Does anyone out there know if the song “The Dawning of the Day” (recorded by Steeleye Span) is traditional? I can’t find much about it on-line and I can’t find the liner notes for my CD.
I’m trying to find out because I’d like to sing it in a performance, but obviously I can’t do that if it’s under copyright. If it is a traditional song, it would also be nice to know something about where it came from.
Redwolf
I had no problem finding many versions of lyrics on Google. Did you use quotation marks?
e.g.
“dawning of the day” +lyrics -“moody blues”
It seems the tune is trad, but the version of the lyrics you use may not be. Best to hunt around and see if what you are using is someone’s personal version, like Tommy Makem, Richard Thompson or Mary Fahl.
djm
I found plenty of sources for the lyrics, but none that mentioned the song’s origin, which is what I really need (I already know the lyrics). That’s what I need help with…I’m coming up blank.
Redwolf
Red - when in doubt, I usually search Harry Fox -
http://www.harryfox.com/songfile/public/publicsearch.do
here’s what they had for your song:
Song Title HFA Song Code Writer
THE DAWNING OF THE DAY D2112W ARR: CRAIGLEON
DAWNING OF THE DAY 919178 TRAD- ARR: ROCHE
DAWNING OF THE DAY D20904 HAL KETCHUM
DAWNING OF THE DAY D39865 LUTTRELL/HAGLER/AND
THE DAWNING OF THE DAY D43755 TOMMY MAKEM
if you run the search in the public area - you’ll get hot links on each of those. Most seem to say “traditional” with a particular arrangement copyrighted.
I found this site that credits a man named Edward Walsh – The Dawning of the Day It says the air is “Fainne Geal an Lae.”
So I looked up Edward Walsh and found this – 19th Century Ireland - Edward Walsh (1805-1850)
Walsh collected songs and poems throughout Ireland and in 1847 he published Irish Popular Songs dedicated to ‘the people of Ireland, as a tribute to their many virtues and with ardent admiration of their poetic genius as evidenced in their songs and legends.’
If you google “Edward Walsh” + “Irish Popular Songs” you get a ton of good hits. Go seek and see if any of them mention Dawning of the Day.
Anyway, you’re probably safe, as long as you’re not talking about Raglan Road, which, I think, uses the same air.
There were two Dawning of The Days listed at the Mudcat Cafe. Both were collected in Nova Scotia. The fact that they were collected means that they are probably traditional.
I know the air for the one given the alternate title “Fáinne Geal an Lae”…it’s a different tune, and the lyrics I know for it (in Irish) are also totally different. The Tommy Makem song is also entirely different (both lyrics and air).
This one was recorded by Steeleye Span on their “Tonight’s the Night: Live” album. I’m afraid I’ve confused the issue here as well by messing up the title slightly…it’s “The Dawn of the Day” (not “Dawning”).
Here’s a link, if anyone’s curious (you can hear a sound clip there as well):
I’m guessing that the lack of information on it makes it more likely that it’s an original song. The few sites I’ve found that give the lyrics simply say “by Steeleye Span,” but they’re mostly fan sites, and my experience with those is that they tend to say a song is “by” someone if that’s the person they heard singing it, regardless of whether or not it’s actually that person’s composition.
Redwolf
Eeeewwww! Yuck! I prefer Dawning of the Day to that. Sorry.
djm
Ah well, to each his own. An Fáinne Geal an Lae is a lovely tune, but not the one I’m hoping to sing at the moment.
Redwolf
I’ll meet you half way. How about Nil Se 'Na La? 
djm
I know that one too (three versions, actually, all in Irish).
No, I just thought this particular song would appeal to a group I’m singing for, and thought it would be nice to have a song or two in English.
Redwolf
Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t understand what the problem is. People can and do perform copyrighted cover songs all the time. The venue often pays an annual licensing fee that goes into the royalty melting pot for the privilege.
In any case, unless there are big bucks involved and a huge audience, the odds of the royalty police finding out and coming down are slim.
Now for a person recording the song on commercial CD for sale, that is a different kettle of fish, and all the ducks do need to be in a row, and a rights license needs to be obtained.
Bill - we may have talked about this before on here (if so, sorry for the repeat) but I’ve been at TWO, not for profit festivals (one that didn’t charge admission) that have been “busted” by BMI or ASCAP. Both were tiny festivals.
I also know personally of one church that was “busted”.
NEVER take the chance of the odds, you’ll loose every time…
Aside from the copyright issues, I really do want to know the ORIGIN of the songs I sing. If it’s a traditional, is it from Ireland? Scotland? Wales? England? Somewhere else? If it’s an original composition, who wrote it? What’s the story behind it? To me, that’s just part of the whole package.
And, to be honest, even if I didn’t care at all about being sued (granted, the possibility is slim…I’m not exactly world-famous, or even locally famous!), I have an ethical problem with using someone else’s original work without his or her permission and without any acknowledgement.
Redwolf
Good point Missy. Public festivals and churches are major targets for the copyright police, not minor ones, as are bars, pubs, restaurants. Even if every song performed is original, the BMI/ASCAP police will often still make a stink and look for their pound of flesh.
As for Redwolf, you can only do the best you can. You can say I believe it is a traditional song and was recorded by xxxx and yyyy. Imagine how stuck you might be day in pre-Internet days, having to make many expensive phone calls just to get the information you have now. In my opinion, you have done your due diligence and made the effort and fulfilled your ethical obligations. If the song isn’t in Harry Fox or the BMI database, odds are high that it isn’t copyrighted, or copyrighted under another name, or the copyright has expired.