EX-LOW COUNTRY BOYS > NOW THE THOMPSON BROTHERS! Ulster-Scots Gospel Music

Meet on that Beautiful Shore

2012-01-31T15:24:00.001Z

Well, here it is, the cover of our next CD. This is us as wee boys, probably around 1978, down at Ballyfrench shore where we spent every day of every summer when we were wee, and where we now take our own weans. "Meet on that Beautiful Shore" is an ideal title for us, as it's not only a reference to hame but also a famous line from an oul-fashioned hymn that nearly everybody knows. As Robert Burns said in Auld Lang Syne - 'we twa hae run about the braes... we twa hae paidl'd i' the burn frae morning sun till dine'. We're now just finalising the track listing, which we are trying out at various concert appearances. Let us know what you think! Next stop Portadown this weekend.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-27T00:08:00.001Z

Well, after a nice long break we are now gearing up for a busy 2012 which, appropriately for us, starts tonight at Willowfield Parish Church in East Belfast for their annual Burns Supper evening. We've lost count of how many times we've been to Willowfield - great folk, a very busy congregation doing a fine job of presenting Christ in a variety of ways to a variety of communities on their doorstep. Joining us will be Gilnahirk Pipe Band.

We are very fortunate to be (already) close to fully booked from now to the summer, and since Christmas we've had to unfortunately turn down six additional enquiries. There are plenty more that are awaiting confirmation for later in the year. Over the next few weeks we'll be telling you a bit more about our plans for our next set of recordings - we've got some demos done, it's all starting to take shape.

Wrapping up 2011

2011-12-05T00:23:00.001Z

Thanks to everyone who has been with us throughout this year - other artists, the people who have booked us for events and services, and people who have encouraged us along the way during our 26 engagements.

Over the past few days we've had the privilege of sharing a Christmas musical evening at Craigavon Civic Centre with Commons Silver Band from Newry; another Christmas evening at the Spectrum Centre on the Shankill Road with Jamie Stuart (author of The Glasgow Bible) and others, and just this evening at the Iron Hall on Templemore Avenue in East Belfast where we met some folk who remember meeting musical heroes of ours, Seth & Bessie Sykes, on their many visits to our side of the water.

Over the second half of this year we've tried out a fair amount of new material, so we'll now take a break until Burns Night when we'll once again be with Willowfield Parish (also in east Belfast) for their annual event. Keep an eye on our diary as it fills up - we'll be in your part of the country at some point next year!

Knocknamuckley and Low Quarter

2011-11-13T01:37:00.001Z

We've had another two great nights over the past week - last Sunday evening we took part in the evening service at Knocknamuckley Church of Ireland (a beautiful, traditional large parish church with marvellous interiors and superb natural acoustics) and last night at the impressively refurbished Low Quarter Orange Hall near Magheragall, which turned into an impromptu 'jam session' at the end with all of the various singers standing together singing some classics, with accordion, mandolin, guitars - great stuff! Always great to see some faces we've met over the years and to share a cup of tea and an egg & onion sandwich or two. Thanks especially to Lawrence, Alison and Victoria tonight (as well as Fred and Peter) - we'll expect to hear big things ahead!

Two big Christmas events coming up, at Craigavon Civic Centre and then a special "Ulster-Scots Christmas Extravaganza" in the Spectrum Centre, Shankill Road, Belfast with renowned Scots language evangelist Jamie Stuart coming over from Glasgow - more info available here.

Then we have what has almost become our annual visit to the Iron Hall in Belfast - and then two months off for plenty of family time over Christmas and New Year.

It's been another very busy year, thanks to everyone who has helped, encouraged along the way. Hope to see you soon!

100 years of William McEwan - The World's Sweetest Gospel Singer

2011-11-11T21:20:00.001Z

In November 1911, a singer-evangelist from Glasgow called William McEwan (1871 - 1943) recorded 24 hymns for Columbia Records. These are perhaps the first ever gospel recordings in the world. Today McEwan is largely forgotten, but Mark has been researching his life story and is posting it in a series over on his own blog. You can read them by clicking below:

• PART ONE:
Ayrshire Roots, Glasgow upbringing and early talent

• PART TWO:
His first trip to America, Fame and Marriage

• PART THREE:
Conversion, Evangelism, America and the historic 1911 London recording sessions

• PART FOUR:
Stardom in America, a Lucrative Offer Rejected and two Wartime bereavements

More parts will follow over the coming weeks. Meanwhile here is a YouTube video of McEwan's November 1911 recording of "My Ain Countrie":

A am far frae ma hame an A'm weary aftenwhile
For lang'd-for hamebringin' and ma Faither's welcome smile
An A'II ne'er be full content, until ma een dae see
The gowden gates o' Heaven, an' ma ain countrie.

The earth is deck'd w' floo-ers, mony tinted, bright an' gay
The birdies warble blithely, fer ma Faither made thaim sae
But these sights an' these souns wull as naethin be tae me
When A hear the angels singin' in my ain countrie.

A hae His guid word o promise that some glaidsome day the King
Tae His ain royal palace all His ransomed hame will bring
Wi' een an wi' hairt rinnin owre we shall see
The King in aa His beautie in my ain countrie.

Ma sins they hae been mony, an' ma sorrows hae been sair
But there they'll never vex me, nor be remember'd mair
For His bluid has washed me white an His haun shall dry my een
When He brings me hame at last tae my ain countrie.

Great night at Granshaw!

2011-10-23T09:36:00.001+01:00

We were at Granshaw Presbyterian Church near the La Mon Hotel last night; it was one of those night where it all just seemed to click - mandolin stayed in tune, didn't forget any words, singing was about as good as we can get it, the man on the sound desk did a superb job, lots of great conversations with people afterwards - just a joy to have been there. So lots more invitations coming our way, and people asking all the time about the next CD!

Also playing last night were the inimitable Mr Kenny Archer, Nigel Black (accordion - and poetry reader forbye - anybody who reads old John Clifford poems is all right with us!), Elaine Allen (tin whistle) who played individually in the first half, and then as a duo in the second half and were superb, and Orla Bell, a fiddle player with amazing skill and talent never mind a wide repertoire. Her versions of 'In Christ Alone' and 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus' were captivating, we could have listened to her, and to Jane on piano accompaniment, all night.

So, next for us are three dates 'into the west' at Knocknamuckley, Lisburn and Craigavon, and then two in Belfast in early December. Then two months off to get Christmas over us, and back to it again with 4 dates in February! Thanks to everybody we've met this year - hope to see you again soon.

Two great nights - Donegore and Loughbrickland

2011-10-12T20:14:00.001+01:00

Thanks to those who invited us up to 2nd Donegore Presbyterian Church last Friday evening, to take part in the Harvest evening event with the congregation there. We have seen the video footage and thankfully it wasn't too bad! It was lovely to share stories of local history and hymnwriters, and to see Sandra, Pam and May again (hope you enjoy the CDs!). And always nice to meet folk who have family connections back down in our part of the world - and we will indeed be happy to come back again, thanks for asking!

We very much enjoyed last night with Loughbrickland Black Evangelical Fellowship. Jack gave a talk on the 1859 Revival, and we played 4 old hymns which were either used during or written around the time of the Revival. Again we met folk with Ards connections, and one lady whose mother was the headmistress of our wee country primary school. The men there are doing great work and we are very pleased to have been able to help out.

So we have six dates left between now and Christmas, a manageable amount for us during the darker winter nights; next stops are Gransha Presbyterian Church (near Comber) in about 10 days time, and then a return visit to Knocknamuckley Church of Ireland (near Portadown) on the first Sunday in November to share yet more old-time traditional gospel music.

Lisnafillan Mission Hall

2011-09-25T18:45:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Bert who asked us to take part in the evening at Lisnafillan Misson Hall (between Gracehill and Ahoghill in County Antrim) last night, along with Vision Praise (well known for their musical ministry with George Barkley of OC Presbyterian Church, Randalstown) and The Dickey Family. It was a great night and the hall was packed - we really enjoy getting asked to play in the kinds of wee halls that we grew up in and still love, among ordinary folk like ourselves and plenty of familiar faces of folk we've got to know over the years. There was plenty of tay on the boil, and the condensation was running down the walls in the kitchen/ante-room at the back - it's not hard to spend nearly 3 hours in a meeting like that! Our next outing is at Donegore Presbyterian Church, again in County Antrim, as part of their Harvest celebrations.

Another Letter from America: John Moten Freeman, writer of 'What Would the Profit Be"

2011-09-05T23:25:00.001+01:00

We received the marvellous email below just last weekend, which we are posting here unedited with permission:

.................

Hi Lads,

I discovered your music after a Google search for “What Would the Profit Be”, and so very much enjoyed your “brother duets” from Youtube and your website.

I am a lady in her 60s that lives in Georgia, USA. My father is John M. Freeman, one and the same who wrote “What Would the Profit Be”. I was aware of the Bill Monroe recording but didn’t know about yours. I bought it from iTunes but I would like to know if you have any more CD’s as I would so much love to have a “real” CD. My dad would be so proud. He was a deeply religious man and musically talented. He was born in the southern Appalachians in the little town of Gerton, North Carolina in 1879. I was the last of his 14 children by two wives. I was born when he was 68 years old and he passed when I was 14. He was a prolific songwriter.

Here he is in 1903 in front of a blackboard that he had prepared his Sunday School lesson for Henrietta, NC Baptist church. He was descended from the Scotch-Irish that settled in that area in the late 1700s.

Thank you again for a wonderful recording, your voices are heart-stirring.

Best Regards,

Martha Freeman

Broadisland Gathering 2011

2011-08-31T23:18:00.001+01:00

We have the privilege of playing tomorrow night at Ballycarry Presbyterian Church for the opening concert of this year's Broadisland Gathering. The Gathering has been running annually now for 19 years, and is the longest-established Ulster-Scots festival. You can find out more on Facebook here. With us will be Bracken and Stonewall, for an evening of Ulster-American themed music. Hope to see you there!

UPDATE - just back in, had a great night. Thanks to the guys from Stonewall for the invitation for 2012, hopefully it'll all fall into place!

Does anybody have any favourites?

2011-07-12T22:30:00.001+01:00

How many times have you heard this asked from the platform in a mission hall? Well, we're now giving you all the chance to make some suggestions for old hymns and songs you'd like us to record for our next CD. We've got a title for it already, the cover artwork is designed, and we're weighing up about 15 possible pieces. But there's always room for a wheen mair! So, if there's a piece you'd like us to try, email us and let us know. We might even record it as one of our next batch of 'Scullery Table Demos' and email it to you! We're in no rush to release the CD - no commercialised panic for 'the Christmas market'. If we get it out by then all well and good. If not, well maybe early in the New Year. Look forward to hearing from you! We'll tell you more in a few weeks time.

Comber 12th July demonstration

2011-07-12T22:12:00.001+01:00

We took part in the 12th July activities in Comber today. It was glorious sunshine throughout - we started by helping LOL 1310 Banner of the Cross with their annual open air service in the assembly field. Those men can really sing when they get started! Thanks to Jack for asking us along, it was a privilege to be part of that outreach.

Later in the day we played our 'Robert Lowry Medley' on the main platform, just before the preaching which was handled very well by Robin. That sequence of hymns - 'Nothing But the Blood of Jesus / Shall We Gather At the River / Follow On / Saviour Thy Dying Love' always goes down well, and today especially 'Follow On' worked well with some of the gathered crowd! (some folk don't realise that the football chant 'Follow follow we will follow Rangers' started out as the hymn 'Follow follow we will follow Jesus'). And of course as Lowry's parents lived just down the road in the Killinchy / Killyleagh area this gave the medley some local significance.

