Music of Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Newfoundland and Labrador
is an Atlantic Canadian
province with a folk musical heritage based on the Irish
, English
and Scottish
traditions that were brought to its shores centuries ago. Though similar in its Celtic
influence to neighbouring Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island
, Newfoundland and Labrador are more Irish than Scottish, and have more elements imported from English and French music than those provinces. Much of the region's music focuses on the strong seafaring tradition in the area, and includes sea shanties
and other sailing songs. Some modern traditional musicians include Great Big Sea
, The Ennis Sisters
, Shanneyganock
, Sharecroppers, and Ron Hynes
.
found at L'Anse Amour in Labrador is the first evidence of the presence of music in Newfoundland and Labrador. At the time, native tribes (First Nations
) lived in the area. Little is known of their musical heritage due to the lack of written records,. The Beothuk
people are known to have sung and danced, though few details are known by modern historians. Inuit music
, including percussion and so-called mouth-music
, is still performed, although with modern influences. The Innu
also maintain some historical musical practices.
England
, Ireland
and Scotland
sent many settlers to eastern Canada, and they brought with them instrumental tunes, ballads and other musical traditions, which were passed down orally through the generations. During this time, traditional songs evolved, and some acquired new lyrics or melodies.
Marching and military bands were an important part of traditional Newfoundland and Labrador music. Youth groups like the Church Lads Brigade, fraternal organizations and other groups supported these bands.
Newfoundland's anthem "The Ode to Newfoundland
", was composed by Governor Cavendish Boyle.
Christian music
from Newfoundland and Labrador includes hymn
s and other liturgical music. Missionaries such as those with the Moravian Church used music to reach out towards native peoples, publishing a hymn book, for example, in Inuit
in 1809.
During the 1800s, opera
s and musical theater became popular. Charles Hutton (musician), for example, rose to fame during this period during the 1880s. Some of these musicians, like Georgina Stirling
, became renowned in Europe. In the early 20th century, vaudeville
took the place of opera in Newfoundland. Satirist John Burke
was a noted vaudeville
composer and performer of that era.
During the 1920s and 1930s jazz and country music arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador, both through local dance bands, radio broadcasts and Phonograph records. These outside musical influences were followed in the 1950s and 1960s by R&B and rock and roll
.
, the television shows All Around The Circle
(1964) and Ryan's Fancy
, collections such as Gerald S. Doyle's Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland, musicians including accordionists Ray Walsh, Wilf Doyle, Omar Blondahl
, John White
and the McNulty Family, and scholars including Maud Karpeles
also contributed to the preservation of Newfoundland and Labrador music. Expatriates in Ontario, for example Harry Hibbs and Dick Nolan
also became well-known. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a roots revival
led by the bands Ryan's Fancy
, Figgy Duff
and The Wonderful Grand Band achieved mainstream success in Newfoundland. Other traditional performers to rise to prominence in this period included Anita Best
, Kelly Russell, Jim Payne
, Émile Benoît
, Rufus Guinchard, The Bay Boys and Minnie White.
In the 1980s and 1990s, traditional Newfoundland music's popularity dwindled, though rock
, punk
, heavy metal
, blues
and other styles developed their own scenes in the region. The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
rose to prominence in this period, and jazz
performers such as the Jeff Johnston Trio
also gained international renown. The exception to this decline in traditional music's popularity was the Belloram based group Simani
composed of Bud Davidge and Sim Savory. They recorded a total of 12 albums from 1977 to 1997 and enjoyed great success throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
The advent of the East Coast Music Awards helped stimulate the Atlantic Canadian music scene, and was accompanied by the rise of Ron Hynes, Buddy Wasisname
, The Irish Descendants
, Thomas Trio and The Red Albino, while Great Big Sea
, The Navigators, and The Punters have also become well-known for their mixture of traditional and popular music. A resurgence of traditional Newfoundland music is evidenced by the creation of several popular compilation CDs such as The Christmas Wish: Newfoundland Yuletide Favourites, the Downhomer Presents... series, and the Homebrew series (which has sold over 50,000 copies).
