The May Morning Dew in June
The monastery of Orval in Belgium is amazing and this was my little moment of meditation.
Mountshannon
Ballad by Simon Oak about the White Tailed Sea Eagles of Mountshannon, Co. Clare. The song was written for the Song Writing Competition of the 2013 Trad Festival, where the theme was to celebrate the successful breeding of these mighty birds at a nest near…
Mijn Spermadonorvader
Fun song in Dutch by Simon Oak to the tune of The Mason’s Apron. The inspiration came from a sad and bizarre news item about a sperm donor who reportedly carried a rare cancer gene. Lyrics Mijn spermadonorvader is de drager van een gen Waardoor…
Stopt het ooit een keer?
Anti-war song in Dutch by Simon Oak to the famous melody of Jaques Brel’s Ne Me Quitte Pas (1959). Lyrics Stopt het ooit een keer? Schei toch uit meneer! Dit wil niemand meer, zeg niet keer op keer Dat niet jij begon, maar dat zij…
Geen Gewone Harlekijn
Simon Oak’s protest song in Dutch to address Joost Klein’s cruel choice not to boycott the Eurovision 2024 and join a song contest with people who cheerfully represent a country that’s in the middle of committing a genocide. When asked why, Joost called himself a…
The Irish People of the World
To understand a bit of Ireland’s stance on Palestine, read this from 1867 Fenian Rising (as found while documenting the song Down By The Glenside written by Peadar Kearney in 1916). It has always been about Human Rights: The Irish People of the World We…
Malin Head’s Hell Hole
This is by far the scariest video I’ve ever made. Wait for it.
The Ballad Of Elizabeth Hart
Ballad by Simon Oak about the emigration of an Irish family from Wexford to Texas in 1834. Before Elizabeth left Ireland, she lost three of her six daughters in one week to the whooping cough. The story is based on Rosalie Priour/Hart’s biography, her only…
De Ouwe Bolleboer
The second of two songs in Dutch by Simon Oak to the old Irish melody of The Little Beggarman. The indented lyrics sit on the B part of the tune. The first one is Mijn Fiets is Kapot. Lyrics 1. Ik ben een ouwe bollenboer,…
Just A Stone
Ballad by Simon Oak to remember the 2023 edition of the Traditional Singing Weekend in Inishowen. The stone is real and still on his desk in Holland. Lyrics There you are, just a stone Are you waiting for some company? On the sand, all alone…