She Moved Through the Fair
Encyclopedia
"She Moved Through the Fair" (or "She Moves Through the Fair") is a traditional Irish
folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.
by poet Padraic Colum
and musicologist Herbert Hughes
, and published by Boosey & Hawkes in London in a work entitled Irish Country Songs in 1909. The tune is in mixolydian mode
. The lyrics were also published in Colum's 1922 book Wild earth: and other poems (though the book doesn't mention their traditional origin).
A longer variant of the song is called "Our Wedding Day". A related song, "Out of the Window", was collected by
Sam Henry
, from Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, Northern Ireland, around 1930, and published in Henry's Songs of the People. Another song, "I Once Had a True Love", also appears to be related, as it shares some lyrics with "She Moved Through the Fair".
The traditional singer Paddy Tunney
learned it in County Fermanagh
and recorded it in 1965. Other singers who sang it in the 50s/60s were Dominic Behan
and Anne Briggs
. It was a popular song among members of the Traveller community
in Ireland by that time.
Fairport Convention
recorded the song in 1968, adopting the style of the song from the influential travelling singer Margaret Barry
, though she herself had learned it from a vinyl recording made by Count John McCormack at Abbey Road in 1941. Also of note are the recordings of the song by Alan Stivell
in 1973.
Several versions of the lyrics are in current use. For example, in the first line of Colum's version published in Wild earth:
the word 'brothers' is usually changed to 'mother'.
Similarly, the second line:
is usually rendered:
or even as:
The original "My dead love" in verse 4 is often rendered as "my dear love", "my own love", or "my young love" (particularly when verse 3, which implies that the woman may have died, is omitted). In Colum's version, this final appearance of the woman is in a dream, whereas other versions imply she is a ghost.
In the variant called Our Wedding Day, the woman goes into the man's bedroom while he is asleep, but she is not dead; she then runs off with another suitor, and the man joins the army.
relates how Colum "wrote" the song after returning from a literary gathering in Donegal with Herbert Hughes and others. Tunney suggests, however, that it would be more accurate to say that Colum simply improved an original traditional song which at that time had splintered into many variations throughout Ireland.
Tunney himself collected one version from an Irish singer called Barney McGarvey. This version was called I Once Had A True Love. The opening four lines are reminiscent of She Moved Through The Fair and the second four lines are unmistakably similar.
The words to the first verse are:
I once had a sweet-heart, I loved her so well
I loved her far better than my tongue could tell
Her parents they slight me for my want of gear
So adieu to you Molly, since your are not here
I dreamed last night that my true love came in
So softly she came that her feet made no din
She stepped up to me and this she did say
It will not be long love, till our wedding day
The remaining two verses, however, are quite different. Nevertheless, this opening verse shows how songs could be changed and adapted as they were passed down in the oral tradition.
Tunney also points to a version of the song which he learnt from his mother which she called, My Young Love Said to Me. The first verse is virtually the same as Colum's but the remaining three verses are quite different and describe how the woman in the song went off with another man. It is as follows:
My young love said to me, my mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind
And she went away from me and this she did say:
It will not be long now till our wedding day.
She went away from me and she moved through the fair
Where hand-slapping dealers' loud shouts rent the air
The sunlight around her did sparkle and play
Saying it will not be long now till our wedding day.
When dew falls on meadow and moths fill the night
When glow of the greeesagh on hearth throws half-light
I'll slip from the casement and we'll run away
And it will not be long love till our wedding day
According to promise at midnight he rose
But all that he found was the downloaded clothes
The sheets they lay empty 'twas plain for to see
And out of the window with another went she
Colum's version is more subtle. It gives no explanation for the young woman's disappearance, which gives the song a sense of mystery and allows the listener the freedom to interpret it in his or her own way.
's version of the song in the sixties, hundreds of artists have recorded this song in its traditional form. Most have kept to some form of the traditional lyrics: however, the versions by Sinéad O'Connor
(as used in the soundtrack of the film Michael Collins
), Trees
and Nana Mouskouri
change the gender of the pronouns and so the song became "He Moved Through the Fair". O'Connor and Trees' versions keep the original "She Moved Through the Fair" title on their sleeves, although Mouskouri changes the name to suit the variant. An alternative version of the lyrics was also used in Mary Black
's version of the song.
