"A talented player with a sure hand"
The Source, Albany, NY
"A rich collection of singable songs and beautiful harp playing."
Northeast Regional Folk Harp Newsletter
"Lovely and serene"
Stephen Ide, The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA
"Enchanting, lyrical, at times spirited and lively. The audience was clearly captivated by (her) poignantly clear voice and soul-stirring renditions of Irish ballads"
Lincoln County News, Damariscotta ME
"That Song of the Sea should stand up so well ought to be no surprise, because Lane has so much material to work with. She's also one of the Maine coast's foremost voices and instrumentalists."
FACE Magazine, Portland, ME
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Castlebay - 1988
The Long Isle - 1989
The Peat Fire Flame - 1990
Down To he Shore - 1991
Harvest - 1992
Angels We Have Heard (1)- 1994
Faeries Hornpipe - 1994
Looking Home - 1995
The Skye Suite - 1996
Angels We Have Heard (2) 1997
Song of the Sea - 1998
The Ballad of Cappy John - 1999
Ladies - 1999
In a Garden Green - 2000
Sea & Skye - 2001
Gentlemen - 2002
Yuletide Treasure - 2002
Cottage & Castle - 2003
Ae Fond Kiss - 2003
Imram - 2004
The Night the Whiskey Froze - 2004
Islands In Time - 2006
Banks & Braes - 2007
The Grand Design* - 2007
Harvest Home - 2007
Going Home - 2008
Rantin', Rovin' Robin - 2009
Bards & Blarney - 2009
2010 Yuletide Revelry - 2010
Imbolc - Rekindling the Flame* - 2010
Festival of Faeries - 2011
John Earthy's Tavern* - 2012
Bound Away - 2015
Samhain - Banking the Fire - 2017
Winter Moon - 2019
Bygone Ballads of Maine, Vol I (book) 2021
Sundrie Aires - 2023
The Maid on the Shore - 2024
* These recordings have extensive notes.
Many of her compositions are of Celtic influence; some are simply about the experience of living in rugged, romantic coastal Maine, close to the elements.
With partner Fred Gosbee,the duo Castlebay weaves timeless traditions into sensitive, spirited arrangements supported by multi-instrumental textures featuring Celtic harp, viola, woodwinds, and 12-string guitar. Both artists have collected and performed this music for most of their lives and both are accomplished songwriters. Lane and Gosbee have toured the Eastern U.S., Ireland, England and Scotland.
Song of the Sea 4:08
© 1990 Julia Lane
Walking a windy beach, one imagines the song of the sea itself. Here is what I heard one September afternoon
Atlantic wind - aeolian harp
Seabird calling, gull wind laughing Leave the tired shell on shore Sun dance shining, all are saying Come to fly the waves once more. Speckled eagle on the wing From the ledge the seal-men sing Oh la lady lady loo Oh la lady lady low Too long sighing, too long parted From your ancient wat'ry home Come to singing, come to freedom Once again the sea to roam Deep and green the fishes throng From the ledge the seal-men's song Oh la lady lady loo Oh la lady lady low
Winds of Change 5:02
©1990 Julia Lane
Wind and weather have always had a profound effect upon people, their thoughts and activities. Here in New England the weather's unpredictability "builds character"
Monhegan 2:56
©1990 Julia Lane
Inspired by an island ten miles offshore. A community of fisherfolk descended from early European explorers still lives there year round.
Fred Gosbee -whistle
I could fly From your high cliffs I feel as if I'm lighter than air And far below In the clear green waves The somersaulting seals fish and play as they go Flying through the sea Oh Monhegan, oh Monhegan Deep and green is the song you sing Oh Monhegan, rock and ocean Oh Monhegan is calling me Soaring high, An osprey brings her catch back to her nest In the tall and fragrant pine Beneath the moss Brown roots are reaching deep and clinging fast and strong To your rocky heart Oh Monhegan, oh Monhegan Deep and green is the song you sing Oh Monhegan, rock and ocean Oh Monhegan is calling me
The Fishwidow's Song 3:37
©1990 Julia Lane
Hardy are the women whose men must go to sea. Theirs is a life of balancing practicality and profound faith
Time is passing away with the tide I should be keeping the score Roll away time, roll away tide I don't care any more The wind is blowing in the clouds Bringing a storm on it's wings Red sky at morning, Sailor take warning I can't fear what it brings For my life keeps changing with the tide The only thing that's sure Is that morning follows after night The ebb tide rolls to shore As I watch you come down the bay I know our time won't be long One night of sharing, one day of caring Another verse in our song
Something to Come Home To 2:54
©1983 Julia Lane
Written for a friend..
