Over Northern Skies

from Stirring Up Ghosts Vol 1&2 by Tiller's Folly

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about

Feb. 23, 1909 - J.A.D. McCurdy (later Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia) piloted the first powered airplane flight by a British subject in the British Empire. The Silver Dart, as it was named had been built by the Aerial Experiment Association, a group of aviation enthusiasts dedicated to creating a "practical aerodrome."

The flight took place on the frozen Bras d'Or Lake at Baddeck on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, near the home of AEA member Alexander Graham Bell.

July 17, 2009 – Director/host John Lovelace of ‘Wings Over Canada’ fame set out to celebrate 100 years Canadian Flight. A contingency of 125 small aircraft set off from Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC enroute to Nova Scotia to celebrate the 1909 flight of the ‘Silver Dart’ Canada's first flight.

'Over Northern Skies' was commissioned as the theme song for John Lovelace's documentary ‘Cross Canada Century Flight’

lyrics

OVER NORTHERN SKIES

They’d never seen the likes before
‘Till that cold winter’s morn, on the ice of Bras d’Or
The Silver Dart coursed through the air
And the crowd assembled there, they all let out a cheer
McCurdy’s biplane hurdled by
He sets his sites upon the Nova Scotia sky

Were there grace to grant my dreams
I would ride with the wind, like a bird on high
And if I had wings to fly, I would sail away
Over Northern skies

Alexander Graham Bell, who we all know so well
Of telephone fame
Gathered the thinkers of the day, oh, the tinkers of the trade
To build his flying machine
And the mandate he declared
Do all it takes to set a man into the air

Were there grace to grant my dreams
I would ride with the wind, like a bird on high
And if I had wings to fly, I would sail away
Over Northern skies

At thirty thousand feet
It’s hard to believe, it’s only been a hundred years
A Silver Dart coursed through the air
On a wing and a prayer, and the crowd all cheered
The world advances stride by stride
So never fear to set your sites upon the sky

Where there's grace to grant our dreams
We can ride with the wind, like birds on high
And given wings, we can fly, we can all sail away
Over Northern skies
We can sail away
Over Northern skies

credits

from Stirring Up Ghosts Vol 1&2, released June 1, 2015
Bruce Coughlan – vocals (all tracks) acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24) wood flute (1, 5, 10, 13, 14) whistles (1, 5, 14, 20, 24)
Laurence Knight – electric bass (all tracks) vocals (7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23)
Nolan Murray – fiddle (5, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24) mandolin (4, 5, 6, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24) 5-string banjo (5, 14, 22, 23)
Joby Baker – drums (4, 20, 21, 24) Whurlitzer piano (4) vocals (20)
Ian Cameron – fiddle (1, 11) mandolin (1)
Noel Chalmers – military drum (20)
Aaron Chapman – vocals (14)
John Cowan – vocals (15)
Doug Cox – dobro (21)
Jack Duncan – percussion (1)
Colleen Eccleston – vocals (21)
Bear Erickson – elec. guitar (20) vocals (20)
Geoff Eyre – drums (2, 8, 17)
Tatiana Hancheroff – vocals (17)
Daryl Havers – accordion (3)
Dave Keogh – vocals (14)
Larry Knechtel – Hammond (15)
Craig McGregor – acoustic guitar (7, 10, 13, 17) elec. guitar (3, 17) octave mandolin (8) mandolin (9)
Jim McWilliams – bagpipes (20)
Sandy Marshall – bagpipes (20)
Chris Nordquist – drums (14, 15, 19, 23)
Gord Maxwell – vocals (2, 3, 11, 18, 22)
Aiden O’Brien – uillean pipes & whistles (4) vocals (4)
Paul O’Brien – vocals (4)
Peter Padden – vocals (2)
Eric Reed – elec. guitar (23) mandolin (6, 16) vocals (16)
Phil Robertson – drums (5, 12, 18, 22)
Mike Sanyshyn – fiddle (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 17, 22) mandolin (8, 12, 22)
David Sinclair – elec. guitar (4)
Victor Smith – fiddle (9) whistles (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13) silver flute (17)
Shawn Soucy – drums (3, 9, 10, 13) percussion (8, 9, 10, 13)
Robbie Steininger – acoustic guitar (1, 5, 22) elec. guitar (18) dobro (18, 22)
Chris Stevens – 5-string banjo (7, 9, 12)
Ed Wagstaff – bagpipes (20)
Valdy – vocals (24)

All songs, music & lyrics by Bruce Coughlan (SOCAN) except: The Ballad of John Rae by Bruce Coughlan & Jim Smith (SOCAN)
All tracks produced by Laurence Knight except: Laurence Knight & Steven Drake (15, 23) Joby Baker (4, 21, 24) Bruce Coughlan (6, 14, 20) Mastered & re-mastered by Joby Baker Thank-you to our families, friends and fans for all your support and inspiration!!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Kickstarter Stirring Up Ghosts initiative. Special thanks to Rob Armstrong, Katharine Barrett, Bob Chenoweth and the Lexvolds. Special thanks again to Dave & Paula Reed whose initial contribution made this project possible.

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Bruce Coughlan Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Pacific Canadian-based recording & performing artist, Bruce Coughlan has spent decades making Acoustic Roots Music Music of all descriptions. An expressive singer and rock-solid guitarist, Bruce is driven by one guiding principle: It's all about the Song. ... more

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