sarahillis's blog

There is very exciting news from Loreena McKennitt-land! On March 8th, 2024, her new live album, The Road Back Home, will become available. This is a collection of performances taken from a couple of different folk festivals she played at last year, and it consists of songs she sang during the earlier part of her career, traditional for the most part. Well, on tomorrow's show, we've got one of those songs for you on Come by the Hills, along with three hours of great Folk and Celtic music as usual. I can't wait!

Just a few short hours ago, I promised you a live Robbie Burns special this week on Come by the Hills. I've had to change this due to a sudden social engagement which will be happening on Saturday. Therefore, instead of a live Burns special, I'll be presenting an encore Burns special from the archives, this time from January 22, 2022. Of course, this means that some of the promos will be out of date, so do keep that in mind and check the Mushroom FM schedule for your slightly changed Saturday evening lineup!

The time has come again for the annual Robbie Burns celebration on Come by the Hills! We'll have three hours of songs and poetry written or collected by the man himself, as well as many other Scottish songs in honour of the national poet of Scotland. We'll also hear a little about burns's life, pipe in the haggis, of course, and generally have a bonnie time! So why not tak a wee dram and join me live from the seventh floor!

I have no special reason for showcasing the sun, the moon and the stars this week on Come by the Hills, Mushroom FM's Folk and Celtic music show, but searching for those words in my database of music has yielded some interesting results. so, while there will be a couple of departures from those main themes, that's what this week's show is about. It comes to you in just a few short hours, live from the seventh floor!

also, a heads-up about next week's show, which will be our annual Robbie Burns celebration. If you have any Burns-related requests, do let me know in the usual ways.

Yes, it's almost time for three hours of Folk and Celtic music brought to you live from the seventh floor on Come by the Hills! This week, I'll have songs about ways, songs about men, (perhaps some songs about the ways of men), another cut from Joni Mitchell's 2023 live album from the Newport Folk Festival in 2022, and much more! So why not hang out with me for a bit? I'd love to have you along for the ride!

It's a new year and Come by the Hills is back with a brand new episode. This week, I've got songs about blue things and green things, songs about hills and rivers, songs about love and loss, and lots of good stories set to music. I'll be live in just a few hours, at 2:00 PM Eastern, with three hours of awesome Folk and Celtic music. I hope you'll join me.

Hi there. Sara Hillis here, just popping up from the craziness of the holidays to let you know that on Saturday, December 30, Come by the Hills will be devoted entirely to the artistry and legacy of Gordon Lightfoot. Yes, once again, I'll be presenting the tribute show to this amazing song-writer and musician that was originally aired on May 6, 2023. I think this is the second time I've repeated the episode, but I'm really proud of it and I know it was particularly well-loved by many regular listeners to the Folk and Celtic music show here on Mushroom FM.

Yes, it's that time of year again, a time brimming with festive traditions big and small. One of those traditions for many people is listening to the wonderful Christmas albums by the Carpenters. So if that's your particular cup of hot chocolate, then why not join me, Sara Hillis, at noon Eastern time on Christmas day for a two-hour journey through the Carpenters Christmas Collection? We'll hear A Christmas Portrait in the first hour, and then it's onto An Old-fashioned Christmas in the second hour.

It's almost time to wasail our bells off, because two days before Christmas, (that's this coming Saturday,) it'll be Christmas once again on Come by the Hills! Yes, we'll have traditional carols done in a Folky way, some humour, including a look at the tradition of Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland, and yet another version of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas, this time performed by Canadian actor Cedric Smith with musical interludes by Loreena McKennitt.

Well hello! On this decidedly balmy December day here in my neck of the Canadian woods, I'm here to tell you what's happening this week on Come by the Hills, Mushroom FM's Folk and Celtic music show!