Winter Coal, a poem from Merrybegot by Mary Dalton

WINTER COAL

They trotted right up to the foot of the lane,
Cart piled with coal for the light-keeper's shack.
But the cousins said no, no crossing their land
So they turned round the horse and headed on back
For the boat, loaded her up for the Point.
Jam-packed to the gunnels, she rode low in the water.
A stiff wind from the west and over she went -
Over she toppled, tossed them out in dark water.
One of them got fast to the boat,
Held six hours to the side of her,
His fingernails tore off of him;
His brother's luck broke -
She flipped him in first
And the coal down on top of him.


The unabridged audio edition of Merrybegot by Mary Dalton published by Rattling Books in 2005 is performed by Anita Best with Patrick Boyle on trumpet and flugelhorn. For more information or to buy it visit rattlingbooks.com
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Excerpt: Mat, a poem by Mary Dalton from Merrybegot (with reference to Christmas)

MAT

Some of them could go fast as the wind -
Nell now - and she was a great hand at it,
Scrolls and squares and dogs and roses
And one time a red punt on the water.
And then the scrubbing -
Dragging mats down to the cove in summer.
We beat them against the beach rocks,
And the salt water gave back their colour.
And come Christmas
Out we went mummering,
Out in the fools, happy as kings.
Mat rags sewed into our clothes.

Merrybegot, a collection of poems by Mary Dalton was originally published in 2003 by Véhicule Press. It is available as an unabridged audio recording from Rattling Books performed by Anita Best and Patrick Boyle.

Canadian audiobooks from Rattling Books in Newfoundland and Labrador

Anita Best Has Never Met A Liar She Didn't Like

Now that Valentine's Day is over, and all the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are on sale for a fifth of their former price, it's time to embrace love less artificially and commercially. And who better to do that with than Ron Hynes and Anita Best, neither of whom will ever be in the running for a Slick and Void Award. "I Never Met a Liar I Didn't Like" was written by Ron Hynes (and his ex-wife, Connie Hynes), and is sung by Anita Best in this video. (If you think you have no use for liars, here's a song that just might make you run right out and acquire one.)

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Rattling Books has been fortunate to have both Anita Best and Ron Hynes as narrators.

Rattling Books audio books are available as audio or MP3 CDs, and as MP3 downloads. Single stories are available as MP3 downloads.

Robin McGrath On Labrador, Nursery Rhymes, Marbles - And "Annabel"

Robin McGrath is one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most prolific writers, and she's also a scholar of the North. Read a recent interview with McGrath in the Northern Poetry Review, in which she ranges far and  wide and eloquently on various topics.

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Coasting Trade is Rattling Books' audio book edition of Robin McGrath's "performance for three voices." Narrated by Robert Joy, Rick Boland and Anita Best, Coasting Trade is available as an audio CD or an MP3 download.

Anita Best And The Ballad

Follow this link to read an interview with Newfoundland singer and folklorist Anita Best about the ballad in Newfoundland culture.

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Listen to Anita Best reading the poem "Jesus and His Gashes," from Rattling Books' audio edition of Mary Dalton's Merrybegot, available as an audio book CD or an MP3 download.

January 19 Is Edgar Allan Poe's Birthday

On January 19, 1809, poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston. A major American poet, Poe was, apparently, one of the first writers to try to make a living solely from writing. This may, or may not, have led to his rather depressing choice of subjects and early death.

Mary Dalton is one of Newfoundland's major poets. And although her poetry examines many facets of the human experience, including crawly things, she is not likely to come to a premature end. One reason is that she is also a professor of English at Memorial University, having had the good sense not to try to make a living at poetry.

Listen to an excerpt from Mary Dalton's Merrybegot, narrated by Anita Best. This unabridged audio book is available from Rattling Books as an audio CD or an MP3 download.

Mummers Parade, St. John's, Newfoundland, December 18

It's that time of year again, when grown men can don dresses, paint their faces or put nylon stockings over their heads and parade in public, without fear of ridicule. (Women too.) Mummering, or janneying, is a centuries-old English Christmas tradition which survived export to the New World, at least to Newfoundland and Labrador. (And apparently to Philadelphia as well: the mummers in the photo are residents of that city. For more about mummering, click on the green, yellow and black guy.)

This year's St. John's Mummers Parade will be held on Saturday, December 18 (storm date is Sunday, December 19). If you don't have a disguise at hand, you can rig one up from bins of clothing at MacPherson Elementary at 40 Newtown Road, between one and two p. m. The parade begins from MacPherson at two, and there will be a concert and jam at The Rooms afterwards, beginning at three.

