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Old Songs

Mark Jickling, Chris Mason, and Liz Downing translate Archaic
Greek poems (7 - 4th Century B.C.) and put them to music


Alcaeus

  1. Castor and Polydeux (34) (2:01)
  2. Dog Star (347) (1:51)
  3. Miserable (130b) (2:23)
  4. Drinking Party (70) (2:57)
  5. People of Lesbos (129) (2:43)
  6. Black Boat (208) (1:53)
  7. River Hebrus (45) (2:01)
  8. Dog Star 2 (347) (1:49)
  9. Miserable 2 (130b) (2:02)
  10. People Of Lesbos 2 (129) (2:39)

Elizabeth Downing, voice, banjo; Mark Jickling, voice, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass; Chris Mason, voice, guitar; Don Peyton, ukulele, Ian Jickling, guitar (tr. 1); Terence Winch, button accordion, (tr. 7) Recorded by Mark Jickling 2016. Translations by Jickling and Mason. Tunes by Downing, Jickling, and Mason. Numbers in parentheses after song titles are numbers of fragments in Loeb Classical Library: Greek Lyric Vol 1., ed. D. Campbell, 1982.


Bright Lyre Becomes Voice: Sappho Versions

  1. Come To Me From Crete (2) (3:08)
  2. Evening Star (104a) (2:07)
  3. Truly I Wish To Die (94) (3:11)
  4. Love Shook My Heart (47) (2:13)
  5. He Seems Like A God To Me (31) (2:03)
  6. Doorkeeper (110) (1:01)
  7. Immortal Aphrodite (1) (3:31)
  8. Dika (81) (1:23)
  9. Beautiful Ones (41) (3:07)
  10. Mnasidika (82a) (1:09)
  11. Tithonus (58) (2:09)
  12. Beautiful Daughter (132) (2:55
  13. Hearts Turned Cold (42) (2:15)
  14. O Master (95) (2:57)
  15. Sweet Red Apple (105a) (2:13)
  16. Hyacinth (105b) (1:55)
  17. Hector and Andromache (44) (3:23)
  18. Someone I Say (147) (1:29)
  19. The Moon Has Set (168b) (1:52)

Elizabeth Downing, voice; Mark Jickling, voice, guitar, banjo, mandolin; Chris Mason, voice, guitar. With: Rebby Sharp (fiddle, tr. 1,6,7,17, mandolin, tr. 11, guitar, tr. 6, 12, 14); Rick Dreyfuss, (perc., tr. 4,13); Charles Brohawn, (perc. tr. 4, slide, tr. 13); Nathan Bell, (banjo, tr. 3, 15); David Fair, (perc. Tr. 4, 13); Lauren Weiner (guitar, tr. 18). Translations by Jickling and Mason, Tunes by Downing, Jickling and Mason. Recorded by Mark Chello, 2008. Numbers in parentheses after song titles are numbers of fragments in Loeb Classical Library, Greek Lyric Vol 1.ed. D. Campbell, 1982.


Alcman: Land Of A Thousand Beautiful Dances

  1. God Made 3 Seasons (20) (1:35)
  2. She’s Dancing (4c) (1:46)
  3. Megalostrata 1 (59) (1:32)
  4. Diving Women (test. 1) (1:13)
  5. Kingfisher (26) (2:18)
  6. 3-legged pot (17) (1:26)
  7. Gallingale (58) (1:26)
  8. The Girls Scattered (1:18)
  9. Leukotheia (4a) (1:46)
  10. Cyprus and Paphos (55) (1:53)
  11. All-Talk (1:53)
  12. Swan Beats Her Wings (12b) (1:25)
  13. Partridge Song (39) (1:38)
  14. Louvre Partheneion (1) (6:11)
  15. Draw The Bow (53 & 170) (1:16)
  16. Rhipas Mountain (90) (0:53)
  17. Megalostrata 2 (59) (1:38)
  18. Great Loaf Of Cheese (56) (2:52)
  19. Muse Calliope (27) (1:11)
  20. Partridge Song 2 (39) (1:34)
  21. Wrecking God (116) (1:13)
  22. Guitar Well-played (41) (1:19)
  23. Gallingale 2 (58) (1:52)
  24. Great Loaf Of Cheese 2 (56) (2:08)
  25. Asleep (89) (0:55)
  26. Kingfisher 2 (26) (2:20)
  27. Astymeloisa (3) (1:38)
  28. Louvre Partheneion 2 (1) (4:07)
  29. Strike The Lyre (140) (1:09)

Elizabeth Downing, voice; Mark Jickling, voice, guitar, banjo, mandolin; Chris Mason, voice, guitar. With: Rebby Sharp, fiddle, mandolin, guitar (tr. 1 – 15 and 28); David Fair, voice (16-20); Anne Watts, accordion, (tr. 16, 25-27); Gryphon Corpus voice (23,24); Girls Chorus of Annatruus Bakker, Elizabeth Mason, Hannah Stahl, Lucy Stahl, Emmalee Thompson (25-27). Recorded 2002-2005 by John Chriest, Jamie Wilson, and Mark Jickling. Translations by Jickling and Mason, Tunes by Downing, Jickling and Mason. Numbers in parentheses after song titles are Numbers of fragments in Loeb Classical Library, Greek Lyric Vol 2, ed. D. Campbell, 1982.


