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Sarah Makem (18 October 1900 – 20 April 1983) a native of Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was a traditional Irish singer.[1] She was the wife of fiddler Peter Makem, mother of musicians Tommy Makem and Jack Makem, and grandmother of musicians Tom Sweeney, Jimmy Sweeney (of Northern Irish Canadian group Barley Bree), Shane Makem, Conor Makem and Rory Makem. Sarah Makem and her cousin, Annie Jane Kelly, were members of the Singing Greenes of Keady.
In the 1950s, song collectors from the United States toured Ireland recording its musical heritage. Makem was visited and recorded by, among others, Diane Guggenheim Hamilton, Jean Ritchie, Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle. Her rendition of "As I Roved Out" opened the BBC Radio folk music programme of the same name in the 1950s.[2]
Sarah Makem lived in Keady her whole life.[1] Living in the border region of Ulster and in a market town, she was influenced by Irish, Scottish, and English traditions.[3] Makem learned songs from her mother while she was doing household chores such as cooking. Makem would often pick up these songs while sitting with her mother after just one repetition. Makem also learned some of her repertoire from songs the children would sing in school.[2]
Sarah left school early to work as a factory weaver as many of the girls did in her town. She would work from 7 am to 6:30 pm then come home to have sessions with many of the other musicians living in the same area. Makem married Peter Makem in 1919.[2]
Sarah Makem would not consider herself a musician; however, she had an extensive musical career. She was a ballad singer who had over five hundred songs in memory. These songs she describes as life stories of murder and love and emigration songs.[1] Makem recorded many of her songs, mostly for collection purposes.[1] One of those songs, "As I Roved Out" was used to open a BBC radio program featuring Irish folk music named after Makem's ballad.[2] Makem did not intend to use this recording as such, and was very embarrassed to know her voice would be heard everyday across Ireland.[2]
Note: Footnotes take you to lyrics, but not necessarily to the recordings of Sarah Makem, as many of the songs are traditional.
Makem collected, performed and/or composed, and handed down hundreds of songs including:
Sarah Makem has been recorded extensively, and is included on the following recordings:
In 2009 The Banks of Red Roses from Sarah Makem : Ulster Ballad Singer was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track three of the third CD.
