Golden Bough is a Celtic-music band formed in 1980 and based in California. The band performs at

music festivals A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or ho ...

and has toured Europe several times. They are known for their acoustic musical performances of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

and Celtic music and for their 22 albums. They are also known for their association with Lief Sørbye (a founding member) and with the band

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

. Current members of the band include Margie Butler (lyric soprano) on vocals, Celtic

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

, penny whistle, recorder, bodhran and guitar; Paul Espinoza (folk tenor) on vocals, guitar, accordion and octave-mandolin; Kathy Sierra (folk soprano) on vocals, violin and

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

Band origins

The band came about after some friends attended a series of concerts at the Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The founders were Margie Butler, Margot Duxler, Lief Sørbye, and Paul Espinoza. Simon Spaulding also performed with them in the first lineup. Other artists who have been members include Florie Brown (violinist), Richard Ferry (flutist), Alison Bailey (fiddler), and

Sue Draheim Sue Draheim ( ; August 17, 1949 – April 11, 2013) was an American fiddler, boasting a more than forty year musical career in the US and the UK. Growing up in North Oakland, Draheim began her first private violin lessons at age eleven, having ...

(violinist).

Music

The band describes their music as "rooted in" the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, The Isle of Man, French Brittany and Spanish Galicia. The group creates its own arrangements of the songs, giving them "a sound unique unto themselves." Along with traditional works they have mined such singers as

Eric Bogle Eric Bogle (born 23 September 1944) is a Scottish-born Australian folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25, to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of ...

( Green Fields of France),

Archie Fisher Archie Macdonald Fisher (born 23 October 1939) is a Scottish folk singer and songwriter. He has released several solo albums since his first, eponymous album, in 1968. Fisher composed the song "The Final Trawl", recorded on the album ''Windwa ...

(Witch of the Westmorelands) and Jamie McMenemy's setting of The Blind Harper of Lochmaben. They also perform their own original compositions. Some examples of songs they sing include: ''

Red is the Rose "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or "Loch Lomond" for short, is a Scottish song (Roud No. 9598). The song prominently features Loch Lomond, the largest Scottish loch, located between the council areas of West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and Ar ...

'', ''The Sea Queen of Connemara'', ''The Wizard'', '' Shifty Morgan'', ''The Tailor and the Mouse'', ''

Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair "Black Is the Color (of My True Love's Hair)" (Roud 3103) is a traditional ballad folk song known in the US as associated with colonial and later music in the Appalachian Mountains. It is believed to have originated in Scotland, as it refers to ...

'', ''

The Rattlin' Bog "The Rattlin' Bog" is an Irish folk song. It is a version of an internationally distributed folk song type. In the Roud Folk Song Index it has the number 129, and carries such titles as "The Everlasting Circle", "The Tree on the Hill", " The Gre ...

'', '' Green Grow the Rashes-O'', '' Charlie is my Darling'', ''My Little Boat'', ''Black Jack Davy'', ''The Song of the Swan Maiden'', '' Muirsheen Durkin'', ''Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears'' by Brendan Graham, and perhaps even the

Turlough O'Carolan Turlough O'Carolan ( ga, Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin ; 167025 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition. Although not a composer in the classical sense, ...

tune, ''Carolan's Draught''.

Song details

* ''Black Jack Davy'' is a takeoff of the traditional song Black Jack Davy. It was written by Paul Espinoza and released on the Golden Bough album, ''The Boatman's Daughter'' in 1983. In the traditional song, a man pursues his wife or lover, who has run off with the Gypsy man, Black Jack Davy. In Espinoza's version, Black Jack Davy is the pursuing lover, still looking for his lady after three years. He is presented as a ghost who cannot give up his search.

Discography

* 1981 Golden Bough * 1984 Flight of Fantasy * 1988 Far from Home * 1992 The Boatman's Daughter * 1993 Kids at Heart: Celtic Songs for Children * 1994 Winding Road * 1994 Beyond the Shadows * 1995 Festival of Irish Music * 1996 Christmas in a Celtic Land * 1998 Celtic Music from Ireland, Scotland & Brittany * 1999 Song of the Celts * 2001 Contemporary Songs: The Night Wind * 2002 Songs of Scotland * 2004 Songs of the Irish Immigrants * 2006 Golden Bough Live * 2007 Celtic Folk Songs * 2008 Pirate Gold * 2008 Jug of Punch: Popular Irish Pub Songs * 2009 Celtic Love Songs * 2010 Celtic Christmas Songs * Songs From Scotland * Winter's Dance

References

External links

Golden Bough's web site.

Lyrics to The Blind Harper of Lochmaben as sung by Golden Bough.

{{Authority control American folk musicians Songwriters from California Celtic music groups Irish music arrangers Musical groups from San Francisco