TROUZ BRAS ignites the ancient spirit of Celtic Brittany with driving bagpipes, bombarde, and percussion, weaving together traditional Breton songs, spiral and circle dance tunes, and original music inspired by Breton traditions
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TROUZ BRAS
Edge of the Spiral: Celtic Music of Brittany
TROUZ BRAS
Edge of the Spiral: Celtic Music of Brittany
A new collection of Breton dance tunes, traditional songs, and original music inspired by the Celtic spirit of Brittany.
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Step into the vibrant world of Trouz Bras, where Breton songs and dances intertwine like exotic threads in an ancient tapestry. Trouz Bras means “Great Sound” or “Big Noise” in the Celtic language of Brittany—a nod to the powerful Breton bagpipes, haunting bombarde, and driving percussion that fuel the band’s spirited sound. From the floors of intimate dance halls to the stages of major Celtic festivals, audiences have embraced the band’s bold blend of traditional Breton music and Celtic‑inspired originals that honor the past while giving it a swift kick into the present. Founder Richard Price, born in Wales and spiritually rooted in Brittany, reflects: “Everyone with Celtic heritage—and even those from other cultural traditions—seems to instantly connect with this music that our ancestors sang and danced to for countless generations.” So come, join our circle, and let Trouz Bras carry you to the wild, wind‑swept shores of Brittany!
TRACK LISTING
TRACK LISTING
LIFE IS FOR LIVING (Price)
PLAC’HIG EUSA (Trad)
CHEESE BOURRÉES (Price/Hall)
PARDON SPEZED / FAR BRETON (Trad/Price)
KER BREIZH (Trad)
QUAND J’ETAIS JEUNE / BIRTHDAY DANCE (Trad/Price)
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Trad/Hall/Price/Stivell)
RAINY DAY BOURRÉE / COURTSHIP BOURRÉE (Price)
THE KING OF YS (Carman/Trouz Bras/Trad)
LOUDÉAC (Price/Hall)
OLOLÉ (Trad)
AN TRI BREUER (Trad)
EVELYN’S HANTER DRO (Price/Hall)
SON AR CHISTR (Trad)
SONG OF MERLIN (AR RANNOÙ) (Barzaz Breizh/NicMhacha)
Listen to a few sample tracks:
TROUZ BRAS is:
TROUZ BRAS is:
Richard Price: biniou and veuze (Breton bagpipes), electric dulcimer, percussion, vocals
Barry Hall: bombarde, bouzouki, fiddle, vielle, low whistles, didgeridoo, percussion, vocals
Sharon MacLeod NicMhacha: flute, recorder, pennywhistle, vocals
Eric Peterson: tabla, riq, cajon, and other percussion
Brian Rost: bass
with Beth Hall: vocals (6,7), bodhrán (7,8)
Brittany is a magical land of megaliths and windswept coastal landscapes, where Celtic myths and legends endure, and a distinctive tradition of music and dance thrives. The region has fiercely preserved its unique Celtic identity and culture, which is evident in its music. Breton traditional music is characterized by its lively rhythms and haunting melodies, often featuring the bombarde (a double-reed woodwind instrument with a bright, piercing voice) paired with the powerful Breton bagpipes—a combination that has been played through the centuries at festive occasions such as weddings and fairs, carrying deep cultural resonance.
Trouz Bras was formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s by Richard Price, a global ambassador of Breton music and dance, and was the first band to specialize in performing Breton music and teaching Breton dance in the USA. Other original members were John Fleagle, Shira Kammen and Kimberly McKittrick. After moving to New England in the 2000s, Richard reassembled Trouz Bras with the musicians on this recording, launching a fresh wave of Breton music and dance appreciation across the Eastern USA. Born in Wales and spiritually connected to Brittany, Richard describes a tremendous recent renaissance of interest in the Fest Noz or “Night Festival.” He explains, “A Fest Noz can have thousands of dancers at large, international festivals, or just a handful of local dancers in a far-flung village,” he says. “The music is driving, insistent and mesmerizing. The spiral and circle dances are performed by everyone from the very young to the very old.”
“Our inspiration comes from the trance-like spiral dances of Brittany,” says Barry Hall, who plays the bombarde, the vielle (a Medieval-style fiddle) and the bouzouki. “Much of today’s Breton dance music uses ancient musical modes and melodies unchanged from Medieval times. These fascinating tunes provide Trouz Bras with a point of departure for our own musical vision.”
