Music

Feel the warmth of AN IRISH CHRISTMAS BLESSING by Fr Ray Kelly

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

Father Ray Kelly Chrstimas cd cover

If An Irish Christmas Blessing is a solar system, then Make Me a Channel of Your Peace has to be sun, drawing all planets to its gravity. It is a track that’s timely as the world needs something to hold on to especially in these troubled times. An Irish Christmas Blessing recalls the auspicious debut of Father Ray Kelly almost a year ago. This happened when he sang at the wedding of Chris and Leah O’Kane on April 5th 2014 which blew the internet after it was captured and posted on You Tube.

I am listening to the title track while writing this. It brings back a lot of good feelings. Like when I was in high school and I was a teenager again haunting for good holiday albums in record stores. The classic style represents the ‘feel’ of the whole album. There is nostalgia and a sense of adventure.

His style of singing is unique. Not Gregorian or operatic. He sounds close to Elvis Costello but with a rich upper register and nuance where it is needed. In O Holy Night, he gives his all hitting those rich notes at the end of the song. The album’s orchestration is superb. I love orchestras and An Irish Christmas Blessing is a treat for those who love grand arrangements but with a modern twist.

Father Kelly  will be donating a percentage of the profits of the sales of this album and his live concerts to the Kiltegan Fathers St Patrick’s Missionary Society. It’s where he started his journey as a Catholic priest.Below is a brief interview made possible by my good friend Anita Daly of Daly Communications:

 

Hi Father Kelly, you must be ecstatic that your Christmas album is finally out! Why did you choose An Irish Christmas Blessing as the album’s title?

Yes I am very excited about the Christmas album and indeed the final production of it. When I heard the song An Irish Christmas Blessing, I fell in love with the melody and the words immediately. And in deciding a title for the album I thought there it is, the title, the first song on the Album. I guess being an Irish Man and firmly planted in my roots it was the ideal title.

What are your favorite songs in this album?

I love all Christmas music so I really love all the songs. However, when I heard my completed version of Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace, I just thought it was so prayerful and haunting, so I guess it is one of my top 3. But I love O Holy Night as I feel hearing that song at Christmas is so special and necessary. As for the song The Little Drummer Boy, I do think the arrangement of that is super. All my grand nieces and nephews are constantly listening to that one and tell me it is their favourite.

You employed an orchestra to record the thirteen songs (by the way it’s my lucky number). How did you decide to record with an orchestra plus choir instead of just the usual piano, drums, bass and synths?

I was very fortunate that Nigel Wright in the UK agreed to produce my Christmas Album, as he is up there among the top record producers in the world, so I was totally guided by him as to what was needed to create a great album.

Some of the songs are vocally challenging! But you glide through them gracefully. Do you record in one take or did you experience having to decide between two versions of then same song?

Nigel made me work very hard, he knew I could create the sound he wanted. So it took a lot more than one take in most of the songs. But that is not unusual, and having heard the final production I can understand why it took some time.

You will be donating a percentage of the profits of the sales of this album and his live concerts to the Kiltegan Fathers St Patrick’s Missionary Society right?

Yes, Kiltegan Fathers, or St Patrick’s Missionary Society will benefit from the sale of my CD and concerts. When I decided to become a priest, I joined The Kiltegan Fr’s in Co Wicklow. So they educated me for 7 years and had a huge say in my formation as a Catholic Priest. I spent a couple of years on the Mission Field in S.Africa, however I decided I wanted to work at home eventually. I always said if I could every give something back to them for all they did for me even in a small way I would, little did I realise that an opportunity like this would come my way.

What’s your biggest wish this Christmas?

My biggest wish this Christmas is that my younger sister who is quite ill will make a complete recovery. Now that would be Christmas for me.

There you go 🙂 Bax

Slan, best wishes, Merry Christmas

Fr Ray

 

And I wish your younger sister a complete recovery as well Father Kelly.

TITANICDANCE:To the Global Stage and Beyond!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

 

 

 

This epic tale is enacted by a cast of 24 of the world’s top Irish dancers and 6 of Ireland’s leading musicians, making Titanicdance an unmissable spectacular of live music, song, and dance, along with amazing costumes and set design. Visually, Titanicdance is something you’ll never have experienced before.

The trailer videos of Titanicdance are enough to convince me that what they have is the real deal. I need  to spread the word. And please help me do it-help them get their feet to the global stage! This is an exciting musical. It’s been a while since we’ve been captivated by Riverdance and Titanicdance arrived in the right occasion.

According to their press release:

Titanicdance tells a heart-gripping love story as the great ship makes its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. This epic tale is enacted by a cast of 24 of the world’s top Irish dancers and 6 of Ireland’s leading musicians, making Titanicdance an unmissable spectacular of live music, song, and dance, along with amazing costumes and set design. Visually, Titanicdance is something you’ll never have experienced before.The original choreography is sure to set your feet tapping and emotions running high as the story unfolds – you’re guaranteed to want more and more.

