Album Notes

The Itinerant Band is made up of seven musicians from the Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia. They come from diverse musical backgrounds and have a shared passion for history that has led them to specialize in the music of early America. They perform tunes and songs from the Irish, Scottish, English and French traditions that would have been heard in 17th and 18th century North America. In the spirit of the itinerant colonial musicians whose style they emulate, you may find as few as two or as many as seven of them at any given time and place performing everything from airs to sea chanties to dance tunes. When all together, the group consists of George Bame on guitar and vocals, Paul Brockman on fiddle and vocals, Bob Clark on hammered dulcimer, Susan Lawlor on flute, whistle and recorder, Dave McNew on bodhran, bones, Appalachian dulcimer and vocals, Mary Normand on Celtic harp, and Marsha Wallace on guitar, mandolin and vocals.

Our long awaited third album, Apples in Winter is a compilation of music from various times and cultures in a celebration of traditions of Christmas and the Winter season. From France came the 13th century "Marche de Turenne," as well as the 16th century song, "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella." We drew from Scotland's musical heritage in selecting a Shetland tune titled "Christmas Day Ida Morning," Robert Burns original version of "Auld Lang Syne," and a beautiful Hebredian melody, "The Christ Child's Lullaby." England offered us wonderful dance tunes such as, "Chestnut" and "Parson's Farewell" from the 17th century English Dancing Master, as well as the popular "Gloucester Wassail." Turlough O'Carolan of Ireland composed dozens of memorable melodies and we chose his "Carolan's Welcome" for our recording. We included the first carol written in the new world, "Huron Carol", and from the rich musical history of Virginia came such tunes as "Breaking up Christmas" and "Cold Frosty Morning."