Quite a few local churches were there today - a mix of tracts, tea, and trailer ministry by the local Free Presbyterian, Presbyterian and Baptist churches respectively. We have friends within all three. As well as these, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland was distributing a leaflet 'More Than A Book' throughout the day, which tells the story of the King James' Authorised Version of the Bible which is 400 years old this year. Hopefully all of those efforts today will have found 'good soil'.

We're now on a bit of a musical break, with just a few low-key private things during the summer. Autumn begins for us with the Broadisland Gathering in Ballycarry on the first Saturday in September.

Visitors from Tennessee

2011-06-19T23:02:00.001+01:00

During late May and early June, Graeme and Judith hosted visitors from Tennessee, USA. Charles and Debbie Ross were in Northern Ireland as part of a touring musical event entitled 'Witness Ireland'. Here's an excerpt from their latest email newsletter:

From cool in Northern Ireland to hot in Tennessee!!!! What a change! Yes we had an awesome time meeting online friends for the first time in person, sightseeing, singing, and ministering to one another and others!!!! In a most beautiful place!!! We were received and treated with such love by our host family, Graeme and Judith and their sweet children. It didn't take long to become 'family', and saying 'goodbye' was not easy. Each of the host families, church families, and especially our tour guide/manager/driver/, well, Joseph Beggs just is amazing! Thanks to you all for making this tour a success, and a trip Debbie and I, as well as all the artists I'm sure, will cherish always! You have a place in our hearts forever. I have attached some photos which do not begin to show the beauty of the country... the hues and shades of green are not describable.

So, as you might expect, we gave them some booklets about Ulster's historical links with Tennessee (Belfast and Nashville are Sister Cities after all).

You can visit their website here.

Glastry Methodist last night - and TV forbye?

2011-06-05T10:26:00.001+01:00

We had a lovely time last night with our neighbours at Glastry Methodist Church, sharing part of a special evening they had arranged for some fundraising. We gave them a supply of CDs for free, which they can sell to help with their project. A brave wheen were snapped up last night! Best wishes to the Hammonds as they take on a big big challenge in a few weeks time. And good luck to Nick McKnight as he heads on to pastures new.

We've also been asked to record some stuff for a TV programme later this year. Not sure if we'll do it (we turned down a similar opportunity last year) but it's always nice to be asked. Publicity like that has its dangers, you can end up on a slippery slope where you start to believe the hype. We'll give it some thought and we'll see what happens.

Next stop - a nice quiet summer with an appearance at the Comber 12th July Demonstration Field, and then the Autumn season begins with the brilliant Broadisland Gathering Ulster-Scots Family Festival in Ballycarry, Co Antrim. More on these coming soon!

A letter from America

2011-05-29T22:37:00.001+01:00

We get emails from people in different parts of the country, Scotland and occasionally from the USA as well. Here are some excerpts from two emails we've received this weekend from Wanda Martin who lives in Memphis, Tennessee:

"... I have to tell you I listened to you sing In the Sweet Bye and Bye and my mouth fell open. It is so amazing that you sound just like us here in the South. I'm a grandmother and I grew up on those songs (I was born in South Carolina, now live in Tennessee). I honestly wouldn't have known where you are from if I hadn't been reading at your site. Are you sure you're not from the Carolinas, Georgia, TN or Virginia? I still double checked to make sure you didn't have some of our people visiting. Seriously, it's amazing ..."

"... would swear before God you were born and bred in the South if I just had your music to go by..."

"... I can tell you I felt a real bond when I found your site. It was like an affirmation of my heritage. It's one thing to have my great Aunt (who did some of our genealogy) say that we had ancestors who were Scotch-Irish and came on a ship from Belfast. You think "Well, that's cool" but she wasn't there and how certain are we? Then after hearing you, I'm thinking "We came from wherever he is"... it just feels right ..."

It's great to be able to make connections with people with Ulster-Scots roots. Music, culture and faith are magnetic, drawing people together. Wanda has even offered to give us a guided tour of Memphis if we ever go back to the USA!
.

A great night in Portballintrae

2011-05-29T10:15:00.001+01:00

(pic is from Google Images)

We had the privilege of taking part in 'The Shelter' event last night in Portballintrae Village Hall (located right down at the far end of the village) a monthly event organised through Dunseverick Baptist Tabernacle. The building was packed to the door with mostly young folk as well as some weans and adults. Also there were speaker Sam Balmer (and his son Matthew) and the superb Revelation. We were given such a warm welcome we could have stayed all night. We joined Sam for the communal singing at the start and then we played for about 25 minutes, with the definite highlight being when wee Charlotte McCurdy got up and sang all of 'Victory in Jesus' along with us - she was brilliant, and still only 2 years old!

By the end of the night we were completely cleared out of CDs and so we headed for home ( a 2 hour journey) about 11.30pm. We love playing in County Antrim, among country folk like ourselves; if you're thinking of going to 'The Shelter', either as one of the audience, or even to take part, we'd definitely recommend it! They're doing a brilliant work there which is being richly blessed.

Availability for the rest of 2011

2011-04-22T14:23:00.001+01:00

On our 'Dates' page is a listing of the various events we're taking part in for the rest of this year. Please note that we now only have availability for two dates in November and one more in December. We've had quite a few enquiries over the past few weeks for summer events, which we've had to turn down - so if you're thinking of inviting us to an event please check that 'Dates' page first.

Thompson Brothers on YouTube

2011-04-13T21:49:00.001+01:00

We get lots of enquiries from people who have seen some of the clips that we have over on YouTube. Below is the new YouTube 'Custom Player' where you can quickly flick through all of the video clips we have. The first one was filmed by the folk at Newtownards Baptist Church back in December 2009, with some of the congregation singing along. Let us know if you have any we can add here!

Six weeks off... and then to Dunseverick!

2011-04-12T23:45:00.001+01:00

We're on a bit of a planned breather for the next six weeks. Our next date is up with Dunseverick Baptist on Saturday 28th May, along with the excellent Revelation. We've never played with them before, but their fine reputation goes before them. They can actually sing, which will really put us two bluffers on the spot! Mind you, it's always good to be playing whaur the fowk can unnerstaun whit we're taakin aboot! Nae bother in north Antrim!

See you in Kilkeel on Sunday evening!

2011-04-07T23:14:00.001+01:00

Looking forward to visiting Kilkeel Baptist Tabernacle this Sunday evening; it's a long, but beautiful, drive down the coast for us. We're trying to resist the temptation to do a selection of seafaring pieces (like 'I've Anchored My Soul in the Haven of Rest', 'Will Your Anchor Hold', 'Living on the Shore', 'I will make you Fishers of Men' etc) as we're sure that Kilkeel folk are fed up with visitors doing that sort of thing! However, there's a theme developing there that we'll tell you more about later this year...

Broadisland Gathering - September 2011

2011-03-25T17:39:00.001Z

We're delighted to have been asked to play at this year's Broadisland Gathering in Ballycarry, County Antrim. The Gathering is the longest-running Ulster-Scots festival, and is always held on the first weekend of September, and is a lovely community occasion each year. More info to follow.

Get ready for Cookstown!

2011-03-03T19:50:00.001Z

Easily our biggest event of the year takes place later this month, on Saturday 26th March, when we have the privilege of joining The 1147ers, Kathryn Mitchell, Paul Irwin, and Live Issue at the Burnavon Theatre in Cookstown. The concert starts at 8pm, tickets are £10.00 each and all proceeds are being given to charity.

St Saviour's Parish Church, Craigavon - 17th Annual Evening of Music & Praise - Friday 11th Feb 2011 @ 8.00pm

2011-01-30T10:13:00.001Z

This is our next diary date, taking Ulster-Scots flavoured gospel music to County Armagh! Also taking part are soloists George Walker (Lurgan) and Phillis Corrigan (Armagh), with a group called Accordion Sounds (who we think are made up from members of the excellent Pride of the Birches Accordion Band). Pastor Simon Richardson of Craigavon Baptist Church will be there too. Supper is provided. As Joe Murphy says, Craigavon is the land of "magic roundabouts", and the church is just off roundabout no. 3. Here's the church website.

Burns night at Willowfield Parish Church, east Belfast

2011-01-26T09:02:00.001Z

Here's a quick photo from last night at Willowfield, where we played for about 35 minutes, as part of their Burns Night event. Gilnahirk Pipe Band were there as were the Kelly Forsythe dancers, and not forgetting a great Lambeg drum demonstration. We've been to Willowfield about 6 times in the past 18 months or so, it's always good to be asked back - and last night they asked us back AGAIN for another event later in the year! The folks at Willowfield do everything really well, and we met folk from places as exotic as New York and Portavogie. I couldn't fit the whole room into the shot, but you get the general impression. Thanks yet again to George Newell for asking us along.

See you on Saturday!

2011-01-19T18:05:00.001Z

The 2011 season really starts for us this incoming week, firstly on Saturday evening at the Town Hall in Newtownards and then on Tuesday for a Burns Night evening at Willowfield Parish in East Belfast. Sam Bargewell (from Bray in Co Wicklow) is one of our parents' favourite singers of all time, so it's a real privilege to be sharing the evening with him on Saturday, along with Vivienne McCoy from Heavenbound - the last time we sang with Heavenbound was an impromptu thing at the Gospel Music Convention in Fraserburgh in Scotland about 5 years ago! Hope to see you during 2011.

William L Thompson (1847 - 1909): great-grandson of Ballymena emigrants

2011-01-08T10:33:00.001Z

William L Thompson was born in the river town of Smith's Ferry, Pennsylvania. He and his family later moved 5 miles westwards along the Ohio River to to East Liverpool, Ohio where they attended the church known today as the First Evangelical Presbyterian. Thompsons pretty much owned the entire town, and William donated 100 acres of land to the people to be used as open parkland, which is still today called Thompson Park. There are a few biographies of him online, but his most well-known hymn is "Softly and Tenderly", which is said to be the hymn which has been translated into the most languages. He also wrote "Lead Me Gently Home, Father". Soon he was a famous songwriter, but he resisted many invitations to move to the city of Chicago, and remained among the rural country communities, travelling among them on a horse and buggy cart singing his songs to rural people. When his friend, the famous evangelist DL Moody lay dying, he asked for Thompson and told him "Will, I would rather have written 'Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling' than anything I have been able to do in my whole life."

• In 1890, James E Campbell, Governor of Ohio, addressed The Second Congress of the Scotch-Irish Society of America with a talk entitled "The Scotch-Irish in Ohio" (click here for the text).

• The 1999 book "A People Set Apart - the Scotch-Irish in Eastern Ohio" is available here on Amazon.

"Softly and Tenderly" and "Lead Me Gently Home Father" remain classics today. Here are two videos from YouTube of the late great Johnny Cash performing them:

GENEALOGY: William L Thompson's father was Josiah Thompson. In the early 20th century, a descendant of the same name, Josiah VanKirk Thompson, carried out exhaustive research into the genealogy of many families in the region. From his notes in 1930 he wrote "...I have a letter dated Dec 6, 1930 from George C. Thompson of the C.C. Thompson Pottery Co of East Liverpool O who says he has learned of my interest in the Thompson genealogy & says he is a grandson of Josiah Thompson (with whom I once corresponded) & whose grandfather came from Ballymena, Ireland where many Thompsons are buried in the Presbyterian Churchyard there & he had no trouble in connecting his family with those now there. He says his ancestors were Scotch & left Scotland by reason of religious persecution about three centuries ago & settled in the north of Ireland at Ballymena..."

His research shows that John, William and Thomas Thompson left Ulster around 1740 and emigrated to America, settling near Newville in Pennsylvania. The Thomas was JV Thompson's g-g-grandfather. Thanks to Chuck Thompson for sharing this information on his Thompson genealogy website here.