All are welcome. So are nonperishable food items.

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Rattling Books' unabridged audio version of Mary Dalton's poetry collection Merrybegot contains a poem called "Janneying." To hear poems from Merrybegot, narrated by Anita Best, click here and here. Merrybegot is available as an unabridged audio book CD, or an unabridged MP3 download.

Rick Boland, CornerBoy

For many of us, the sound of Rick Boland's distinctive Townie drawl conjures up the early, heady days of theatre and film in Newfoundland. If Boland didn't make at least a cameo appearance on the boards or the celluloid, chances are whatever you were watching wasn't a local product.

A founding member of Rising Tide, Boland was also involved with the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company and the Mummer's Troupe. He and Mary Walsh developed the RCA Theatre Company, an early supporter of Canadian actors such as Walsh, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer and Gordon Pinsent. Boland played the role of a revolutionary cabinet minister in Newfoundland's first full-length feature film, The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood, nominated for three Genie awards.

More than three decades later, Boland is still one of the prominent faces of Newfoundland theatre and cinema. He and Mary Walsh are currently involved in CornerBoys, a company that presents interactive theatre at historic sites in St. John's. Boland's poker face and impeccable timing, comic and otherwise, can be seen recent films and sitcoms such as The Breadmaker, The Bingo Robbers, Young Triffie’s Been Made Away With, The Republic of Doyle ("A Horse Divided") and Diverted, a made-for-TV movie about Gander's role in 9/11.

In 2008, Boland was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council's Hall of Honour for his distinguished lifetime contribution to the province's culture.

Watch this clip to see some of what's on offer by Walsh and Boland's CornerBoys Productions.




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Listen to an excerpt from Rattling Books' unabridged audio edition of Robin McGrath's Coasting Trade, featuring the voice of Rick Boland. Coasting Trade, narrated by Boland, Robert Joy and Anita Best, is available as an MP3 download or an audio CD.

Anita Best At The Ottawa International Storytelling Festival, November 18-21

Newfoundland musician, singer and storyteller Anita Best will be one of the headline acts at this week's Ottawa International Storytelling Festival, along with some of the best raconteurs in Canada, Europe and the US. Best has made a career out of collecting and relating the traditional stories of Newfoundland and Labrador and singing its songs, and she will be doing both at the festival.

Watch this video of vintage Best caressing an old Irish folksong, along with former Figgy Duff band mate Pamela Morgan.



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Listen to an excerpt of Anita Best reading from Rattling Books' unabridged audio version of poet Mary Dalton's award-winning Merrybegot. Click here for other Rattling Books' MP3 downloads and audio or MP3 CDs featuring Anita Best.

Anita Best Performs at the Ottawa 2010 Storytellers' Festival

Traditional Newfoundland singer and storyteller Anita Best will be performing at the Ottawa 2010 Storytellers' Festival in a featured concert, Stories and Songs of Newfoundland. The concert will take place on Sunday, November 21st at 7 p.m. For a complete schedule of events, follow this link.

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Anita Best is the narrator of Mary Dalton's acclaimed poetry collection Merrybegot, available as an unabridged audio CD or digital download from Rattling Books.

Thursday Night Song Circle

The Thursday Night Song Circle will be held at The Crow's Nest (off Duckworth Street) next Thursday, January 31. Come around at 8 o'clock for a few songs and recitations. You don't have to sing; you can enjoy a pint and listen. Linda Byrne and Anita Best will be hosting.

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Anita Best is the narrator of Rattling Books' unabridged audio production of Mary Dalton's collection of poetry, Merrybegot, as well as a narrator of Robin McGrath's Coasting Trade and Susan Rendell's short story collection, In the Chambers of the Sea. Her music (for, among other things, she is also a singer of traditional Newfoundland music) can be found here, on the website of Amber Music.

Gower Wassail: a song from South Wales and an event in St. John's today!

Gower Wassail
(From Wikipedia)

The Gower Wassail is a wassail song from Gower in South Wales. It is printed in A.L. Lloyd's book Folk Song in England (1967), having been heard from Phil Tanner.

The Gower Wassail is also a Christmas Carol Singalong in the Gower St. United Church, St. John's, Newfoundland.

Today, December 15 is the 2nd Annual Gower Wassail organized by the Folk Arts Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.
3 - 5 pm
For more info.