Other notable versions:
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...
folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.
Origins
The song was first collected in DonegalCounty Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
by poet Padraic Colum
Padraic Colum
Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Celtic Revival.-Early life:...
and musicologist Herbert Hughes
Herbert Hughes (musicologist)
Herbert Hughes was an Irish composer, music critic and collector of folk songs.He was born and brought up in Belfast, Ireland, but completed his formal music education at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 1901...
, and published by Boosey & Hawkes in London in a work entitled Irish Country Songs in 1909. The tune is in mixolydian mode
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
. The lyrics were also published in Colum's 1922 book Wild earth: and other poems (though the book doesn't mention their traditional origin).
A longer variant of the song is called "Our Wedding Day". A related song, "Out of the Window", was collected by
Sam Henry
Sam Henry (musicologist)
Sam Henry was an Irish folk-song collector, photographer and folklorest, best known for his collection of ballads and songs in Songs of the People...
, from Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, Northern Ireland, around 1930, and published in Henry's Songs of the People. Another song, "I Once Had a True Love", also appears to be related, as it shares some lyrics with "She Moved Through the Fair".
The traditional singer Paddy Tunney
Paddy Tunney
Paddy Tunney was an Irish traditional singer, poet, writer, raconteur, lilter and songwriter. He was affectionately known as the Man of Songs.-Early life:...
learned it in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
and recorded it in 1965. Other singers who sang it in the 50s/60s were Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
and Anne Briggs
Anne Briggs
Anne Briggs is an English folk singer. Although she traveled widely in the 1960s and early 1970s, appearing at folk clubs and venues in England and Ireland, she never aspired to commercial success or to achieve widespread public acknowledgment of her music...
. It was a popular song among members of the Traveller community
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
in Ireland by that time.
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
recorded the song in 1968, adopting the style of the song from the influential travelling singer Margaret Barry
Margaret Barry
Margaret Barry was a traditional Irish singer and banjo player.Born in Cork into a family of Travellers and street singers, she taught herself how to play the zither banjo and the fiddle at a young age. At the age of sixteen, after a family disagreement, Margaret left home and started performing...
, though she herself had learned it from a vinyl recording made by Count John McCormack at Abbey Road in 1941. Also of note are the recordings of the song by Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
in 1973.
Lyrics
One version of the lyrics is as follows:- My young love said to me,
- My mother won't mind
- And my father won't slight you
- For your lack of kind.
- And she laid her hand on me
- And this she did say:
- It will not be long, love,
- Till our wedding day.
- As she stepped away from me
- And she moved through the fair
- And fondly I watched her
- Move here and move there.
- And then she made her way homeward,
- With one star awake,
- As the swan in the evening
- Moved over the lake.
- The people were saying,
- No two e'er were wed
- But one had a sorrow
- That never was said.
- And I smiled as she passed
- With her goods and her gear,
- And that was the last
- That I saw of my dear.
- Last night she came to me,
- My dead love came in.
- So softly she came
- That her feet made no din.
- As she laid her hand on me,
- And this she did say:
- It will not be long, love,
- 'Til our wedding day.
Variants
Colum may have altered the traditional words significantly, perhaps cutting a number of verses; the variant of the song called Our Wedding Day has ten verses, to Colum's four. The song is often shortened further by omitting the third verse (above).Several versions of the lyrics are in current use. For example, in the first line of Colum's version published in Wild earth:
- My young love said to me, "My brothers won't mind,
the word 'brothers' is usually changed to 'mother'.
Similarly, the second line:
- And my parents won't slight you for your lack of kind. [kind = goods or commodities]
is usually rendered:
- And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind.
or even as:
- And my father won't slight you for your lack of kine. [kine = cattle]
The original "My dead love" in verse 4 is often rendered as "my dear love", "my own love", or "my young love" (particularly when verse 3, which implies that the woman may have died, is omitted). In Colum's version, this final appearance of the woman is in a dream, whereas other versions imply she is a ghost.
