I’m writing a jazz big band arrangement of the tune “the may morning dew” off of the moving hearts cd “storm” (i think that’s what it’s called). The arrangement features a minimalist Reich/Hollenbeck phasing section where I would like to find an older/solo singing version to sample live. does anyone know any other versions of this tune? or anything at all?
Thanks
Tyler Duncan
Seamus Fay sings it unaccompanied on “Cavan’s Lilter”. You can borrow the CD if you’d like (assuming I can find it).
I would have sworn I have at least a half-dozen other recordings of this song, but not much shows up when I look at my MP3 collection. Maybe it’s got a different name?
Sean Keane [ Galway ] did a fine version it on the first “Shegui” LP, recorded about 1980.
That’s Sean Keane the singer? Maybe the reason I think I own so many copies of the song is that between him and Rowena Taheny, I’ve heard it sung live at least a dozen times.
(Update – just realized I have the Sean Keane I’m thinking of singing it on DVD. I really do have too many copies of this song.)
Seaums Tansey sings it unaccompanied on Easter Snow.
Please bear in mind:
More recently, Kevin Conneff sings it on his own, found on the chieftain’s CD Water from the Well.
Dolores Keane sings it. It’s on more than one of her CDs.
Boy that explains a lot. That was a pretty confusing version, to say the least.
Taking Kevin’s version and phrasing, I’ve recently started to play it in Dm on hurdy gurdy - boy that sounds sweet.
wow! any one know of any versions of “the snows they melt the soonest”?more versions of the morning dew would still be useful
wow! any one know of any versions of “the snows they melt the soonest”?
Old Blind Dogs recorded it back when Ian Benzie was their lead singer.
Karan Casey does the prettiest version I’ve ever heard.
http://karancasey.com/
One of the most moving versions of the song to me is the sung by Kitty Hayes, she uses a different air and it’ just lovely. It is on ‘Around the Hills of Clare’ and we managed to get her to sing it for a recent tv documentary which you can still find on www.tg4.ie go to webtv ceol-cartlann and click Se mo laoch: Kitty Hayes, the song appears towards the end of the film.
Dick Gaughan recorded “The Snows”, and a singer/banjo-player from Newcastle called Tony Wilson sang it on an LP by an Irish group from leeds called “Iona”.
You can also find “May Morning Dew” on Mike Rafferty’s CD “The Old Fireside Music”, sung (unaccompanied) by Mike’s sister Kathleen (Track 9).
Not anywhere near the greatest renditions out there, but the band I’ve been playing with released versiond of both tunes/songs on our latest CD. Soundfiles should link from below.
The Snows…
http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/stonecircle3-01.m3u
May Morning Dew…
http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/stonecircle3-07.m3u
Yeah - it’s celtic “fusion” type stuff, and not trad by any stretch. Let the flaming begin! 
Still can be fun to play as a different take.