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The present chair of the Folk Arts Council and one of the featured performers at this year's Gower Wassail is Anita Best.

Anita Best performs on three Rattling Books recordings. She is the voice of Mary Dalton's poetry collection Merrybegot and narrates two stories from Susan Rendell's In the Chambers of the Sea. She also narrates Robin McGrath's Coasting Trade along with Robert Joy and Rick Boland.

Christmas Concert at The Rooms

An Amber Christmas at The Rooms

Don't miss a magical evening with renowned artists Pamela Morgan, Anita Best and George Morgan. Tickets are just $10!

9 Bonaventure Avenue, St. John's
Wednesday and Thursday, December 12th and 13th
7 - 9 pm, Level 2 - Theatre

Click here to see The Rooms' website.


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Anita Best is the narrator of Rattling Books' unabridged audio version of Mary Dalton's prize-winning poetry collection, Merrybegot. The pump organ of George Morgan appears on Agnes Walsh's poetry collection, In the Old Country of My Heart. Christmas gifts, anyone?

Stories to Sing to: Exploring Newfoundland Song with Anita Best and company

CANADA LIVE! presents
THE NEWFOUNDLAND SONGBOOK VOL 1 & 2

Featuring an all-star cast of traditional music makers including: Anita Best, Pamela Morgan, Kelly Russell, Billy Sutton, George Morgan and Graham Wells.

VOLUME 1 - The Early Days
Friday, November 2
LSPU Hall

Lords and ladies, pirates and sailors, villains and cruel parents, the Newfoundland Songbook has it all.
In part one of the two part concert series Pamela Morgan, Anita Best and an all-star cast of Newfoundland’s traditional music makers explore the songs of our ancestors.
The show presents material from the British, French, Irish and Scottish cultures that formed the foundation of the Newfoundland oral tradition since the earliest days. These classic and broadside ballads, ditties and tunes comprise the heart of the cannon that is the Newfoundland Songbook.
Love, betrayal, murder, revenge, trickery - the themes are universal; the scene historic; with a narrative that ties the songs into world events and local history of the era.

VOLUME 2 - 1850-1949
Saturday, November 3
LSPU Hall

Songs and tunes that were made up about life in the new world, in the New-founde-lande.
They tell of disasters at sea, sly politicians, soup suppers in the parish hall, life under the "cruel rogues of merchants", work in the lumber woods or on the boats. They speak of a world of community values and virtues, of hard work and simple fun. They give us a picture of a young country making its way in a new world.
Some of them make sport of local characters and the small world of scattered coastal communities. Names are named and real people come to life in historical events.
The selections for this show include songs from Johnny Burke, Mark Walker and Peter Leonard and tunes by fiddlers Emile Benoit and Rufus Guinchard.
For more details click here.

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Anita Best and George Morgan have both performed on Rattling Books recordings.

Anita Best narrated two of the stories in Susan Rendell's collection In the Chambers of the Sea as well as narrating Merrybegot by Mary Dalton. Together with Robert Joy and Rick Boland Anita is also heard on Coasting Trade by Robin McGrath.

George Morgan played pump organ and Fisher-Price Roly Poly on In the Old Country of My Heart by Agnes Walsh.

September Song Circle

The monthly Song Circle

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 at 8 p.m.

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THE CROW’S NEST OFFICERS' CLUB, off Duckworth Street, east of the War Memorial, St. John's, Newfoundland

Anyone interested in singing or listening to a song as well as anyone who wants to perform a recitation is more than welcome.

Young people may attend free, accompanied by an adult. We collect $3 from adults to pay for the rental of the club.

Hosted Linda Byrne and Eleanor Dawson

To get in the mood, listen here to Simone Savard-Walsh singing the ballad Fair Fannie Moore. This recording of Simone comes from the Rattling Books poetry CD by Agnes Walsh In the Old Country of My Heart.

The Best in Boston

An Evening of Newfoundland Culture and Song

Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Reception: 7:00 pm
Presentation and Performance: 8:00 pm
Venue: The Cloud Foundation, 647 Boylston St., Boston, http://www.cloudfoundation.org/

Memorial alumni and fellow Newfoundland and Labradorians are invited to an evening of education and song as fellow alumna Ms. Millie Rahn talks about the Boston-Newfoundland Connection, followed by a performance by fellow alumna, Ms. Anita Best, at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 19th at The Cloud Foundation on Boylston Street. Come and connect with other Memorial alumni and expatriates from the province who are living in the Boston area.