Christmas Number One!

2011-01-04T09:48:00.001Z

We had a brilliant surprise on 22 December when the listeners of the online radio station DivineAuthority.com voted our recording of "Ye're A' Welcome Hame" as their favourite song that week - making us their Christmas number one! Thanks to Philip and Gillian for letting us know - you can see the posting on the DivineAuthority Facebook wall here. You can listen to a clip of the song by clicking "Listen Sample Tracks" link at the top of this page.

Thanks to you all - have a great Christmas and 2011

2010-12-17T08:29:00.001Z

We finished our musical year last night with the folk from Newtownards Baptist Church who had a carols outreach evening at Ballywalter Orange Hall. The snow was on the ground outside, and inside we could see our breath even though the electric wall-mounted heaters were on full blast and were glowing an appropriately bright orange! Eric Lisk brought his accordion, Jim Annett had his 12 string guitar, there was a tin whistle playing Pastor too and it was a really enjoyable night. The mince pies and hot tea at the end were just the ticket.

Thanks to you all for a very fulfilling and rewarding year, the new CD "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" has done really well and we're down to just a few dozen having only launched it 6 months ago. Thanks to those who bought it, who recommended it, who downloaded it on iTunes - from here at home, Scotland, USA and Australia. And also thanks to those who are eagerly anticipating the next one - watch this space! We'll leave you for this year with these words from one of the pieces we played last night:

"Was it for me, sweet angel strains, came floating o'er Judea's plains
That starlit night so long ago, was it for me God planned it so?"

story and full lyrics here.

Revive Bookstore and Coffee Shop, Comber, Co. Down

2010-12-03T17:21:00.001Z

Back in August Revive Bookstore and Coffee Shop opened at 57-59 Castle Street in Comber. Not only can you enjoy a good cup of coffee there, and perhaps even a soda farl, but you can also pick up a copy of "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs"! They also have a new online shop which you can visit here at ReviveBooks.com and a blog you can visit here.

If Comber's too far away for you, try Ards Evangelical Bookshop in Newtownards who also offer online shopping, and a number of other shops across Northern Ireland.

A snowy night in Rathfriland

2010-11-30T09:00:00.001Z

Thanks to everyone who braved the blizzards on Sunday in order to be at 1st Rathfriland Presbyterian Church for the praise evening - the welcome was warm, the response was great, so much so that the very next day we had an email inviting us back! All being well we'll make a return trip during 2011. Thanks to David Scott and Rev Philip Thompson for inviting us to be there.

Soda Farls nearly all gone!

2010-11-27T00:07:00.001Z

Not many CDs left - nearly all sold out since we launched it back in May! So if you want to buy one as a Christmas present, move quickly. We'll have to heat the griddle up again in January and make a wheen mair.! For the iPod generation, you can download the whole CD, or even just individual tracks, here on iTunes. Listen to samples below:

Going global!

2010-11-26T23:51:00.001Z

One of the amazing things about the age we live in is just how small the world has become. Here are three examples:

• We're now in touch with the descendants of Duncan McNeill, a great Scottish gospel singer of the 1920s. We've got some of his records, and have also recorded three of his songs over the years. He has descendants in Scotland, South Africa and Chicago, who we are now in touch with. With the family's help we hope to put together a biography of Duncan in 2011, and to bring his story to today's generation

• We get emails from the USA a few times every month, most recently from Nigel Ewan in Columbus, Ohio. In one of Nigel's emails, he said "...I am so fond of the theological meat in old church music, especially the music of the Presbyterian tradition, but so often it has been recorded in a bland or cheesy style. Your music is worshipful in its lyrics, and beautiful in its style and craftsmanship. The perfect combination! I wish that more people were doing the kind of thing you are..." - quite a compliment! He's encouraging his friends to sing our music at his church Bible study!

• Last but certainly not least, the photo below is of our good friend Robin Fairbairn on his recent trip to Australia (who was advertised as an "international speaker" at the churches he visited!), presenting a copy of "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" to Lily Thompson, originally from Kells in County Antrim, but who has been living in Australia for 58 years and still has her Ulster-Scots accent. Lily's family tradition is that her ancestors were Covenanters, driven out of Scotland by religious persecution. Robin took six copies of the CD to Australia, and all are being put to good use.

Away in a Manger (original version)

2010-11-08T10:32:00.001Z

The world-famous tune for Away in a Manger was written by Ulster-born William James Kirkpatrick. However, we prefer the original tune, written by James Murray in 1885 (the Louvin Brothers recorded it to this tune in May 1961). This is another "Scullery Table Demo" recording, of the original tune being picked out very simply on an old guitar. We're footering with new material at the minute, and might well upload some here when they're ready. If you like this you can download an MP3 file by clicking on the black arrow.

Thanks to everybody from Westbourne!

2010-10-23T19:30:00.001+01:00

We had a great time last night, playing for Westbourne Presbyterian Community Church - often known as the "Shipyard Church" - at their annual dinner evening. We did about half an hour after the meal was over, and at the end of the night were cleaned out of the cd supply we'd taken with us! Also met a very famous blogger for the first time, a man who used to work with an uncle of ours, lots of former Ards people who now live in east Belfast, a man whose parents were Thompsons from Portavogie, and a lady who has offered us her late husband's collection of old 78s. A really brilliant night - thanks to everyone for inviting us and for joining in too!

From Newtownards to Knocknamuckley

2010-10-18T00:47:00.001+01:00

We had a really busy weekend, first of all taking part at Friday evening's Ulster-Scots event in the Old Town Hall in Newtownards, and then on Saturday night at Knocknamuckley Parish Church (between Portadown and Lurgan) where we stood in for our friends in Live Issue who were taking part in the Divine Authority concert with George Hamilton IV in Newtownabbey. Both nights went really well for us, met some old faces and made some new friends - lots of people looking for our contact numbers and talking already of asking us back for bigger events that are being planned for 2011. We're now on the run-in to Christmas with just five more events to go, making a total of 34 for 2010. A busy year, but fruitful, productive and enjoyable. We hope to do some more recording soon, so watch this space!

A message from Chile

2010-10-08T13:20:00.001+01:00

We got this message from a man in Chile, Rodrigo Vergara, via our YouTube channel.

From Chile!

Hey guys, I heard one of your songs and I found great (What Would the profit be) and would like to get the lyrics. I tried to get them on their website but are not there. Perhaps not a right thing to do but I wanted to request them directly to you to translate into Spanish and sing the song at my church Please excuse my English (Google translator) and hope not to be annoying .

God bless,

Rodrigo Vergara

Lovely to be able to make contact with like-minded people on the other side of the world. We've sent Rodrigo the words, so hopefully that old Monroe Brothers song will breathe new life in South America!

Newtownards Ulster-Scots Concert Evening - Friday 15th October @ 7.45pm

2010-09-13T20:19:00.001+01:00

As well as our usual church events throughout the Autumn, we're delighted to be taking part in ‘An Evening of Ulster Scots Music and Crack’ which is part of Newtownards Ulster-Scots Festival Week. Venue is the Londonderry Room in the Old Town Hall Newtownards.

• Hosted by Newtownards man David Anderson MVO, MBE. • Also performing will be Lord Londonderry’s Own CLB Band • Wilbert Magill (local poet, writer, accordion player and radio star!) • Newtownards Orange Male Voice Choir • There will also be a talk on Asha Kiran School in India by Billy Curry. (a retiring offering will be collected in aid of the school).

Entry is £6.00 per person, pay at the door (no tickets). There will be light refreshments and, if you're lucky, you might even get to see the old jail cell (see photo below) where many a troublesome Ulster-Scot has been held over the years!

Just back from the Port'

2010-09-04T02:23:00.001+01:00

Yes, just back in the door from Portstewart, Burnside Presbyterian to be precise, where we enjoyed meeting up with some folk we haven't seen in a while. A few conversations afterwards showed us that trouble is seldom too far away - so, without revealing any personal details, we would ask that you pray specifically for George and his family in the shocking position they find themselves in, and that they would get the just outcome in October. Also some disappointing news that a group of men who we have really enjoyed getting to know, and sharing musical evenings with over the past year, have decided to hang up their microphones. We hope this is just for a short time so they can take a well-earned break after years of tough graft, and all being well come back again refreshed, inspired and led.

GospelFest and Portstewart!

2010-08-22T18:53:00.001+01:00

We've had a brilliant weekend, firstly up at Portstewart Town Hall on a sunny Friday night for John Morrison's annual radio ministry concert - he broadcasts all over Ireland on independent stations like Radio North. Also performing were the trio 'Justified' and Martin Moore. We also bumped into Mark Carmichael and Soul Purpose who were in the audience. The following evening we were at GospelFest near Banbridge with Live Issue. Both venues were packed to the doors, about 350 people in attendance each night. We played more or less the same 10-song selection on both evenings and had a great time meeting old faces and getting to know new ones forbye. Some folk even came to see us on both evenings, and one couple we spoke to had driven all the way from Buckna to Banbridge. Thanks to John for inviting us up to Portstewart, and to Roy, Colin, Sam, Sam and Carl from Live Issue for making us part of their evening - we even joined them onstage for a few old classic gospel medleys! Next Sunday evening (29th August) we'll be at the People's Hall in Portavogie, and the following Friday night back up to Porstewart again. We're in for a busy Autumn, but we're enjoying these opportunities to play, to meet folk and to present the simple gospel message of Jesus.

GospelFest, Donacloney, 20-22 August

2010-07-29T23:13:00.001+01:00

We have the privilege of playing at this year's GospelFest event. It is spread over three consecutive evenings, and we're taking part on the Saturday evening with Live Issue and Iris Evans. We met Colin Elliott of Live Issue a few months ago at an evening in Mountnorris and got on like a house on fire, which led to us being invited to GospelFest. Live Issue have the unique honour of being the only group from Ireland to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee! The Friday evening is "Band Night" with Heatherbrook Silver Band and Bailies Mills Accordion Band. On the Sunday night are Band of Brothers. It promises to be a great weekend, and as far as we know is free, first come first served! The GospelFest site is at 28 Old Bann Road, Donacloney, about half way between Banbridge and Waringstown.

Meanwhile we're going to be up at the Cairncastle Ulster-Scots Festival this Saturday evening, which is always a great event. We also had a very flattering invitation to go to the USA later this year, but we feel that we should focus our limited efforts here at home for the foreseeable future. Ye cannae get dacent soda farls onywhaur else!

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - review by Diane Amov on Suite101.com

2010-07-08T00:43:00.001+01:00

Have a look at this review of our new CD, by American writer and music blogger Diane Amov. Diane found us on YouTube a few weeks ago, bought the CD from iTunes and has written this amazing review on the website Suite101.com. Diane's main blog is called Jerusalem Tomorrow, a blend of old bluegrass music and sound Christian thinking.

Opportunities

2010-06-10T16:06:00.001+01:00

This note is just to thank you all for your interest and support - the CD is going like hot cakes, and we've had so many opportunities that we can't accept them all (which is a nice problem to have!). So, for the rest of 2010 our diary is now full. We've also had to decline a TV opportunity, but we'll be on the radio this Sunday (repeated next Wednesday) on BBC Radio Ulster's "A Kist o Wurds" talking about the CD, playing a few tracks and also some clips that were recorded at the launch event at McKee's Country Store and Restaurant. There will also be two newspaper reader competitions in the pipeline over the coming months, so thanks to the respective Editors for getting in touch. Hopefully we'll get to meet some of you over the summer and throughout the rest of the year!

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - buy it today!

