Drive Dull Care Away: Folksongs from Prince Edward Island - Softcover

Ives, Edward D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0919013341 ISBN 13: 9780919013346

Publisher: Inst for Island Studies, 1999

Synopsis

Beginning in the 1950s, folklorist Edward "Sandy" Ives conducted fieldwork in Prince Edward Island, gathering first-hand the evidence of a rich and varied folk culture: its folksongs. Drive Dull Care Away is a beautifully written memoir of how he collected these songs. Set within his story are lyrics, music, and annotations for 59 of these songs. An accompanying CD, remastered from Dr. Ives's original field recordings, provides readers with examples of a traditional style of performing that has now largely vanished. In Drive Dull Care Away, Sandy Ives integrates the songs themselves, the culture that fostered them, the singers, and, for the first time, the folklorist. In so doing, this master storyteller creates a memorable portrait of a traditional culture on the cusp of dramatic change.

About this title

About the Author:

One of the most respected folklorists in North America, Sandy Ives is Professor of Folklore at the University of Maine at Orono and Director of the Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History. His books include Larry Gorman: The Man Who Made the Songs, Twenty-One Folksongs from Prince Edward Island, and Lawrence Doyle: The Farmer-Poet of Prince Edward Island. In 1998, he was awarded the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation's Award of Honour for lifetime achievement in preserving Island heritage, the first non-Islander to be so recognized.

Review:

"A big, rich, pleasant read, with an enjoyable accompanying CD featuring fourteen sample songs... Ives doesn't know how to write a dull sentence, but what supplements the joy of this book is that he is flush with passion for PEI's and "PI's" -- I mean, Islanders -- and their songs." -- George Elliott Clarke, Halifax Chronicle Herald "The choice of songs is a true representation of the vernacular song repertoire in the Canadian Maritime provinces for most of the twentieth century... This representativeness, with the illustrative CD, makes for an excellent teaching text." -- Martin Lovelace, Western Folklore "Based on his field notes and his wonderful memory, Ives has recreated for us his experiences in collecting these folksongs. There is thus a real narrative flow to the book, making it an easy and enjoyable read. Even more important, however, is the fact that he sets the songs in their context. We come to know as he did the sources of the songs, and we feel a real connection with the people and the culture." -- Lorne Brown, The Canadian Folk Music Bulletin

About this edition

• Publisher: Inst for Island Studies
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0919013341
• ISBN 13: 9780919013346
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320