I have a bunch of news for you guys. Remember when I actually mentioned a Christian Celtic band Eden’s Bridge last time? We had no input as to what’s up with them. I was surprised when I stumbled upon their site and learned that they released a Christmas EP last year. I Know it’s a little bit late for that but not for the music. There is something magical about this release which can withstand seasons. I think this is the kind of EP you’d listen to when you want inner peace. Check out The Winter Sings on this link and listen to the songs.
Our friends Phil Holland and Dave Palmley sent me a special gift in a form of a song .I want you to experience the kind of profound feeling I got when I heard this track. Adventurous- bordering on the Baroque with traces of Clannad and the duo’s personal styles; Steal Our Soul Away is a preview to what is going to be a future album. Beautiful song, fantastic talents! We love you Phil and Dave.
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Visual artist and musician Sharron McCulley has carved up a musical project with Jan Harris called Red Sonnet. The songs are wrapped up in keyboard sound scape that begs for more cinematic moments and water color tears. Christian , New Age, Folk- whatever you want to call them but the fact remains. The music of Red Sonnet is a perfect soundtrack to a tired night when you want to feel a little bit dramatic but enlightened. They’ve just finished recording their new album Across The Bridge. They will be performing soon so watch out.
Today I have been listening to The Whole Of The Moon– two versions repeatedly. Someone posted this in Twitter and before I knew it I was hooked going back and forth like what you do in a seesaw. It s a boring Monday and I have been doing paper works with that song in the background. Oh and I have to tell you I am doing this on a break-not during work.
There’s something about the lyrics that captivated my imagination. It’s originally done by The Waterboys in 1985 from the album This Is The Sea. In the early 90’s, Irish singer Terry Reid covered this. Enya collaborated with him on this track providing backing vocals and keyboards.
The Whole Of The Moon lyrics Songwriters: Scott, Michael;
I pictured a rainbow, you held it in your hands
I had flashes but you saw then plan
I wandered out in the world for years while you just stayed in your room
I saw the crescent, you saw the whole of the moon
The whole of the moon
You were there in the turnstiles with the wind at your heels
You stretched for the starts and you know how it feels
To reach too high, too far, too soon
You saw the whole of the moon
I was grounded while you filled the skies
I was dumbfounded by truth, you cut through lies
I saw the rain dirty valley, you saw Brigadoon
I saw the crescent, you saw the whole of the moon
With a torch in your pocket and the wind at your heels
You climbed on the ladder and you know how it feels
To get too high, too far, too soon
You saw the whole of the moon, the whole of the moon, hey yeah
Unicorns and cannonballs, palaces and piers
Trumpets, towers and tenements, wide oceans full of tears
Flags, rags, ferryboats, scimitars and scarves
Every precious dream and vision underneath the stars
Yes, you climbed on the ladder with the wind in your sails
You came like a comet, blazing your trail
Too high, too far, too soon
You saw the whole of the moon
Oh, how [Incomprehensible] did you see the whole of the moon
According to GrecoCelt: On a less speculative note, Mike Scott (The Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Pianist of the Waterboys) has said that the song’s subject is “a composite of many people”, including C.S. Lewis.
Once known as a safe haven for fishermen and sailors on the merciless north Cornish coast, Port Isaac, with its typical whitewashed cottages and cobbled lanes, is now a place more recognisable as the setting for television dramas such as Doc Martin and films such as Nigel Cole’s Saving Grace.
However, the Fisherman’s Friends have proved that home-grown talent can grab the headlines, too. The choir, who have sung together for 16 years, first came to critical attention when they released their first album, Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends, on Universal Records at the end of April 2010. Since then, they have performed at Glastonbury, the Cambridge Folk Festival, the Royal Festival Hall, Union Chapel and, slightly closer to home, the Boardmasters Festival in Newquay and the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival.
2 traditional Irish jigs. Phil: fiddles and bass Dave:guitars, mandolin and bodhrun. for info on how to buy the new CD “THE VISIT” by Dave Palmley and Phil Holland write to lmcrecords2011@gmail.com
The Visit is one of my most played album this month as we mark our departure from Yule and welcome Imbolc. The album cover of stone circles evoke pagan musings , and yet the music is universal. This is a musical venture that the classically trained musician Phil Holland did after her solo albums; venturing into a more upbeat and more Irish/Scottish driven arrangement.
Dave Palmley who also made a mark with his own releases(His UK single Looking Closer is timeless) and added a twist to these wonderful tracks. I can tell where Ms Holland’s style ends and where Mr Palmley’s own comes in. But they create such wonderful musical chemistry that everything is seamless and spontaneous. It’s like these guys have been collaborating for years. Tracks like Baidin Fheilime, The Clare Jig, The Hills of Connemara and the rest are given freshness. And the length of time for this album to happen?
(PHIL and DAVE): We didn’t expect to start an album for a while, but when we started playing together, the rapport was amazing and it just happened.In the space of 2 months we wrote, arranged and recorded everything that you hear on the album. It was just something that needed to come out. Initially we thought we would do mainly some of our favorite traditionals but we found that our combined need to write and create was just too strong and the album ended up being half and half…6 traditionals and 6 original pieces.