Rather than simply recreating the past, Trouz Bras extends beyond starkly primitive traditional Breton melodies to original and modern tunes inspired by the ancient dance rhythms. Percussionist Eric Peterson draws on his Scandinavian and Armenian heritage to craft exotic rhythmic landscapes for the other instruments to dance upon, saying, “Each type of dance has its own unique rhythmic pulse, which dictates our approach.” Bassist Brian Rost, deeply rooted in many genres of traditional and folk music, completes the driving heartbeat that is so essential to the band’s sound. “When our music locks in with the dancers, it’s like a symbiotic relationship. Their energy channels back to us and further invigorates our playing.”
Sharon MacLeod NicMhacha serves as the druidess of Trouz Bras. As a distinguished Celtic scholar, author and former singer of The Moors, her expertise in Celtic mythology and folklore helps guide the band's interpretations of Breton ballads and poetry. "One of the things I love about Breton music is how different it is from other types of Celtic music. It has unique melodies, phrasing, emotiveness, instrumentation and rhythms. Yet when Celtic music aficionados hear it, they respond very quickly and viscerally! It is evocative of medieval music, but is something beyond that…” She continues, “Before joining Trouz Bras, I primarily sang in Scottish Gaelic and Modern Irish, and some Cornish, Welsh and Breton. As a singer, languages to me are like colors of paint are to a visual artist. Immersing myself in these melodies, words, and sounds is an amazing exploration back in time, working with superbly talented musicians to bring this music forward to a wider modern audience."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Produced by Barry Hall and Trouz Bras
All compositions and arrangements by Trouz Bras (except where noted)
String section (violin, viola, cello) on “Evelyn’s” and “Ololé” and horn section (flugelhorn, French horn, euphonium) on “An Tri Breuer” and “Song of Merlin” arranged and performed by Barry Hall
Special thanks to Dr. Benjamin Bruch for expert Breton language assistance
Recorded in New England at Wellspring Sound and Hallistic Studios
Edited, mixed and mastered by Barry Hall
Artwork and photography by Beth Hall
We would like to thank just a few of the wonderful luthiers and craftspeople who have created some of our favorite instruments used on this recording:
Veuze by Hervieux et Glet, English bagpipes by Jon Swayne
Bombardes by Hervieux et Glet and Michael MacHarg
Reeds by Daniel Le Noan and Guy Cesbron
Medieval vielle by Ethan James
Bouzoukis by Christopher Eccleshall, David Freshwater, and Ovation
Tabla by Hossam Ramzy
Bodhrans by Mance Grady and David Gormlie
TRACK NOTES AND LYRICS
TRACK NOTES AND LYRICS
1. Life is for Living
Richard Price
Dance: Gavotte des Montagnes
The gavotte is a quintessential Breton dance, emblematic of Brittany’s vibrant living dance tradition. This tune comes from Richard’s dance suite The Mill—a medieval love story set against the backdrop of the Cathar Crusade and Inquisition.
2. Plac’hig Eusa (also known as Eliz Iza or Enez Eusa)
Traditional Breton
A gwerz is a poignant Breton ballad or lament that weaves a narrative through song, often delving into tragic themes. In this particular gwerz, we encounter a young girl perched upon a rugged rock by the sea, her heart heavy with grief as she mourns the loss of her parents. The waves crash against the shore, echoing her sorrowful melody—a haunting tribute to love and loss.
Breton lyrics:
En Enez Eusa, ur plac'hig
Yaounk, fur, koant
'Vel un aelig
hec'h anv oa Kaourintinik
E c'harz ar mor
War ur garreg
Kaourintinik 'wele dourek
Kaourintinik 'wele dourek
Kalon ma mamm
Baour a rannas
Gant ar c'heloù-se, pa glevas
Gant ar c'heloù-se, pa glevas
Me n'am eus den,
allas, bremañ
Petra rin-me war ar bed-mañ?
Petra rin-me war ar bed-mañ?
English translation:
In Ushant, [there was] a young woman
Young, wise, pretty
as a little angel
Her name was Kaourintinik
Beside the sea
Upon a rock
Kaourintinik wept bitterly
Kaourintinik cried watery tears
My poor mother's heart
Will break within an hour
With that news, when she hears it
With that news, when she hears it
I don't have anyone,
Alas, now
What shall I do upon this earth?
What shall I do upon this earth?