In 2008, the Atlantis Music Prize
was established by The Scope, and is to be awarded annually to the best new album from Newfoundland and Labrador. The first winning album was Another Month by Mercy, the Sexton
.
, Byron "Fiddler" Chaulk, rock musician David Penashue
of Tipatchimun
(who sings Innu language rock), Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea
.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
is an Atlantic Canadian
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
province with a folk musical heritage based on the Irish
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
, English
Music of England
Folk music of England refers to various types of traditionally based music, often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music, for which evidence exists from the later medieval period. It has been preserved and transmitted orally, through print and later through recordings...
and Scottish
Music of Scotland
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
traditions that were brought to its shores centuries ago. Though similar in its Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
influence to neighbouring Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Newfoundland and Labrador are more Irish than Scottish, and have more elements imported from English and French music than those provinces. Much of the region's music focuses on the strong seafaring tradition in the area, and includes sea shanties
Sea Shanties
Sea Shanties is the debut album of Progressive Rock band High Tide. The cover artwork was drawn by Paul Whitehead.-Production:Denny Gerrard produced Sea Shanties in return for High Tide acting as the backing band on his solo album Sinister Morning...
and other sailing songs. Some modern traditional musicians include Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
, The Ennis Sisters
The Ennis Sisters
Ennis, formerly known as The Ennis Sisters is a Canadian musical family group from St. John's, Newfoundland.-Biography:The Ennis Sisters, Maureen, Karen and Teresa, started playing music at a young age, encouraged by their father John and their mother Ceilie. The trio released their first album,...
, Shanneyganock
Shanneyganock
Shanneyganock is folk-based band from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.Loosely translated from Gaelic, their name means "creature of the night". Their music is heavily Irish/Celtic influenced....
, Sharecroppers, and Ron Hynes
Ron Hynes
Ron Hynes is a popular folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland. He is especially known for his composition "Sonny's Dream," which has been recorded worldwide by many artists and was named the 41st greatest Canadian song of all time on the 2005 CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian...
.
History
A bone fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
found at L'Anse Amour in Labrador is the first evidence of the presence of music in Newfoundland and Labrador. At the time, native tribes (First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
) lived in the area. Little is known of their musical heritage due to the lack of written records,. The Beothuk
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
people are known to have sung and danced, though few details are known by modern historians. Inuit music
Inuit music
Traditional Inuit music, the music of the Inuit, has been based around drums used in dance music as far back as can be known, and a vocal style called katajjaq has become of interest in Canada and abroad....
, including percussion and so-called mouth-music
Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing or katajjaq, also known as the generic term overtone singing, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among the Inuit...
, is still performed, although with modern influences. The Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
also maintain some historical musical practices.
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
sent many settlers to eastern Canada, and they brought with them instrumental tunes, ballads and other musical traditions, which were passed down orally through the generations. During this time, traditional songs evolved, and some acquired new lyrics or melodies.
Marching and military bands were an important part of traditional Newfoundland and Labrador music. Youth groups like the Church Lads Brigade, fraternal organizations and other groups supported these bands.
Newfoundland's anthem "The Ode to Newfoundland
Ode to Newfoundland
"Ode to Newfoundland" is the official provincial anthem of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was composed by Governor Sir Cavendish Boyle in 1902. as a four-verse poem entitled Newfoundland. On December 22, 1902 it was sung by Frances Daisy Foster at the Casino Theatre of St. John's during the closing...
", was composed by Governor Cavendish Boyle.
Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
from Newfoundland and Labrador includes hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s and other liturgical music. Missionaries such as those with the Moravian Church used music to reach out towards native peoples, publishing a hymn book, for example, in Inuit
Inuit language
The Inuit language is traditionally spoken across the North American Arctic and to some extent in the subarctic in Labrador. The related Yupik languages are spoken in western and southern Alaska and Russian Far East, particularly the Diomede Islands, but is severely endangered in Russia today and...
in 1809.
