Sleeve Notes
This varied collection of mainly traditional airs ranges from the olde English to an anti-Jacobite song, by way of various nearly-lost Irish material.
All the main ingredients of Folk Music are here — murder, prison, mis-marriage and long-forgotten local events, plus regional variations of melodies that have travelled the world in true minstrel fashion. Not forgetting the Reel,an essential instrumental extra to pace a programme particularly strong in song stories.
Self-explanatory are such items as "The Coleraine Regatta", "The Newry Highwayman" and "The Fenians from Cahiciveen", but it is interesting to find that the story of "The Flower of Northumberland" is reported to have turned up in various parts of Europe in other songs, and that "What put the Blood?" and "The Barleycorn" are merely Irish variants or adaptations of early English folk songs.
The Johnstons have had worldwide success with their records, have been seen on television, and broadcast regularly. This LP shows their broad repertoire and a true dedication to retaining their national heritage.