The Itinerant Band ~ Albums
	Our long awaited third album, Apples in Winter is a compilation of music from various times and cultures in a celebration of traditions of Christmas and the Winter season. From France came the 13th century "Marche de Turenne," as well as the 16th century song, "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella." We drew from Scotland's musical heritage in selecting a Shetland tune entitled "Christmas Day Ida Morning," Robert Burns original version of "Auld Lang Syne," and a beautiful Hebridian melody, "The Christ Child's Lullaby." England offered us wonderful dance tunes such as, "Chestnut" and "Parson's Farewell" from the 17th century English Dancing Master, as well as the popular "Gloucester Wassail." Turlough O'Carolan of Ireland composed dozens of memorable melodies and we chose his "Carolan's Welcome" for our recording. We included the first carol written in the new world, the "Huron Carol", and from the rich musical history of Virginia came such tunes as "Breaking up Christmas" and "Cold Frosty Morning." Selected sound clips of this and other albums can be heard on the contents page.
	The Road Out of Town is our second collection. The music ranges from the 18th into the early 19th century and features several examples of tunes and songs that traveled from old countries to new. Featured are Robert Burns anthem “A Man’s A Man,” love songs such as “The Blackest Crow” and “Down By the Sally Gardens” and several medleys of jigs, reels, and hornpipes. This album also includes three original ("neo-traditional") tunes inspired by 18th century musical style and written by members of the band. Selected sound clips of this and other albums can be heard on the contents page.
	Jefferson and Liberty is a collection of 18th century tunes and songs chosen as representative of those played and sung by working class musicians in the North American colonies. It features jigs, hornpipes, and reels from the English and American country dance repertoire, as well as a French-Canadian dance and party song, "La Bastringue"; airs from Ireland and Scotland, military fife tunes from England and France, a Charles Wesley hymn and a Caribbean sea chantey. The title cut, "Jefferson and Liberty" is an Irish jig that was adopted as Thomas Jefferson's 1800 presidential campaign song. Also included is "O! Say Bonnie Lass", a song taken from the recently discovered musical notebooks of Capt. George Bush, a soldier in Washington's continental army. The album is a sampling of colonial American and European music that would have been shared across political and social boundaries from the pubs and taverns to the dances and parlors. Selected sound clips of this and other albums can be heard on our contents page, or by clicking on the underlined album titles below. Click here for a list of stores and outlets that carry this CD.
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The albums listed above were recorded by the full ensemble. In addition, members of the Itinerant Band have previously recorded several other albums under various other guises. Please click on the album titles to see a photo and contents. ~ Bob Clark, along with Bev Yeskolski (another talented hammered dulcimer player) has two albums of mostly instrumental Christmas music, Midwinter and Some Children See Him ~ Marsha Wallace, with her trio Tangent, issued Untaming the Shrew in 1998. This is a collection of traditional and contemporary songs with great vocal harmonies. ~ Paul Brockman, Susan Lawlor, and Dave McNew are all previous members of the Celtic group Thistle & Roses. They have two albums available, Life's Minor Pleasures and Wind on the Moor. ~ All of these recordings may be ordered from Southern Branch Music, or from ourselves (order form) Jefferson and Liberty, The Road Out of Town, and Apples in Winter, are also available at a variety of store and online retailers, click here for a list. Please contact us for wholesale information, (757) 481-7736, (757) 595-2264 or email: orders (at) itinerantband (dot) com.