In the variant called Our Wedding Day, the woman goes into the man's bedroom while he is asleep, but she is not dead; she then runs off with another suitor, and the man joins the army.
Alternative versions recounted by Paddy Tunney
The traditional singer Paddy TunneyPaddy Tunney
Paddy Tunney was an Irish traditional singer, poet, writer, raconteur, lilter and songwriter. He was affectionately known as the Man of Songs.-Early life:...
relates how Colum "wrote" the song after returning from a literary gathering in Donegal with Herbert Hughes and others. Tunney suggests, however, that it would be more accurate to say that Colum simply improved an original traditional song which at that time had splintered into many variations throughout Ireland.
Tunney himself collected one version from an Irish singer called Barney McGarvey. This version was called I Once Had A True Love. The opening four lines are reminiscent of She Moved Through The Fair and the second four lines are unmistakably similar.
The words to the first verse are:
I once had a sweet-heart, I loved her so well
I loved her far better than my tongue could tell
Her parents they slight me for my want of gear
So adieu to you Molly, since your are not here
I dreamed last night that my true love came in
So softly she came that her feet made no din
She stepped up to me and this she did say
It will not be long love, till our wedding day
The remaining two verses, however, are quite different. Nevertheless, this opening verse shows how songs could be changed and adapted as they were passed down in the oral tradition.
Tunney also points to a version of the song which he learnt from his mother which she called, My Young Love Said to Me. The first verse is virtually the same as Colum's but the remaining three verses are quite different and describe how the woman in the song went off with another man. It is as follows:
My young love said to me, my mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind
And she went away from me and this she did say:
It will not be long now till our wedding day.
She went away from me and she moved through the fair
Where hand-slapping dealers' loud shouts rent the air
The sunlight around her did sparkle and play
Saying it will not be long now till our wedding day.
When dew falls on meadow and moths fill the night
When glow of the greeesagh on hearth throws half-light
I'll slip from the casement and we'll run away
And it will not be long love till our wedding day
According to promise at midnight he rose
But all that he found was the downloaded clothes
The sheets they lay empty 'twas plain for to see
And out of the window with another went she
Colum's version is more subtle. It gives no explanation for the young woman's disappearance, which gives the song a sense of mystery and allows the listener the freedom to interpret it in his or her own way.
Recordings
In recent times, following Fairport ConventionFairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
's version of the song in the sixties, hundreds of artists have recorded this song in its traditional form. Most have kept to some form of the traditional lyrics: however, the versions by Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
(as used in the soundtrack of the film Michael Collins
Michael Collins (film)
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
), Trees
Trees (folk band)
Trees was an English folk rock band that existed between 1969 and 1972. Although the group met with little commercial success in their time, the reputation of the band has grown over the years. Like other folk contemporaries, Trees' music was influenced by Fairport Convention, but with a heavier...
and Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
change the gender of the pronouns and so the song became "He Moved Through the Fair". O'Connor and Trees' versions keep the original "She Moved Through the Fair" title on their sleeves, although Mouskouri changes the name to suit the variant. An alternative version of the lyrics was also used in Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
's version of the song.
Other notable versions:
- Davey GrahamDavey GrahamDavid Michael Gordon "Davey" Graham, originally spelled Davy Graham, , was a British guitarist and one of the most influential figures in the 1960s British folk revival...
recorded a version in 1962.
- Anne BriggsAnne BriggsAnne Briggs is an English folk singer. Although she traveled widely in the 1960s and early 1970s, appearing at folk clubs and venues in England and Ireland, she never aspired to commercial success or to achieve widespread public acknowledgment of her music...
sang an unaccompanied three-verse version in 1963.
- OdettaOdettaOdetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...
recorded the song on her 1963 album, One Grain of SandOne Grain of SandOne Grain of Sand is an album by American folk singer Odetta, first released in 1963. It was re-released on CD in 1997.-Track listing:All songs Traditional unless otherwise noted.#"Sail Away, Ladies" – 2:41#"Moses, Moses" – 3:00...
.
