To the West — Consonance 1994 (digital download)

Long-time filk listeners will remember the Wail Songs label of the 1980s and 1990s. Decades before YouTube and Zoom, Wail Songs connected the filk community together through dozens of live convention tapes.

These albums weren’t always of the best technical quality. But they spread the sound and spirit of each major filk event around the US and Canada to filk enjoyers worldwide.

When Wail Songs shut down suddenly in 1998, all the albums under production (and even completed but unreleased) were abandoned. One of those was the live album for Consonance 1994. Luckily, the mix engineer for that album, Scott Snyder, actually preserved the album master in safe-keeping.

And 30 years later, we’re making it available as a digital download! (320K MP3)

You’ll find many of the best-known filk performers of that era, including Cynthia McQuillin, “Dr. Jane” Robinson, Leslie Fish, Larry Warner, Annwn, Kristoph & Margaret, Jordin Kare and Windbourne.

Cover illustration by Seanan McGuire (in 1998!), with calligraphy by Margaret Davis.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We’re releasing this as a historical preservation project. The limitations of the original field recordings (and original production process) are material, and limit the production quality we can offer. Consider listening before buying.

SONG List

1. Relics by Chris Dickenson (lyrics) / Larry Warner (music) — Larry Warner
2. Changing Fate by Cynthia McQuillin — Cynthia McQuillin
3. Black Canyon Road by Leslie Fish — Leslie Fish
4. To the West by Leigh Ann Hussey — Annwn (Leigh Ann Hussey, Elton Wildermuth, Jennifer Tifft)
5. Mind, Hands and Heart by Bill Sutton — Bill Sutton
6. Maiden’s Ruin by Cynthia McQuillin — Cynthia McQuillin
7. Monologue 87 by Les Barker — Jordin Kare
8. For A While by “Dr. Jane” Robinson — “Dr. Jane” Robinson
9. Clear Away the Morning Dew (traditional) — Margaret Davis & Kristoph Klover
10. Jig of Slurs / Lark in the Morning (traditional) — Annwn (Leigh Ann Hussey, Elton Wildermuth, Jennifer Tifft)
11. Roseville Fair by Bill Staines — Windbourne (Karen Rodgers, Rilla Heslin, Harold Groot, Kathy Ring)
12. Memories of Love by Dawn Martin — Dawn Martin
13. The Inner Light by Chris Dickenson (lyrics) / Larry Warner (music) — Larry Warner, Kathy Mar
14. Resurrection Battle by Leslie Fish — Leslie Fish
15. Bloodsong by Cynthia McQuillin — Cynthia McQuillin
16. That Everlastin’ Outcrop in the Sky by “Dr. Jane” Robinson — “Dr. Jane” Robinson
17. Deja Nam (bonus track) — Barry Gold