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Crossing the Causeway

by Mary Beth Carty

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strucker
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strucker A festive, moving & heartfelt musical journey. Sing, dance and clap along to the multi-instrumentalist and multi-lingual singer and the many talented accompanying regional artists. I love the feel and energy of the French Acadian, Mi'kmaq, Gaelic & Breton cultures throughout. I will be joyously crossing the causeway in my mind with each listen, while celebrating this special region's cultural treasure chest that is captured so magically. Favorite track: Dutch Tea Jigs.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    A cute eco-pack with matte finish. I poured over the liner-notes for this album and even made my own fonts. Includes lyrics, descriptions of each song, a letter to the reader, my original drawings in emerald acrylic ink on orange paper, and a photo too! A lot to read and look at!

    Includes unlimited streaming of Crossing the Causeway via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $20 CAD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $14 CAD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 6 Mary Beth Carty releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Crossing the Causeway, Tow Truck Song, Òran Boisdale (Fail ì Fail ò), Bon Garçon (ft. Nicole Deveau), Mo Mhàthair, and Les biens-nommés. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $18.85 CAD or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
Dear Island 04:46
Dear Island, I’m writing you to say That the feelings that I have for you Will never go away, away I’ll send them across the bay Dear Island, Your moods they fall and rise Glowing in my mind, misty On the horizon line oh aye Today they evade my eye Way ah hey Hi ri don den La dee da day do Dear Island, The birds fly overhead No ocean, bridge, or flooded ridge Could keep them from your stead, away, If the skies are blue or gray Dear Island, We slept upon your hills Where the rising tide would not abide The fields where we lay, oh eh At sunrise would we wake Dear Island, May this letter find you sane All the nights and days since we parted ways Can not escape my mind, away On a printed heart they’ll stay, oh eh On a printed heart they’ll stay Dear Island, I’m dreaming of the day Of a sweet return to you I yearn ‘Til our schemes gang aft aglay, oh eh You’ll welcome us to stay
2.
Bon garçon 03:16
Quand j’étais chez mon père Roulons là la bouteille Petite à la maison La bouteille bon bon bon Petite à la maison La bouteille bon garçon Je m’en vais à la fontaine Pour remplir mon cruchon La fontaine est profonde Couler je me suis au fond En chemin il y passe Trois cavaliers laurons Que donneriez vous belle Qu’on vous triez du fond Mon petit coeur engage La belle que nous voulons Mon petit coeur engage Ce n’est pas pour des laurons
3.
Fhuaras am pige ruadh Fhuaras na glaineachan Fhuaras am pige ruadh Ann an crònan éireagan U goraidh gìridh goraidh Goraidh gìridh goraidh U goraidh ché goraidh Ann an crònan éireagan Làn taighe dh'fhìdhleirean Làn taighe chaileagan Làn taighe luba dubha 'S làn a' mhuidhe mharagan Thàinig 's gun tàinig 'S ma thàinig na maraichean Thàinig 's gun tàinig 'S ma thàinig cha d'fhairich mi Brierly Brook is chilly and cold Chills my body but not my soul I’m not so particular ‘bout Brierly Brook But once you’ve been there you’re gonna be hooked Sea and land, sea and land I got a home here, by sea and land Look out the window on the third floor I don’t know if I’m gonna see the shore I’m not so particular bout the third floor I’ve got more places I long to explore Put my boots on and walk downtown Turn my frown way upside down I see my neighbors sitting on the bench I got a thirst that can’t be quenched Shiod agad mar ghoid thu ‘n nighean Shiod agad mar shlaod thu i Shiod agad mar ghoid thu ‘n nighean Thug thu leat fo ‘n aodach i Ho ro ghoid thu ‘n nighean Ho ro shlaod thu i Ho ro ghoid thu ‘n nighean Thug thu leat fo ‘n audach i
4.
Mo Mhàthair 04:08
Thoir mo shoraidh nunn thar chuantan Gu mo mhàthair, 's fhada bhuam i Cha chùm astar mòr a' chuain a gaol o m' chridhe 'S i rinn m' altram 's mi nam phàiste 'S ann na gràdh a fhuair mi m' àrach O, chan fhàillinnich gu bràth mo spèis-sa dhi Ged a tha mi seo air faondradh Ann an tìr taobh thall an t-saoghail 'S ged tha cuantan sgaoilte eadar mise 's i 'S e mo dhùrachd a dhol dhachaigh Gu mo mhàthair anns a' chlachan 'S a bhith 'g àileis bhith nam chailiag bheag a-rìs Tha mo smuaintean oirre nam dhùsgadh Na mo chadal tha i dlùth dhomh Tha i daonnan air mo chùram anns gach nì 'S tha a pearsa aoigheil shunndach Na mo shùilean fad na h-ùine 'S e bhith faighinn null d' a h-ionnsaigh rùn mo chridhe
5.
6.