3. Cheese Bourrées
Richard Price / Barry Hall
Dance: Bourrées à trois temps” (triple meter)
Stamping feet drive the pulse of these two original “bourrées à trois temps,” showcasing the lively interplay of the biniou (bagpipe) and the vielle, a rustic medieval fiddle with five gut strings.
4. Pardon Spezed / Far Breton
Traditional Breton / Richard Price
Dance: An Dro, Kas ar Barh or Ronds de St. Vincent
A bawdy tale of misadventure at a Breton pardon (a fair celebrating the feast of a patron saint) in the town of Spézet, sung in the Breton tongue, followed by Richard’s tune, Far Breton, named for a rich custard cake with brandied prunes.
Breton:
E pardon Spezed e oan bet
Ur plac'h yaouank am eus kavet
'Barzh ur park vras hon eus kousket
Ur verol bras am eus tapet
D'an ospital on bet kaset
War an daol bras on bet lakaet
Ha ma lost vras 'zo bet troc'het
Dre ar prenestr eo bet kaset
Ur mell ki-bleiz 'zo tremenet
Ha ma lost vras en neus debret
Hag ar c'hi-bleiz a zo marvet
E pardon Spezed e oan bet
English:
I went to the fair at Spézet
Where I met a young girl.
In a big meadow, we lay together
And I caught the big pox (syphilis).
I was sent to the hospital.
They put me on a big table.
And they cut off my big “tail” (willie)
And threw it out the window.
A big wolf passed by
And it ate my big willie.
And the big wolf died.
I went to the fair at Spézet.
And here’s an automatic online translation from Breton to English (just for laughs!)
Excuse me.
Found a young girl
We've got a big park in the park.
Large piece of tape
I was sent to the hospital.
I was placed on the big table.
And my big mistake was broken.
Window sent
One mile in the left is password
And if he's a big boy, he's gone.
And the center is dead.
Excuse me.
5. Ker Breizh
Traditional Breton
Dance: An Dro
A traditional Breton melody we’ve titled Ker Breizh (“My Breton Home”) honors all who carry Brittany in their hearts. The An dro is a traditional dance where dancers form a circle joining their little fingers. With arms rotating up and down in a spiral motion, they take three short steps to the left followed by three steps in place, steadily propelling them as one around the room.
6. Quand J’etais Jeune / Birthday Dance
Traditional Breton / Richard Price
Dance: Hanter Dro
Quand J’étais Jeune (“When I Was Young”) is a Breton hanter dro with French lyrics full of double entendres. The Birthday Dance, written for Richard’s nephew, is our festive way to mark birthdays at Trouz Bras events.
French lyrics:
Quand j'étais jeune à dix-huit ans,
J'étais beau et galant o gué.
Les amoureuses venaient me voir,
Le soir dedans ma chambre, o gué.
La plus jeune des amoureuses,
M'apporta une orange, o gué.
L'orange est tombée sur mon pied,
Elle a cassé ma jambe, o gué.
On fit venir un médecin
De Paris ou de Nantes, o gué.
Le médecin qui me soignait,
Voulut couper ma jambe, o gué.
Non ma jambe ne sera pas coupée,
Car je vis de mes rentes, o gué.
English translation:
When I was young at eighteen years old,
I was handsome and gallant.
Lovers came to see me
In the evening in my room.
The youngest of my lovers
Brought me an orange.
The orange fell on my foot
And broke my leg.
A doctor was called
From Paris or Nantes.
The doctor who treated me
Wanted to cut off my leg.
No my leg will not be cut off
That’s how I make my living.
7. Pride and Prejudice
Traditional Breton melody with additional An Dro melody by Barry Hall, lyrics by Richard Price & Alan Stivell
Dance: Ronds de St. Vincent or An Dro
Brittany is recognized as one of the six Celtic nations (along with Cornwall, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland, and Wales) where Celtic languages and traditions have survived into the modern era. This song honors the Breton people’s ongoing struggle to preserve their language and identity despite centuries of repression. Though never officially banned, the Breton language was long discouraged in schools and public life. A cultural revival in the 1970s, led by artists like Alan Stivell, sparked renewed pride. Today, immersion schools are growing—but the Breton language remains endangered.
Excuse us please if we irritate, apologies if we aggravate,
Forgive the headaches that we create, for using words that don’t translate.
You think us dim, we speak Breton,
La la la la lenlo, La la la la lenlo, La la la la lo, la la lano.
La la la la lenlo, Fighting for tomorrow, we believe in choice, comme l’air, comme l’eau. (like air, like water)
We’re more bizarre than the Inuit, you see us come, you cross the street,
You think us dim, we speak Breton, La la la la lenlo (etc.)
