Hello, my name is Anna Tam and welcome to my RU-vid channel. I create and perform historical British folk songs and tunes with my own loving twist. Here you will find videos of my music, vlogs about this wonderful repertoire, and also episodes from my series 'Folk from the Boat’ where we have adventures on my boat and sing songs and play tunes.
Gorgeous version. Thank you. I sang this song in a Celtic group in Budapest, Hungary. Wish I'd had access to a recording like this. It would have helped immensely in trying to interpret it. Anyway, much love to you from a much less talented singer.
Beautiful song, lovely voice! What is that instrument that you are playing? I’ve never seen one before. It looks like a cross between an accordion and a violin!
Hello, Anna - a wonderful concert. Besides your amazing versatility, sei bravissima!! At the end (about 21:00) when you played the plucked lyre, you reminded me of something I recently learned. I was curious about how a similarly ancient instrument was created, the Pipes of Pan. It has a lot to do with lust, love, or desire, as the case may be. The following is more or less the Wiki account: Pan and the nymph Syrinx (or Syringa) One of the most famous myths of Pan concerns the origins of his distinctive musical instrument. Syringa was a beautiful water nymph of Arcadia, daughter of the river god Ladon. One day, returning from hunting, she met Pan. To escape his importuning, Syringa ran away without listening to the god's compliments. She ran through the woods until she found a reed, and as she prayed she was transformed into a reed. When the wind blew through the reeds, a plaintive melody was heard. The god, still infatuated, and unable to identify which reed Syringa had been transformed into, took some and cut seven pieces of decreasing length (some versions claim nine) and joined them side by side. Thus Pan created the musical instrument that bore the name of his beloved Syringa. From then on Pan was rarely seen without it; the instrument is also known as a pan flute. (We derive the word for syringe - whether medical or for basting - from this myth. It also echoes the story of Apollo and Daphne, in which Daphne was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the clutches of Apollo.)
Wonderful! And who wrote this song? You, Anna, or is it an oldie? Always gratifying when the bad guys get their comeuppance, especially from a supposedly defenseless young lady. I also love the squawking sounds from the bass clarinet, or whatever that is.
Saw the wonderful Coracle in Coleford - Forerst of Dean a few weeks ago .Anna, this tune struck straight through to my soul and was the highlight of the evening. I can't stop playing it. Absolutely beautiful! Thank you - Peter
An instrument and song I probably didn't expect to hear together but no doubt we are all the better for it. Great work, well done. I especially love those last few notes of the Viola da gamba from 8.34 ...
Wonderful tune, great performance. I was expecting some crazy tempo like 13/8 or worse and I was afraid I'd run out of fingers and have to take my shoes and socks off, but I was simpler than that. Maybe you should have a "follow the bouncing ball" at the bottom of the screen to help out us slower folks.
A marvelous instrument. I've never seen the like. And a wonderful explanation and demonstration. (I came here after my John Barleycorn marathon.). Thank you dear Anna!
I'm trying to learn this song through a tutorial video someone made. Great for pronunciation, but nothing beats hearing tbe song at the proper tempo to music!😊 Thank you!
Marvelous your singing, Anna, and your playing of the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument all too rarely heard. By the way, could "Beowa" have anything to do with Beowulf? I already read in Wiki that an early version of the song was called "Allan-o-maute" (or similar), or "Allan of the malt", which pleased me because my name is Allen. (Thanks also for saying ale instead of beer. For quite a few years I made my own ale, and so I appreciate the difference.
Anna, I love everything about this film, especially how you found many of the "impossible" / absurd locations proposed in the song. Poetic, imaginative, haunting. I adore your work.
This song is a good teacher. It is at least many centuries old in English. Variations on it might indeed be thousands of years old, easily predating the English language. For millennia, in western culture the primary food was bread. [For my fellow Americans, “corn” in British English translates to “wheat” in American English (or more generally, any grain with a kernel). Barley remains barley.] This song wonderfully illustrates some of the main themes of mythology: sustenance, the sacrifice required for sustenance, the death required for life, the cycle of life, rebirth. Since the agricultural revolution, that has meant grain crops. 🍺
I am grateful for you and your music, and autumn is my favorite time of year. And yes, thank you to the bees. Did you know that flies are also marvelous pollinators. Just read about that this year. music
Hi Anna! Hope you're doing well, staying in good health and high spirits! Just wanted to say I really miss Folk from the Boat series... Hopefully you can drop us an episode some time! Cheers! ❤
Love the history you have shared, Ana Tam. My gosh, I have some (at least 47) histories to learn from. OH!! A hurdy-gurdy!!!! Love your voice, and your choice of tempo. You and your hurdie-gurdie get along quite well. A match made in Heaven. Also heard at least one or two new verses. Bless you. r
