Link to Living Tradition Homepage

REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

 


 

 

 
GIFFORD LIND, ALEX BLACK & GUY BURGESS - Weave Trust With Truth: Songs And Poems About Dunfermline Weaving 

GIFFORD LIND, ALEX BLACK & GUY BURGESS - Weave Trust With Truth: Songs And Poems About Dunfermline Weaving 
Mactoots Recordings MTS053 

Since earliest times, weaving was central to life in Dunfermline, the industry only finally dying out by the 1970s. The idea for this album began with a request from the Carnegie Library and Galleries for songs to accompany the weaving exhibits in the new museum. However, on subsequently discovering there was a dearth of Dunfermline weaving songs (they only found one and a poem!), Dunfermline-based Alex and Gifford set about creating this collection of songs portraying various aspects of the life of a weaver, many using existing traditional or well-known tunes.

The one pre-existing song, The Shuttle Rins, was published in Dunfermline in 1849 just as the development of power looms was putting an end to the viability of handloom weaving in the town. The poem, Dunfermline Linen, may be familiar through its regular performance by John Watt. The songs are all given suitably spirited renditions by Alex and Gifford with Banffshire fiddler/melodeonist Guy, and have an authentic traditional feel. The main sequence of songs concludes with Gifford’s lament, The Weaving’s Gone, and a rousing instrumental medley reprising some tunes from the preceding songs. This is followed by three bonus tracks; two of these (Gifford’s animated chorus song, The Rhythm Of The Loom, and Alex’s poem, Young Andra) were recorded live, whereas the third (The Work O’ The Weavers, one of the best-known of Scottish songs about weaving), incorporates a special Dunfermline verse added by Alex. All profits from the sale of this CD will be donated to Alzheimer’s charities.

David Kidman


Secure On-line mailorder service
Many CDs we review are available from The Listening Post.
Check to see if this CD is available.

The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine.
This album was reviewed in Issue 127 of The Living Tradition magazine.