Fewer died than the Iroquois, but we’re worse off than the Quebecois,
You think us dim, we speak Breton, La la la la lenlo (etc.)
Parisiens you think you’re cool, I live in Breizh, now who’s the fool?
You think us dim, we speak Breton, La la la la lenlo (etc.)
Nation Bretonne you will amaze, those who’d destroy your ancient ways,
Le monde n’existe pas sans toi (The world doesn’t exist without you), La la la la lenlo (etc.)
Be proud and strong and celebrate, Be proud and strong and celebrate,
O vont da Guoel ar Brezhoneg! (Celebrate the Breton language!), La la la la lenlo (etc.)
8. Rainy Day Bourrée / Courtship Bourrée
Richard Price
Dance: Bourrée
Rainy Day Bourrée was composed long ago as a birthday gift for one of Richard’s nieces. The Courtship Bourrée, from his dance suite The Mill, celebrates the wedding of its central characters, Beatrice and Guillaume.
9. The King of Ys
Lyrics from a poem by Bliss Carman, Music by Trouz Bras
This song draws from Bliss Carman’s Victorian retelling of the Breton legend of Ys—a fabled city swallowed by the sea. Once a radiant center of art, beauty, and trade, Ys falls when Princess Dahut steals the key that locks its sea gates. As the ocean floods in, King Gradlon rides into the surf on his black stallion, sacrificing his daughter to calm the fury of the gods while the city sinks beneath the waves. Legend says that at low tide, the bells of Ys can still be heard echoing from beneath the sea. A traditional an dro circle dance tune weaves through this setting.
Wild across the Breton country,
Fabled centuries ago,
Riding from the black sea border,
Came the squadrons of the snow.
Morning drenched her towers in purple;
Light of heart were king and fool;
Fair forebode the merrymaking
Of the seven days of Yule.
Laughed the king, “Once more, my mistress,
Time and place and joy are one!”
Bade the balconies with banners
Match the splendor of the sun;
Laughed the fool, “To-day, my Folly,
Thou shalt be the king of Ys!”
O wise fool! How long must wisdom
Under motley hold her peace?
The sea it rose, it rocked and tilted
Like a beaker in the hand,
Till the moon-hung tide broke tether
And stampeded for the land.
All day long with doom portentous,
Shreds of pennons shrieked and flew
Over Ys; and black fear shuddered
On the hearthstone all night through.
“Save, O king, before we perish
In the whirlpools of the sea,
Ys thy city, us thy people!”
Growled the king then, “What would ye?”
But his wolf's eyes talked defiance,
And his bearded mouth meant scorn.
“O our king, the gods are angry;
And no longer to be borne.”
“Is the shameless face that greets us
From thy windows, at thy side,
Smiling infamy. And therefore
Thou shall take her up, and ride.”
“Down with her into the sea's mouth,
And there leave her; else we die,
And thy name goes down in legend,
You would scorn your people’s cry.”
Ah, but she was fair, this woman!
Warm and flaxen waved her hair;
Breton eyes they made the summer
In that bleak December air.
“Lord and lover,” thus she smiled him
Her final words,”it shall be so,
Now the ocean’s arms shall hold me,
When from out thine arms I go.”
Not a trace, while the long summers
Warm the heart of Brittany,
Save one stone of Ys, as remnant,
For a white mark in the sea.
Walled and dreamy stood the city,
Wide and dazzling shone the sea,
When the gods set hand to smother
Ys, the pride of Brittany.
10. Loudéac
Richard Price / Barry Hall
Dance: Loudéac
An original tune for a Breton circle dance from the Loudéac region of Brittany.
11. Ololé
Traditional Breton
“Ololé” is a traditional Breton lullaby with a timeless quality. Passed down through generations, this lullaby has been whispered to countless children as they drift off to sleep. While the specific meaning of the word “Ololé” remains somewhat mysterious, it carries an enchanting quality—an invitation to dream and find solace in the night. As you listen to “Ololé,” imagine the moon casting its silvery glow upon the thatched roofs of Breton cottages, as it transports you into the realm of dreams.
