(upbeat harmonica playing) [Announcer] Recorded live at the University of North Alabama in Florence, the Salt & Pepper Roots Music Celebration presents "The Celtic Music of Chambless & Muse" ♪ And the moon shines bright ♪ ♪ As I rove at night ♪ ♪ To muse upon my charmer ♪ This program is made possible in part by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Additional support provided by the Alabama Folk Life Association.

According to our good friend, Brian McNeill, this song goes back in both the Irish and the Scottish traditions.

And even though it's the same story in both traditions, apparently the Scots think of it as a sad song and the Irish think of it as a happy song.

(chuckles) So we're gonna do the Irish version for ya tonight 'cause our happy ones are few and far between, so we'll make this a happy one.

It's a story of a young woman who falls in love with a soldier.

Now, her parents actually weren't very happy about that, and the soldier tried to tell her, "It's probably not a good idea because I am about to go off to war, and what if I get killed in the war?

And that would just leave you all alone.

You'd probably be better off waiting and finding somebody else to marry."

And she said, "You know what?

I am not afraid of that war, and I love you so much that I'll go right off to war with you.

I will fight right by your side."

And when he found out just how seriously in love with him she really was and that she happened to have a little bit of money, he said, "You come on, girlfriend.

You and me forever."

And as far as we know, they survived that war and they lived happily ever after, and we're sticking with that.

It's called "Mary and the Soldier".

(soft uplifting acoustic music) ♪ Come all ye lads of high renown ♪ ♪ That will hear of a fair young maiden ♪ ♪ As she roved out on a summer's day ♪ ♪ For to view the soldier's paradin' ♪ ♪ They march so bold and they look so gay ♪ ♪ The colors flying, and the bands did play ♪ ♪ And it caused young Mary for to say ♪ ♪ I'll wed you, my gallant soldier ♪ ♪ She viewed the soldiers on parade ♪ ♪ And as they stood at their leisure ♪ ♪ And Mary to herself did say ♪ ♪ At last, I find my treasure ♪ ♪ But oh how cruel my parents must be ♪ ♪ To banish me darlin' so far from me ♪ ♪ I'll leave them all and I'll go with thee ♪ ♪ My well-undaunted soldier ♪ ♪ Oh Mary dear, your parents' love ♪ ♪ I pray, don't be unruly ♪ ♪ For when you're in the foreign land ♪ ♪ Believe me, you'll rue it, surely ♪ ♪ Perhaps in battle, I might fall ♪ ♪ From a shot from an angry cannonball ♪ ♪ And you're so far from your daddy's home ♪ ♪ Be advised by a gallant soldier ♪ (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) ♪ Well, I have fifty guineas in right gold ♪ ♪ Likewise, a heart that's golder ♪ ♪ And I'd leave them all and I'd go with you ♪ ♪ My well-undaunted soldier ♪ ♪ So don't say no, but let me go ♪ ♪ And I'll face the daring foe ♪ ♪ We'll march together, to and fro ♪ ♪ And I'll wed you, my gallant soldier ♪ ♪ And when he saw her loyalty ♪ ♪ And Mary, so true-hearted ♪ ♪ He said, my darling, married we'll be ♪ ♪ And nothing but death will part us ♪ ♪ And when we're in a foreign land ♪ ♪ I'll guard you, darling, with my right hand ♪ ♪ And hopes that God might stand a friend ♪ ♪ To Mary and her gallant soldier ♪ (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (crowd applauds and cheers) All right, we'll go back to Scotland for this next one.

I'm gonna do my best with this song in its Scott's dialect, Angus dialect.

I feel like if I tried to translate this into my native tongue of Alabama, it would lose something in the translation.

It always seems to come out, roll tide.

(chuckles) That doesn't quite work.

This is a story about a man who comes from Angus originally, but he's living in England at the time.

We're not sure why.

Probably went there to find work or something, but he's a bit homesick.

And so, he has this conversation with the north wind that's just blown down across Eastern Scotland to where he is in northern England, and he's asking the north wind to tell him about all the things it saw on its trip down, and the wind is answering him.

The wind's telling him about all these beautiful things that he's missing, and it's making him even more homesick.

So, this is a super sad song.

I told you, we gave you the happy versions when we could, but this one, it's very sad, but it's very pretty.

We hope you won't mind the sadness.

It's called "Norland Wind", or "The Wild Geese".