- John MartynJohn MartynJohn Martyn, OBE , born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour...
's version was present on his 1967 debut album, London ConversationLondon ConversationLondon Conversation is the first album by John Martyn released on Island Records in 1967. Largely self-penned, the album is much more folk oriented than the Blues/Jazz tinged later releases...
.
- Alfred DellerAlfred DellerAlfred George Deller CBE , was an English singer and one of the main figures in popularizing the return of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music during the 20th Century....
performed a version of it with Desmond Dupre, for the Folksongs album.
- Alan StivellAlan StivellAlan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
's 1972 version, sung in English, is also very close to the original song.
- Roger WhittakerRoger WhittakerRoger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
recorded a version for his 1977 release, Folksongs of our Island Vol 1.
- Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
recorded a version for his third album WatermarkWatermark (Art Garfunkel album)Watermark is the third solo album by Art Garfunkel, originally released in October 1977 on Columbia Records. When the first single, "Crying in My Sleep", failed to chart in the United States, the album was immediately withdrawn and a version of " Wonderful World" was added to the...
, released in 1978.
- Loreena McKennittLoreena McKennittLoreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
featured it on her 1985 album Elemental.
- In 1986, Eyeless in GazaEyeless in Gaza (band)Eyeless In Gaza are a Post-punk musical duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. They have described their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles." Formed in 1980, the group went into hiatus in...
featured an a cappella version on the album Back from the Rains.
- All About EveAll About Eve (band)All About Eve were a British rock/pop band. The creative core consisted of the Coventry born Julianne Regan , and the Huddersfield born Andy Cousin , with other members changing over the years...
featured a version on their eponymous 1988 debut albumAll About Eve (album)All About Eve is the self-titled first album of All About Eve. Commercially, this was their most successful, reaching No.7 in the UK charts and spawning four Top 40 singles...
, and often performed it live in their early days. Following an acrimonious departure from the band, guitarist Tim BrichenoTim BrichenoTim Bricheno has been the guitarist and writer with several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN and Tin Star...
would later use a sample of the vocal in the song "Wrong Thing", recorded by his later band, XC-NN.
- In 1988 Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and the ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
recorded a version for the album Irish HeartbeatIrish HeartbeatIrish Heartbeat is the eighteenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group The Chieftains, released in 1988...
and a live version of it also appeared on Van Morrison's 1990 concert video, Van Morrison: The Concert.
- In 1989 Simple MindsSimple MindsSimple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
recorded a song called "Belfast ChildBelfast Child"Belfast Child" is a 1989 Number 1 UK Charts hit single by Simple Minds from their album Street Fighting Years. The single is also known as the "Ballad of the Streets" EP, highlighting both "Belfast Child" and "Mandela Day" ....
", which made it to No. 1 in the UK ChartsUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This song uses the traditional tune associated with "She Moved Through the Fair", but with completely different words. The song appears on their album Street Fighting YearsStreet Fighting YearsStreet Fighting Years is the eighth studio album by Simple Minds, released in 1989.Produced by Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson, the album was a major stylistic departure from the previous album, 1985's Once Upon A Time, While still maintaining the epic arena-rock sense of scale and drama which the...
.
- Marianne FaithfullMarianne FaithfullMarianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
featured a version on her 1990 album Blazing Away, and has often sung it in concert.
- In 1991 it was recorded by Feargal SharkeyFeargal SharkeyFeargal Sharkey is a singer from Northern Ireland who first found fame as the lead vocalist of pop punk band The Undertones...
.
- Máire BrennanMoya BrennanMoya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
recorded a version as a B-side to her 1992 single, "Against the WindAgainst the Wind (Máire Brennan song)"Against the Wind" was Máire Brennan's first solo single, taken from her album Máire released the same year. Two covers were made available, one with a sand pattern and the title of the single, the other with a photograph by Tim Jarvis, of Máire and three dancers, superimposed on the sand pattern...
".
