Happy Halloween! I’ve just released “The Cruel Mother”, a Child Ballad from the 17th century which has been sung myriad times since, with varying melodies, lyrics and even with different titles (The Greenwood Side, Greenwood Sidey, etc.) . It’s a ghost story – most certainly meant as a cautionary tale for unwed mothers. Barry Walsh and recorded it live at home in separate rooms, with no eye contact, so the performance was based entirely on sensing each other’s movements with no strict time in place. We later added David Henry on cello, and the track was originally released as a bonus track for fans who ordered my Blackbirds album on presale.

I wanted to release it now for the Halloween season, a dark song for these dark times – but as always, I find there’s beauty in the darkness if you look for it. You can find it on all digital platforms now. The video is also available on YouTube.

I hope you enjoy it – stay well.

G