The Lark in the Morning (album)


The Lark in the Morning is an album by Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, family and friends.
It has the distinction of being the first album-length recording of Irish music to be recorded in Ireland. It was recorded by Diane Hamilton and Catherine Wright on portable equipment, between August and December 1955. It was issued on Tradition Records in 1956 as TLP 1004. At the time Liam Clancy, the youngest member of the Clancy Brothers, had not yet joined with his brothers to form the group that would be known as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, which incorporated itself in 1960. He traveled back to the USA with Diane Hamilton in 1956. Tracks 5, 9, 13, 17 and 21 are sung in Irish, itself a rarity at the time. Tracks 3, 8, 16 and 20 are instrumentals. Paddy Tunney's version of "The Lowlands of Holland" is the one that was later used by Steeleye Span. Most of the artists went on to be recorded by later collectors. Running time: 48 mins 40secs. The liner notes for the 1996 Rykodisc reissue are by Liam Clancy.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "The Lark in the Morning"
  2. "The Cobbler"
  3. "Unidentified jig"
  4. "Rockin' the Cradle"
  5. "Sean Dun Na Ngall"
  6. "Whisky You're The Devil"
  7. "Dowdling"
  8. "Unidentified hornpipe"
  9. "Roisin Dubh"
  10. "The Whistling Thief"
  11. "In the Month of January"

    Side two

  12. "The Little Beggerman"
  13. "Druimin Donn Dilis"
  14. "The Wran Song"
  15. "The Lowlands of Holland"
  16. "Unidentified Reel"
  17. "An Bhruinnlin Bheasach"
  18. "Maggie Pickens"
  19. "My Bonnie Boy"
  20. "Hornpipe"
  21. "Amhran Dochais"
  22. "Barbara Allen"

    Credits

Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, Paddy Tunney, Padraig O'Keefe, Joan Butler, Peg Power, Joan Clancy, Dennis Murphy, Sean Mac Donnchadha, Sarah Makem, Peter Bates, Thomas Baynes. Note: On this album "Padraig O'Keefe" is spelled with a single "f". However, his name more usually has two "f"s.