On reading the liner notes for Soda Farls and Redemption Songs, the debut collection from The Thompson Brothers, one unearths a fascinating scrap of history: Among the thousands of Ulster gospel recordings are many cover versions of songs made famous by the brother duets of the American South, such as The Monroe Brothers and The Louvin Brothers.
If the American bluegrass community was in the dark about the history they shared with Ulster's gospel singers, so too were the fans and performers of Ulster gospel. "So when we discovered the treasure trove of early American recordings for ourselves," say the Thompson Brothers in their liner notes, "it was like discovering a world we belonged to -- but had never been told about."
Like the American brother duos, The Thompson Brothers accompany themselves on mandolin (Mark) and guitar (Graeme). Their sweet vocal sound, heavy on thirds and sixths, recalls The Louvin Brothers, rather than the more primitive sounding fourths and fifths and bluesy slides favored by The Monroe Brothers. But, the brother duo's performance style is designed to encourage communal singing rather than centering on individual performers.
Brother Duos, Ulster Scots Style
Two songs from the Monroe Brothers' repertoire appear here. "He Will Set Your Fields On Fire" takes some inspiration from the Monroes' recording, but benefits from close harmony vocal duet on the chorus.
" What Would the Profit Be," also from the Monroe Brothers songbook, gets a driving reading with vocal harmonies that wouldn't have been out of place in a show by the original Country Gentlemen.
A single tambourine is the only accompaniment on the Hank Williams tune, "Jesus Remembered Me," and the spare arrangement is an open invitation to sing along to this song about the loyalty of Jesus Christ.
Vocal Duets on Classic Hymns
The "William James Kirkpatrick Medley" combines four songs -- "Glory to God, Hallelujah," 'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus," "We Have an Anchor" and "I Need No Other Argument". Each song is so unique in melody and substantial in lyrical content that they all would have been welcome in full on this CD.
American gospel fans will recognize "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" and "Shall We Gather at the River" from the " Robert Lowry Medley ", which also includes shimmering verses from "Follow On" and "Saviour, Thy Dying Love".
The lyrics of " Before the Throne of God Above " are rich in scriptural specifics from Hebrews -- "A great high priest whose Name is Love" and from Isaiah 49:16 -- "My name is graven on His hands/My name is written on His heart".
In "Haven of Rest" the metaphor of rough seas for a rough life may be familiar, but the inviting harmonies assure that the haven of rest -- as well as the beloved (taking a line from the Song of Solomon) -- is Jesus.
Vocal Harmonies and More From the Ulster Scots Tradition
The instrumental "Low Country Medley (Hills of Carrowdore/Greba Lasses/Portavogie Boys)" starts off at a stately pace, which picks up and recalls the drive of The Monroe Brothers' early work.
Those who aren't fluent in English may have trouble piecing together the dialect of "Ye're A Welcome Home (The Auld Hoose)", but the message is clear: There is a home for us in Christ regardless of worldly distinctions. No one is excluded from the love of Jesus.
"Some Say the Divil's Deid/Some Say the Deil's Deid" is a tune on the lighter side, with comical lyrics and a third verse written by the Thompson Brothers. Sample lyrics: "Some say he'll rise again/And some say he'll hardly/Some say he'll rise again/And join the British Army".
The a cappella vocal duet "Dairk Afore Dawnin (The Road and the Miles to Dundee)" makes interesting use of low tenor harmony, resulting in the most modal-sounding track on the CD.
The exquisite "He'll Dry A Yer Tears" urges patience in Jesus throughout personal trials -- a message underscored by the gorgeous, yearning quality of both melody and harmony.
A Long Tradition of Brother Duets
The Thompson Brothers both uphold and enrich the long tradition of brother duos with incandescent vocal harmonies, an outstanding mix of material, and a debut album whose heady combination of the familiar and the undiscovered should earn them fans in bluegrass, folk, and gospel circles alike.
Sources
- The Thompson Brothers. Liner Notes for Soda Farls and Redemption Songs by The Thompson Brothers. Self-Produced. 2010.
- The Thompson Brothers Blog. 2010. Mark and Graeme Thompson. July 1, 2010. http://thethompsonbrothers.blogspot.com/
Diane Amov - Bluegrass singer/songwriter and classically-trained flautist who has written on bluegrass and American roots music since 2005.
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