- Jam Nation a recording project commissioned by Peter Gabriel for his 'Real World Records' label. Their rootsy, dubwise version is available on the album "Way Down Below Buffalo Hell" http://realworldrecords.com/catalogue/way-down-below-buffalo-hell/#
- Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
performed it on The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
' collaborative album The Long Black VeilThe Long Black Veil (album)The Long Black Veil is an album by the traditional Irish folk band The Chieftains. Released in 1995, it is one of the most popular and best selling albums by the band. It reached number 17 in the album charts. The band teamed up with well-known musicians such as Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones...
in 1995. She also recorded a solo version which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 film Michael CollinsMichael Collins (film)Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
.
- Irish Boyband BoyzoneBoyzoneBoyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
performed it on the album A Different Beat in 1996.
- English musician Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
covered the song on his 1996 album, Voyager.
- For the Irish musical Lord of the DanceLord of the DanceLord of the Dance may refer to:Personalities* Nataraja, Shiva in his dancing posture* Lord of the Dance, a title given to Jesus Christ in some musical adaptationsLiterature* Lord of the Dance , a 1984 novel by Father Andrew GreeleyMusic...
, which began touring in 1996, the musical score composed by Ronan HardimanRonan HardimanRonan Hardiman is an Irish composer, famous for his soundtracks to Michael Flatley's dance shows Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger Live.-Biography:...
includes a version of the song from the female point of view sung by Anne Buckley.
- Bert JanschBert JanschHerbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
recorded a version for his 1998 album Toy Balloon.
- In 1998, Sarah BrightmanSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
recorded a version (as "He Moved Through the Fair") as a B-side to her "EdenEden (song)"Eden" is the third single from Belgian group Hooverphonic's album Blue Wonder Power Milk released in 1998 . The album peaked at 12 on the Belgian Music charts, charting for 13 weeks...
" single.
- Alan Hacker and Tony CoeTony CoeAnthony George Coe is a composer and jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, and tenor saxophone.Coe began his performing career playing with Humphrey Lyttelton's band from 1957 to 1962...
recorded an arrangement by Hacker, under the title "One Star Awake", on their 1999 album Sun moon and stars.
- Charlie ZahmCharlie ZahmCharlie Zahm is an American singer and player of Celtic, maritime and traditional American music. Zahm sings baritone, and plays guitar, tin whistle, and the bodhran, among other instruments.-Personal Life:...
recorded it on his 1999 album The Celtic Balladeer.
- Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
recorded the song on her 2000 album Charlotte Church.
- SisselSisselSissel is a Norwegian female given name, a variant of Cecilia.Famous people called Sissel include:* Sissel Kyrkjebø also known as Sissel* Sissel is the name of the main character in Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective....
and The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
performed the song live at the Ole Blues Music Festival in Bergen, Norway on April 29, 2001, which can be heard at archive.org.
- Anthony KearnsAnthony KearnsAnthony Kearns is a founding member of the Irish Tenors, along with Ronan Tynan and John McDermott.-Early career:...
recorded it on the 2002 album The Very Best of the Irish Tenors.
- Wayne ShorterWayne ShorterWayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
recorded an instrumental arrangement as "She Moves Through the Fair" on his 2003 album AlegríaAlegría (Wayne Shorter album)Alegría is an album by saxophonist Wayne Shorter released on Verve Records in 2003. It the second album to feature the 'Footprints Quartet' of Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade....
.
- Celtic WomanCeltic WomanCeltic Woman is an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance...
recorded the song on their 2004 eponymous first albumCeltic Woman (album)Celtic Woman is the eponymous debut album of the singing group Celtic Woman. The members of the group were first featured on the PBS musical special also by the same name. With the help of said special, Celtic Woman reached #1 on the World Music charts within weeks and remained there for a record...
.
- Enter the HaggisEnter the HaggisEnter the Haggis is a Canadian Indie/Celtic/Folk Rock world-fusion band based in Toronto, Canada. Commonly called ETH, the band has been playing and recording since 1996. Their latest studio album, "Whitelake" is the band's ninth album....
covered the song on their 2005 album Casualties of RetailCasualties of RetailCasualties of Retail is an album by Enter the Haggis, released on the United for Opportunity label on October 25, 2005 . The title comes from a line in the song "Gasoline" .-Track listing:#"Music Box"#"Another Round"...