Those who know the story of the Titanic need no further introduction. But the winner of this show is the music and dance. These are original presentations and I know this will captivate global audience. The show premiered at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last May. But Producer, Creative Director and Lead Dancer Raymond Sweeney wants to take this dream globally, starting in the United States and beyond. This is possible through your help. That’s how the Indiegogo project came to be. The official website has this announcement about the project:

Help Titanicdance set sail to America!

1580264_orig

We have just launched an ambitious Indiegogo fundraising campaign that will enable Titanicdance to embark on a stateside visit next year. The Indiegogo campaign currently invites businesses and individuals to make donations via a secure online portal in an attempt to raise the $150,000 USD that is needed to
take the musical dance extravaganza on a ‘titanic’ journey to the US.The Indiegogo campaign is hugely important to us as it will allow us to take this production to the USA and will cover additional travel & accommodation expenses, rehearsal fees, cast & crew fees,  marketing &
pre-production, theatre rental costs and will help to improve on our costumes, lighting design & visuals and set & staging.Your contribution to this campaign will bring the dream of taking Titanicdance across the globe a reality; something that has involved a huge amount of hard work and much hope!We want to raise $150,000.00 for our inimitable musical dance extravaganza based on the globally known story of the world’s most famous ship.

1619019_orig

The whole Titanicdance team has worked tirelessly to bring this unique production to this level.  With your help we can bring this cast of 30 world class Irish dancers, singers and musicians to the USA to allow
people to experience this wonderful production first hand.

All donations from as little as $10 upwards, will be greatly received! We really hope you will come on board and help us in our journey across the Atlantic. Every donation is appreciated by us which is why we have outlined nine different funding levels in our ‘Perks’ section.

For more information, visit http://igg.me/at/TITANICDANCE

What are you waiting for? Help these Irish dancers to the global stage!

 

Creative Dew Drops in Songs and Stillness by Jenne Lennon

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 1 Comment

12120050_1185146641501257_5137036505564818460_o

Songs and Stillness is a lovely music box for the season. 

My first interview with American artist Jenne Lennon happened in 2009. How time flies. And yet we continue to keep in touch. There are ties that are intense but fragile. But there are friendships that are meant to last longer. I am not just talking about our relationships with people. I am also referring to our ongoing fascination with certain types of music. Yes it is still a relationship. When an artist creates a certain style that you like, then excitement follows every release.

Her voice is a regular many Celtic music compilations. She belongs to the gene pool of talented people. Her sibling Dani is an actress and creative producer in L.A.

Songs and Stillness is the new recording and you can get it via iTunes. The  artwork features the singer-songwriter lying on a comfy grass bed, with a joyful expression. There are thirteen songs in the album (plus one bonus track). All recordings are purely acoustic-no electronics or autotune added. Her voice is strong and clear, almost dramatic soprano though she claims it’s lyric mezzo-soprano.

Open My Eyes introduces  us to the general mood of the album. The cinematic feel is the result of strings, piano and various acoustic instruments plus percussion. I think it is a song that is meant for the times. We are humbled by tragedies great and small, and we start to see what matter’s the most. Flanders Field is pure atmosphere with a marching beat. Suil A Ruin is a traditional Gaelic tune which she has breath a new life into. This song has an interesting arrangement as it is sung entirely in a cappella harmony (she overdubbed three to four voices) with only the soft beat of the bodhrán in the background.

Gartan Mother’s Lullaby is a sweet surprise as this is a rare track. Here’s an interesting background: is an old Irish song and poem written by Herbert Hughes and Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil, first published in Songs of Uladh [Ulster]in 1904. Hughes collected the traditional melody in Donegal the previous year and Campbell wrote the lyrics. The song is a lullaby by a mother, from the parish of Gartan in County Donegal. The song refers to a number of figures in Irish mythology, places in Ireland and words in the Irish language.-Wikipedia. The sweet humming and instrument should lull you to sleep, but not in this case. This is too beautiful to miss!

Bonny Portmore follows with folk arrangement (guitar, wooden flute and strings). Solennite is a hymn. She sings gently almost to a whispher. This is perhaps one of the intensely atmospheric tracks in the album. Then there’s Blackbirds and Thrushes and then the stunning version of Simon and Garfunkel classic Scarborough Fair.

I love the piano in Snow Falling Down. The Water is Wide makes me want to bring out my votive candles. Joni’s Theme is taken from the movie Blood Below the Skin. Lennon is heavily involved in this project as the film’s musical director. This track is purely instrumental, rendered in piano and cello. It starts gradually then builds up into a beautiful drama of notes.The poignant melody reflects the story of the three characters in the film. Joni’s Theme showcases her talent as a film composer and hopefully we get to hear more of this kind of project from her.

Sweet Prospect features a hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes below the French-Celtic  inspired vocals. Her hills-to-heaven version of She Moved Through The Fair closes Songs and Stillness.

Anam (Spirit) is a bonus track which is a class of its own. It is a rock ballad that explodes midway with guitar and drums. It showcases her vocal range and expressive power.

Overall, Songs and Stillness is an album for the holidays. It is a music box of emotions and souvenirs from far off places. A must-have in these troubled times.