Ololé hé ho
Na Marzhanig o vé
Ololé hé ho
Na Marzhanig o vé
Ololé hí
Ololé hé ho
Na Veranij o vé
Ololé hé ho
Na Veranij o vé
Ololé hí
12. An Tri Breuer
Traditional Breton
Dance: Plinn
“Kan ha diskan” or call and response singing, is a musical tradition in Brittany most commonly used to accompany dances. You may notice call and response interplay between instruments in many of our dance tunes, and in this piece we more directly pay homage to this vocal tradition, including the use of vocables such as “la la la la leh no.” This tune accompanies the plinn—a high-energy dance where dancers tirelessly jump and bounce in a long, connected chain. Just try to resist bouncing around while listening to the lively percussion, bouzouki and bass in this energetic tune, underscoring the singers and the brass section that floats over the instrumental breaks.
13. Evelyn’s Hanter Dro
Richard Price / Barry Hall
Dance: Hanter Dro
Composed for Evelyn MacNair, a radiant soul who graced our world all too briefly. Evelyn loved singing and dancing and her luminous spirit inspired the magic of Trouz Bras in its early days and lives on in our hearts and on the dance floor. The hanter dro is a Breton spiral dance where dancers link arms and weave serpentine spiral patterns across the floor.
14. Son ar Chistr
Traditional Breton
This drinking song in the Breton tongue celebrates the robust cider (chistr) for which Brittany is renowned. May our glasses never be empty, and may the cider flow as freely as our laughter!
Breton lyrics:
Ev chistr 'ta Laou, rak chistr zo mat, loñla
Ev chistr 'ta Laou, rak chistr zo mat
Ur blank, ur blank ar chopinad, loñla
Ur blank, ur blank ar chopinad
Ar chistr zo graet 'vit bout evet, loñla
Hag ar merc'hed 'vit bout karet
Karomp pep hini e hini, loñla
'Vo kuit da zen kaout jalousi
English translation:
Drink cider, Laou, for cider is good
Drink cider, Laou, for cider is good
A penny, a penny a glass
A penny, a penny a glass
Cider is made to be drunk
And girls are made to be loved
Let each of us love his own
And there will be no more jealousy
15. Song of Merlin (Ar Rannoù)
Lyrics: Barzaz Breizh / Melody and translation: Sharon MacLeod NicMhacha
These Breton lyrics originate from the Barzaz Breizh, a collection of Breton folk songs gathered by Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué. First published in 1839, this anthology was assembled from materials collected from Breton tradition-bearers and enthusiasts, and contains a remarkable array of folk tales, legends, and music.
The song unfolds as a mesmerizing dialogue between an elder druidic figure—known as Merlin but rendered in Breton as Mharzin or Merzhin—and a curious young lad. Inquisitive, the boy implores the old sage to unravel the mysteries of various numerals. The elder’s responses are cryptic, intricately woven with threads of Celtic myth and nods to folkloric characters.
The band crafted a trance-like soundscape weaving Sharon’s melodic interpretation of excerpts from the ancient text with driving bass, drums, and electric dulcimer. A lilting flute, didgeridoo and soaring brass add dense layers of texture, evoking an otherworldly atmosphere.
Breton lyrics:
An Drouiz: Mab gwenn drouiz, petra 'fell dit-te? Petra 'ganin-me dit-te?
Ar Bugel: Kan din euz a tri, Ken e oufen bremañ, glao hag avel, taran ha tan!
An Drouiz: Tri rann er bed-man a vez, Tri derou ha tri diwez, D'an den ha d'an derw ivez, Teir rouantelez Mharzin Drouiz.
Ar Bugel: Kan din euz a seizh...Kan din euz a nao! Me o'ar: seizh heol...
An Drouiz: ... ha seizh loar! Seizh louzaouen e'r perik, ha meska'n Itron e'r per goter.
Ar Drouiz: E korroll nao c'horrigan, bleunvek e'o bleo, kelc'h an aval wenn, Kan gant an don, d'al loar-gann! War enez wenn... Kan a noz an tan!
English translation:
The Druid: Bright child of a druid, what would you like? What shall I sing for you?
The Child: Sing to me of three, so that I may know now, [of] rain and wind, thunder and fire!
The Druid: There are three parts to the world, three beginnings and three ends, for the person and for the oak as well, Three realms of Merlin the Druid.
The Child: Sing to me of seven... Sing to me of nine! I will know it: seven suns...
The Druid: ... and seven moons! Seven herbs in the little cauldron, and the Lady mixes the cauldron's brew.
The Druid: Nine Korrigans dancing, with flowers in their hair, around the blessed apple tree. Sing with the deep*, for the full moon! On a holy island... Sing of the night of flame!
*(That which is profound, secret, internal, spiritual)
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