Cantaria

Cantaria
Established in 1995

Cantaria is a library of traditional and contemporary folk songs, mostly from Ireland, Scotland, and England, intended to be an educational tool for propagating the living song tradition through passing on folk songs in a medium where far-flung singers can share songs as easily as if we were all circled-up at a session.

Cantaria is unique among lyric web sites because almost every song in our archive has an accompanying MP3 format recording of the song being performed (some full length songs, some are just verse and chorus). The library currently contains lyrics for over 260+ songs, contributed by a variety of singers, amateur and professional. See What's New for recently added songs.

Songs are categorized under these headings:

Alphabetical Index
All songs indexed by title

Traditional Songs
Written between 1600 and 1950, or have unknown origins

Contemporary
Written since 1950, usually with a known author

Pre-1600
Songs documentably dating before 1600
(We don't have too many in this category. If you've recorded some and would like to contribute, tell us.)

The Singers
All songs, listed by the singers who have generously agreed to let us use their recordings in Cantaria.

What's new

About us

Recent additions:

Dave Gravis: A new addition to Cantaria's bards has graced us with a lovely rendition of the traditional song The Flower of Sweet Strabane.

Singer Mairtin de Cogain has enthusiastically joined the roster of singers on Cantaria, contributing songs from three CDs: "The False Start" (his solo CD), "The Fuchsia Band" and "Gra da Raibh" by the The Fuchsia Band. Eoin Verling of The Fuchsia Band also sings on Colcannon. The songs:
The Auld Triangle | Barrack Street | Colcannon (The Skillet Pot) | Dick Darby | Johnny Jump Up | Óró, 'Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile | Peg Leg Jack | Ten Minutes Too Late

Oisin Mac Diarmada of teada
A Bhean A' Tí | Peigin's Peadar

Briege Murphy: singer/songwriter from County Down, Ireland, gives us four Irish traditional songs from her album "From Now On": The Creel | The Verdant Braes of Screen | In the Month of January | Slieve Gallion Braes

		Comments? Use this form to send us an e-mail. Cantaria was started in September, 1995 with a handful of songs and a grand idea. Many thanks to all the visitors who continue to encourage us along the way and the musicians who keep joining in the vision by sharing their songs.
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