During the 1800s, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and musical theater became popular. Charles Hutton (musician), for example, rose to fame during this period during the 1880s. Some of these musicians, like Georgina Stirling
Georgina Stirling
Georgina Ann Stirling was a Newfoundland opera singer, known by her stage name Marie Toulinquet. Born in Twillingate, Newfoundland, she became a world-renowned Prima donna soprano who played in opera houses throughout Europe and United States...
, became renowned in Europe. In the early 20th century, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
took the place of opera in Newfoundland. Satirist John Burke
Johnny Burke
Johnny Burke was a Newfoundland songwriter and musician. He was nicknamed the 'Bard of Prescott Street'. He wrote many popular songs that artists in the 1930s and 1940s released.Popular songs by Burke include:* The Night Paddy Murphy Died...
was a noted vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
composer and performer of that era.
Outside Influences
Beginning in 1921, music from outside of the region became popular, especially after the advent of films with sound and the popularization of cowboy movies. Among the province's noted country musicians was Harry Martin.During the 1920s and 1930s jazz and country music arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador, both through local dance bands, radio broadcasts and Phonograph records. These outside musical influences were followed in the 1950s and 1960s by R&B and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Modern era
In the modern era, many people worked to preserve the province's musical heritage. They focused on traditional songs, but also popularized modern tunes in a traditional style, for example Otto Kelland's 1947 composition "Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's". The first hit from a native performer was 1943's "Squid Jiggin' Ground" by Art Scammell. Radio programs such as Irene B. Mellon and The Big SixThe Big Six
The Big Six is the ninth book of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1940. The book returns Dick and Dorothea Callum, known as the Ds, to the Norfolk Broads where they renew their friendship with the members of the Coot Club...
, the television shows All Around The Circle
All Around The Circle
All Around the Circle was a Canadian variety television series which featured the music of Newfoundland and Labrador, performed in St. John's.-External links:*...
(1964) and Ryan's Fancy
Ryan's Fancy
Ryan’s Fancy was a musical group active from the 1960s until the 1980s, all three of whose members were Irish immigrants to Canada.-Early years:...
, collections such as Gerald S. Doyle's Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland, musicians including accordionists Ray Walsh, Wilf Doyle, Omar Blondahl
Omar Blondahl
Omar Blondahl, , also known as "Sagebrush Sam", was a musician who became fascinated with the largely unrecorded folk songs of Newfoundland, Canada, and became famous for popularizing them....
, John White
John White
-Musicians:* John White , English musician* John White , American country music singer, writer on the genre of western music* John Simon White , American vocal coach and opera director-Politicians:...
and the McNulty Family, and scholars including Maud Karpeles
Maud Karpeles
Maud Karpeles was a collector of folksongs and dance teacher.Maud Karpeles was born in London in 1885. In Berlin at the "Hochschule für Musik" she studied piano for six months. In 1892 a women's settlement had been created in Cumberland Road, Canning Town in 1892...
also contributed to the preservation of Newfoundland and Labrador music. Expatriates in Ontario, for example Harry Hibbs and Dick Nolan
Dick Nolan (musician)
Richard Francis "Dick" Nolan was a Canadian musician, born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. Nolan was known for performing Newfoundland folk music in Toronto night clubs. During his 50 year career he released more than 40 albums and recorded over 300 tracks...
also became well-known. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a roots revival
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
led by the bands Ryan's Fancy
Ryan's Fancy
Ryan’s Fancy was a musical group active from the 1960s until the 1980s, all three of whose members were Irish immigrants to Canada.-Early years:...
, Figgy Duff
Figgy Duff
Figgy Duff was a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland. They played a major role in the Newfoundland cultural renaissance of the 1970s and 80s. Formed in 1976 by Noel Dinn, who named the band after a kind of traditional white pudding, Figgy Duff travelled across Newfoundland, learning...
and The Wonderful Grand Band achieved mainstream success in Newfoundland. Other traditional performers to rise to prominence in this period included Anita Best
Anita Best
Anita Best is a teacher, broadcaster, and well-known singer from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.-Discography:*Crosshanded*The Color of Amber *Amber Christmas )...
, Kelly Russell, Jim Payne
Jim Payne (folk singer)
Jim Payne is a Newfoundland folk singer, best known for performing and recording many of the traditional sea shanties of Newfoundland culture. He also composed the song "Wave Over Wave" with Janis Spence and founded the record label ....
