Childsplay: The Parting Glass

(audience applauds) (gentle string music) All you young men I pray draw near now Giving ear to the words I am going to say Going to tell you the people of Ireland Are emigrating to Americay Yes indeed, they're emigrating This poor country they can't stand Put their foot on board of a ship Sailing off to the Yankee land Night before they were due for leaving All the neighbors in their house do throng For to take their farewell glass And otherwise to sing a song They danced all night 'til early morning Each man cutting all around the floor Mother she comes in and says, weeping See our children to the door Hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin This poor country they can't stand Put their foot on board of a ship Sailing off to the Yankee land Father he looks all around the cabin He sees that he is all alone Surely his poor heart is breaking His salt tears would melt a stone The other day as I went a-walking Down the road I chanced to go Saw a crowd to me approaching It surely filled my heart with woe I saw the carriage and coaches moving Onward forwards to the train All their handkerchiefs were waving Bidding goodbye to Granuaile Hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin This poor country they can't stand Put their foot on board of a ship Sailing off to the Yankee land When we get to New York harbor Friends will meet us with good cheer How is old Ireland, how is she doing How is she coming on this year She's the most distressed and cursed nation In this world that e'er I've seen All they're good for is process-serving In that little isle of green Hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin This poor country they can't stand Put their foot on board of a ship Sailing off to the Yankee land Hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin This poor country they can't stand Put their foot on board of a ship Sailing off to the Yankee land (audience applauds) Thank you!

(bright string music) - [Sheila] Bob Childs was a student of mine in a class in Boston, a fiddle class, and I was talking about the fact that I was looking for an instrument, and there were some murmurings that there's a violin maker in the class.

- [Bob] I had to pay for my own college, so I worked as a carpenter while going to school.

And after I finished, I got a job as a furniture maker up in Maine.

I took my violin to get fixed one day and when I went back to the violin maker to pick it up, he asked me, "When are you coming back?"

And I said, "What do you mean when am I coming back?"

And he pointed to some violin wood and said, "Well, I'd like to teach someone to make violins.

"I'm in my 70s now, and I'd love to pass on what I know.

"I'd love it if you would come to work with me."

(bright string music) (audience cheers and applauds) - [Kevin] My style is a very old style of step dance, very close to the ground rhythms.

And my mother came from County Roscommon, started teaching me at the age of eight.

So, it was always common growing up in Providence, Rhode Island, we'd have kitchen rackets and parlor hooleys going on.

We'd have musicians in the house, and my mother would roll back the rug in the hall and say, "Please don't let that good music go to waste.

"Will someone get up and do a step to it?"

(bright string music) (audience cheers and applauds) (energetic string music) - [Ellen] It started with a group of friends that said, "Let's get our instruments together and form a group, "and by the way, let's call it Childsplay."

- [Bob] I got a phone call one day from a woman in Washington, DC inviting me to come down and play in a concert.

And she said, "By the way, "the name of the band is Childsplay, "because everyone in the band "is gonna be playing one of your instruments."

(energetic string music) - [Keith] The idea of Childsplay was to bring together musicians, all of whom happened to play fiddles made by Bob.

But that comprised a very diverse group of musicians.

Over the years, some of them were Scottish players, or came out of the Irish tradition, or were Scandinavian players, or came from the New England dance tradition.

That's not a group of musicians you would naturally think to put together, but Childsplay became this project of musical sharing.

So sometimes people would really get stretched well beyond their comfort zone.

But the music was always grounded around some player who was deeply steeped in that particular tradition.

(energetic string music) (audience cheers and applauds) You ready?

(audience laughs) (upbeat music) - [Graham] There was a question about whether or not it made sense to invest in a serious instrument.

I got it when I was quite young.

My experience of playing it at the time is very different from what I've come to expect and need from an instrument now.

It's been an inspiration and an opportunity for me to grow as a musician.

(upbeat music) (percussive music) (audience exclaiming) (bright fluting) (audience cheers and applauds) - Whoo!

(giggles) (thoughtful music) When the dark wood fell before me And all the paths were overgrown When the priests of pride say there's no other way I tilled the sorrows of stone I did not believe because I could not see When you came to me in the night When the dawn seemed forever lost You showed me your love in the light of the stars Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Remember me Then the mountains rose before me By the deep well of desire From the fountains of forgiveness Beyond the ice and the fire Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Remember me Though we share this humble path alone How fragile is the heart Give these clay feet wings to fly To touch the face of the stars Breathe life into this feeble heart Lift this mortal veil of fear Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears We'll rise above these earthly cares Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Remember me (audience applauds) (frenzied string music) (audience exclaims) - [Elsie] Having joined the group when I was 16 I had so many incredible role models in this group in particular, and to feel the support from everyone as I was finding my own voice and growing up has been just one of the most incredible gifts as a musician and a growing artist.

Whoo!

Whoa!