In fact since we completed “The Visit” we have continued writing and recording and the next album looks to be already on its way with even more originals that seem to be taking a more progressive direction, although always with a Celtic feel which is inevitable given our combined backgrounds and love of Celtic music.
I am fascinated by the power of this type of music to bind people together. You could be anywhere in the world and still find someone who shares exactly the same vision as you.
We became aware of each other’s music and began corresponding, exchanging thoughts and creative ideas.
There was a mutual understanding and admiration of each other’s work and we decided we really wanted to write, play and record together.
Dave was in England but has actually now moved to Italy so that we can work together on a permanent basis.
Although we’ve only been together as a duo for 3 months there’s already quite a bit of interest in the European Celtic scene and a couple of tracks have already been played on BBC radio. We feel very excited about the music we are making together and we’re looking forward to sharing it with lovers of this genre.
There are a couple of tracks in this album which are my personal choices. One of my favorites is the carrier single “Brave Warrior I and Into Battle Jig”. The melody is beautifully heartbreaking and this track is divided into two parts, the slow beginning and the rapturous second half.
We started writing the Jig first and initially it was intended as a simple jig. However when we heard its assertive, almost battle-like quality, we realised we could do more with this and the Brave Warrior was born!
We imagined the gaelic warriors of ages past preparing for battle, and what would go through their minds, thinking of homeland, family and possible death and loss. It was a very poignant image but also very proud and strong. The piece itself is very essential, using only 4 tracks; guitar, celtic harp, fiddle and drum, and in this respect is symbolic of the essential nature of the gaelic warriors and their fight for freedom.
It was a wonderful experience writing “Brave Warrior I and Into battle Jig”, because it came to us so spontaneously, almost like a gift, and as it unfolded, we could see and hear the beauty of it. After we recorded it and listened back we heard the depth of feeling and yet it sounded very fresh, uncluttered and natural.
As this is an instrumental, since writing it we have actually starting working on a song version of it with lyrics, which will most likely be on the next album.
This sounds like an interesting thing to anticipate!
It is sad that those who don’t know anything about music get to set on a panel and judge performers. They even have the nerve to tell the performers off that” he or she will not amount to anything”. How did this happen? How did we let these poor guys have the power to tell us what to do and what not to do? They don’t even know anything about music. If you review their history or CV, there’s nothing there that says something about music except getting involved with bands or performers who capitalize on looks rather than talent. And yet we let these guys run our lives? Simon Cowell should know his place. And it is not on the panel. It’s on the cash register.
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Those who love Carre Manchot will be glad to know that they have gigs set for February. I love their groovy music , coupled with sleek performance. This is another one Brittany will be proud of.
Marc Pollier is attracting audiences from all over Europe with his style of playing the Uillean Pipes. There is something warm and exotic with his style. I guess it’s because he’s combining two cultural modes and making them his own. according to his bio(Translated from French though Google and grammatical inconsistencies I tried to address):
Marco POLLIER practiced Uilleann Pipes for 25 years. He perfected his style directly from the Irish musicians he met while residing in Birmingham between 1986 and 1989 with Kevin Crawford (flute group LUNAS), Mick Conneely (Dé Danann) and Paul O’Driscoll (RIVERDANSE). Being a professional musician for 20 years, he traveled throughout Europe, giving concerts in solo or in groups. Then he moved to Ennis, Ireland for 6 years, in County Clare, where he worked with renowned musicians such as John FAULKNER, Siobhan PEOPLES, Jesse SMITH, Josephine MARSH … Again his talent for piping and virtuosity make him a popular musician. He recorded his solo album EBONY & BRASS which gained prestigious local acclaim. Since 2003, he played in the group Eitri, with Kevin Ryan, Dag Westling, Esbjorn Hazelius and Fredrik Bengtsson. Back in France, Marco founded a duo with pianist and accordionist Christopher RAILLARD and played in various bands such as: – O’NEILL MOR with Paddy O’Neill (fiddle and flute) and Paul BROUGHTON (guitar-vocals). – SILVER SQUID with Jean-Claude and Camille Philippe – Macalla with Pierrick Lemou, Herve Dréan and Rachel Goodwin – AVALON CELTIC DANCES – with Serge, Patrick and Florentin Desaunay – with Jean-Michel Veillon and Ronan PELLEN – It also provides courses Uilleann Pipes and Tin Whistle (Irish flute) and master classes.
Yannig Alory: wooden flutes / Antonin Volson: percussion are a duo worth noting. They play really lively but relaxing tunes. There’s not much clatter here. Unlike the usual ‘wall of sound approach in most Breton music, these guys want to keep it down with minimal noise as possible. So far I’ve only listened to are Ha Ni Zo Tri Breur and Kas-Bar. Trully wonderful tracks that keeps you going. I will be checking more tunes from them
Our Breton music excursion gets exciting as I discover the music of Erwan Volant. His style is more like Latin meets mediterranean with that typical Breton spicy stuff that appeals to my ear buds! At times his music can escalate into something that you’d hear in movies like James Bond. He happens to be a member of the Martin Harmon Quintet which I featured here. I am impressed by his version of The Tree originally done by The Cure( After all The Celts treated trees as sacred so this is only fitting). Listen to his music and don’t tell me I didn’t warn ya.