(soft sentimental music plays) ♪ Tell me what was on your road ♪ ♪ You roaring norland wind ♪ ♪ As you come blowing frae the land ♪ ♪ That's never frae my mind ♪ ♪ Ma feet, they travel England ♪ ♪ But I'm dying for the north ♪ ♪ Ma man, I saw the silver tides ♪ ♪ Run up the Firth of Forth ♪ ♪ Oh wind, I ken them weel eneuch ♪ ♪ And find they fall and rise ♪ ♪ And fain I'd feel the creeping mist ♪ ♪ On yonder shore that lies ♪ ♪ But tell me, as you passed them by ♪ ♪ What saw ye on the way ♪ ♪ Ma man, I rocked the roving gulls ♪ ♪ That sail abune the Tay ♪ ♪ But saw ye naething, leein' wind ♪ ♪ Afore ya come to Fife ♪ ♪ For there's muckle lying 'yond the Tay ♪ ♪ That's mair to me nor life ♪ ♪ Ma man, I swept the Angus braes ♪ ♪ That ya haven't trod for years ♪ ♪ Oh wind, forgive a hameless loon ♪ ♪ That canna see for tears ♪ (gentle sentimental music continues) (gentle sentimental music continues) (gentle sentimental music continues) ♪ And high up in the Angus strats ♪ ♪ I saw the wild geese flee ♪ ♪ A long, long skean of beatin' wings ♪ ♪ With their heads towards the sea ♪ ♪ And aye their cryin' voices trailed behind them on the air ♪ ♪ Oh wind, have mercy, haud yer wheesht ♪ ♪ For I dare not listen mair ♪ (audience applauds) (uplifting instrumental music) ♪ Oh, it was a fine and a pleasant day ♪ ♪ Out of Yarmouth harbor, I was farin' ♪ ♪ As a cabin boy on a sailing lugger ♪ ♪ For to hunt the bonny shoals of herring ♪ ♪ Oh, the work was hard and the hours were long ♪ ♪ And the treatment, sure, it took some bearing ♪ ♪ And there was little kindness, and the kicks were many ♪ ♪ As we hunted for the shoals of herring ♪ ♪ Oh, we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank ♪ ♪ I was a cook, and I'd a quarter-sharing ♪ ♪ And I used to sleep standing on my feet ♪ ♪ And I'd dream about the shoals of herring ♪ ♪ Oh, we left the home grounds in the month of June ♪ ♪ And for canny Shiels, we soon were bearing ♪ ♪ With a hundred cran of the silver darling' ♪ ♪ That we'd taken from the shoals of herring ♪ (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) ♪ Now you're up on deck ♪ ♪ You're a fisherman ♪ ♪ You can swear and show a manly bearing ♪ ♪ Take your turn on watch with the other fellas ♪ ♪ As you're searchin' for the shoals of herring ♪ ♪ Through the stormy seas and the living gales ♪ ♪ Just to earn your daily bread, you're daring ♪ ♪ From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands ♪ ♪ As you're following the shoals of herring ♪ ♪ Well, I earned my keep and I paid my way ♪ ♪ And I earned the gear that I was wearin' ♪ ♪ Sailed a million miles, caught ten-million fishes ♪ ♪ When we were sailing after shoals of herring ♪ ♪ We were sailing after shoals of herring ♪ (uplifting instrumental music contentious) (music gradually slows) (audience applauds) (guitar gently strumming soft music) ♪ Now westlin' winds and slaughterin' gun ♪ ♪ Bring autumn's pleasant weather ♪ ♪ The moorcock springs on whirring wing ♪ ♪ Among the bloomin' heather ♪ ♪ Now waving grain wild o'er the plain ♪ ♪ Delights the weary farmer ♪ ♪ And the moon shines bright as I rove at night ♪ ♪ To muse upon my charmer ♪ ♪ The partridge loves the fruitful fells ♪ ♪ The plover loves the mountains ♪ ♪ The woodcock haunts the lonely dells ♪ ♪ The soaring heron, the fountain ♪ ♪ Through lofty groves, the cushat roves ♪ ♪ The path of man to shun it ♪ ♪ The hazel bush overhangs the thrush ♪ ♪ The spreading thorn, the linnet ♪ ♪ Thus every kind their pleasure find ♪ ♪ The savage and the tender ♪ ♪ Some social join and leagues combine ♪ ♪ Some solitary wander ♪ ♪ Avant away, the cruel sway ♪ ♪ Tyrannic man's dominion ♪ ♪ The sportsman's joy, the murdering cry ♪ ♪ The fluttering gory pinion ♪ (gentle instrumental music continues) ♪ But Peggy dear, the evening's clear ♪ ♪ Thick flies the skimming swallow ♪ ♪ The sky is blue, the fields in view ♪ ♪ All fading green and yellow ♪ ♪ Come let us stray our gladsome way ♪ ♪ And view the charms of nature ♪ ♪ The rustling corn, the fruited thorn ♪ ♪ And ilka happy creature ♪ ♪ We'll gently walk and sweetly talk ♪ ♪ 'Til the silent moon shines clearly ♪ ♪ I'll clasp thy waist and fondly pressed ♪ ♪ Swear how I love thee dearly ♪ ♪ Not vernal showers to budding flowers ♪ ♪ Not autumn to the farmer ♪ ♪ So dear can be as thou to me ♪ ♪ My fair, my lovely charmer ♪ (gentle instrumental music continues) (gentle instrumental music gradually slows) (audience cheers and applauds) I love that last line.