, Émile Benoît
Émile Benoît
Émile Joseph Benoît was a Canadian fiddler, who became known for popularizing Franco-Newfoundlander folk music traditions....
, Rufus Guinchard, The Bay Boys and Minnie White.
In the 1980s and 1990s, traditional Newfoundland music's popularity dwindled, though rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and other styles developed their own scenes in the region. The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra is a prominent orchestra from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They began in 1962 as a 20-piece string orchestra known as the St. John's Orchestra.Music Directors:*David Gray...
rose to prominence in this period, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
performers such as the Jeff Johnston Trio
Jeff Johnston Trio
The Jeff Johnston Trio is a renowned jazz band from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.-References:* *...
also gained international renown. The exception to this decline in traditional music's popularity was the Belloram based group Simani
Simani
Simani is a Newfoundland and Labrador musical duet and considered the cornerstone of traditional Newfoundland music. Formed in 1977 by Bud Davidge and Sim Savory , their music keeps Newfoundland’s unique heritage alive by putting old stories to song and by their recording of local jigs and reels...
composed of Bud Davidge and Sim Savory. They recorded a total of 12 albums from 1977 to 1997 and enjoyed great success throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
The advent of the East Coast Music Awards helped stimulate the Atlantic Canadian music scene, and was accompanied by the rise of Ron Hynes, Buddy Wasisname
Buddy Wasisname
A singer, songwriter, comedian, and dramatist, Buddy Wasisname is the stage name of Kevin Blackmore, a Canadian performer from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
, The Irish Descendants
The Irish Descendants
The Irish Descendants are a folk group from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. All the members, born of Irish emitters, were workers in the Newfoundland fishing industry before forming the band in 1990 out of the remnants of two former Newfoundland bands – The Descendants...
, Thomas Trio and The Red Albino, while Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
, The Navigators, and The Punters have also become well-known for their mixture of traditional and popular music. A resurgence of traditional Newfoundland music is evidenced by the creation of several popular compilation CDs such as The Christmas Wish: Newfoundland Yuletide Favourites, the Downhomer Presents... series, and the Homebrew series (which has sold over 50,000 copies).
In 2008, the Atlantis Music Prize
Atlantis Music Prize
The Atlantis Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length album from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, based only on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award, established in 2008 by St. John's-based alternative newspaper The Scope, includes a...
was established by The Scope, and is to be awarded annually to the best new album from Newfoundland and Labrador. The first winning album was Another Month by Mercy, the Sexton
Mercy, the Sexton
Mercy, the Sexton is a Canadian indie pop band from St. John's, Newfoundland, founded by brothers Luke and Duncan Major in March 2007. The other band members initially were Chris Johansen and Jon Hynes...
.
Noted Musicians
Modern Newfoundland & Labrador musicians include, Harry Martin, as well as folk group The FlummiesThe Flummies
The Flummies are an Aboriginal music group from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Their name comes from a traditional Labrador trappers’ bread. The group was founded in 1978 from members of the Best White Band. They have released several albums of traditional...
, Byron "Fiddler" Chaulk, rock musician David Penashue
David Penashue
David Penashue is an Innu rock singer from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He is the founder of the group Tipatchimun.-References:* *...
of Tipatchimun
Tipatchimun
Tipatchimun is an Innu rock band from the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.-Band members:*David Penashue on vocals/acoustic guitar*Melvin Penashue on vocals/keyboard*Jerome Pone on bass...
(who sings Innu language rock), Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
.
External links
- Avondale Music
- Bluegrass & Oldtime Country Music Society NL
- Discography of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Fred's Records
- GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador (Archive)
- Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Music
- Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Newfoundland Music Links
- O'Brien's Music
- O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub
- Live music every Friday night of the Summer. Lakeside restaurant & music venue
- Radio Newfoundland
- SingSong Inc.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society - Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival
- Thomas Trio And The Red Albino fan site
- Whalen's Pub and Grill - Irish/Celtic Live Music Venue
- Great Big Sea