Present Journey Liner Notes

1. The Break / Sally in the Garden (2:57)

Christopher-Piano/Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer/Piano

We got The Break (also known as I’ll Break Your Head For You) from Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. Sally in the Garden is a tune we learned from Sweet Song String Band. We got a lot of our first inspiration from them.

2. Angelina Baker (2:26)

Christopher-Banjo
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

This is just a fun old-time tune, one of the first that we learned, and we have added our own twist.

3. Out on the Ocean / Swinging on a Gate (3:08)

Christopher-Piano
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

The tune Out on the Ocean is one Joel learned from the fine Irish gentleman, Ciaran Dalton, at the Winter Creek Reunion Dulcimer Festival in Bennington, Oklahoma. We do not suggest that you go swinging on a gate out on the ocean!

4. I Need Thee Every Hour (2:36)

Christopher-Piano
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

This hymn is a powerful reminder of our constant need for God. Whether life’s journeys take us through “joy or pain”, our plea should always be – “I need Thee every hour.”

5. Blackberry / Down the Brae (4:01)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Piano/Pennywhistle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer/Piano

Blackberry (also known as Blackberry Blossom) is usually played at a fast pace, but we decided to change the beginning up a little bit to something akin to a music box tune. Down the Brae is a Scottish march that we play more like a reel. The idea for the medley came from Scott Jackson’s recording Shanty Tunes.

6. Traditional Gaelic Melody (3:29)

Christopher-Piano/Keyboard
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Low Whistle/Fiddle
Luke-Pennywhistle

Green hills, a rocky cliff, darkened skies and pounding surf… Over your shoulder on a dark foreboding mist comes an ancient tune. The passion of a thousand forgotten years quakes the very earth, then fades the sound to nothing and the mossy ruins are silent once again. ‘Tis another tune from the treasury of Alasdair Fraser.

7. March of St. Timothy* / St. Mary’s / Church Street (3:48)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Piano (HD 2:34- 2:41)

March of St. Timothy is a really fun song we heard at a jam at the Winter Creek Reunion Festival. When we tried to learn it at home, we kept getting it confused with another medley we had learned from Bill Spence. So, out of the confusion comes this medley….

8. Jay Bird / Cherokee Shuffle (3:15)

Christopher-Piano
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Piano

This medley comes straight from Bill Spence. He revived the hammered dulcimer in the United States from near extinction in the 1970’s. His music has been a great influence on us and we have enjoyed his recordings.

9. Eleanor Plunkett (4:20)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Piano
Luke-Pennywhistle

We thank Vic and Louise Cardenzana for introducing us to this beautiful piece when we stayed in their hospitable home for Coshocton Dulcimer Days in Ohio. Turlough O’Carolan, a blind composer and harp player, wrote and named this song for one of his students, Eleanor Plunkett, the lone survivor of the tragedy that took her family.

10. Soldier’s Joy / Over the Waterfall (4:27)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer/Piano
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

Soldier’s Joy is a great old-time work horse that we slowed down for a whole new feel. The arrangement with Over the Waterfall is derived from a medley performed by one of our favorite bands, No Strings Attached.

11. Boys of Ballisodare (3:33)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Piano
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

This easy-going piece also came from No Strings Attached. They have greatly encouraged us and influenced our music through workshops, jamming and their recordings. This is one of the first tunes that Christopher learned before Luke did, and he forced it on the rest of us! We are glad he did!

12. Rights of Man / Tamlinn (4:22)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer/Banjo
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Piano/Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

Rights of Man is a fun and interesting hornpipe that we pair with Tamlinn, a tune we got from Cathy Barton and Dave Para as well as Gaelic Storm.

13. Scottish Lament (3:38)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Pennywhistle
Luke-Keyboard/Piano

When played as a slow tune, this Scottish lament is usually called Farewell to Whiskey, referring to the failure of the barley and other crops used for making whiskey. As a faster tune it is sometimes called Young American Hornpipe.

14. The Last Glance** (4:54)

Christopher-Keyboard/Piano
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Fiddle
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

The Last Glance was composed by Luke on July 12, 2017 at the age of 13. It reminds him of leaving festivals and other special places and looking back (the last glance) – thankful for the memories and looking forward to the next time.

15. Last Song Set (Swallowtail Jig / Flowers of Redhill / Miss Monaghan’s / Drowsy Maggie / Hammers of Flame**) (3:04)

Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer
Nicholas-Guitar
Joel-Piano
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer

This is an exciting mix of several different musical elements: timing, keys and modes. The last tune in this medley, Hammers of Flame, is another one that Luke wrote - understandably so, considering the speed! Sometimes at jams with friends, the night would draw long and eventually Dad would say, “Ok, you have time for one more and then we have to go.” We would stretch the “one more” by adding more and more tunes to the last song medley in an attempt to keep playing as long as we could. This medley is reminiscent of those fun times.