The bonny bunch of roses
Tom Murphy & Minnie Murphy
Listen to songs, music & stories. View photos of the people & places. Meet the singers & musicians from Ship Cove, Patrick’s Cove, St Bride’s, and Branch. This interactive map of the Cape Shore is a great way to start navigating your way around the outports of this short stretch of Newfoundland’s coastline.
ExploreThe bonny bunch of roses, song (By the margin of the ocean, one morning in the month of June …) The lyrics of this ballad take the form of a conversation between Napoleon Bonaparte’s widow and his son. She warns her son of the danger of challenging England, Ireland, and Scotland—the bonny bunch of roses—and the folly of attacking Russia. It is quite similar to another version of this song collected from Anthony Power in the neighbouring town of Branch by Aidan O’Hara. Tom and Minnie Murphy’s version of this song is remarkable as an example of duet singing, a practice that is comparatively rare in traditional Newfoundland singing.
| ITMA Reference | 54059 |
| Creator | Murphy, Tom, singing in English ; Murphy, Minnie, singing in English |
| Contributor | O'Hara, Aidan |
| Date | 1 May 1976 |
| Publisher | Irish Traditional Music Archive |
| Location | St Brides, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Subject | Newfoundland: Song in English |
| Language | English |
| Collection | Aidan O'Hara Collection |
| Type | Sound |
| Extent | 00:03:55 |
| Copyright | Performer and Aidan O'Hara |
| Roud Number | 664 |
| View in ITMA catalogue: | Go to catalogue |
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Cuslett is a small community on the Cape Shore. Aidan never stopped there for the purpose of collecting, just passed through.
| ITMA Reference | 255520 |
| Creator | O'Hara, Aidan |
| Date | 1975 |
| Publisher | Irish Traditional Music Archive |
| Location | Cuslett, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Subject | Newfoundland: Geography |
| Collection | Aidan O'Hara Collection |
| Type | Image |
| Extent | 1 digital image |
| Copyright | Aidan O'Hara |
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The forest was covered in bushes, song (One night as the moon it shone bright and shone clear …) Elsewhere this song is known as “The False-hearted lover,” “A week before Easter,” and “The false bride.” It tells the story of a man whose sweetheart marries someone else. The protagonist witnesses the marriage and consummation before announcing that he will die of a broken heart. The text was published as a broadside as early as 1690; it was recorded widely during the 20th century.
| ITMA Reference | 54163 |
| Creator | Judge, Patsy, singing in English |
| Contributor | O'Hara, Aidan ; Goldstein, Kenneth |
| Date | 29 July 1978 |
| Publisher | Irish Traditional Music Archive |
| Location | Coffey's Lounge, Angel's Cove, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Subject | Newfoundland: Song in English |
| Language | English |
| Collection | Aidan O'Hara Collection |
| Type | Sound |
| Extent | 00:03:49 |
| Copyright | Performer, Kenneth Goldstein, Hugh Rowlings, and Aidan O'Hara |
| Roud Number | 154 |
| View in ITMA catalogue: | Go to catalogue |
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Cape St Mary's is visible in the distance.
| ITMA Reference | 255730 |
| Creator | O'Hara, Aidan |
| Date | 1976 |
| Publisher | Irish Traditional Music Archive |
| Location | Cape St Mary's, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Subject | Newfoundland: Geography |
| Collection | Aidan O'Hara Collection |
| Type | Image |
| Extent | 1 digital image |
| Copyright | Aidan O'Hara |
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Joyce, Kathleen (hidden), and Conor O'Hara sitting in the front row at the 1977 Newfoundland Folk Festival.
| ITMA Reference | 255633 |
| Creator | O'Hara, Aidan |
| Date | August 1977 |
| Publisher | Irish Traditional Music Archive |
| Location | Bannerman Park, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Subject | Newfoundland: Folklife & Culture |
| Collection | Aidan O'Hara Collection |
| Type | Image |
| Extent | 1 digital image |
| Copyright | Aidan O'Hara |
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Irish Traditional Music Archive /
Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann
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