Along Lot Seven Shore: Folksongs and Other Writings

Desmond Maley is the music librarian at the J.W. Tate Library,
Huntington College, Laurentian University, and the editor of Newsletter
of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and
Documentation Centres.

This delightful little collection testifies to the vibrant tradition of
songwriting on Prince Edward Island. Donnie Doyle, who comes from a long
line of singer-songwriters along the Lot Seven Shore in the West Prince
region of the Island, has chosen 21 songs written by himself, his father
Harold, and his father’s cousin Steve. An introduction explains the
inspiration for each of the songs, followed by the melody and lyrics.
The poems celebrate the land, the people, life passages, and
spirituality. “My Heart Won’t Let You Go,” Doyle’s nostalgic
reminiscence of his raising five daughters, resonates with my own
experience as a parent. “Coming Home” captures Doyle’s response on
visiting Ireland, his ancestral birthplace. “The Four Dollar Pants”
and “The Mushroom Song” show his lighter side, while “If God Is
Dead” affirms his devout Roman Catholicism. One of the songs contains
minor errors in rhythmic notation, and a map of the region would have
been appreciated. Nevertheless, this warm and affecting book, which
includes black-and-white reproductions of photographs, casts a revealing
light on the songmaker’s art.