You can download Songs and Stillness via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/songs-and-stillness/id1042787616

Vist her official website: http://www.jennelennon.com

 

 

Even in the Shadows by Enya Premiered Today, Friday the 13th.

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment
Screenshot of her recent Amazon interview with questions asked by fans

A screenshot of Enya: A recent Amazon interview with questions asked by fans

With Dark Sky Island, Irish singer-composer Enya has brought a lot of fullness not just vocally but also emotionally. The latest single Even in the Shadows deals with the end of a relationship but arranged in an upbeat way that sets the balance to the rather sad subject.

She started working on the album around 2012. It was a time of great turmoil for me personally. Another devastating personal loss followed a year later and you have to understand why I am looking forward to this new release. It’s like whatever happened to me in the past few years eventually led to this moment of clarity and yes why not a good soundtrack for that!

Perhaps a lot of bloggers out there would marvel at the technical details of the song(so many) but I am writing in a personal point of view like how her music means to me. We all experience loss in big or small ways. But it teaches us humility and kindness. That even experience or caution could not save us from things that are beyond our control. And in this trial by fire we get to know who we are and what we are capable of achieving.

Even in the silence
I hear my heart
It’s still a part of you
And even in the morning
when light has come
I don’t know what to do.

This is a very ‘human’ song that Enya has ever composed in her career. Not that she hasn’t sung anything like that. A Moment Lost and Last Time By Moonlight are examples of how she appeals to our sensitive side. In So I Could Find My Way, I think I wept the day I heard it.So yes Even in the Shadows is a perfect pop song. Think Brian Wilson and Phil Spector. The drum and bass parts are insistent that make you feel like you need to move. In the chorus part with the lines:

I could fall and keep on falling
I could call and keep on calling

You can notice her voice breaking and plunging into a dark contralto. It’s like she is singing this tune in an old crumbling castle overlooking a grey morning outside, with leaves falling all over the place. You can feel the desolation but also an inner strength as propelled by the rhythm and the higher choral parts. Roma Ryan is a lyrical genius. Her words resonate to all regardless of experiences. We all feel them. And Nicky Ryan made the music so huge and so powerful.

Even in the Shadows is perhaps the new direction for Enya. And when you lived life within the shadows and light, you sometimes loose that anchor. And you have nowhere to go but the future. And you perhaps end up like this beautiful tune. Full of excitement and healing.

Dark Sky Island her latest album will be available worldwide on November 20, 2015. Visit www.enya.com for more details.

Interview with Irish Tenor David O’Leary : On emulating John McCormack, golf and touring

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

Highlights of some of Irish tenor David O’Leary’s major performances.

For more information, visit http://www.davidolearytenor.com.

I wrote my impressions on Going Home by David O’ Leary a few days ago. I am so glad he’s available for an interview! Without hesitation, I grabbed my Mac and typed the questions away. He’ll go places because of his fantastic singing and it is an honor to have him in this music blog.

David O’Leary during the 63rd Annual Artists vs Writers Charity. Picture courtesy of http://www.panachemag.com

1. You did your voice training in New York. I am curious as how this came to be?

I’m a huge golf fan and after finishing a year of teaching kindergarten in Quebec I came to NYC and worked at the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club. I got a job there as a caddie for the summer and came back for the next few summers while in law school. The golf helped pay for school and for singing lessons with some great coaches here in the city.
2. How was Going Home conceived?

I’ve always wanted to do an album and try to reach as many people as I can so the album was an obvious thing for me to do. The song selection was tough as I tried to get something that would appeal to as broad an audience as possible. I think it’s very much an easy listening experience and I hope people agree.

3. Who are your vocal influences and how did they shape your style?

I’m a huge fan of music and grew up listening to lots of it thanks to my parents. For me, vocalists in particular are tremendously inspiring. Great voices come in many shapes and sizes and I’m a huge fan of the great singers like John McCormack, Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli. In terms of style influence, I’ve wanted to emulate John McCormack in particular so I tend to sing a lot of the pieces he made famous.

4. What are the things that you avoid when are on tour to maintain your voice?

Talking! The day of a performance I speak very little and try to spend as much time as possible in my hotel room. I also try to get plenty of sleep the night before and generally just take it easy. About four hours before a gig I’ll go to the gym or go for a run and that usually relaxes me.

5. You have a diverse musical repertoire. What will we expect on your next album?

I’m going to do a Christmas album so for Christmas 2016 I’ll have a new release of holiday favorites. I’m very excited about it actually.

6. Can you tell us more about the recording of Going Home and the memorable time you had with the contributing artists?

Going Home was recorded here in New York with some friends and it was a scary, exhausting and exhilarating process. It was my first album so I didn’t really know what to expect but I’m had some great people working on it and feel very lucky to have had that guidance. I can’t wait to do it again.

7. Your message to the readers?
I’m looking forward to getting out there and touring with the album and hopefully meeting a lot of people in 2016. We’re finalizing dates at the moment so keep an eye out!

My huge thanks to Daly Communications for the opportunity to meet this wonderful artist!