2010-06-01T18:59:00.000+01:00

1. William James Kirkpatrick Medley - Glory to God, Hallelujah / 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus / Will Your Anchor Hold? / I Need No Other Argument
2. Poem / Victory in Jesus
3. Some Say the Divil's Deid
4. He Will Set Your Fields on Fire
5. Dairk Afore Dawnin
6. He'll Dry A' Yer Tears
7. A Cannae Mine a Day
8. Robert Lowry Medley - Nothing but the Blood of Jesus / Shall We Gather at the River / Follow On / Saviour Thy Dying Love
9. Before the Throne of God Above (original 1863 version)
10. Jesus Remembered Me
11. What Would the Profit Be?
12. All the Way my Saviour Leads Me (Melody - "Ulster")
13. Low Country Medley - Hills of Carrowdore / Greba Lasses / Portavogie Boys
14. Ye're A' Welcome Hame
15. Nailed to the Cross (Melody - "Orange and Blue")
16. Haven of Rest

BUY THE CD: the CD is available for £10 from Ards Evangelical Bookshop, Faith Mission Bookshops, Albert McAuley's (Ballymoney) and Bert McCormick's (Ballyclare).

BUY DIRECT: Yu can buy the CD from us for £10, by post (plus £1 p&p within UK and RoI), or anywhere we're playing.

BUY / DOWNLOAD FROM ITUNES: Click here buy from the iTunes store, where you can get all 16 tracks for just £7.99!

Portavogie Primary School event

2010-05-31T22:38:00.001+01:00

Last week we were asked to join the line-up at a great wee evening at Portavogie Primary School which happened last Thursday evening. The place was packed to the rafters with weans and families, we were on last and got a great reception. It was lovely to meet some folk again who we haven't seen in donkeys years and we stood and yarned for ages afterwards.

Thanks to the Kim, Pamela, Caroline and the other teaching staff for inviting us, and to Mark Anderson for joining in with the tin whistle on "Some Say the Divil's Deid"! (a wee nonsense song that our grandparents sang to our parents when they were growing up). Some folk made a point of thanking us for playing "The Portavogie Boys" which is also known as "The Fishermen of County Down". Caroline taught both of us at Ballyeasborough Primary School 30-odd years ago, so we made a point of getting her to stand up for a big round of applause! Great to see a local community coming out and supporting the cultural and heritage work that the school has now enthusiastically taken on. It's always enjoyable for us to play so close to hame.

Download the new CD on iTunes for just £7.99

2010-05-26T00:22:00.001+01:00

We're experimenting with the modern world by making our new CD available through a few online music sites. Click here to go to the iTunes store where you can download just individual tracks for only 79p each, or the whole CD (all 16 tracks) for just £7.99! We've already got one very positive review on there - hae a wee jouk fer yersels.

Launch night details / how to buy the CD

2010-05-11T21:41:00.001+01:00

Our launch night at McKee's Country Store in Craigantlet was a great success - about 100 people turned up on a glorious sunny summer evening, all in fine singing voice, joining with us in about an hour and a quarter of hymns, music and banter. The soda bread was spectacular, and Chris Spurr from Radio Ulster's A Kist O Wurds was there to record the evening. We did an interview with Chris as well, which should be broadcast towards the end of this month. With thanks to Wilbert Magill and George Newell for doing their bit at the microphone, and to the Price family who travelled all the way from County Tyrone to be there!

For those of you who want to buy the CD, you can buy it directly from us (by post, or at any of our forthcoming performances), from shops (Faith Mission Bookshops provincewide / Ards Evangelical Bookshop / Bert McCormick's in Ballyclare / Albert McAuley's in Ballymoney) and shortly online via iTunes!. Price is £10 (plus £1 p&p if you're ordering by post). All profits are being given away to worthy causes.

More launch night details!

2010-05-03T15:46:00.002+01:00

Word seems to be spreading fast about the launch night, so all being well we'll have a good crowd and the communal singing will be all the better! The music will last for about 45min to an hour and will be divided equally in two - us playing songs from the CD for half of the evening, and good communal singing from "Redemption Songs" for the other half. We're going to bring a few boxes of hymnbooks with us for folk to share. McKee's are going to leave the restaurant tables in position, and wlll be serving tea and shortbread to your table throughout the evening. During the singing their bakers will be making the soda bread, which will be served fresh and warm to your table at the end of the music!

The cd (shown here - click to enlarge) will be on sale for £10.00. We've worked hard on the packaging and booklet - the CD even has a soda farl printed on it! Hope to see you on Friday evening - music starts at 7.30!

"Soda Farls" Launch night at McKee's - Friday 7th May @ 7.30pm!

2010-04-15T21:18:00.001+01:00

We'll be launching our new CD - Soda Farls & Redemption Songs - up at McKee's Country Store and Restaurant in the Craigantlet Hills on the evening of Friday 7th May. It's going to be an evening of Ulster grub - freshly baked delicious soda farls straight from McKee's kitchen - with plenty of old-time communal hymn singing for everyone to join in with from "Redemption Songs". (Maybe your church or community group could organise your very own "Soda Farls & Redemption Songs" evening? Feel free to use the idea yourself!) We'll also be playing some songs from the CD, and we're hoping to persuade a few guest artists to join us too - it should be a good night.

If you're not sure where McKee's is, here's a location map to help you find your way.

It's an open invitation, first come first served, starting at around 7.30. Hope to see you there - an' bring a' wheen o' freens!
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Want to contact The Thompson Brothers?

2010-04-13T21:20:00.000+01:00

The best way to get in touch with us is by email - click here to email us.
Thanks for your interest, we'll reply as soon as we can.
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A few wee Easter tasters of "Soda Farls..."!

2010-04-02T12:05:00.001+01:00

The new CD, "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" will be on sale very soon. Meanwhile, here are a few wee tasters of what's on it. Click on the big button here to play right through. News of the special launch event will be posted here soon - just keep the evening of Friday 7th May free for an evening of "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" at a soon-to-be-revealed venue near Newtownards. Happy Easter!

Soda Farls and Redemption Songs - samples by ThompsonBrothers

As Often As Ye Eat This Bread...

2010-04-01T21:16:00.000+01:00

A few people have asked us where we got some of the graphics we've used on our CD packaging and the promotional booklets which were issued with it. The "As Often As Ye Eat This Bread" mosaic was photographed at Willowfield Parish Church in East Belfast - we played there four times during 2009 & 2010. Thanks to George Newell for helping us take the pic.

A clip from Newtownards Baptist, December 2009!

2010-03-26T11:27:00.001Z

This clip was filmed at Newtownards Baptist Church back on 5th December 2009, at a special service for Stuart and Lorna Burnham. Hymn Medley: In the Sweet Bye and Bye - I've Found a Friend in Jesus - I'm Not Ashamed to Own my Lord / A Cannae Mine a Day / What Would the Profit Be? The Calvary Quartet shared the evening with us. As simple, and with as many off-notes, as ever, but hopefully the banter makes up for it!

A great night at Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle

2010-03-11T23:55:00.001Z

Just in from a great night at Whitewell, raising money for the work that they do in Ethiopia. The minor hall and balcony were filled, probably about 500 people there in total, so lots of funds raised and going to an excellent cause. As well as us Thompson Brothers there was a top-notch line up of Ulster gospel singers - the New Dawn Quartet, Amy Roberts, Nell and Lorraine Hire, Martin Moore and Kenny Archer. Bumped into lots of folk we've met over the years, and loads of people itching to get their hands on our forthcoming CD, "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs"! A big thank you to everybody who's been to see us already this year; two more dates in the diary for March, after which we're going to take a breather for April. Then we'll get stuck in again to more bookings once the many enquiries we've had are confirmed for the rest of this year. Keep in touch!

Another Scullery Table Demo - "Beautiful Robes"

2010-02-21T00:36:00.001Z

Counting down towards the release of our CD which will be around Easter, here's another demo song which was recorded at the scullery table in one take. "Beautiful Robes" is an old song often performed by Charlie Poole (1892 - 1931), and was written by Barney Elliott Warren (1867 - 1951) in 1897. Our good friend Colin Agnew sent this to us (as he did previously with "Gran Time Comin" and "The Hallelujah Man" to name just two!) as he figured it would suit our style. Lyrics are available here. Hope you enjoy its simplicity.

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - our new CD is on the way!

2010-02-06T13:20:00.001Z

Yes, the long-awaited CD is nearly finished and all being well will be out before Easter. It's named after two things that we grew up with - Soda Farls & Redemption Songs (Hairtsome Hymns fae oor Ulster-Scots childhood). There should be around 18 tracks, mostly old hymns with clear Ulster roots, some "Sacred Scotch Solos" and some old brother duet songs from the 20s and 30s. Lots of people from all over the country have been asking us about the CD over recent months, so if you email us we'll put you on a list - and you'll be the first to know when it arrives. Spread the word and get the kettle on - it's on the way!

Big Night at Ballee High School!

2010-02-04T10:58:00.001Z

Next Friday looks like it'll be a great night! We're taking part in a concert at Ballee High School in Ballymena, along with Martin Moore (Radio North), Kathryn Mitchell, Davy and Edith Reid and Seven Towers Pipe Band! It's the first big event of the year for us, and we're really looking forward to meeting everybody there again - we always get a great welcome in County Antrim!

Where we're playing in 2012

2010-01-31T22:12:00.000Z

Here's a list of the places where you can see us during 2012

......................................................

Forthcoming dates in 2012:

• Friday 27th January
Burns Night, Willowfield Parish Church, East Belfast

• Saturday 4th February
Edenderry Orange Hall, Portadown

• Monday 13th February
Donaghadee Methodist Church

• Saturday 18th February
CWU Lisburn

• Thursday 23rd February
Armagh Market Place Theatre, with Stonewall

• Friday 2nd March
Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown

• Saturday 10th March
Kirlish, Co Tyrone

• Saturday 17th March
Ballyrashane Presbyterian Church, near Coleraine

• Sunday 1st, Monday 2nd & Tuesday 3rd April
The People's Hall, Portavogie

• Sunday 20th May
2nd Newtownards Presbyterian Church

• Saturday 26th May
'The Shelter', Portballintrae

• Sunday 3rd June
Kilkeel Baptist Church

• Saturday 9th June
Magherafelt (venue tbc)

• Thursday 12th July
Demonstration Field open air meeting with LOL 1310

• Thursday 13th September
Killinchy Parish Church, with Stonewall

......................................................

Previous dates in 2011:

• Sunday 9th January
Ballynahinch Congregational Church

• Saturday 22nd January
Queen's Hall, Newtownards

• Tuesday 25th January
Willowfield Parish Church Burns Night event

• Friday 11 February
St Saviour's Church of Ireland, Craigavon
(with soloists George Walker and Phillis Corrigan, and Accordion Sounds)

• Sunday 13 February
Brooklands Gospel Centre, Dundonald

• Sunday 20 February (morning)
Mount Zion Community Church, Lisburn

• Sunday 6th March
Richview St Presbyterian Church, Donegall Road, Belfast

• Saturday 12th March
Olivet Hall, East Belfast, 3pm

• Saturday 26th March
Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown. With our friends Live Issue, Kathryn Mitchell, Paul Irwin and the 1147ers.

• Sunday 10th April
Kilkeel Baptist Church

• Saturday 28th May
'The Shelter', Portballintrae, with Revelation

• Saturday 4th June
Glastry Methodist Church

• Sunday 26th June, 8.15pm
Tent Mission, Newtownards, Co Down

• Tuesday 12th July
Demonstration field, Comber, Co Down

• Sunday 28th August
People's Hall, Portavogie

• Thursday 1st September
Broadisland Gathering, Ballycarry, County Antrim

• Saturday 10th September
Tullyallen & Mountnorris Presbyterian Church - cd launch event

• Saturday 24th September
Lisnafillan Mission Hall, Galgorm, Ballymena

• Friday 7 October
Donegore Presbyterian Church harvest evening

• Tuesday 11 October
Loughbrickland Black Evangelical Fellowship.