(upbeat instrumental music) ♪ The Diamond is a ship, me lads ♪ ♪ For the Davis Strait, we're bound ♪ ♪ The quay, it is all garnished with bonnie lasses 'round ♪ ♪ Captain Thompson gives the orders to sail the ocean wide ♪ ♪ Where the sun it never sets, me lads ♪ ♪ Nor darkness dims the sky ♪ ♪ So it's cheer up me lads, let your hearts never fail ♪ ♪ For the bonny ship, the Diamond ♪ ♪ Goes a-fishin' for the whale ♪ See what I mean now?

That other one was your warm-up.

♪ Along the quay of Peterhead, lasses stand around ♪ ♪ Wi' their shawls all pulled around them ♪ ♪ And the salt tears runnin' down ♪ ♪ Now don't you weep, my bonny lass, ♪ ♪ Though you'll be left behind ♪ ♪ The rose will grow on Greenland's ice ♪ ♪ Before we change our minds ♪ ♪ So it's cheer up me lads, let your hearts never fail ♪ ♪ For the bonny ship, the Diamond ♪ ♪ Goes a-fishing for the whale ♪ (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) ♪ Here's a health to the resolution ♪ ♪ Likewise, the Eliza Swan ♪ ♪ Three cheers to the Battler of Montrose ♪ ♪ And the Diamond, ship of fame ♪ ♪ We wear the trousers of the white ♪ ♪ Jackets of the blue ♪ ♪ And when we get back to Peterhead ♪ ♪ We'll have sweethearts anew ♪ ♪ So it's cheer up me lads, let your hearts never fail ♪ ♪ For the bonny ship, the Diamond ♪ ♪ Goes a-fishing for the whale ♪ ♪ It will be bright, both day and night ♪ ♪ When Greenland lads come hame ♪ ♪ Our ship full up with oil, me lads ♪ ♪ And money to our name ♪ ♪ We'll make the cradles for to rock ♪ ♪ Blankets for to tear ♪ ♪ And every lass in Peterhead sing hushabye, my dear ♪ ♪ So it's cheer up me lads, let your hearts never fail ♪ ♪ For the bonny ship, the Diamond, ♪ ♪ Goes a-fishing for the whale ♪ ♪ And it's cheer up me lads, let your hearts never fail ♪ ♪ For the bonny ship, the Diamond ♪ ♪ Goes a-fishin' for the whale ♪ -Argh!

-(audience cheers and applauds) Argh!

Good work.

(guitar gently strumming) (gentle instrumental music) ♪ Is there for honest poverty ♪ ♪ That hangs his head and all that ♪ ♪ The coward-slave, we pass him by ♪ ♪ We dare be poor for all that ♪ ♪ For all that, and all that ♪ ♪ Our toils obscure and all that, ♪ ♪ The rank is but the guinea's stamp ♪ ♪ The man's the gold for all that ♪ ♪ And what though on hamely fare we dine ♪ ♪ Wear hoddin grey, and a that ♪ ♪ Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine ♪ ♪ A man's a man for all that ♪ ♪ For all that, and all that ♪ ♪ Their tinsel show and all that ♪ ♪ The common man, tho' e'er so poor ♪ ♪ Is king o' men for all that ♪ ♪ And ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord ♪ ♪ Wha struts, and stares, and all that ♪ ♪ Tho' hundreds worship at his word ♪ ♪ He's but a coof for all that ♪ ♪ For all that, and all that ♪ ♪ His ribband, star, and all that ♪ ♪ The man of independent mind ♪ ♪ He looks and laughs at all that ♪ (gentle instrumental music continues) (gentle instrumental music continues) (gentle instrumental music continues) ♪ A prince can make a belted knight ♪ ♪ A marquis, duke, and all that ♪ ♪ But an honest man's aboon his might ♪ ♪ Good faith, he mauna fa' that ♪ ♪ For all that, and all that ♪ ♪ Their dignities and all that ♪ ♪ The pith o' sense and pride o' worth ♪ ♪ Are higher rank than all that ♪ ♪ Then let us pray that come, it may ♪ ♪ As come it will, for all that ♪ ♪ That sense and worth, all o'er the earth ♪ ♪ Will bear the gree and all that ♪ ♪ For all that, and all that ♪ ♪ It's comin' yet for all that ♪ ♪ That man to man, the whole world o'er ♪ ♪ Shall brothers be for all that ♪ ♪ And for all that and all that ♪ ♪ It's comin' yet for all that ♪ ♪ That man to man, the whole world o're ♪ ♪ Shall brothers be ♪ ♪ For all that ♪ (gentle instrumental music gradually slows) (crowd cheers and applauds) Thank you all, again, so much.

Scooter Muse from right here in Florence, Alabama.

Jack Vogt from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Jill Chambless from Tuscaloosa.

Thanks so much for listening.

[Announcer] This program is made possible in part by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Additional support provided by the Alabama Folk Life Association.

(country folk music playing) (country folk music continues)