WEEFOLK
Children's music for the whole family

Karan Casey & Friends Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musical [Music for Little People R2 79858 (2000)] Once again, the folks at Music for Little People have maintained their gold standard of quality children's material with this latest release. What strikes one first about Seal Maiden is the wonderful voice of Karan Casey (the former lead singer of Solas) and the quality of the instrumental backing. Noted musicians making their appearance include Niall Vallely (of Nomos), Martin Hayes, Mick Daly, and Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh (of Altan), on guitar, fiddles, pipes, flutes, concertina, bodhran, and backing vocals. There are soft, quiet songs like "The Cradle Song" as well as rousing tongue twisters like "The Waves Down in the Ocean" (which is sung by a chorus of children). As if the quality of the music were not enough, the CD also includes Casey's narration of the story of the seal maiden (which is similar to the film The Secret of Roan Inish). Tales about the magic of the seals are common among fishers, and this story of a seal transformed into a young girl will introduce children to that theme. The CD alternates between a song and then narration throughout. Like other releases in Music for Little People's Multicultural series, Seal Maiden combines riveting storytelling with some of the finest exponents of a particular genre, packaged for both children and their parents. (IE)

Linda Miller Hearts at Rest: Celtic Lullabies [Canal 282 (1997)] Hearts at Rest is the perfect title for this pretty-darn-near-perfect recording. These lullabies are a collection of songs from Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Brittany, and Scotland. Miller is a singer from British Columbia who augments the English lyrics with verses in Welsh, Gaelic, and Breton. Miller's rich alto voice is warm, fluid, and tender; it is the voice of the archetypal Earth Mother, abounding in reassurance and comfort. Though accompanied on the disc by a slew of capable Celtic musicians playing traditional instruments (including Celtic harp, uillenn pipes, harmonium, whistles, bodhran, concertina, and others), at no time do the instruments overpower Miller's voice, which feels like it is singing a cappella, undergirded by sympathetic harmonics. This is not to say that the instruments are wishy-washy "background" sounds: They deliberately step back during the vocals, allowing Miller's voice the spotlight. Between verses, and sometimes at the end of a song, the instruments are given room to explore and expand the tunes or add a complementary piece from some other tune. Miller gives full lyrics in the liner notes, with explanations for unfamiliar phrases. This recording has an appeal far beyond parents who want to learn some soothing tunes for their children's bedtimes; it is music to soothe the child inside every one of us. (SH)

Shel Silverstein Where the Sidewalk Ends [Columbia/Legacy/Sony Wonder CK 66079 (2000)]A little more than a year ago, I had the sad task of telling my second-grade students that one of their favorite people had passed away. Shel Silverstein had that rare gift of being able to tap into the imagination of children, dissecting their fears, ruthlessly pointing out the hypocrisy of the adult world and its expectations, and, above all, making everyone laugh. His voice lives on, however, in his award-winning books and recordings. Where the Sidewalk Ends is a remastered edition of his 25-year-old Grammy-winning album, with 11 previously unreleased additional tracks. Silverstein, guitar in hand, sings, shouts, and laughs his way through a total of 47 pieces. And the words to every poem are included in the liner notes, in case you want to shout along (and most children do!). The notes also include a touching tribute by his friend Ron Haffkine. My students delighted in Haffkine's description of Silverstein: a grown man hunched over his manuscript, his long, bony fingers sketching the often ridiculous characters, giggling to himself and even bursting into laughter as he penned some wild escapade. A sort of edgy Dr. Seuss, Silverstein sounds at times like the Grinch on cuts like "Eighteen Flavors," and "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too." Anyone who has ever had a younger sibling will identify with the message of "For Sale... One sister for sale!" And for those times when you're in the mood for a good mess, there's "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out," and "The Peanut Butter Sandwich," a tale of a king who loved the concoction so much, he ordered the super-size version and ended up with lockjaw. It took grappling chains to free him. Among the foolery, however, are messages. "Listen to the Mustn'ts" spotlights a contradiction. How can "anything" be possible when life is full of mustn'ts, don'ts and shouldn'ts? Silverstein also questions the whole idea of Tug of War. Couldn't it be a "Hug of War," where "everyone wins?" Perhaps the song that most stopped traffic for my students was "The Little Blue Engine" who climbs a hill, all the time reciting the renowned mantra, "I think I can, I think I can..." But he didn't — and went crashing down to the rocks below. Hey! This isn't the way the story is supposed to end, children may protest. But, Silverstein says, "If the track is tough and the hill is rough/Thinking you can just ain't enough!" A sellout? Maybe not. In this age of greater expectations and increased disruptions in children's young lives, is it really fair to tell children that anything is possible if they only believe? If poetry is truth, there's a lot of truth in this collection. A lot for us all to think about. (LM)

