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Norma Waterson: Bright Shiny Morning

Bright Shiny Morning (TSCD520)

Bright Shiny Morning
Norma Waterson

Topic Records TSCD520 (CD, UK, October 16, 2000)

Produced by Eliza Carthy and Ben Ivitsky
Engineered by Oliver Knight at Panda Sound, Robin Hood's Bay

Musicians

Norma Waterson: vocals, triangle
Eliza Carthy: vocals, violin, tenor guitar
Martin Carthy: vocals, guitar, banjo
Mary Macmaster: electro harp
Ben Ivitsky: vocals, violin, viola, tenor guitar
Alice Kinloch: euphonium, trombone
Martyn Lewington: trumpet
Chris Parkinson: piano accordion, harmonica
Julian Goodacre: English doublepipes, Leicestershire smallpipes
Maria Gilhooley, Nadine Elliott & Mike Waterson: vocals

Mary Macmaster plays with The Poozies.
Julian Goodacre is a pipe maker who plays with The Goodacre Brothers.
Martin Green plays with the Joe Townsend Band and the Eliza Carthy Band.
Ben Ivitsky plays with LaBoum and The Peatbog Faeries.
Chris Parkinson is a former member of The House Band and the Band of Hope and tours with Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson.
Alice Kinloch works with loads of people but also with the Bollywood Brass Band.

Norma Waterson is a Hannibal Records recording artist.
Eliza Carthy appears courtesy of Warner Bros Records.

Tracks

  1. The Chaps of Cockaigny (4.42)
  2. Three Maids A-Milking (3.04)
  3. One April Morning (3.55)
  4. Sheep Crook & Black Dog (3.34)
  5. Game of All Fours (3.31)
  6. Banks of the Dee (3.44)
  7. Bright Shiny Morning (4.33)
  8. Barbary Allen (5.50)
  9. Flower of Sweet Strabane (4.42)
  10. Green Grows the Laurel (3.42)
  11. Go and Leave Me (2.53)
  12. My Flower, My Companion & Me (3.49)

All tracks Trad. arr. Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Ben Ivitsky except
Track 2 Trad. arr. Norma Waterson, Martin Green
Tracks 4, 8 Trad. arr. Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Ben Ivitsky, Mary Macmaster
Tracks 5, 10 Trad. arr. Norma Waterson; pub Topic Records
Track 11 Trad. arr. Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy
All tracks pub. Topic Records

Sleeve Notes

I don't like writing notes so I'm going to leave it to Liz and Martin, but this is a short exception. All these songs, one way or another, are love songs. Some are about pure love, others are straightforward lust. Some tell stories about longing, waiting and loss, but all have that directness which is to be found in traditional song. There are moments in songs which light them up unexpectedly you can think that you know a song for years and, all of a sudden, be taken off guard, In every one of these songs there is a moment or a turn of phrase which hits me so directly that the rest of the song becomes almost secondary. It was a great privilege and a pleasure working with all the singers and musician on this album, particularly having it engineered by Oliver and produced by Liza and Ben.

Thanks to everybody: to Mary Macmaster for colouring the album in such a subtle and fantastic way; to Martin Green, Julian Goodacre, Alice Kinloch and Martyn Lewington, Maria Gilhooley, Nadine Elliott and Mike Waterson; and to Tony Engle for being sooo patient.

[Norma Waterson]

Producing this album has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever been involved with. The fact that this is my Mam's first solo traditional album and that we were allowed to produce it has made me prouder than anything; I feel honoured to be able to present this music to the world. My mother is one of the best singers I know, full of warmth and skill and with almost telepathic intuition. She also has incredible grace for letting us take over and tell everyone what to do! I thank her sincerely with all my heart and I hope that Ben and myself have served her glorious talent well. I would also like to thank Ben for all his work and thought, and Oliver for being patient and helpful when the waters were not so clear!

[Eliza Carthy]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to John Haxby for permission to use the image of the CD cover.