• Saturday 22 October
Gransha Presbyterian Church (near the La Mon House Hotel)

• Sunday 6th November
Knocknamuckley Church of Ireland (near Portadown), evening service

• Saturday 12th November
Lisburn concert, venue to be confirmed

• Thursday 1st December
Craigavon Civic Centre

• Saturday 3rd December
Spectrum Centre, Shankill Road

• Sunday 4th December
Iron Hall, Belfast

......................................................

Previous dates in 2010:

(34 in total)

• Thursday 14th January
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards

• Saturday 30th January
The Cottage Meeting, Newtownards

• Friday 12th February
Ballee High School, Ballymena. More details to follow!

• Saturday 20th February
Burnside Orange Hall, near Templepatrick (with the Calvary Quartet)

• Sunday 7th March
Richview Presbyterian Church, Donegall Road, Belfast

• Thursday 11th March
Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle, Belfast

• Sunday 21st March
Willowfield Parish Church, Belfast - 10am service

• Sunday 28th March
Carrowdore Mission Hall evening service, 7pm

• Friday 7th May
McKee's Country Store, Craigantlet, 7.30pm NEW CD LAUNCH - An evening of "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs". Free entry. Cup of tea and soda bread for everybody, copies of Redemption Songs at the door - come ready to sing!

• Sunday 9th May
Brooklands Gospel Centre

• Saturday 15th May
Mountnorris Presbyterian Church Hall, near Markethill, Co. Armagh. Other artists are Colin Elliott (Live Issue), William Sayers and Tammy Qua

• Thursday 27th May
Portavogie Primary School - Ulster-Scots evening

• Sunday 6th June
Mount Zion Community Church, Lisburn, 7pm

• Sunday 13th June
Saintfield Orange Hall, 7pm. Special evening service

• Thursday 24th June
Bushmills Orange Hall, Co. Antrim. Also performing will be Mark Carmichael, Parker Donnelly, and the McIiwaine Family. Starts at 8.00pm

• Wednesday 7th July
Culcavey Hall, Lisburn. Also performing will be Sam Jenkins and Soul Purpose. Starts at 8.00pm

• Saturday 31st July & Sunday 1st August
Cairncastle Ulster-Scots Folk Festival, Co Antrim. Saturday evening soirée at 7.30pm, we might also take part in the Sunday afternoon praise service at 2.30pm

• Sunday 15th August
Brooklands Gospel Centre

• Friday 20th August
Portstewart Town Hall. With "Justified" and Martin Moore. Phone John Morrison 7086 8437

• Saturday 21st August
"GospelFest", Donacloney, Co Down with Live Issue and Iris Evans

• Sunday 29th August
The People's Hall, Portavogie, 8.15pm

• Friday 3rd September, 8.00pm
Burnside Presbyterian Church, Portstewart. Also performing will be Eaden Accordion Orchestra, Corner Stone, Nigel Davison and Soul Purpose.

• Thursday 16th September
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards

• Saturday 18th September, 3.00pm
Disabled Christian Fellowship event, Bangor. Contact Albert Brown 9146 3984

• Saturday 25th September
Ballygowan Presbyterian Church, with Risin Stour. Contact John Hanna 9752 8325

• Saturday 2nd October
First Comber Presbyterian, Men on a Mission Ethiopia fundraising evening. Tickets £6 each, contact Gary Jackson on 07708 709232

• Sunday 3rd October
Ballywalter Orange Hall mission, preacher Trevor Bennett

• Sunday 10th October
Ballywalter Orange Hall mission, preacher Trevor Bennett

• Friday 15th October
‘An Evening of Ulster Scots Music and Crack’ part of Newtownards Ulster-Scots Festival Week. Venue is the Old Town Hall Newtownards. Hosted by David Anderson MVO, MBE. Also performing will be Lord Londonderry’s Own CLB Band, Wilbert Magill and the Newtownards Orange Male Voice Choir . There will also be a talk on Asha Koran School in India by Billy Curry. A retiring offering will be collected in aid of the School. Entry £5.00.

• Saturday 16th October, 7.45pm
Knocknamuckley Parish Church Hall, Co Armagh. Harvest Supper evening

• Friday 22nd October
Private function for Westbourne Presbyterian Church, Belfast.

• Saturday 6th November, 7.00pm
Carrowdore Mission Hall, monthly rally evening.

• Tuesday 9th November, 8.00pm
2nd Presbyterian Church, Newtownards.

• Sunday 28th November, 7.00pm
First Rathfriland Presbyterian Church.

• Sunday 5th December, 7.00pm
Iron Hall, Belfast.

• Thursday 16th December, 7.00pm
Carol Service, Ballywalter Orange Hall.

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Previous dates in 2009:

(28 in total)

• Sunday 22 February
Willowfield Parish Church, Belfast

• Thursday 26th February
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards

• Sunday 1st March
Richview Street Presbyterian Church, Donegall Road, Belfast

• Saturday 21st March
Stranocum Alternative St Patrick's Night, Stranocum Orange Hall

• Friday 27th March
Wilbert Magill book launch evening, The Old Town Hall, Newtownards

• Saturday 28th March & Sunday 29th March
Killicomaine Baptist Church, Portadown

• Sunday 12th April
Disraeli Street Mission Hall, Woodvale Road, Belfast

• Saturday 25th April
1859 Revival Commemoration Evening, Hillstown Orange Hall, Randalstown

• Thursday 30th April
1859 Revival Commemoration Evening, Ferniskey Orange Hall, Ballymena

• Sunday 17th May
Willowfield Parish Church, Belfast

• Sunday 24th May
Brooklands Gospel Centre, Dundonald

• Sunday 23rd August
Killaughey Mission Hall

• Monday 24th August
Millisle Baptist Church mission week (with the Calvary Quartet)

• Sunday 20th September
Brooklands Gospel Centre, Dundonald

• Sunday 27th September
Iron Hall, Belfast

• Sunday 4th October
Larne Mission Hall

• Friday 9th October
Coleraine Town Hall with William Sayers, Soul Purpose (Portglenone) and Mwamba Children's Choir (Uganda). Compère William Knox

• Saturday 10th October
Bangor Abbey, Ulster-Scots Evening with the Michelle Johnston Highland Dancers

• Sunday 18th October
Willowfield Parish Church, Belfast - 10am service

• Friday 13th November
Crossgar Ulster Praise Night; Crossgar War Memorial Hall, 8pm with Crossgar Young Defenders, Raffrey Pipe Band, Tamlaughtmore Silver Band and Carryduff Accordion Band

• Saturday 14th November
Carryduff Presbyterian Church Ulster-Scots Night with Risin' Stour, the Clan Davidson Highland Dancers, and compere Norman McBriar. Ticket only; for details contact Hugh Munro on 028 9081 2361

• Friday 20th November
Killelagh COI concert event; Killygullib Orange Hall; 8pm Country, Gospel and Ulster-Scots concert (with Kenny Archer, Jacqueline Prentice, Quinn Memorial Pipe Band, Killymuck Accordion Band) Ticket only; for details contact John Lynd on 07837 623656

• Saturday 21st November
Uganda Praise event, St James’ Parish Church Hall, Moore Street, Aughnacloy. With Pride of The Birches Accordion Band and Clover Watt. For further details contact William Price: 07709053447

• Sunday 29th November
Ballykeel Presbyterian Church, Ballymena - special early evening service beginning at 5.30pm

• Monday 30th November
Castlereagh Borough Council St Andrew's Night Castlereagh Civic Centre, 6pm - 10pm

• Saturday 5th December
Newtownards Baptist Church with the Calvary Quartet

• Sunday 6th December
Maranatha Mission Hall, Carrowdore

• Sunday 20th December
Carryduff Gospel Hall

......................................................

Previous dates in 2008:

• Sunday 26 July
Brooklands Gospel Centre, Dundonald

• Sunday 4 October
Maranatha Hall, Carrowdore

• Saturday 11 October
Bangor Abbey Ulster-Scots Night

• Saturday 6 December
Maranatha Hall, Carrowdore

• Sunday 7 December
Branagh Memorial Church, Belfast

• Tuesday 23 December
Private function, Bushmills, Co Antrim

• Sunday 28 December
Maranatha Hall, Carrowdore

......................................................

People do the strangest things at Christmas...

2009-12-28T10:32:00.001Z

...including this blog post over at Balmoral Perspective!

Another Scullery Table Demo - What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?

2009-12-18T23:29:00.001Z

One of the obvious things about old gospel music is how stark and direct it can be - the very opposite of a lot of the woolly stuff that's around these days - and so it can be quite shocking to the modern ear. This history of What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul? is that it was one of the first songs recorded by the Monroe Brothers in their first recording session in North Carolina on 17 February 1936. They had learned it as boys in the rural Baptist churches of Kentucky in the 1920s from a hymnbook called "Millennial Revival: for Revival, Church and General Use" by James D. Vaughan which had been published in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee around 1928. This was the biggest selling record of the Monroe Brothers' careers. They recorded a further 3 versions in 1937. We've tried to keep the simple, plaintive sound of the original, but we need to work on the harmonies and guitar parts. Here it is, recorded in one take at the scullery table:

What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul? - Scullery Table Demo version
Originally recorded by the Monroe Brothers, 17 Feb 1936, in North Carolina

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What Would the Profit Be? another video from the People's Hall

2009-12-16T00:41:00.001Z

Here's another clip from the rehearsal that Network Media filmed at the People's Hall in Portavogie a wee while ago. This is another version of the 1937 Monroe Brothers song "What Would the Profit Be?"

"Jesus My Saviour to Bethlehem Came" - footerin' at the scullery table with Charlie

2009-12-12T21:49:00.001Z

Here's a wee clip of my younger son Charlie, joining me on the old hymn "Jesus My Saviour to Bethlehem Came". I was plunkin' away at the kitchen table when he came and joined in, so we decided to get the camera out. It's number 115 in Redemption Songs. You can get the lyrics here.

Nobody knows who wrote the words, but the tune was written by Emerson E Hasty and it was first published in 1878 in an American hymnal called Good Will by Towne and Stillman. In the gospel halls and mission halls Graeme and I grew up in there was no such thing as a Christmas Morning service, but with the first verse of "Jesus My Saviour" being about Christ's birth, it was a regular at the usual weekly meetings on the run-in to Christmas. Bringing up children is a huge responsibility. I hope we're managing to instill the right values and beliefs in our three, including through the songs we sing and play in the house.

Final two performances for 2009

2009-12-02T21:42:00.001Z

Thanks to the folks at both Ballykeel Presbyterian on Sunday evening, and also to the folk who came to Castlereagh Council offices on Monday evening (including the group who had already seen us at Carryduff a few weeks ago and came back for more!). The final two dates for this year are this Saturday evening at Newtownards Baptist Church (with the brilliant Calvary Quartet) and then on Sunday night back to normality at Carrowdore Mission Hall (meeting starts at 7pm). Some very interesting enquiries coming in for local festivals and events during 2010 - including one from overseas - so we'll see how things shape up. Thanks to you all for your interest and support during 2009! We might even post a few surprises here for Christmas so keep checking back!

A happy customer!