I learned that in order to sell your stuff, you need to build an image. Image is important in marketing.The same reason why I devote this blog to a particular genre and not just put anything and later on alienate my readers. It’s the same thing with playing music . You can only experiment up to a certain point before loosing your listeners.
We all want be everything for everyone. We all want to be multifaceted-and I think we have that talent. But it does not really help. Why? Because artists who do this-those that are too eclectic lose their fanbase. Even their labels don’t know how to market them anymore. No matter how wide we roam, we should always have an anchor. A base where we can go back when things start to get complicated.
The Chieftains had set this example.They tried to build their signature sound for years before experimenting -and even with that you can still tell that it’s from them. It’s the same with other artists-Celtic or not. Take for instance Enya. Critics say that she always does the same thing or that ‘you can buy any album and you actually buy everything’. This is not true. Artists have potential for variation. But with talent comes responsibility. Your fans listen to your music because they always know what to expect. And it makes them feel good. Feeling good is what we all want after a hard day’s work. If I have to listen to something else then I will pick up a different artist. After all, I know what I will be getting. But NOT up to the point that I will ask my artist to create a different type of music for the sake of shocking or experimenting.
Art is not about just about attitude and facade. It’s about feeling. You do something out of sincerity regardless of whither it will sell, 80,000,000 copies or not. But of course selling that figure is always something everyone wants right?
With traditional music you always know what you’ll get. And that’s what makes it impressive. It is not created to impress but rather to communicate sentiments that transcend time. These are feelings that are not bounded by what’s current. I think at the end of the day one wants to be in the company of people he or she trusts…like family members. And this is what Celtic music is about. A style that never goes out of date, sentiments that always speak the truth.
For the news….
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The Chieftains will kick start their US tours this year. This is an update I got from their website:
Six-time Grammy winners and the world’s most popular Irish traditional music group, The Chieftains, have confirmed an extensive U.S. tour for 2011. The tour will feature an array of surprise guests and local musicians and marks the band’s first return to the U.S. following the 2010 release of their critically acclaimed album ‘San Patricio.’ They’ll kick off a month of shows on Feb 17 in Troy, NY. See below for complete dates.
“In 2011, The Chieftains’ performances could be better described as a Big Show or a Spectacular rather than a concert,” says frontman Paddy Moloney. “There will be upwards of 12 people on stage at all times, with additions of local musicians, special guests I’m not allowed to divulge, anywhere from 6 to 20 local dancers on a couple of pieces, and the Scottish pipe bands performing the ‘March to Battle,’ which was narrated by Liam Neeson for ‘San Patricio.'”
Billboard called ‘San Patricio’ “as thrilling as it is enlightening,” and the New York Times described it as “joy, thoroughly Mexican yet utterly Irish, carried aloft by tin whistles, skin drums, pipes, harps, guitars and stomping feet.”
Since releasing ‘San Patricio,’ the band has collaborated with Herbie Hancock on ‘The Imagine Project,’ and Moloney has been selected as a Medal of Honour recipient by the National Arts Club.
THE CHEIFTAINS 2011 TOUR DATES:
2/17 Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
2/18 New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre
2/20 York, PA @ Strand – Capitol Performing Arts Center
2/22 Seattle, WA @ Seattle Symphony Orchestra
2/23 Olympia, WA @ Washington Center for Performing Arts
2/25 Austin, TX @ Riverbend Centre
2/26 Dallas, TX @ Winspear Opera House
2/27 Fayetteville, AR @ Walton Arts Center
3/1 Bloomington, IN @ IU Auditorium
3/3 Madison, WI @ Oversture Center
3/4 Chicago, IL @ Orchestra Hall
3/5 Rockford, IL @ Coronado Performing Arts Center
3/6 Dayton, OH @ Cityfolk
3/8 Morgantown, WV @ West Virginia University
3/10 Greenville, SC @ Peace Center for Performing Arts
3/11 Atlanta, GA @ Woodruff Arts Center w/symphony
3/12 Atlanta, GA @ Woodruff Arts Center w/symphony
3/13 Raleigh, NC @ Pinecone Memorial Auditorium
3/15 Princeton, NJ @ McCarter Theater
3/16 Newark, NJ @ NJPAC Prudential Hall
3/17 Toronto, ON @ Roy Thomson Hall
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If you are a busy Clannad fan then you should have seen all the new performances posted in YouTube. They are BACK!
Thank you Christi for sending this link from Welsh band Mabon. I really appreciate it. Mabon has been making wonderful music and their live performances are really something that keep fans going back for more.
Celtic Music Fan 