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The Mountians of Pomeroy

from Since You and I Have Been by Sandra Joyce

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    Love and loss are recurrent themes in many traditional songs - hence the title of this recording. The album represents a long engagement with Irish traditional song and singers, as well as related traditions, and is a snapshot of the repertoire and styles of song I particularly resonate with. It also reflects my connection to both solo and accompanied practice. I am particularly anxious to acknowledge the influence of iconic singers such as Delores Keane, Sarah Makem and Tom Lenihan here. Allowing the melodies and words of these important cultural artefacts to shine through was my ultimate goal, and I'm really grateful to the musicians for facilitating this.

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about

This song inspires much nostalgia for me, as it was one of the first tunes my daughter learned on the tin whistle and she has played it in the context of many Irish traditional groups since then. The text is by George Sigerson (1836-1925) and was adapted from an existing ballad called 'Rinordine' or 'The Mountains High'. The Reynardine of the song is a rapparee-type character, hiding in the mountains where "he kept the cause of freedom safe". The metaphor of the fox implies a figure who is cunning, being hunted, and it is therefore laden with political symbolism. I particularly like the natural imagery that is so central to this song: nature provides the backdrop to the love story and the clandestine meetings of the lovers, and could be seen to symbolise freedom from tyranny. But nature also has a dangerous and unpredictable side in this story, causing the death of the young woman, who drowns during a storm. For me, the text resonates with the climate crisis in its referencing of storms, flooding, displacement. Here, water is both essential to survival and is itself a killer. There are so many themes to be explored within this song, not least the fact that the lovers come from different communities and came together in defiance of resistance from her family. Despite the tragic ending, there is a sense of resilience and agency within the song that particularly appeals to me.

credits

from Since You and I Have Been, released February 2, 2023
Dónal Lunny - bouzouki / Ernestine Healy - concertina / Niall Keegan - flute

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Sandra Joyce Limerick, Ireland

Sandra Joyce is a traditional singer, bodhran player and academic from Tuam Co. Galway, now resident in Limerick and a faculty member of the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick. In February 2023 she is releasing her first solo song album Since You & I Have Been, a CD of traditional Irish songs from the English language song tradition in Ireland, expertly crafted by Donal Lunny. ... more

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