2009-11-26T17:34:00.001Z

Here's an email we got following a recent performance - it's great to know that what we do is both enjoyable and useful:

"...I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU once again to Graeme and yourself for taking the time out and travelling all the way up here to help us out. Can I just say that more people than enough have been in contact with me and your ears are bound to be hot - they all thought you guys were brilliant! The concert raised over £2500 for the fund so it was a total success. Again my sincere thanks to you both and may you and your families have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Keep in touch..."

New video - from the People's Hall, Portavogie

2009-11-25T15:07:00.001Z

Thanks to Network Media in Holywood for this clip, from a recent rehearsal session that we did at the People's Hall in Portavogie. Our family connection with the Hall goes right back to when it was founded in 1926 - it's a classic Ulster mission hall, one of the very few that are still left. With thanks to John and the folk there for letting us record in it, we might post more of the songs that were filmed that night on this blog over coming weeks. Plenty of wrong notes and the singing's not that great, but that's what you get with us two!

These three hymns are "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus", "Follow On" and "Saviour Thy Dying Love", all written by Robert Lowry whose parents were from Killyleagh in County Down. Here's the sign board from the Hall - you'd be very welcome at any of the meetings!

Castlereagh St Andrews Night - Mon 30th Nov!

2009-10-30T13:23:00.002Z

Here's a cutting from the current Castlereagh Borough Council Arts Programme! Should be a good night - but to reassure you all there's no way Graeme and I will be wearing kilts! (click to enlarge).

Also appearing are Noel McMaster, Brenda Stewart and the Bright Lights Highland Dancers - and a few others still being lined up.

Tickets cost £3 (or £1.50 for groups of 5 or more people) and can be booked via telephone 028 9049 4566 or email ConorMaguire@castlereagh.gov.uk

This morning at Willowfield

2009-10-18T16:24:00.001+01:00

Willowfield Parish Church in east Belfast does great work. This morning we were singing there (for the third time this year!) at the 10.00am service. We played four pieces, and tried to teach the folk there the old Scottish hymn "He'll Dry A Yer Tears". As ever, George Newell spoke really well, and gave me a fresh perspective on Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed. We enjoyed the sausage baps and tea afterwards, as well as good conversation and fellowship with George, and Nat and Ian McClean - they even have one of the old carved Lord's Prayer wall texts identical to the one at Killaughey Mission Hall. It's said that these might have been produced by a craftsman in the Belfast shipyard during the early 1900s. Pics from this morning are below.

The interior as we arrived:

George speaking:

Nat McClean, Graeme, George Newell and Ian McClean

The Lord's Prayer:

Free music!

2009-10-14T22:40:00.001+01:00

We've now extracted the audio from the Bangor Abbey recording - it's available to anyone that wants it as a FREE series of 11 of the 16 songs we played that night, all as mp3 files. The sound quality isn't perfect - you can hear it on the video clips on this page and on our YouTube channel - but it's not too bad. To request the 11 tracks, just email us and we'll send you a link for you to download them to your computer, with cover artwork as well (including an explanation of the origin and significance of the songs/hymns). You can then burn a CD and print out the cover. Simple!

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Yet another great night at Bangor Abbey!

2009-10-10T22:53:00.001+01:00

A clip from Bangor Abbey. No amplification or effects - the raw performance. Just three clips below - more on our YouTube channel

Before the Throne of God Above (original 1863 melody):

What Would the Profit Be? (old 1920s hymn, recorded by the Monroe Brothers in 1937):

A Cannae Mine A Day (written by Mark Carmichael, Ballymena):

What a weekend! Coleraine last night was great, and tonight we're just back from another Harvest concert at Bangor Abbey. (we played there for the same event last year - being asked to come back is always a good sign!)

The superb Michelle Johnson Highland Dancers were there as well, and were magnificent. We played an hour-long set from 8pm till 9pm, got an encore, and had so many conversations with folk afterwards that it's hard to summarise them all in this post.

As one of the buildings which Sir James Hamilton restored around 1606, as his resting place in 1643, and also as the Ulster pulpit of the mighty Scottish minister Robert Blair, Bangor Abbey has impeccable Ulster-Scots credentials. The natural acoustics are marvellous, and we've come away buzzing with the reaction from the folk who were there. There's also now a "big idea" emerging from tonight's concert, which could well see us returning to the Abbey early in the New Year. Watch this space!

A huge thank you to Gifford, Ronnie Nesbitt, Stella and Ed - and of course, the audience who reacted so warmly and enthusiastically.

(PS - when we first played at the Abbey in October 2008, I posted a summary of the evening on my blog and said we'd film the concert if we were asked back to the Abbey. So we did! We captured the whole thing on HD video. Pics and video clips to follow here over the next week or so once I've had a chance to edit the footage and upload some clips onto YouTube.)

Mark, Graeme, Ronnie, Gifford and Stella:

A joyful noise! Oscar Schmidt honeymoon F mandolin, 1927 Gibson L3 guitar, 1923 Gibson A2 snakehead mandolin:

A great night in Coleraine!

2009-10-10T02:18:00.001+01:00

Just back in from a superb evening in Coleraine. We had the privilege of sharing the stage in the famous Town Hall with the Mwamba Children's Choir from Uganda in Africa, soloist William Sayers, Articlave Flute Band and Soul Purpose (a male voice quartet from First Portglenone Presbyterian, whose members include Frank Andrews - very well known in pipe band circles for his involvement with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band - and William Lowry, who must be the busiest singer in the country as he also sings with the Calvary Quartet!).

The evening was superbly compèred by William Knox from Aghadowey (who, back in early 2008, was featured on Radio Ulster's "A Kist o Wurds" with his brother David, which was then broadcast UK-wide on BBC Radio Four) - and the Town Hall was filled to capacity with close to 350 people there.

Pictures below:

Frank, Mark and Graeme

Soul Purpose

William Sayers and the Choir

William Knox and Mark

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The Scullery Table Demos (Autumn 2009)

2009-10-02T00:52:00.001+01:00

(As I'm sure you know, scullery is an old word for the "working kitchen".) We've had a bit of publicity this week in the local papers and also the new edition of The Ulster Scot newspaper. We've had a good few emails and phonecalls already from folk who are keen to hear a wee bit of our new material.

Our "proper" album-quality recordings aren't finished yet, so meanwhile here are three of our demo recordings - literally recorded as the two of us were jamming at the kitchen table in one take, with a single microphone, raw and unpolished, with a good few wrong notes here and there! All are old old songs. These demos will give you an idea of our live sound - hope you enjoy them, rough as they are.

Victory in Jesus - Scullery Table Demo version
Written by EM Bartlett, 1939

What Would the Profit Be? - Scullery Table Demo version
Originally recorded by the Monroe Brothers, 1937

He'll Dry A' Yer Tears - Scullery Table Demo version
Originally recorded by Dugald McNeil, circa 1928

What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul? - Scullery Table Demo version
Originally recorded by the Monroe Brothers, 17 Feb 1936, in North Carolina

Beautiful Robes - Scullery Table Demo version
Written in 1897 by Barney Elliott Warren (1867 - 1951). Often performed by Charlie Poole (1892 - 1931)

McCravy Brothers, the Gleaner Quartet and the importance of old 78s

2009-09-29T16:41:00.001+01:00

Graeme and I were out last night playing/singing at the Iron Hall in east Belfast. We played "Victory in Jesus", a hymn I learned from an old 78 that my aunt Rhoda loaned me a few years ago. The recording was by the Gleaner Quartet from Belfast and recorded in the late 40s / early 50s. So I told that story after we sang it, and to my amazement at the end of the evening 4 or 5 of the older men in the church made a beeline towards us when the meeting was over.

One of them was the son of one of the Gleaners! - and, better still, the folk in the church had found an old reel-to-reel tape of their recordings and had digitised it. So they gave us a CD each of 9 Gleaners recordings, and all really good stuff! The best part of the story is that the old 78 had a song on the B side which wasn't on the old tape, and which these men have never heard. The son told me that his father had died about 3 years ago, and that his mother plays the cd regularly as a reminder of her husband. Poignantly, the song that I have, which they don't have, is "If We Never Meet Again this side of Heaven". So I'll be posting it to them on a CD this week.

Also, the McCravy Brothers were an American (South Carolina) brother duet that Rhoda also had a few 78s of. Both of the Brothers are now dead, but one of their cousins, Paul McCravy, has been in touch with me by email. He's amazed that people across the Atlantic had even heard of the McCravy Brothers, and so he's going to send me photos and information about them that have never been published.

To think of the old recordings, books and photographs that have been dumped over the years... what a legacy they held, and how much has been lost! I'm just fortunate to still have some that were passed down to me, and to be able to make connections with today's families - both here in Ulster and across the Atlantic - through the surviving recordings of 50 years ago.

Our Autumn Schedule

2009-09-04T22:28:00.001+01:00

A full list of this autumn's dates is now available here. Come and see us and say hello!
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Demos and Dates

2009-05-28T22:56:00.001+01:00

(You might know of us from our time with the Low Country Boys from February 2002 - December 2007. This is what we're doing now)

Right, so when's this album coming out? Well, we've recorded 16 demos and they're sounding okay, so we'll probably refine the arrangements and harmonies a wee bit more. The options are then to either a) take the usual route and book a recording studio or b) try something different - like record them all live in a wee hall somewhere with a single microphone. That might be more interesting, and authentic!

We definitely want to capture a primitive old-timey, lo-fi, mission hall sound, and something that's true to our live sound, rather than some perfectly-produced highly-polished and maybe slightly sterile thing.

Any other dates coming up? Yes, plenty! Full list of Autumn dates will be added sometime soon once we've firmed them up - keep checking back!
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New songs!

2009-03-31T00:10:00.001+01:00

We've been trying out a lot of new songs lately at recent performances - which as usual means old songs and hymns that are so old most people have forgotten about them. At the moment the list includes:

Haven of Rest (by Henry Gilmour of Londonderry, around 1890)
What Will the Profit Be? (by the Monroe Brothers)
What's the News? (the anthem of the 1859 Ulster Revival)
Victory in Jesus (by EM Bartlett, 1939)
Nearer My God to Thee (1841 - famous as the hymn that the band played as the Titanic sank)
All the Way My Saviour Leads Me (1875 - tune "Ulster" written by Robert Lowry)
I've a Soul to be Saved (an old Sunday School song)
Say Will You be Ready (another old Sunday School song)
Three crosses standing (another old Sunday School song)
O Christ what Burdens bowed Thy head (melody "Consolation/Ulster" by Ira D Sankey, circa 1888)
He's the One
We are Never Never Weary (1885, by Ulster emigrant William Kirkpatrick)
On the Sea of Galilee (the Carter Family)
Sunshine in the Shadows (the Carter Family)
Dwelling in Beulah Land
Brand from the Burning
The Sands of Time are Sinking (inspired by Samuel Rutherford)
Still Sweeter Every Day
And a good few more!

Demos are being recorded at the moment and are sounding good. All being well the free download MP3s will be posted here soon - as and when we get them finished.
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Coming... as soon as we get it finished!

2009-01-23T01:55:00.001Z

Keep an eye out for this - an album's worth of free downloadable tracks that we'll post at MySpace.com, with free cover artwork for those who want to either burn their own CDs, or load the tracks into iTunes.

We're committed to offering everything we do for free; but for those who want them a limited number of packaged CDs will be available for sale at cost price. Keep in touch!
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Beautiful Golden Somewhere

2009-01-20T22:30:00.001Z

We found this on YouTube recently - a slideshow using Graeme's recording of the Doc Watson gem "Beautiful Golden Somewhere":

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What are Brother Duets?

