Rounds Galore & More

CD Details

Review

“A terrific collection: the rounds are presented in a lively and personal way, and cover a range from the well-known to the delightful but obscure…the recording, “Rounds Galore… and More”…makes you feel that you’re in the same living room with the four singers, and everybody’s having a good time.” — Peter Schickele (alter ego of PDQ Bach), NYC, composer of “Dona Nobis Pachem”

“Good round singing is uplifting to the soul. It is impossible to be sad while listening to rounds. Enjoy this wonderful CD.” — Jim Jacquet, Victory Review, August 1997

Product Description

Evy Mayer sings and plays ukulele, guitar, dumbek and a host of other percussion instruments. Evy has been involved in folk music since the 1960s, from her first open mike at the Café Wah to her present role as a producer of albums. She currently performs with Jean Farnworth as ‘Double Trouble,’ with Phyllis Elkind and Don Friedman as ‘Triboro,’ and also sings and leads workshops with ‘The Rounds Galore and More Singers’ (Sol ‘Roundman’ Weber, Jan Maier and Murray & Randi Spiegel). She has produced five albums; ‘Rounds Galore… and More, Vols. I and II’ (companions to the popular book, ‘Rounds Galore’), ‘Humor Me!,’ as well as ‘Soup To Nuts’ and ‘Born To Shop’ (both Double Trouble albums). Evy is a long-time Board member of the Folk Music Society of New York. She collects popular songs of the early 1900s, as well as humorous songs, children’s music plus Balkan and other international music. She enjoys singing harmony and funny songs, and to folk dance. Evy has always loved to sing rounds. When she decided she wanted to produce and record a companion album to the popular book, Rounds Galore, she gathered together a group of friends who recorded many of their favorite rounds in exciting arrangements. Evy, being a singer who learns best by ear, included some in ‘Rounds Minus One’ format, so the listener could sing along in the part left out.

From the Label

“Here are 32 old and new rounds…The stated purpose of this collection is “rounds are for fun, and are for everyone.” To that end, the singers have pitched the tunes in user-friendly keys and have kept the arrangements simple. There are even “rounds minus one”, which are lacking one part, enabling the listener to sing along. If you love rounds, lead singing or just want a great CD to sing along with, this one’s for you. Lots of new material and settings of old favorites like “Welcome, Welcome”, “Ah Poor Bird” and “Hava Nashira”.

About the Artist

The Rounds Galore and More Singers are Evy Mayer, Sol Weber, Murray Spiegel and Jan Maier. They were brought together by Evy, in 1996, to record “Rounds Galore… and More”.
Evy Mayer sings and plays ukulele, guitar, dumbek and a host of other percussion instruments. Evy has been involved in folk music since the 1960’s. She has produced two CDs with her “Double Trouble” partner, Jean Farnworth (“Born To Shop” and “Soup To Nuts”), as well as “Rounds Galore… and More”. Evy is also one third of the NYC-based trio, Triboro (she lives in the Bronx, and the other two live in Brooklyn and Manhattan). She is a long-time Board Member of the Folk Music Society of NY. She loves to sing harmony and funny songs.
Sol “Roundman” Weber is best known for his collection of over 300 rounds, called “Rounds Galore”, as well as his “Unofficial” Book of Rounds, and his sight singing guide. He leads rounds singing and gospel singing workshops, and his license plate, “Roundman”, says it all. His thought for the 90’s is, “Singing a round is safer than sleeping around!” Pete Seeger says, “I’ve never met anyone who knows more rounds than Sol Weber. He surely must have more experience leading them than any other person in this entire world.”
Jan Maier has developed and taught harmony improv classes for several years. She has conducted the Showa Folksong Chorus, has performed with Judith Black at the Smithsonian and with Joan Borysenko’s retreats around the US and Mexico. She has an eclectic CD/tape called “Mountain Skyes”.
Murray Spiegel sings bass in two New Jersey choruses and his special interest is rounds. He also loves Israeli and International folk dancing.