.
- The song was used by Granada ReportsGranada ReportsGranada Reports is the flagship regional news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris and Lucy Meacock, and serving the North West of England and the Isle of Man....
in one of their bulletins to commemorate the life of George BestGeorge BestGeorge Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
who died in 2005.
- Hayley WestenraHayley WestenraHayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
recorded a version in her 2005 album Odyssey.
- Michael LondraMichael Londra-Biography:At the beginning of his career, Michael Londra performed numerous roles in Ireland, including the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Pish Tush in Hot Mikado, Charlie in Brigadoon, Joe in Some Like It Hot, the title role in the concert version of Martin Guerre...
recorded a version in his 2006 album Celt.
- Maeve Gilchrist recorded a version in her 2006 album Reaching Me.
- GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
technoTechnoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
group ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
sampled the song on the track "Ratty's Revenge" from their 2007 album The Ultimate Aural OrgasmThe Ultimate Aural OrgasmThe Ultimate Aural Orgasm is the twelfth studio album by Scooter. Two singles were released from it: "Behind The Cow" and "Lass Uns Tanzen". This is the first album released with new member Michael Simon...
.
- Cara DillonCara DillonCara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album...
recorded the song on her 2009 Hill of Thieves album.
- Nyle WolfeNyle WolfeNyle Wolfe , trained as a singer at the Cork School of Music and the Leinster school of Music & Drama Dublin. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music London with the conservatory's highest academic award and won a scholarship to complete his studies at the Zurich Opera House...
included a version in his 2009 album Home Ground.
- Camilla KerslakeCamilla KerslakeCamilla Kerslake is an English classical crossover singer from London who has become the first signing to Gary Barlow’s new record label...
included a version in her eponymous debut album.
- Culann's HoundsCulann's HoundsCulann's Hounds is a traditional Irish folk band from San Francisco. Founded in 1999 by Steve Gardner and Michael Kelleher as The Irish Bastards , the band began playing gigs and soon adopted the more broadly appealing name.-Origins:...
are joined by Sara Gardner on their album One for the Road.
- The Borderers - an Australian band also recorded the song and it was used as a movie soundtrack sometime in the 90's.
- Rolf HarrisRolf HarrisRolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
recorded a version with Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
in 2009 which has not yet been released.
- Fionnuala SherryFionnuala SherryFionnuala Sherry is an Irish violinist and vocalist. She makes up the female part of the New Instrumental duo Secret Garden, which won the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the predominantly instrumental piece "Nocturne".-Background:...
of the New InstrumentalNew Age musicNew Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
duo Secret GardenSecret Garden (duo)Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...
recorded a version for her 2010 solo debut Songs From BeforeSongs from BeforeSongs From Before is the solo debut from Fionnuala Sherry of the New Instrumental duo Secret Garden. The album was self released in Ireland in November 2010. and was released in June 2011 in North America by Hearts of Space Records, an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment...
.
- Jim CausleyJim CausleyJim Causley is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Whimple, East Devon, England.-Biography:Jim Causley is a folk singer and musician from Devon who specializes in the traditional songs and music of the West Country and Devon in particular...
recorded a Devonshire version on his 2011 album Dumnonia.
- Young Australian singer/harpist Siobhan OwenSiobhan OwenSiobhan Owen is a soprano and harpist from Adelaide, Australia. Owen was born on 4 October 1993 in North Wales and lived in the small Anglesey village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch before moving to Australia with her family in November 1995. Owen regularly performs...
recorded a version on her 2009 album Celestial Echoes.
- Alan Coady and Zoë Moskal Guy recorded an arrangement by Alan on their album "Love Burns", 2011
External links
- Sissel & The Chieftains Live recording of "Love, Will You Marry Me?" and "She Moved Through The Fair"
- Traditional Ballad Index, California State University: sources and notes about the song
- The lyrics and a MIDI version of the song
- Info/speculation about the history, origins and variations of this song
- Lyrics and chords
- Sheet Music
- http://www.irishmusicforever.com/she-moved-through-the-fair