2008-12-24T01:43:00.000Z

BEFORE BLUEGRASS... were the Brother Duets. During the 20s, 30s and 40s, before bluegrass had developed, one of the most popular styles was the brother duet. It was simple, clean-sounding, using only a guitar and mandolin and two-part "close harmony" singing style. Bill Monroe invented bluegrass around 1945, but for the previous decade he had played with his brother Charlie in one of the most influential of the duet acts - the Monroe Brothers - founded on the Scotch-Irish folk music traditions of their home state of Kentucky, and a heavy influence of their rural Baptist upbringing.

"...(Bill) Monroe used only guitar and mandolin accompaniment on religious songs… all emphasis was placed on the total performance of the song in a reverent and ritualistic way; this is the hymn, it’s treated seriously..."
(ref. Bluegrass p 236-237)

"...Hillbilly music achieved a level of purity and simplicity with the development of brother duets. It was generally held that those of the same blood would naturally empathise musically... The best of the early brother duets were the Blue Sky Boys, the Delmore Brothers and the Monroe Brothers. Where much hillbilly music was considered to be coarse, vulgar and badly presented, brother duets were more acceptably clean and precise. The singing was high-pitched, with one voice carrying the melody and the other harmonising a third or fifth above. Instrumentation was a strummed guitar and mandolin playing rhythm on the off-beat, with the occasional punctuated riff or "turnaround". The finest and most commerically successful of the brother duets were the Louvin Brothers, Ira and Charlie (pictured above). Many of the songs they wrote and recorded during the 1940s and 1950s, such as "I Don't Believe You've Ever Met My Baby", and "When I Start Dreaming", became big country hits and part of the repertoires of singers such as Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons two decades later. The brother duet form went on to influence the way popular music was to develop. Ricky Skaggs claims that the Monroe Brothers had "the greatest influence on twentieth-century music". This bold statement starts to hold some water when he goes on to explain: "the Monroe Brothers influenced the Louvin Brothers, the Louvin Brothers infuenced the Everly Brothers, the Everly Brothers influenced John Lennon and Paul McCartney..." from World Music, the Rough Guide.

As Bill C Malone puts it in the best book on the subject, these early musical styles emerged from the cultural fusion of "...rural folkways, evangelical Protestantism, and political individualism...". Even solo performers like Hank Williams demonstrated this: ".. neither Williams nor his music can be understood apart from the religious context in which he was born and raised... the Baptist church... All of Hank's religious material was deep-dyed fundamentalist fare, basically no different from the songs favoured by the Louvin and Bailes Brothers..."

Today, you can hear echoes of the brother duet style throughout most forms of folk and country music, right up to the altCountry style pioneered during the 1990s by bands like the Jayhawks, to the 2008 IBMA bluegrass award winners Dailey and Vincent, and present-day brother duets like the Gibson Brothers. It's a proud legacy and an enduring tradition - we hope that in some way we're helping to carry it on.

Here's a rare archive clip of the Louvin Brothers:

Bangor Abbey Ulster-Scots Night, 11 October 2008

2008-10-23T22:17:00.000+01:00

Here's a pic of Graeme getting tuned up. We had a marvellous time here last Saturday night - we played for about an hour and a quarter in the most magnificent setting I've ever had the privilege of playing in.

Sir James Hamilton, Founding Father of the Ulster-Scots buried below us, (and also in real life before our very eyes, greeting the audience as they came in!) in the church where the mighty Robert Blair had his Ulster ministry. There's a memorial to Blair's first wife, Beatrix Hamilton, in the vestibule (see pic below).

For me the experience was literally spine-tingling - to play and sing and to read from Blair's biography in the very place where he preached is hard to explain. And the reaction from the people who were there, the Abbey's congregation, choir members, and the organisers of the event was marvellous. To be enthusiastically complimented on our two part "brother duet" harmonies by experienced, trained, choral singers is quite something for us! Buildings this old were designed to be acoustically perfect, and a single strum of the wee mandolin filled the place.

I was very impressed that everyone going in was given a leaflet about Hamilton & Montgomery. It was a joy to be there, and thankfully they've asked us to go back. Next time we'll film the concert and put it up on YouTube!

YouTube Clips

2008-10-22T20:39:00.000+01:00

(You might know of us from our time with the Low Country Boys from February 2002 - December 2007. This is what we're doing now)

There are plenty of old video clips all over the internet of when we were the lead vocalists of the Low Country Boys - some from the two BBC Northern Ireland television programmes we did ("Twa Lads O Pairts" broadcast Jan 2004, rebroadcast Jan 2006 / and "Dander with Drennan" broadcast June 2006, rebroadcast December 2006). There are also some clips that people have filmed themselves and have uploaded to various websites - good, bad and ugly!

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A sample clip is below, recorded live at the People's Hall in Portavogie:
Robert Lowry hymn Medley:

Another clip below, from Bangor Abbey on Saturday 10 October 2009 - lots more from this performance on our YouTube channel (click on the YouTube logo on the left).

Before the Throne of God Above (original 1863 melody):

The Blue Sky Boys {1936 - 1948 / 1962 - 1975}

2008-10-22T01:08:00.000+01:00

[We play the Blue Sky Boys' song It's G.L.O.R.Y. to Know I'm S.A.V.E.D.. They first recorded it in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday 5 February 1940]

THE BLUE SKY BOYS were Earl Bolick (1919 - 1998) and Bill Bolick (1917 - 2008) from the town of East Hickory, North Carolina. Their ancestors had emigrated from Germany to America and the family was of Lutheran heritage, but were members of a Church of God (Anderson, Indiana branch) congregation. The brothers learned hymns from their father from hymnals such as "Reformation Glory".

• Signed to RCA Victor records in 1936
• First recording 16 June 1936 (10 tracks, the first of which was I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail)
• Recorded 100 tracks from 1936 - 1941
• They served in the US Army from 1941 - 1946
• Stopped recording in 1948 and retired from music in 1951

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REFERENCES:
“…we did practically all the numbers with the mandolin and guitar…” (ref. Bluegrass p 34)

“…intricate yet simple harmonies, their perfectly matching voices, and their unadorned mandolin and guitar instrumental backing set them off from the competition, so much so that two generations of subsequent duet singers echo them, some without realizing it…”
(Ref. Answers.com entry)

“…This hillbilly brother act was a major influence on both the Louvins and the Everly Brothers, playing guitar and mandolin-backed mountain songs with simple harmonies. Their perfectly matched voices blended together with seamless beauty, creating a gut-wrenchingly forlorn sound…” (Ref. www.Real.com entry)

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DISCOGRAPHY:
Partial Blue Sky Boys discography available in Country Music Records, a Discography 1921 - 1942 by Tony Russell, p 113-114

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BUY:
• The Sunny Side of Life 5 CD box set with book (123 tracks)
• Blue Sky Boys music on Amazon.co.uk

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VISIT:
• Slipcue.com article and discography
• Independent newspaper obituary for Bill Bolick
• Wikipedia entry

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WATCH:
Two Youtube clips: Down on the Banks of the Ohio and No Disappointment in Heaven:

The Monroe Brothers {1936 - 1938}

2008-10-12T23:37:00.001+01:00

[We play the Monroe Brothers' song What Would the Profit Be. They first recorded it in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday 15 February 1937]

THE MONROE BROTHERS were Charlie Monroe (1903 – 1975) and Bill Monroe (1911 – 1996) from the town of Rosine, Kentucky. They were arguably the most important of all of the guitar/mandolin brother duet acts of the 20th century.

They were raised in the rural Baptist and Methodist churches (ref. Bluegrass p 28) and began playing semi professionally in 1929.

• Signed to RCA Victor records in 1936
• First recording 17 February 1936 (10 tracks, the first of which was My Long Journey Home)
• Recorded 60 tracks for Victor Bluebird records
• Last recording 28 January 1938 (10 tracks, the last of which was When Our Lord Shall Come Again)
• Hit single What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul? (Bluebird B-6309)
• Disbanded 1938
• Bill went on to form Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys in 1945, inventing the new musical style called bluegrass.

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REFERENCES:
“…Until the mid 1960s Monroe used only guitar and mandolin accompaniment on religious songs… all emphasis was placed on the total performance of the song in a reverent and ritualistic way; this is the hymn, it’s treated seriously…”
(ref. Bluegrass p 236-237)

“…music sprang from ancient Scots-Irish culture transplanted to the Appalachians, where it blossomed as a traditional folk art…”
(Ref. Can’t You Hear Me Callin p 4)

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DISCOGRAPHY:
Full Monroe Brothers discography available in Country Music Records, a Discography 1921 - 1942 by Tony Russell, p 632-633

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BUY:
• Monroe Brothers music on Amazon.co.uk
• Rounder Records Volume I "What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?
• Rounder Records Volume II "Just a Song of Old Kentucky"

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WATCH:
Here are three YouTube clips of Bill Monroe: his intro sequence from the classic 1994 film High Lonesome / in his later years playing the tune My Last Days on Earth / a short history video about his life:

As the Mac Wiseman voiceover on the first clip says (at about 5.20) "...Across the South - Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, descendants of Scotch-Irish settlers played songs brought from across the sea. Old tunes like Soldier's Joy, Fair and Tender Ladies and Billy in the Low Ground rang through Appalachia as they had done for centuries in the British Isles..."

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VISIT:
• http://www.billmonroe.com

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The McCravy Brothers {1925 - 1935}

2008-10-10T23:55:00.000+01:00

[ Graeme and I learned the two McCravy Brothers songs below while we were at Carrowdore Mission Hall Sunday School during the 1970s and 1980s. These were on an old 78 that belonged to our Aunt Rhoda. I can remember performing these at the Christmas "Social" and prizegiving ]

THE McCRAVY BROTHERS - Frank and James McCravy - were from Laurens, South Carolina. Their father was the local sheriff. It had also been the home of President Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the USA and one of the many Presidents of Ulster-Scots descent.

They began singing shortly after Jim graduated from Furman University - Frank also served for two years in the General Assembly of South Carolina. In their 1933 book "Album of Fireside Songs" it says "...they offer sentimental modern spirituals and semi-religious songs. They sing no 'Hot' tunes or 'Low-Down stuff'...".

• First recording February 1925 for Okeh Records (6 tracks, the first of which was One of God's Days)
• Recorded hundreds of tracks, often under pseudonyms such as the Lonesome Pine Twins, Austin Brothers, Al & Joe Blackburn, Cox & Campbell and The Mack Brothers
• Stopped recording in 1935 (last track was My Mother's Evening Prayer, Jan 29 1935)

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DISCOGRAPHY:
Partial McCravy Brothers discography available in Country Music Records, a Discography 1921 - 1942 by Tony Russell, p 531-538

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BUY:
• Old Time Harmony Singing 21 track CD from Venerable Music
• Mountain Gospel 4 CD box set (includes 4 McCravy Brothers songs) from Amazon.co.uk

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WATCH/LISTEN:

The Glorious Gospel Train (October 1931 - Decca 18040):

Does this Train go to Heaven? (October 1931 - Decca 18040):

Photos

2008-10-04T21:55:00.000+01:00

Some people ask us for photos to use on posters and other publicity. Click on the pics below for larger higher-resolution versions:

The original Low Country Boys - CDs

2008-09-23T22:13:00.000+01:00

If you have either of these CDs - Gran Time Comin (2005) and Sangs O Bairns an Hame (2006), then you'll be familiar with our music already. You may even have seen us in concert or on TV over the years, or in many of the YouTube videos that are still online. Mark and Graeme were the "frontmen" and lead vocalists of the original Low Country Boys, but we left around December 2007. We are no longer with the Low Country Boys. Some folks have gone to see the current Low Country Boys line-up expecting us to be there - we apologise for any confusion and perhaps disappointment.

However, if you liked our vocal style and the guitar/mandolin sound, and the bluegrass gospel Ulster-Scots and Ulster-American influence, then you'll like what we now do as "The Thompson Brothers". Stay in touch!

