Martin & Eliza Carthy - The Wife of Usher's Well 2001

[6musky]

He's wearing blue jeans! :0

[lordblighty]

Sorry people, I wasn't meant to exclude anyone, I was just commenting on what I see as a problem in England today. A lot of English people seem to have lost their identity to this Americanised global mainstream way of life. Local dialect, music, and pass times are almost forgotten. I suppse the same could be said for many countries but for me it is upsetting, because there's more to us than this, and so much that our kids are going to miss out on.

[JonMayhewAuthor]

Smashing song be it Scottish, Irish, English or Welsh... on the other hand, isn't the tune Breton? ;o)

[mouldybear]

Another brilliant performance of one of my favourites of the great ballads. Their are many beautiful versions of this wonderful ballad from Britain and America.

[megiziii]

Actually, the original of this is a Scottish song and in Scots, but thats ok, we are proud to share our music...

[greenjack1959l]

@megiziii 3 nations 1 island = great music, long live the island of the Mighty

[mickigoe]

@greenjack1959l And don't exclude us Irish - 4 nations 2 islands - the island of the Mighty and the island of the Notsobad. Isn't Eliza something else , though.

[greenjack1959l]

@mickigoe no exclusion intended, was mean,t to respect your seperate identity, forgive me. isn,t she just though?

[mickigoe]

@greenjack1959l No offence taken , mate - when I listen to both English and Irish trad , I find it hard to imagine much cultural difference at all.

[greenjack1959l]

@mickigoe thumbs up :-)

[DottyWang]

What is it about modern times that impels musicians to make more and more noise? Songs don't become better or more beautiful by playing them very loudly.

[CarthyOnline]

@DottyWang Eh?

[LyncroftFolk]

Good performance, but check out Lyncroft's version from the 1980s.

[blackratlizzie]

Check out Black Rat's version on the album 'Rich Pickings' available on I Tunes.

[blackratlizzie]

Check out Back Rat's version of Ushers Well also for a newer slant on this story x

[Wulfberht]

This is a fantastic piece of music.

[enrico0094]

Oh...so good to see this posted on YouTube - thank you very much mnemonyxx. I saw this on "Later" in 2001 and never forgot it - what an electrifying performance! And I hate to say it, as a lifelong Steeleye fan, that this beats the pants off the Steeleye Span recorded version...

[SlightlySusan]

I am also a lifelong Steeleye fan. Steeleye made certain that another generation . . . or two or three . . . know these wonderful songs. It may have been Pierre ben Susan in a radio interview who said that he wished for years that his music was as good as traditional music. Then he realized that what came down to us were masterpieces, and he felt better about himself. Martin's is legendary music will be preserved through technology. Steeleye + Martin have saved a heritage.

[enrico0094]

Very good point - and I'd probably have never listened to any of these songs if it hadn't been for Steeleye, who then introduced me to Martin's mastery via "Please To See The King", so it all comes around :)

[SlightlySusan]

Thanks. Love Martin and have seen both Martin and Steeleye in concert.

[LarkaBelaqua]

This is a truly great song, and a great version. Martin is so gifted, one of my favourite singers (I know it's constricting, but it's true,) but that makes me envious I would love to be that good at singing and an instrument ,who wouldn't be.

[lordblighty]

This is a truly brilliant song. When I read the lyrics and listened to the tune it sent a chill up my spine. Very haunting indeed.

On a side note I think all traditional ENGLISH songs should be by used in schools whether it be in nursery rhyme form for the younger kids, in short or in full, we need to keep these songs being sung, and stop them from fading out like I feel our culture is.

[fassaalbrecht]

@lordblighty I'm with you on using trad. songs in schools. They''re as much a history lesson as any textbook and an important part of our culture. I did a folk music program at a school (I play viola) and the kids absolutely loved it, right from the younger ones to the oldest.

[lordblighty]

@fassaalbrecht

Brilliant mate, respect for educating the kids man!

[acpsev]

Very beautiful song and very beautiful performance.

[abigor1989]

morris dancing needs to become more famous, it is becoming a lost art

[treelady3]

with morris dancers! at least for about two seconds...

[viking1au]

Martin & daughter Eliza together. WOW.! What a treat!

[jeanhoel]

Welcome on that ..." haunted ( ing ) " Celtic planet !!! ... for all our pleasure ; )