Childsplay

CHILDSPLAY is a group of over 30 musicians under the direction of violinmaker Bob Childs of Cambridge MA, who play a variety of instruments in a range of musical styles. A unique feature of this band is that all the fiddlers and violists play on instruments made by Bob. Annually, they gather together for a series of concerts and, on four different occasions, for recording sessions. The recordings below demonstrate the range of musical genres. Each disc has selections of large and small ensembles and a rich variety of instrumentation.

Musicians include fiddlers Mary Lea, Hanneke Cassel, Mark Simos, Matt Glaser, Ruthie Dornfeld, Dave Langford, Steve Hickman, Joyce Anderson, Ellen Gawler, and many others. Playing flute, piano, guitar, banjo, cello and more are such well-known musicians as Peter Barnes, Rushad Eggleston, Keith Murphy, Ralph Gordon and Mark Roberts, among others. Singers and dancers have also performed at each concert with the group.

A week on the road and in the studio together, and I am struck by the breadth and passion of this band. Still - what is Childsplay? A community of musicians, a fraternity of fiddles, a moveable party of all-night jamming and home-cooked potlucks. A safe harbor to explore one's musical dreams. A group of friends who have set out to make music of the highest order: set out to say something huge and profound and heart-stopping about music, about community, about life and death... heaven and earth...

Laura Risk

Waiting for the Dream

 

• Rattling roaring Willie / The High Drive •
• Liam Childs / Balkin' Balkan / The E-B-E Reel •
• Tears of Healing Rain / After the Rain •
• Frost Place / Otherwise Engaged / The Aughamore•
• I Am A Youth Taht's Inclined to Ramble •
• Mothers of the Disappeared / The Evenstar •
• SamSam Amidon / Good Morning To Your Night Cap •
• Christmas In Washington •
• Queen Maeve's Slumber •
• Sween Sunny South •
• Compleiments To Cameron Chisholm / Waiting for the Dawn •
• Soir et Matin •
• Love Me Tender

Twelve-Gated City

 

• Hughie Shortie's / Trip to Windsor / Barrowburn (Shetland, Cape Breton reels) •
• Cantares de mi Tierra (Mexican waltz) •
• Polska från Nås (Sweden) •
• Father Kelly's #2 / Julia Delaney / Dinky's Reel (Irish reels) •
• Twelve-Gated City (composition by Mark Simos) •
• The Old Favorite / The Return from Paris (Irish jigs) •
• Bob's Child / Golden Earring (original composition by Matt Glaser / swing classic) •
• Skipping Cat / Old Bell Cow (old-time tunes) •
• Diabinho Malucco (Brazilian choro) •
• Polska efter Sjungar Lars från Lima (Sweden) •
• La Grandeuse / Festival du Voyager (reels from Quebec) •
• One-horned Sheep / The Sailor's Wife / Drummond Castle (jigs) •
• Isle of Skye / Loudoin's bonnie Woods / Timour the Tartar (Scottish tunes) •
• Childgrove (English country dance tune) •
• The Jig of Slurs / The Athol Highlander / Brenda Stubbert / The Reconciliation (2 jigs / 2 reels)•
• White Oak •
• Waltz of the Little Girls

The Great Waltz

Childsplay: The Great Waltz a collection of traditional and contemporary waltzes.

• Galician Waltz •
• Tourner à Trois •
• La Valser de Mezzanotte (Italy) •
• Vals efter Timas Hans Hansson (Sweden) •
• Sunday River •
• The Great Waltz of China •
• Buster Keaton (jazz piece) •
• Tristesse (jazz waltz) •
• Enrichez Vous! •
• Farewell Marian (Welsh tune) •
• Cue's Mug •
• My Cape Breton Home •
• Hoekpers Vals •
• Valse de Bethmale (French) •
• April Waltz

Childsplay Live!

Childsplay LiveRecorded live at concerts held in 2001 in New England.

• The Handsome Young Maidens / Cliffs of Moher / Farewell to Ireland / Siobhan O'Donnell (Irish jigs and reels) •
• Canyon Moonrise (tone poem) •
• The Maple's Lament (song) / Reel de Montebello / Reel de Mattawa (reels from Quebec) •
• Highlander's Farewell / Fisher's Hornpipe (reels) •
• John Naughton's / Return to Camden Town / The Humours of Westport / Twilight in Portroe (Irish reels) •
• Lenny Awa' •
• Doina / Hora Bucovinei / Hora in D minor (Romanian tunes)•
• Caisleán an Óir / Her Lovely Hair Was Flowing Down Her Back (slow Irish reels) •
• Rambling Man (song) •
• Rocky Pallet / Wild Hog in the Woods / Crockett's Honeymoon (old-time tunes) •
• Jean's Reel (Scottish reel) •
• La rachoudine / Set américain / Dedicado à Jos (reels from Quebec) •
• High Cauld Cap

Heaven & Earth

 

• Kuivatusaluevalssi (Finnish waltz)•
• Michael's Mazurka •
• Finistère / Walls of St. Malo / Quimper Gavotte / Walls of St. Malo •
• Dante's Prayer (tone poem)•
• Tune for Tony •
• The Connaught Heifer / The Flying Tent / The Monahan Twig (reels) •
• Today's the Day (song) •
• The Morning Thrush / Paddy Fahey's Reel / The Ceilier (slow Irish reels) •
• Polska after Sjungar Lars (Sweden) •
• Waltz of the White Ladies •
• Race of the River Jordan / Sleepy-Eyed John (old-time tune, song) •
• Polska after Pers Erik / Heaven and Earth (Swedish polskas)

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