Auld Lang Syne

Happy new year to all my readers! As it is a tradition on this blog, I am sharing Auld Lang Syne. I hope you enjoy.

Farewell to Nova Scotia

No, no, I am not leaving Nova Scotia, I actually never been there. But my brother PJ went to Halifax recently, discovered this song and shared it with me, suggesting I'd put it on the blog when I'd feel like it. I loved it and decided that I would upload it tonight, sung by the Irish Rovers. They have perfect voice for this kind of song.

I do have a bit of history with Nova Scotia, even if I never went there. My great-grandfather was born there. His father was a sailor man, his wife had died in childbirth. He gave the baby in adoption/foster care to a family in Quebec City. So the baby grew up there. He kept his family name of Archibald, saw his father only once in a while, then he married a Quebec girl who gave birth to many little Archibalds, including my grandfather (the father of my mum). This family ancestry may explain why so many of us, my grandfather and myself included, became so Anglophile. Anyway, I often wonder about this Archibald sailor, and this song makes me think of me. It could have been written for him.

Two Christmas carols with an Irish twist

You can see at your left the Christmas tree of my family in Chicoutimi. Believe me: it is much more impressive in real, and you have the lovely smell which I miss terribly. because we are still during the Christmas holidays, because we are on Boxing Day, which I hate and I want to exorcise it as much as I can (even though it is practically over now), I thought I would upload two Christmas carols tonight, not just one, as I could not decide between the two. The first one, Good King Wenceslas, I already uploaded last year. It is also St-Stephen's Day, the Feast of Stephen as the song says, so I had to reuse it. The second is Christmas in Killarney, which I discovered a long time ago as sang by Bing Crosby. But is is not nearly as good as done the Irish way. So I decided to put both carols interpreted by the Irish Rovers, who are ironically enough Canadian. I love this song as it is a nostalgic one and it appeals to the expat I am, even though I am not Irish. And I have this love for Irish culture, so I thought I would celebrate it on another day than St-Patrick's Day. The picture of a Christmas tree is a bonus.