John English 1,2,3 Sing Along With Me [Two Cougars Productions JDEJJEECD (1998)], John English 3,2,1 Let's Have Some Fun [Two Cougars Productions JDE321FUN (2000)] John English is a performing artists and music educator in South Carolina, and these two recordings give a glimpse of what the lucky children of the Columbia area are able to experience firsthand. The first album, 1,2,3 Sing Along With Me, is a collection of very short songs geared toward reading-readiness: They focus on counting, sequencing, and movement. Each features English leading a group of preschoolers who sing along with unabashed pleasure. There are fourteen traditional tunes and two originals by English; all are easily grasped due to their repetitive nature and direct message. English's baritone voice is pleasing and his easy manner invites you to sing along. The CD is charming and can be listened to by preschool children and their families time and time again. That said, the second CD is somewhat less successful because it is less specifically targeted. There are several songs that might be considered "overflow" from the first album: "The Ants Go Marching," "The Hokey Pokey," and the "The Wheels on the Bus" are all familiar early learning songs that continue in the same vein as the first CD. The other thrust is folksongs ("Froggy Went A'Courtin'," "Hush Little Baby," "John the Rabbit," "Rabbit's Got No Tail") that do not fit the repetitive pattern of the early-learning songs. When English is accompanied by a chorus of children on these songs it can be fairly annoying; I suspect the children's chorus on some of these songs consisted of older children who were more "coached." It would have been better to have him sing these songs solo to vary the dynamic. "The Vowel Song," English's own composition, is a terrific teaching song for the different sounds of the vowel letters, but it is more suitable to young elementary than very early preschool children. While the first CD has a majority of songs under two and a half minutes' duration, on the second CD nearly half of the songs are three minutes or more ("Froggy Went A'Courtin' seems almost interminable at over five minutes). There are songs to please everyone on 3,2,1 Let's Have Some Fun – it's just that not everyone will be happy at the same time. (SH)

Various artists The Story that the Crow Told Me, Vol. 1 & 2 - Early American Rural Children's Songs [Yazoo 2051/2052 (2000)] Voices strain and fiddles whine on these two discs of songs your grandmother sang in her childhood. Thoughtfully collected and skillfully mastered by Richard Nevins, these songs from the 1920 and 1930s betray a very different world in which cows are milked with monkey wrenches, children churn butter in dad's old boot, possums make Liza shake "simmons" out of a tree, Mr. Frog kills Ms. Mouse's four suitors with a pistol and sword, and presidents swing on White House gates. Listen and hear in these voices from some other time and place the sounds of a different people — more rural but just as violent and fantastic; even if their fantasy and violence appears more stark to us. These are wonderful discs for children and adults with imagination. (CRLM)

Phil Rosenthal Folksongs and Bluegrass for Children [Rounder 82161 8099 2 (2000)] This release by Rounder is actually a sampler of songs recorded over the years by Phil Rosenthal, a member of bluegrass band Seldom Scene. When Rosenthal's children were young, he was unable to find children's recordings in the bluegrass style. Recognizing that other families would enjoy this music as well, he built a home studio and made several recordings with his musically talented family, releasing them on his own American Melody label. Folksongs and Bluegrass for Children presents highlights from his self-produced recordings, featuring traditional tunes with appeal to children ("Six Little Ducks," "The Paw Paw Patch," "Aiken Drum"), original storysongs composed in a bluegrass style ("In the Jungle," "The Train Song," "The Mouse"), and an old favorite by Woody Guthrie ("Jig Along Home"). Two of the best songs are previously unreleased: "Mama Don't Allow," which not only is fun to sing along to, but teaches instrument recognition, and "Teddy Bear's Picnic," a perennial favorite, played in a straightforward, melodic style with trumpet accents to the bluegrass instrumentation. The appeal of Rosenthal's music is that he enjoys this music himself and shares his love of it without pedantry or condescension. His wife and children accompany him tastefully, accenting the choruses and providing occasional harmonies. If you need only one bluegrass children's CD, this is the one to get.        (SH)

Sue Trainor Under Tables Out Back Doors [Souper Music SMD 048 (1999)] On this, her first CD for children, Trainor has penned eight of the 11 offerings. Adult listeners are bound to recognize the melody line to "The Bear Missed the Train," a parody of the 1937 "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön," but the little ones will simply enjoy the haunting music and the tale of a menagerie of critters and their mishaps. Trainor's active (or overactive) imagination also leads us in the "Alligator Jump," as well as several other activity songs, including "The Person Next to You," "Polka Peek-a-Boo," and one echo song, "Chesapeake." This is an imaginary coloring book of a recording, and children should have fun with the "Purple Giraffe" and "Tiddalick the Frog." However, among the fun and games is a heartwarming gem, "Whispers in Your Pillow." With velvety harmony provided by Sue Ribaudo and Christina Muir, and piano by Tony Nalker, "Whispers..." is one of those songs that could (should) become part of the bedtime ritual, right up there with Good Night Moon. Its delicate imagery gently deals with the apprehensions of childhood: saying goodnight, leaving home. This is a beautiful piece simply and expertly performed. Trainor's voice is clear and bright, but she also shares a solo spot with the young Tara Yates-Reeves and the University Park Elementary School singers. Other collaborators include members of Hot Soup! and Cathy Fink (banjo), Marcy Marxer (hammer dulcimer, mandolin, percussion), Karl Kalbaugh (didgeridoo), Big Joe Maher (drums), John Previti (bass), and John Cocuzzi (piano and vibes). The liner notes include lyrics to all the songs.        (LM)

Wee Folk contributors: Linda Morris, Char R. Leslie-Miller, Susan Hartman, Ivan Emke.