I wrote about LiveTrad and did an interview in my previous article. The people behind it deserve our cheers as they continue to bring traditional Irish music to the world. Well, I was happy when I heard that Moya Brennan was going to be featured along with her daughter Aisling. It is nice to see Moya perform in such an intimate setting with just few instruments . Her voice can really take the whole room with it’s confounding mystery.
I am also going to note here that Aisling Jarvis is creating her own musical path. I have heard her older tracks in myspace when she was just starting to compose and perform. Her style is modern with ethereal flavor and electronic embellishments. It is really great to see both of them perform together. I am happy to watch these videos despite my flu. This sickness is getting to my friends these days. I think it always happens when the weather moves from cold to warm. Anyway thanks to LiveTrad for capturing these moments on video.
I posted the video of Seth Lakeman because he’s the artist that often pops up in the discussion between my friends.
Presented by Mike Harding and Julie Fowlis, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards took place at The Lowry Theatre, Salford on Wednesday 8 February at 7.30pm.
The ceremony, which included live music from The Dubliners, Christy Moore, Don McLean (pictured above) and Seth Lakeman, celebrated the folk highlights of the last 12 months, including awards for Best album, group, musician, live act and Folk singer of the year. There were also be lifetime achievement presentations plus the announcement of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk award winner.
Well well well, there is no denying that one of the most influential Celtic bands in history are making it to public television. After decades on the business it is true that a band like Clannad pack a punch no matter how soothing most of the music might sound. I am blogging in a public place for lack of internet at home. It seems that someone missed an appointment today and I am having coffee all alone.
Anyway I got this press release as an email from Susan Hellman.
WLIW21 CELEBRATES ST. PATRICK’S DAY WITH RARE CONCERT FROM IRISH MUSIC ICONS CLANNAD
CLANNAD LIVE AT CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN
EXCLUSIVE NEW YORK AREA BROADCAST PREMIERE
SATURDAY, MARCH 17 AT 3 PM AND 10 PM
In January 2011, the five original members of Clannad, the legendary family group from Donegal, Ireland, came together for a rare live performance marking the band’s 40thanniversary. It was the first full concert in 20 years featuring all five founding members. Recorded at the 11th century Christ Church Cathedral as part of the Temple Bar Tradfest, that magical evening has been captured in the new public television special– Clannad Live at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, premiering, appropriately, in the New York metropolitan area on WLIW21 on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.
Clannad Live at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin will premiere Saturday, March 17 at 3 pm with an additional airing at 10 pm (check local listings) as part of WLIW21’s March membership drive. The broadcast will include exclusive interviews with Moya Brennan. The special will be distributed by WLIW21 to public television stations nationwide beginning Monday, February 27, 2012 (check local listings).
The specialcontinues WLIW21’s longstanding commitment to programming that explores Irish culture and heritage, including recent broadcasts of the Music of Ireland series hosted by Moya Brennan and distributed nationally by WLIW, Órla Fallon’s Celtic Christmas, original productions including Visions of Ireland, and Out of Ireland on the WLIW World channel.
Highlights of the set list of the Live at Dublin program underscore the impact Clannad has had beyond traditional Celtic music into international pop culture — “Theme from Harry’s Game,” originally a TV series theme, became the United Kingdom’s first top ten hit in the Gaelic language and went on to international attention in the film Patriot Games and in Volkswagen ads in the U.S.; “Newgrange,” a song given pop culture attention again recently as covered by Celtic Woman; and “I Will Find You,” the haunting love theme from TheLast of the Mohicans.
Featured guests are Anúna, Ireland’s National Choir, and Brian Kennedy, known for his years singing with Van Morrison and as the lead singer in Riverdance on Broadway. Brian joins the band for “In a Lifetime,” originally a duet with Bono on Clannad’s album Macalla.