For more than a decade Millie Rahn has been collecting oral histories from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the "Boston States" with an emphasis on the Boston Barrel Tradition. She has completed a compilation for the provincial Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development on the 400 year relationship and cultural ties between both regions entitled "An Overview of the Cultural and Historic Connections Between Newfoundland and Labrador and New England".

Anita Best has spent a lifetime exploring and celebrating the rural Newfoundland lifestyle and culture. In the process she has become one of the province's most prominent traditional singers. Her name is synonymous with traditional song in Newfoundland and her work as a performer, as well as a folklorist, archivist and teacher, has helped to preserve songs and stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

For more information, please see Memorial University's alumni event page.

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Anita Best has narrated several Rattling Books titles. You can hear her performing on Mary Dalton's Merrybegot, Susan Rendell's In the Chambers of the Sea, and Robin McGrath's Coasting Trade--all available in unabridged audio formats from rattlingbooks.com

Bachelor Brothers is Garageband.com's Spoken Word Track of the Week

Garageband.com
Spoken Word Track of the Week

Click here to visit the Garageband page for Bachelor Brothers.

The poem, from the collection Merrybegot, was selected as the track of the week in the spoken word category on garageband.com.

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The audio edition of Mary Dalton's Merrybegot is narrated by Anita Best with Patrick Boyle on trumpet and flugelhorn. It was published by Rattling Books in 2005.

July Song Circle

The monthly Song Circle

THURSDAY, JULY 26 at 8 p.m.

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THE CROW’S NEST OFFICERS' CLUB, off Duckworth Street, east of the War Memorial, St. John's, Newfoundland

Come along and sing a song or perform a recitation, if you're in the mood. Just sit with your pint and listen, if you'd rather. If you don’t want to sing, you can recite. Anything goes!

Sponsored by Anita Best, Linda Byrne and Eleanor Dawson

To get in the mood, listen here to Simone Savard-Walsh singing the ballad ( Fair Fannie Moore). This recording of Simone comes from the Rattling Books poetry CD by Agnes Walsh In the Old Country of My Heart.

Anita Best at Festival 500

Traditional singer Anita Best will be a guest of this year's Festival 500. Read her complete biographical note on the official website:

"Anita Best has spent a lifetime exploring and celebrating the outport Newfoundland lifestyle and culture. In the process she has become one of the province's most prominent traditional singers. Born on Merasheen Island in Placentia Bay (since abandoned under the 1960s government resettlement program), Anita comes from a family of traditional singers.

On the maternal side, the Reids of Tack's Beach had fine women singers, including her mother Elsie, who brought many songs with her when she moved to Merasheen Island in the 1940s. Her father Fred Best, and his seven brothers were well known throughout Placentia Bay for their forthright singing style and their extensive repertoire of songs, tunes and ditties. Anita remembers her father and uncles singing tunes for winter evening kitchen dances when she was a child. She remembers also the wonderful stories of Bride Fulford and Kate Wilson, two of the island's most extraordinary women.

When her father passed away, Anita started to feel that there was something 'missing' from her life. Her interest in traditional singing blossomed anew. She worked with Noel Dinn and Neil Murray to build a repertoire for the band that eventually became Figgy Duff. For one season, she took on the role of lead singer in the band, and for years after she was no longer a performing member she continued to bring traditional songs and tunes to the group. But she wanted to return to Placentia Bay, so in 1977 she settled in the community of Southeast Bight with Pius Power Jr., a fisherman who also happened to be a traditional singer [...]"

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Anita Best is a narrator for Rattling Books. She features on Mary Dalton's Merrybegot, Susan Rendell's In the Chambers of the Sea and Robin McGrath's Coasting Trade.

Love Songs at the Ballad Session: February 22, Crow's Nest, St. John's, Newfoundland

Join Anita Best et alia

this THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 at 8 p.m.

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THE CROW’S NEST BETWEEN WATER AND DUCKWORTH, St. John's, Newfoundland where like every place else, Love is often Lost but may be Found again and between the two, a trail of ballads.

Come along and sing a song or just sit with your pint and listen. If you don’t want to sing, you can recite. Anything goes!

A small donation is requested to cover the costs of renting the space.

Hosted by Linda Byrne, Eleanor Dawson and Anita Best

To get in the mood, listen here to Simone Savard-Walsh singing the ballad ( Fair Fannie Moore). This recording of Simone comes from the Rattling Books poetry CD by Agnes Walsh In the Old Country of My Heart.