Tony had a pick-up Not too young Drove it around Workin’ hard, havin’ fun But rust grew in, Rust grew on, Rust grew under Left it sittin’ on the lawn Tow a Toyota Tow it into town Turn it into tiny tidbits Turn it into hash browns One day, We said “That’s it!” This truck’s gotta go Or we’re burning it Called up Jimmy, Called up Cash Strongest men Arrived in a flash Put it in neutral, Pushed it into town Harder going up Than it was going down Wheel flew off On Cameron’s Hill Decided to take That tow-truck bill Now we drink to the wheels Drink to the clutch Drink to the bumpers And the steering wheel touch Drink to the suspension Which was long-gone Wrote this little Tow truck song
7.
‘N àm dhomh teàrnadh Beinn a’ Cheathaich Fail ì, fail ò O hìrì horo éro Fail ì, fail ò Cò thachair rium ach na fearaibh Bha ann Dòmhnall Òg ‘ic Ailein Agus Aonghas Mòr na h-Àirigh Sin an sgeul a rinn mo charadh ‘S goirt a’ chis tha ‘n diugh air m’aire Tha mo rian air leam gach latha Chan fhaigh mise tàmh no cadal Ach aig gruagach cinn gun amas Dh’fhàg mo ghràdh air long na mara Nam biodh agamsa bat’ aiseig Agus gillean gion na fairge Shiùbhlainn an cuan uain’ air m’aineoil
8.
Voilà le printemps qui vient d’arriver Tous les jeunes amants vont s’y rassembler Je l’ai vu voler, le ruban, le ruban Je l’ai vu voler, le ruban d’la mariée Le mien n’y est pas, il est à Paris Quand il reviendra, quoi m’apportera Une bague d’or pour nous fiancer La main du curé pour nous marier Le lit à maman pour coucher dedans Un jouer de violon pour nous faire danser Un bon verre de vin pour nous mettre en train
9.
10.
Down to the hall the setting was moonlight and clover She was dressed up and feeling just like the belle of the ball The music would play, she'd turn her eyes toward the ceiling And pretend not to notice she's left all alone once again Somebody please, don't let the band play the slow songs Her heart is so broken, you know where she's longing to be In somebody's arms with her head resting safe on a shoulder When the night and the music are all that she thought it would be Out through the door she knows there's nobody waiting And on her way homeward the music still rings in her ears And in every song she's lost in the arms of a stranger Come moonlight and clover she'll make her way back here again
11.
Come all ye hearty truck drivers And listen to my tale And you will know the reason why I’m sitting in this jail I drove a truck, I loved my work I was a mighty driver Let me introduce myself, John Alec Hugh MacIvor Driver MacIvor When will I be set free Locked up in the jailhouse For moving old CB CB to them meant radio To me it meant Cape Breton I put the island in my truck Now it’s twenty years I’m gettin The company that I worked for They shipped out of Halifax A place up on the mainland Where at lent they never fast I did not want to work there But I had to raise the cash For the wife was eating turnip And the kids had only hash They called me in one morning Said "John Alec?” I said, "That's me!" They said, "We'll let you drive for us If you will use CB With CB in your truck Then you can drive for us for sure But be back here by next week with it or don't come back no more!" CHORUS I walked out of the office then Not knowing what to do They wanted CB in my truck Before the week was through To put an island in the truck Is not an easy thing But I swore that I would do it For the money it would bring My family would eat well again Potatoes, tea, and fish So I packed Glace Bay into the van D’Escousse and then Creignish I thought of all the money And all the work that I could do So I jammed New Waterford into the van And then through in Mabou They said I was a mighty driver Well I proved it on that day I put Whitney Pier, Whycocomagh, And Cheticamp away, I thought of my poor family And I knew I could not stop Til Inverness was in the cab With Arichat tied on top With CB in the truck I went straight to the company They told me I was crazy But I’m not as you can see A mounted police came up to me And threw me in the clink And that’s why I’m in this jail And that’s the truth… I think
12.
Blueberry Mountain All covered with snow Spring’s coming, we know Nights growing shorter And days growing long Joyfully rolling along Away from the world And all that is wrong Praise to the day To the narrow pathway Closer to heaven And far from the fray Fire, Fire Under control Protects The layer of duff Enough is enough Blueberry Mountain We’ve had a tough time But you rise up, sublime Flames may be ravaging More than the fields Have faith it’ll bring better yields The stems and the rhizomes Are starting to show Like blueberries out of the ashes we’ll grow Like blueberries out of the ashes we’ll grow Strong and resilient, accepting the flow One with the fire, the need to let go Like blueberries out of the ashes we’ll grow
13.
14.