Thanks to everyone who's come along. We'll open our meeting with the words of...

2008-09-23T21:54:00.000+01:00

(You might know of us from our time with the Low Country Boys from February 2002 - December 2007. This is what we're doing now)

CAN YOU RECALL a time when gospel music was simple? Following on from the transAtlantic spiritual revivals of the mid 1800s and early 1900s, congregations of people gathered together to worship in small wooden-floored halls all across Scotland, Ulster and America. Their music was sung from well-worn hymn books with soft yellowed pages. Everyone, young and old, knew the words and sang with passion. Their hymns were simple, scriptural and tuneful, accompanied by the old pump organ. Sometimes a local singer or group would bring a message in song - with instinctive untaught harmonies and a guitar.

That's the world the two of us grew up in - rural, Ulster-Scots and evangelical. It's a world that's getting more and more difficult to find today. Only a few people know Bringing in the Sheaves or are Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, are wondering Does Jesus Care? or are looking forward to My Ain Countrie and The Sweet Bye and Bye.

But even in today's global economic "credit crunch", there are parallels with the similar crash of the 1920s when this old music was first recorded - an era that inspired Hank Williams' Wealth Won't Save Your Soul, and the Carter Family's I'm Going Where there's No Depression.

Some of the earliest recorded gospel music in the world was performed by "brother duets" during the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Many of them stepped out of their rural evangelical lives and into recording studios with just a guitar, a mandolin and their voices - making records that are still available today, and that take you back in time like nothing else can do. No fancy equipment, no overdubs or mixing, no reverb or showy effects. Just voices, instruments and sincerity.

Background:

Some of you will know us from the "Low Country Boys", where we had an amazing and unexpected amount of success, recording two bestselling CDs and playing many concerts across Ulster, Scotland (such as the Fraserburgh Gospel Music Convention in 2006) and the USA (at the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC). We had quite a few radio and television appearances too.

Nowadays:

Now we're doing our best to do something similar, but simpler - the "brother duet" tradition. We're very aware of how limited our musical ability is and we have no big ambitions or rock star fantasies! What we do is simple, stripped-back and hopefully enjoyable. Thankfully, the people who have seen us play have really enjoyed it (see short article here).

Free Music!

Everything we do is free. When we start recording some songs we'll make them all available as free downloads. And we play live for free too - lots of people have been in touch with us and we're considering a number of interesting offers. We prefer wee halls and small, intimate concerts rather than anything too fancy.

We hope you enjoy this site and that it helps you learn more about the heritage of gospel music and the "brother duets" tradition. We hope that what we do will inspire you to rediscover the wonderful old gospel music that our parents and grandparents were raised on. Throw out the powerpoint and get some oul hymn books!

Mark & Graeme Thompson
Northern Ireland, November 2008

Pic below - inside the People's Hall, Portavogie.
Here's a short article about the similarity of the small churches of Ulster and Appalachia.

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Bangor Abbey Ulster-Scots Evening, Sat 11 October

2008-09-21T21:53:00.001+01:00

My friend Gifford Savage has tempted Graeme and I out of our musical semi-retirement to play at this event in a few weeks time. A few years ago Gifford and I worked on the redesign of the Abbey's historical book, which was a real pleasure.

Bangor Abbey is an amazing building with a wonderful Ulster-Scots heritage. It will be an honour to play at such a significant venue - I wonder how old-time mission hall gospel music will sound in such a place! It will also feature a re-enactment of the life of Sir James Hamilton, which will be interesting as he is buried under the Abbey floor!

Keeping the Tradition

2008-09-14T11:59:00.000+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Bailie Brothers

2008-09-14T11:58:00.003+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Dixon Brothers

2008-09-14T11:58:00.002+01:00

Content coming soon...

The McReynolds Brothers

2008-09-14T11:58:00.001+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Stanley Brothers

2008-09-14T11:58:00.000+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Delmore Brothers

2008-09-14T11:57:00.002+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Louvin Brothers

2008-09-14T11:57:00.001+01:00

Content coming soon...

The Bailes Brothers {1945 - 1949}

2008-09-14T11:57:00.000+01:00

[We're currently rehearsing a number of Bailes Brothers songs]

THE BAILES BROTHERS were four, not just two, brothers. Kyle, Johnnie, Walter and Homer were all born between 1915 and 1922 in Charlestown, West Virginia. Their father - Homer Abraham Bailes - was a carpenter, teacher and Baptist preacher. He died in 1925 and the boys were raised by their widowed mother, Nannie Ellen.

• First performed on local radio in 1937
• First recording session February 17 1945 (10 tracks, including their famous Dust on the Bible)
• Became "Grand Ole Opry" stars, along with Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe
• Other famous tracks include Whiskey is the Devil in Liquid Form and We're Living in the Last Days Now
• Published a songbook which sold 175,000 copies
• Final recording session was in 1947, and included Come to the Saviour
• After the original band broke up in 1949, various combinations of the brothers recorded albums right up to 1977 when they reunited

Many Ulster gospel singers during the 20th Century recorded the Bailes Brothers' song Read Romans Ten and Nine - without ever telling the Ulster population where they had got the song from. This is one of the great cultural tragedies of the gospel music world in Northern Ireland - we have a wonderful musical heritage, but no-one told the next generation about the origins of the songs.

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BUY:
• The best Bailes Brothers CD is Oh So Many Years, Bear Family Records, 2002. It contains all 28 of their Columbia Records recordings - buy it on Amazon.co.uk

• Remember Me: Bill Malone and Rod Moag play the music of the Bailes Brothers - click here to buy

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REFERENCES:
• "...the lyrical content of their songs, especially their sacred material, was some of the best of the period, and the full-volume, open-throated singing, coupled with their sincere personalities, delivered something very special that's still revered by those who remember them. Their musical style bridged the gap between the old-time brother duets, the mainstream country music of the day, and whta would eventually become known as bluegrass..." (from the booklet for Oh So Many Years.)

• "...The Bailes Brothers, usually performing in combinations of two, were one of the most popular harmony duets during the middle and late 1940’s. Their deeply emotional, sincere singing style and original song lyrics contributed to their lasting popularity..." from the Birthplace of Country Music website

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LINKS:
• CMT Biography of the Bailes Brothers
• White Dove Records / email: whitedovebmi@aol.com
• Biography on Oldies.com - click here
• Biography in the Encyclopaedia of American Gospel Music, p 22-23: click here

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Recordings

2008-09-04T22:01:00.000+01:00

(You might know of us from our time with the Low Country Boys from February 2002 - December 2007. This is what we're doing now)

The first "proper" Thompson Brothers CD - "Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" is out now!

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When Mark and Graeme were the lead vocalists of the original Low Country Boys, from February 2002 until December 2007, our recordings were:

PREVIOUS CDS:
"Gran Time Comin" (2005)
"Sangs O Bairns an Hame - Volume One" (2006)

PREVIOUS TRACKS:
We also sang the following songs on other cds:

"My Ain Countrie"
album Sound Neighbours / Smithsonian Folkways (2007)

"Jesus is my Hairt's Fond Love / Yer Faither"
album "Mair Fowk" by the Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra an Freens (2007)

"Shall We Gather at the River"
album "Songs My Father Sung" by the Ulster-Scots Xperience (2007)

"Did Christ O'er Sinners Weep"
album "Folk Roots and Trad" compilation by the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission, (2005)

"Gran Time Comin"
album "Bringin It Thegither" by the Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra (2003)

Low Country Boys

2008-08-07T22:20:00.000+01:00

A variety of videos from YouTube of when Mark and Graeme were the lead singers of the Low Country Boys. Please note, we are no longer with the Low Country Boys and only performed on the first two CDs, "Gran Time Comin" and "Sangs o Bairns an Hame".

Gran Time Comin, sung by Mark, used on BBC Northern Ireland

Beautiful Golden Somewhere, sung by Graeme, used on this clip

Did Christ Oer Sinners Weep, Ballycarry, Sept 2006

Various in Washington DC, June 2007:

My Sins are a Awa:

Running Over (Fu an Skailin):

Money and all that nonsense

2008-07-11T23:44:00.000+01:00

We have a cast-iron policy. We don't accept money from anybody.

The chances are that your organisation, charity or church needs the money far more than we do. So please don't offer us any, because we'll just refuse to take it. And if you slip a wee envelope into our coat pockets when we're not looking, we'll just send it back to you.

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EX-LOW COUNTRY BOYS > NOW THE THOMPSON BROTHERS! Ulster-Scots Gospel Music

Meet on that Beautiful Shore

Hello 2012!

Wrapping up 2011

Knocknamuckley and Low Quarter

100 years of William McEwan - The World's Sweetest Gospel Singer

Great night at Granshaw!

Two great nights - Donegore and Loughbrickland

Lisnafillan Mission Hall

Another Letter from America: John Moten Freeman, writer of 'What Would the Profit Be"

Broadisland Gathering 2011

Does anybody have any favourites?

Comber 12th July demonstration

Visitors from Tennessee

Glastry Methodist last night - and TV forbye?

A letter from America

A great night in Portballintrae

Availability for the rest of 2011

Thompson Brothers on YouTube

Six weeks off... and then to Dunseverick!

See you in Kilkeel on Sunday evening!

Broadisland Gathering - September 2011

Get ready for Cookstown!

St Saviour's Parish Church, Craigavon - 17th Annual Evening of Music & Praise - Friday 11th Feb 2011 @ 8.00pm

Burns night at Willowfield Parish Church, east Belfast

See you on Saturday!

William L Thompson (1847 - 1909): great-grandson of Ballymena emigrants

Christmas Number One!

Thanks to you all - have a great Christmas and 2011

Revive Bookstore and Coffee Shop, Comber, Co. Down

A snowy night in Rathfriland

Soda Farls nearly all gone!

Going global!

Away in a Manger (original version)

Thanks to everybody from Westbourne!

From Newtownards to Knocknamuckley

A message from Chile

Newtownards Ulster-Scots Concert Evening - Friday 15th October @ 7.45pm

Just back from the Port'

GospelFest and Portstewart!

GospelFest, Donacloney, 20-22 August

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - review by Diane Amov on Suite101.com

Opportunities

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - buy it today!

Portavogie Primary School event

Download the new CD on iTunes for just £7.99

Launch night details / how to buy the CD

More launch night details!

"Soda Farls" Launch night at McKee's - Friday 7th May @ 7.30pm!

Want to contact The Thompson Brothers?

A few wee Easter tasters of "Soda Farls..."!

As Often As Ye Eat This Bread...

A clip from Newtownards Baptist, December 2009!

A great night at Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle

Another Scullery Table Demo - "Beautiful Robes"

"Soda Farls and Redemption Songs" - our new CD is on the way!

Big Night at Ballee High School!

Where we're playing in 2012

Forthcoming dates in 2012:

Previous dates in 2011:

Previous dates in 2010:

Previous dates in 2009:

Previous dates in 2008:

People do the strangest things at Christmas...

Another Scullery Table Demo - What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?

What Would the Profit Be? another video from the People's Hall

"Jesus My Saviour to Bethlehem Came" - footerin' at the scullery table with Charlie

Final two performances for 2009

A happy customer!

New video - from the People's Hall, Portavogie

More video clips, dates and music on the way!

Castlereagh St Andrews Night - Mon 30th Nov!

This morning at Willowfield

Free music!

Yet another great night at Bangor Abbey!

A great night in Coleraine!

The Scullery Table Demos (Autumn 2009)

McCravy Brothers, the Gleaner Quartet and the importance of old 78s

Our Autumn Schedule

Demos and Dates