Graham Irwin: my music; folk songs - traditional and contemporary

I guess all songs is folk songs. Leastwise, I ain’t never heard no horse sing ’em. Big Bill Broonzy

I am producing booklets with the words, melody lines and chords for some of the songs I have recorded, and some I have not (?yet) recorded. Here is the first: Songbook 1.

I have also developed a simple script to aid transposing chord sequences for songs and tunes. You can try it here.

See what ChatGPT has to say about British folk music.

Graham Irwin: My music

Here is a selection of videos of some of my music (latest additions first). My musical taste is mostly, but not exclusively, British and Irish folk, both traditional and contemporary. I have taken inspiration from Steeleye Span, John Kirkpatrick, Ian Campbell, John Conolly, Shirley Collins, The Albion Band, Fairport Convention, Strawhead, Martin Carthy and many others. I shall be adding a new video each week.

More recently I have been creating music tracks for meditation, relaxation, massage, yoga and therapy, as well as creating electronic pieces. These are included here, too.

Drunken Sailor - "Make mine a shanty"; this one needs no introduction. (2:38) : Watch on YouTube

Horkstow Grange - A traditional Lincolnshire folk song, from which the band Steeleye Span took its name; the tune is called Andrew Rose. (2:25) : Watch on YouTube

Staines Morris - From Elizabethan times, but whether it comes from Staines in Surrey (Middlesex) is not known; also known as The Maypole Song. (3:09) : Watch on YouTube

The Banks Of Sweet Primroses - A traditional English folk song. (3:47) : Watch on YouTube

Green Stamps - A contemporary song by Anon, a parody of Greensleeves from the 1960s. (2:26) : Watch on YouTube

When You Were Sweet Sixteen - A contemporary song by James Thornton written for his wife Bonnie. (3:35) : Watch on YouTube

Lovely On The Water - A traditional English folk song on a common theme of lovers being parted by war. (3:52) : Watch on YouTube

I'll Try For The Sun - Written by Donovan. (3:10) : Watch on YouTube

Whiskey In The Jar - A popular traditional Irish folk song. (3:46) : Watch on YouTube

John Barleycorn - A traditional ballad about the death and rebirth of the Corn God, to the tune Wir Pflügen by J A P Schulz (1747-1800). (2:32) : Watch on YouTube

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You can also view these videos on my Youtube channel.

And I'm on Bandcamp

Coming soon...

The Dalesman's Litany - Words by Frederic William Moorman (1872-1919), tune by Dave Keddie in the 1960s.

The Happy Man - A Morris song-dance from the Adderbury tradition.