Sicily in Music and Song - James McNeish 1960 recordings

Sicily in Music and Song

recordings from 1960 by James McNeish

Argo DA 30 - P.1965

Side A

A1 Tarantella (Catania province) 1'50

A2 La vò - Lullaby (Catania) 2'52

A3 Stornello (Catania province) 2'37

A4 Tarantellina (Enna province) 0'32

A5 C'era 'na volta (Trapani) 0'58

A6 Ballad of Giuliano 3'53

A7 Dungeon Song (Palermo) 2'18

A8 Lullaby (Trapani province) 2'05

A9 La nova moda di li fimmini 2'08

A10 Easter wailing (Caltanissetta) 3'02

A11 Romance (Catania province) 1'31

Side B

B12 Ballad of Turiddu Carnevale (Palermo province) 1'38

B13 Pastoral (Agrigento province) 2'18

B14 Tarantella (Ragusa province) 1'51

B15 Sonnu Sonnuzu (Caltanissetta province) 1'50

B16 Stornello (Enna province) 2'54

B17 Prayer song (Palermo province) 0'45

B18 Mazurka (Ragusa province) 1'31

B19 Nennia (Enna) 2'12

B20 Drum sonata (Agrigento province) 2'33

B21 Stornello a botte (Enna province) 2'25

B22 Scialoma (Trapani province) 1'18

Here is another of the James McNeish field recordings full of good music and atmosphere. I think that some tracks on this record are very precious in deed. I like the big variation covering many different styles and traditions, only thing that is sad is that so many tracks are so short. That does not make the record less important it only makes you want to hear more. I think the Easter wailing track, the Pastorale and the Prayer song are wonderful glimpses allowing a real time travel. The Tarantellina with the jews harp and the Nennia is also very good listening.

Hope you enjoy this one! I will post another one of his recordings with music from Greece, but a little later. Too much other music waiting in line... We will see what comes first, and maybe someone else has some more of the McNeish recordings they could pass along to me so I could put them together with the others...

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Cambodia - A Musical Anthology of the Orient 2

A Musical Anthology of the Orient - Unesco Collection 2

The Music of Cambodia: Ceremonial, Folk and Court Music

Bärenreiter - Musicaphon - BM 30 L 2002 - P.1961

(Click here to go to to the disocgraphy listing of all the publications in this series)

Side A

A01 Invitation to the Genies

A02 Solo for Cha-pai

A03 Prelude (Karnai)

A04 Counting the flowers (Rop Koh)

A05 Music for banquets and in honour of distinguished personalities (Sam suon savan)

A06 To drive away Demons (Wan bain priyai)

A07 Distribution of Gifts at Marriage Festivities

A08 Funeral Music

Side B

B09 March of the Songs

B10 The King of Angkor (Prah Thao)

B11 Prayer in Pali

B12 Wedding Music

B13 Mystery a cappella track.

The following pictures of old instruments from the Phnom Penh Museum

in the 1960's, makes one wonder how they have fared over the years,

since the people there have met so hard times.

Skor Tom (Rumonea)

Tro Khmers

Cha pei

Shaing shra lei

Tro U

Tro I

The last track is not listed nor mentioned either in the liner notes to accompany the LP nor is it mentioned in the reviews. It is doubly sad becuse the anonymous singer has such good voiceculture that it would be interesting to read more about the tradition it was a manifestation of. If anyone has more information to shed some light on this track I would be most delighted. Maybe it was added on the second pressing but no mention is made to that effect.

12th century carved stone relief of musicians

from the ruins of the ancient capital of Angkor

If someone can point me to other releases of early recordings of Cambodian music, i.e. more specifically from the pre CD era I would be overjoyed! It seems that there were very few made!

I will soon post one more from a french label, with some recordings that I also find rather interesting, made by Jaques Brunet and published in 1971.

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