Ballymena

Edward Clement Bethel (1938 – 1987) was a Bahamian composer, pianist, and choral director who became the first Director of Culture in The Bahamas. Under his direction, the new nation of The Bahamas learned an appreciation of its indigenous music. He was the composer of the folk opera Sammie Swain, which he adapted from a Bahamian folktale, and he wrote and arranged countless Bahamian songs. “Ballymena” is a folk song still sung in The Bahamas today and is thought to derive from the days of Prohibition, when “rum-runners” would paint their ships black and sail over to American ports by night in an effort to elude the American blockade. This version, originally preserved by Bethel and arranged by C Force, reflects the gentle rhythms and harmonies of Bahamian folk songs from the early 20th century.