Wild Swans at Coole

"A new world of beauty and wonder . . ." Blair Jackson Author of Garcia: An American Life, Going Down the Road: A Grateful Dead Traveling Companion, Senior Editor Mix Magazine. "Doug Saum is a resident of Reno Nevada who has compiled several CDs in which he has put the poetry of William Butler Yeats into song. His renditions of the poems capture the essence of the work of Yeats. Many have previously sought in vain to do this, and Saum has succeeded." Declan Foley, Editor Beyond Ben Bulben (An Australian Yeats Society) "Yeats believed that every soul sings a -sweet crystalline cry.' Here is music which has at it's heart that clear and indomitable cry." Donovan Welch, Poet [Saum] " . . . is utterly faithful in preserving these poems . . . has a knack, and obviously a passion, for taking Yeats's stirring poetry and recasting not just the Irishman's words but his spirit into . . . sounds that variously recall the Celtic-tinged folk rock of the Waterboys or the folky side of Neil Young." Rick deYampert The News-Journal Daytona, Florida On September 30, 1996 Douglas Lee Saum prepared for work as usual, shower, shave, daily vitamins, etc. When he looked at his Cuala Press water-colored litho of W. B. Yeats' poem 'The Fiddler of Dooney,' however, it ceased to be a normal day. This day he did not just read the words, it was as if the poem sang to him. A clear, distinct melody rang out in his head as he read the first two lines. 'That's unusual,' thought Douglas as he realized he was late and must leave. In the car, before he travelled the two miles to school where he taught English, the entire melody for this poem had presented itself. 'Cool beans,' he thought 'but I'll never remember it.' To make the story short, he did remember it. In fact, in the next nine years he got quite used to the poems of W. B. Yeats singing their melodies to him. Not all of the poems, certainly, but about two hundred and fifty of them . . . so far. And so he began to record these songs and is sharing them with the world.