Travel down the road, go where your heart may lead Just remember we all need Something to come home to. Somewhere down the way you'll find yourself returning To good friends and hearthfires burning And wanting something to come home to. Turn your head and play your games, make up alibis You may not even feel the pain until you realize It's a long hard road and some may leave you crying But the thing that keeps you trying Is having something to come home to
The House on the Hill 3:18]
©1991 Julia Lane
Written for "that house" sitting quietly abandoned in a field inspiring imagination and speculation
High on a hill overlooking the bay A lovely old house stands alone Acres and acres of forest and field Bordered by walls made of stone Northern lights dance all across the night sky Glowing with millions of stars Waterfalls run and apple trees bloom At the house on the hill in my heart Someone admired the place where it stands This hill overlooking the sea And timber by timber with strong loving hands A beautiful home came to be Fires for warming the body and soul Smoldered at night on the hearth Waterfalls ran and apple trees bloomed At the house on the hill in my heart The barn is now gone and the fields are unmowed The people are all gone away And season on season of sunlight and snow Have weathered the clapboards to gray Talk in the town is of tearing it down, Dividing the hillside apart But waterfalls run and apple trees bloom At the house on the hill in my heart
Lament for the Wild Shore 2:32
©1990 Julia Lane
Although some beautiful, wild coastal lands are being preserved, many are still being lost to development
Winds of Autumn 3:09
©1986 Julia Lane
Rain lashes the windowpane lit by the glow of an oil lamp at the house on the sea cliff's top...
Oh blow ye winds of Autumn and turn ye leaves to gold My cottage seems so empty and my bed it feels so cold My love is on the ocean, he sails the briney sea Oh blow ye winds of Autumn and bring him back to me The winter seas will be rolling onto the rocky shore The bells will be a- tolling for sailors who are no more My love is on the ocean, he sails the briney sea Oh blow ye winds of Autumn and bring him back to me
The Phantom Ship 3:33
©1995 Julia Lane
Maine's treacherous rocky coastline has caused many a shipwreck and tales of ghost ships abound
When you went down to the shore last night what did you see? Did you see a lofty ship sailing fast and free? Sail away, sail away, sailing fast and free Sail away, sail away, across the moonlit sea When I went down to the shore last night a ship I saw And the moon was like a shining sail there in the rigging tall Shine away, shine away, there in the rigging tall Shine away, shine away, a light to guide them all And there upon that moonlit ship did you see a man Who stood so tall upon the deck with sailors at command Standing tall, standing tall, with sailors at command Standing tall, standing tall so strong of voice and hand Alas I saw no captain brave standing tall and true Indeed I saw not a soul on board, neither captain or crew Not a soul, not a soul did man the ship as she flew Not a soul, not a soul, and the wind in the rigging blew
The Isle of Malaga
©1996 Julia Lane
Malaga is a small island located off Sebasco Maine.I heard this story of betrayal from Camilla Sewall of Bath
Once there was a sailor sailing from the coast of Maine He travelled the West Indies his fortune for to gain He won the heart of the brown girl with the dark and curling hair And he promised for to take her to the Isle of Malaga (He said) Malaga's an island that is full and fresh and fair There's many a flow'ring garden and orchards flourish there It's there that you can wait love while I build for us a home An then we can be married and I never more shall roam Well this lassie being faithful, she took him at his word And she left her home and family never thinking to return She left the lovely Indies, the islands of her heart To wait upon her sailor on the Isle of Malaga And it's "When will you return love and take us to our home? When will you return love and give your babe a name?" "When in the cold of winter the red, red roses bloom When apples grow on orange tree then I'll return to you" Oh, cursed be your body and cursed be your name And cursed br this place where I must live and die in shame I never would have loved you, I'd have never travelled far If I thought I'd be forsaken on the Isle of Malaga Well eight months being over and the ninth one coming on This lassie was delivered of a dark and bonny son And if he is a sailor, may he never break a heart May he never leave his true love on the Isle of Malaga
Migration 3:39
© 1995 Julia Lane
Monarch butterflies visit Pemaquid Point on their yearly autumn journey. They gave me this tune while I played there one sunny afternoon ;
The River 4:15]
©1985 Julia Lane
Born in the hills beneath the grasses green Deep in the ledge so cool and clear and clean Spilling from the rockface, shining in the sun Continuing a cycle begun when Earth was young And the river runs like a spirit flowing free My spirit's like the river flowing to the sea Down pour the rains to swell the rippling flood Down through the hills carrying Earth's lifeblood Feeding field and forest that line the winding shore Flowing through the ages; a source of life and more CHORUS Joining at last the ocean's wide embrace Safe in her arms the river slow's it's pace High up in the heavens the moon so clear and bright Celebrates the reunion and the waters share her light CHORUS
Run Before the Wind
©1996 Julia Lane
For my dad.
May there always be safe haven from the storm May the sun glow softly on your skin May the stars shine bright, may the dawn come clear May you always run before the wind May you always find a kind and listening ear May the stranger think of you as kin May the stars shine bright, may the dawn come clear May you always run before the wind And if the world turns you upside down Remember, it keeps turning 'round May the tears you shed be only those of joy May you always be glad of where you've been May the stars shine bright, may the dawn come clear May you always run before the wind
2019-12-02 © Castlebay Music.
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