I. Alcman
1. Asleep (89) (1:03)
2. Kingfisher (26) (2:16)
3. God Made 3 Seasons (20) (1:33)
4. She’s Dancing (4c) (1:44)
5. Diving Women (1:10)
6. 3-legged Pot (17) (1:24)
7. Aphrodite It Isn’t (58) (1:24)
8. The Girls Scattered (82) (1:16)
9. Megalostrata (59 a&b) (1:30)
10. Leukotheia (4a) (1:44)
11. The Louvre Partheneion (1) (6:11)

Liz Downing: vocals and banjo
Rebby Sharp: fiddle
Mark Jickling: vocals, banjo, guitar, tunes,mandolin, and translations
Chris Mason: vocals, guitar, tunes, and translations
Recorded by John Chriest and Charlie Jamison at Mt. Royal Studio, 2005
Numbers in parentheses refer to Loeb Classics Edition

II. 19 Old Songs

  1. Evening Star (Sappho 104a) (1:36)
  2. Kingfisher (Alcman (26) (2:35)
  3. Hermes Give Me A Coat (Hipponax 32, 34, 36) (2:07)
  4. He Seems Like A God To Me (Sappho 31) (1:49)
  5. Neoboule (Archilochus 118 & 119) (1:42)
  6. Oh Sweet Mother (Sappho 102, 130) (2:13)
  7. Up In Smoke (Crates 14) (1:08)
  8. Sappho Sweet Smiling (Alcaeus 384) (0:43)
  9. Sappho Fragments (Sappho 134, 136, 137) (1:37)
  10. Peace (Bacchylides 7) (1:45)
  11. Anaktoria (Sappho 16) (2:11)
  12. Fast Ship (Solon 19) (1:34)
  13. Little Perseus (Simonides 543) (2:04)
  14. The Sun Works Hard (Mimnermus 10) (1:30)
  15. Wondrous Adonis (Praxilla 747) (1:17)
  16. Dragged Feet First (Crates 13) (2:02)
  17. The Philosopher's Way (Xenophanes 6) (1:45)
  18. Muse Reject The War (Stesichorus 210 & 212) (3:50)
  19. You Draw The Bow Oh Artemis (Alcman 63, 170) (1:19)

Liz Downing: vocals and banjo
Rebby Sharp: fiddle
Mark Jickling: vocals, banjo, guitar, mandolin, tunes, and translations
Chris Mason: vocals, guitar, tunes, translations.
Allen Thrasher: flute
Jamie Wilson: percussion
Paul Jickling: guitar
Anne Watts: accordion
David Fair: vocals
Pam Kraemer: vocals
Elizabeth Mason, Annatruus Bakker,
Lucy Stahl and Hannah Stahl: girls' chorus vocals
Recorded by Jamie Wilson, 2002-2003
Numbers in parentheses refer to Loeb Classics Edition

III. Honey Nor Bee
(Sappho Fragments in Greek & English)
  1. Come Muses Again (127) (1:04)
  2. I Loved You (49) (1:10)
  3. Mnasidika (82a) (1:06)
  4. Oh Sweet Mother (102) (0:58)
  5. Don't Know What To Do (51) (1:26)
  6. The Stars (34) (1:56)
  7. He Is Dying (140) (0:52)
  8. Athi (131) (0:51)
  9. Leto and Niobe (142) (0:58)
  10. Eyes (151) (1:23)
  11. I Have A Beautiful Daughter (132) (0:46)
  12. Evening Star (104a) (1:19)
  13. Neither For Me (146) (0:52)

Liz Downing: English vocals
Chris Mason: Greek vocals, guitar, tunes, translations
Recorded by Jamie Wilson, 2004
Numbers in parentheses refer to Loeb Classics Edition

IV. Hipponax
  1. Listen To Hipponax (1) (1:25)
  2. Hermes Gimme A Coat (32, 34, 36) (2:04)
  3. Kikon (4/4a) (1:41)
  4. Rich and Lazy (26/26a) (1:36)
  5. Chatters and Chokes (102) (1:18)
  6. Scapegoat Fragments (6,9,20) (2:01)
  7. Dog Strangler (3) (1:58)
  8. Idiot Judge (154) (1:47)
  9. Blood and Bile (73) (1:29)
  10. Crooked Dice (129a) (0:38)
  11. Smyrna Road (42) (1:58)
  12. Father Zeus (38) (0:26)
  13. Salmydessus (115) (1:59)
  14. Alibas (134) (0:32)
  15. Back of Town (50) (1:57)
  16. Medicate (39) (1:23)
  17. Arete and Bupalus (12 - 17) (1:55)
  18. Blissful Hermes (177) (2:07)

Mark Jickling: vocals, banjo, guitar, mandolin, tunes, and translations
Chris Mason: vocals, guitar, tunes, translations
With David Fair and Liz Downing: vocals
Paul Jickling: guitar, Jamie Wilson: drums,
Lucy Jickling: Celtic Harp, Rebby Sharp, fiddle,
Anne Watts: accordion
Recorded mostly at home, 2004
Numbers in parentheses refer to Loeb Classics Edition

More info at Old Songs
email: oldsongs@mindspring.com

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the authors and performeres. © 2006-2017 Chris Mason & Mark Jickling. Used with permission of Chris Mason & Mark Jickling. Distributed by PennSound.