DESCRIPTION:
Recorded in Edmonton at Beta Sound Recorders in 2004 for Maria’s full length recording “We Were Good People”.

Lyrics and melody written by Maria Dunn, Jig written by Shannon Johnson. Arranged by The McDades. Performers: Maria Dunn (Vocal, accordion), Shannon Johnson (Violin), Jeremiah McDade (Whistle), Solon McDade (Upright Bass), Yann Falquet (Guitar).

http://www.mariadunn.com for more info or to purchase the audio recording.


On January 28, 1914, the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba was packed to the rafters for a fundraiser to help in the suffragists' struggle to gain the vote for women in Canada. The mock parliament, in which women held the seats and men were coming to ask for the vote, gave Nellie McClung and her colleagues of the Political Equality League an opportunity to turn the tables on all of the condescending arguments they had heard against women's suffrage. Having read about Nellie Letitia Mooney McClung's wit and her Irish and Scottish heritage, I found her parody of Manitoba's Premier Roblin an irresistible excuse for a wee bit of word play. Thanks for the irrepressible jig to match, Shannon!

Mike Ross, Edmonton Sun "…remarkable singer-songwriter, think of her as a distaff Woody Guthrie"

Mare Wakefield, Performing Songwriter Magazine "honest narration and lilting tone…exquisite album"

Maria's musical influences include: Hazel Dickens, Nanci Griffith, Dick Gaughan, Tim O'Brien, David Francey, Eric Bogle, Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Altan, Solas, Paul Brady, Danu, Catherine Ann MacPhee and too many others to mention. She has released five independent CDs to date. All are produced by Shannon Johnson of Juno-award winning band The McDades (http://www.themcdades.com). Other musicians she has recorded and performed live with include: Craig Korth (http://www.craigkorth.com ) and members of The Carol Project, an Edmonton songwriter version of Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol"; these include: Bill Bourne (http://www.billbourne.com ), Terry Morrison (http://www.terrymorrison.net ), Kevin Cook, Al Brant, Dale Ladouceur, and Tom Roschov (see http://www.carolproject.com for more info on the Carol Project).