about

After a epiphany of sorts, accordionist, guitarist, and player of pocket-sized instruments Mary Beth Carty moved from her small university-town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia to Cape Breton Island, where she became a regular dance-hall guitar-player, session host, and ceilidh-singer.

She made a pastime of mixing her favorite jigs & reels with songs from her vast trad repertoire, to create Crossing the Causeway, the multilingual album that pays tribute to the rich cultures of her homeland. With group sing-alongs, danceable instrumentals, and moments of wistful musical meditation, this collection reveals how deep the cultural causeways are that link us together.

credits

released November 25, 2022

Instrumentalists : Bradley Murphy, Colin Grant, Morgan Toney, Mac Morin, Donnie Calabrese, Hilda Chiasson, Joe MacMaster, Chrissy Crowley, Howie MacDonald, Keith Mullins, Anna Ludlow, Heather MacIssac, John Pellerin.

Singers : Callum Gaudet, Sìne Màiri MacDougall, Cassie MacDonald, Maggie MacDonald, Iain-Charles MacDonald, Patrick Reynolds, Helen Leger, Jan MacKay (Antigonish), Pastelle Leblanc (P.E.I.),
Robyn Carrigan, Jonathan Andrews, Shawnee Paul, Michelle Deveau, Nicole Deveau, Brad Reid (C.B.), Mike Bravener (N.B.), Véronique Brisebois, Kim Drouin-Radcliffe, Simon Gaboury (Québec), Sara Jelley, Helen Avakian, Mike Bankhead (U.S.A.)

This project is supported by funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency through the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative as well as the Music Nova Scotia Investment Program and The Province of Nova Scotia.

Mike Shepherd at Lakewind Sound Studios :
Recording, Mixing, and Mastering

Jamie Foulds at Soundpark Studios :
Recording on 4, Mixing on 2, 4, 6, 12, 14.

Additional recording for fiddles by Colin Grant in his home studio.

Group vocals recorded by guests in their own home studios.

Produced by Mary Beth Carty. Additional recording in her portable home studio.

Cover Art adapted from a painting by Laura Stinson
Photo by Jan MacKay
Drawings by Mary Beth Carty and Yozart
Graphic design by Anne-Christine Guy

Mary Beth plays a Saltarelle Cleggan Accordion and a Larivée OM-03R Guitar with wooden Tree Picks in a Calton case.

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Mary Beth Carty Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Humain créative de l'Acadie de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

Creative human from Nova Scotia.

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