Siblings Moya Brennan, Ciarán Brennan, Pól Brennan, and their twin uncles – Noel andPádraig Duggan – comprise the current lineup of Clannad. Clannad first made their mark in thefolk and traditional scene in the 1970s in Ireland and mainland Europe. With their hauntingly beautiful songs, mesmerizing vocals, and captivating sound, Clannad has sold over fifteen million records worldwide.
The Grammy Award-winning Clannad is widely regarded as the band which paved the way for mainstream success for many other Irish artists by putting Irish “traditional” music, sung in the Irish language, on the world stage for the first time. It has been said that what today is so widely regarded as Celtic music was first called “Clannad music.”
Clannad Live at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin is produced and Directed by Cathal Watters, Odyssey Media. Co-Produced by Shane McDonnell. Executive Producers are John Scher, Keith Naisbitt, Gustavo Sagastume and Carole Myers. For WLIW21 – Gillian Rose, executive in charge of production in association with WNET New York Public Media.
True love is when you put someone on a pedestal, and they fall – but you are there to catch them. Anonymous
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler Yeats, Irish, 1865-1939
Don’t even get me started about today. A lot of people get emotional. I wish they rename it as Dark Chocolate Day. But who am I to complain? This world is filled with lonely people looking for someone to fill that void. I think the problem here is that we look. Why can’t we just sit still and appreciate what’s already there? Sometimes we forget simple act of kindness because we are to caught up with our hangups and histories. We forget the people who helped shape our lives and who were there along the way. It’s Hollywood that makes today depressing. Because if you think about it, it isn’t. I think if we just turn around we already have something. We just forget to take time to appreciate it.Think about it.
This video is like a light in the dark. I love the Spanish flavour.Nice design! Here’s that it says:
“Mahaday” is an Ann Malone composition that celebrates the Spanish and Latin side of the Celtic tradition. Expressing the joy of love, the song exudes the romantic spirit of Valentine’s Day.
Inner Splendor Media is a recording company that specializes in pure, simple, elemental and beautiful music found all over the world.
Produced by Vidura Barrios, Ann Malone, Alan Reekie and Rob Smith
This post is dedicated to my friend Paula O’Brien who lives in England. She sent me these items :
Some Celtic pieces stitched for my friend Jose Rommel Labatos who lives in The Philippines. Jose writes a Celtic music blog so the Celtic theme was ideal. He chose the bookmark aida fabric from a choice of colours, it’s the first time I’ve created a home-made bookmark. The card shows a Celtic bird.He received them yesterday. — at UK before being posted to The Philippines
About Paula:
MUSIC RULES…..I love the creative arts and working on music projects, warm weather,travel, exploring new and interesting places, fond of animals especially cats,pastel shades, birdsong, my synths and piano, beautiful synth sounds, recording studios, harmonious music and environments, historical sites/ruins, camel rides, Spring & Summer, Indian food ..vegetable korma and naan, mango chutney & mango lassi, fruit juice esp.cherry and also red orange, beautiful skies, democracy, those who play fair i.e. 50:50 , loyalty,courtesy, mutual respect and support, zany humour, easy-going & relaxed people, eating fruit..
Dislikes – sub-zero temperatures, England’s freezing weather….cigarette smoke, the colour orange, grapefruit, horrible spiders aaarrggh!, injustice, arrogance, dishonesty, disloyalty, egomania, insincerity, people who take others for granted, selfishness, teaching (my job), people who harm/hurt animals, intrusive noise, arguing, people who don’t honour their word, being let down..
I find twins fascinating because both equally share the same amount of talent. One can’t be without the other. If you think about it, they have been in the womb for almost nine months and they share a circle on their own. I am featuring the Twin Thistle. The videos are from the past.
This post is dedicated to Jimmy and Nancie .
10 year old twins Michael and Lizzy are featured here, playing three different songs. Michael is an absolutely great bagpiper and Lizzy a very talented keyboard player, who also composes great music! Together they make up “Twin Thistle!” Listen to these wonderfully talented young kids, and see why we feel the “future of Celtic Music looks bright!”
Celtic Music Fan 