(audience exclaims) (audience exclaims and cheer) (audience cheers and applauds) (happy, thoughtful music) - [Keith] I got to do musical things in Childsplay that I have not had a chance to do in any other context.

I got to experiment with composing and arranging ideas in a way that was thrilling for me.

It challenged me and in turn made me develop a musical voice that I think became part of the sound of Childsplay.

But it was only a part because, Childsplay had a lot of people doing the same thing bringing their voice to the band through their music and arranging ideas.

(happy, thoughtful music) Oh, play those tunes 'til dawn Sing, dance and carry on Let the bows fly to the back of beyond Still of one thing I am certain If you dream and you can tell If they slip away, if they set a spell Try to hold them You may as well Try to race the River Jordan (upbeat music) Well, way down yonder on Candy Creek I whittled out a fiddle from a wagon seat I tune my fiddle and I rub my bow And I play a little tune wherever I go Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Sleepy-eyed John, better tie your shoe Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets to you Well, Sleepy-eyed John he stole a goose The goose she clucked but she couldn't get loose Said John to the goose, if you don't keep still We'll miss our supper down in Candy ville Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Sleepy-eyed John, better tie your shoe Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets to you (audience exclaims) (audience applauds) Well Sleepy-eyed John he had a wooden leg And the wooden leg was nothing but a little wooden peg With one shoe off and one shoe on He could do the double-shuffle 'til the cows come home Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Sleepy-eyed John, better tie your shoe Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets to you Well I got $20 for to build a fence And I took my money and I ain't worked since I sold my donkey, I sold my cow And I wouldn't take a dollar for the journey now Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Sleepy-eyed John, better tie your shoe Sleepy-eyed John, better get your britches on Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets to you (banjo solo) Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets you (audience cheers and applauds) (gentle string music) Where are you tonight I wonder Where will you be tonight when I cry Will sleep for you come easy Whilst I alone can't slumber Will you welcome the morning At another man's side How easy for you The years have slipped under And left me with a shadow The sun can't dispel For I built for you a tower Full of love and admiration But I built it so high I could not reach it myself The view from my window Is a world full of sadness The face in my mirror Is the one face I know You have taken all that's in me So my heart is in no danger My heart is in no danger But I'd still like to know Where are you tonight I wonder Where will you be Tonight when I cry Will sleep for you come easy Whilst I alone can't slumber Will you welcome the morning At another man's side There is a silence And it can't be broken There is a pure heart It's there I will go Time will work its healing And my spirit will grow stronger But in the meantime I would still like to know Where are you tonight I wonder Where will you be Tonight when I cry Will sleep for you come easy Whilst I alone can't slumber Will you welcome the morning At another man's side (audience applauds) (thoughtful music) - [Bob] I had a dream where I was trying to cross into a neutral country, and I was met at the edge of the country, at the customs office by these guards.

They invited me to come into the customs house.

And they kept walking me back, and finally we got into a room.

It was totally black, pitch black, and there was a violin laying on the table.

I went to the table, picked the violin up, and I turned it over and inlaid into the back of the violin was an image of a small boy crying.

In the early years of my life, I was actually in a series of foster homes.

I never understood how those early years affected me or what a gift Childsplay was to me until that moment.

(bright music) (audience cheers and applauds) When first we met Complete awkward strangers We did not know If we could be friends How soon we came For to know each other And now I know We will meet again So here's to you And our time together I will share with you A parting glass And I'll bid adieu With some smiles and laughter Our time apart Will be short and past We talked of dreams And of new tomorrows Of yesterday With its dark despair We've shared our joy And our love and sorrow And now we part As friends who care So here's to you And our time together I will share with you A parting glass And I'll bid adieu With some smiles and laughter Our time apart Will be short and past - [Ellen] Bob will approach violin making with the attitude of, what is it?

What is your voice?

How can I help you realize the voice that you want to hear in your instrument, which then gets expressed through his instruments and the music.

It creates this beautiful bond between player, violin, and maker, and that's what's sent out.

A long, long road Well it lies before me And fate will meet Me where'er it will All through the valleys And over mountains I will not forget But remember you still So here's to you And our time together I will share with you A parting glass And I'll bid adieu With some smiles and laughter Our time apart Will be short and past So here's to you And our time together I will share with you A parting glass And I'll bid adieu With some smiles and laughter Our time apart Will be short and past (lively music) (audience cheers) (audience cheers and applauds) I will sing for you a lullaby A lullaby A lullaby I will sing it so sweetly Go gently lovely Annie My lovely Annie For you're gone girl Gone girl Gone girl Gone From my world my lovely Annie My lovely Annie For you're gone girl Gone girl Gone girl Gone From my world my lovely Annie My lovely Annie And all is quiet There's stillness everywhere Everywhere And the world keeps on turning But you're not standing there Standing there For you're gone girl Gone girl Gone girl Gone From my world my lovely Annie My lovely Annie For you're gone girl Gone girl Gone girl Gone From my world my lovely Annie My lovely Annie (music fades out)