Cianalas an Alba

Missing, longing for, Scotland, even though I’ve never met her.

Courting Dulcimer Christmas

Such a charming video by John and Karen Keane. You must watch this, especially if you’ve never seen a courting dulcimer… and especially if you love good music!

Mini Box Dulcimer

Nov25

by Goschenhobel

Two children’s songs played in noter-drone style on a slim, short scale box dulcimer made by Goschenhobel in about 5 hours.

The facts: poplar plywood top and (double) back, strips of oak for the sides and beech blocks (for the string nails and the zither pins) on the left and right.
Length 60 cm (24″), width 20 cm (8″), height 3,7 cm (1 1/2″); scale length 54 cm (about 21 1/2″). Three strings (0.12, 0.16, 0.24) tuned to Gdg.

Citi na gCumman

Nov22

This delightful performance is by Linda Brockinton. Oh my, so lovely.

On Rannoch Moor

Nov19

OH GO WEST HIGHLAND WAY
FOR RANNOCH MOOR

OH GO WEST HIGHLAND WAY
THE CURLEW CRIES
ON RANNOCH MOOR

AND YOU WILL HEAR THAT CRYIN’
AND THAT’S WHAT YOU CAME FOR
AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DOWN
ON RANNOCH MOOR

OH GO WEST HIGHLAND WAY
FOR RANNOCH MOOR

GO WEST HIGHLAND WAY
THE CURLEW CRIES
ON RANNOCH MOOR
– by Mary MacGowan

Joe Gibson

Nov14

Lyrics and tune by Mary MacGowan, with shades of Scottish

Today My Love Is Come To Me

Oct31

Another C. Rossetti poem.
(I need a quieter pick!)

when i am dead my dearie

Oct31

This is a work in progress… a somewhat clumsy beginning of a new tune I’m writing for Christina Rossetti’s sad sad poem, altho there’s been some discussion about just how sad it really is.

Hello and welcome to my many new followers. You make my heart glad!

Tavern

Oct23

Tavern, poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Tune and singing by Mary MacGowan

Bluesy Leatherwing Bat

Oct10

Dulcimer blues by Dusty Turtle, I just love this.

One Mississippi

Oct6

Written years ago by Andrea Loftus and me, this song has taken on many different personalities. I’m really liking how it sounds with me playing dulcimer…

Wildwood Flower

Oct5

Mountain Dulcimer Group in Germany, with ukuleles too.

Mary’s Song

Sep28

This song’s title is from a poem with the same title by Marion Angus, a Scottish poet popular at the turn of the century. I decided to “Americanize” her words because she used a lot of Gaelic and it didn’t feel right for me. Youtube gave me the option to create this old-fashioned look, sepias and faded, lovin’ it.

The Plea – a fragment from Milnoid’s dulcimer opera The Thief (yes, dulcimer opera)

Sep21

You’ll love this, and then you’ll really love it about 20 seconds in!
Milnoid writes, “I live in the mountains outside of Hong Kong with my wife, two small children and a very large number of mountain dulcimers.”