So many tunes, to little time. It’s always like that year after year. But I got a few of these goodies from the artists I’ve interacted in the last few weeks so I am bringing you their Christmas musical efforts. They are all great to hear and the tunes will add warmth to this month of reflection and joy.
Listen to this beautiful instrumental track from Dee McIlroy. By the way if you haven’t known yet, he runs a venture called McIlroy Guitars. Beautiful acoustic guitars for musicians of fine taste.
Happy Christmas from McIlroy Guitars with this piece of acoustic guitar music, written by Dee McIlroy.
***
Corpus Christi Carol
One of the track I play ever year from my dear friend Paula. She is primarily an electronic singer/composer but once in a while she dabbles with other types of music and is also a huge supporter of Celtic music. She made the Cara Dillon interview possible early this year. You can hear her voice and instruments in this tune called Corpus Christi Carol. She is also a history teacher.
Background(written by Paula):
This is referred to as a carol although it contains no reference to the Nativity….the predominant interpretation of the lyrics (below), which were found in a manuscript c.1504, is that they refer to Arthurian legend / holy grail quest.
The track was recorded with this historical interpretation in mind and the theme is reflected in the slideshow paintings. The melody is a traditional melody,not the Benjamin Britten arrangement.
Lulley, lully, lulley, lully,
The faucon hath born my mak away.
He bare hym up, he bare hym down,
He bare hym into an orchard brown.
In that orchard ther was an hall,
That was hanged with purpill and pall.
And in that hall ther was a bede,
Hit was hangid with gold so rede.
And yn that bed ther lythe a knyght,
His wowndes bledyng day and nyght.
By that bedes side ther kneleth a may,
And she wepeth both nyght and day.
And by that bedes side ther stondith a ston,
“Corpus Christi” wretyn theron.
Glossary:
faucon: falcon
mak: mate, love
bare: bore, carried
purpill: purple (the royal color)
pall: a funeral pall, a cloth spread over a coffin
bede: bed
rede: red
lythe: lieth, lies
wowndes: wounds
bledyng: bleeding
kneleth: kneeleth, kneels
may: maid, maiden
wepeth: weepeth, weeps
stondith: standeth, stands
ston: stone
Corpus Christi: body of Christ (Latin)
wretyn: written
***
In the trail of her shows all over the United States, it is always important to remember that Moya Brennan will always be the first lady of Celtic music.
I will be bringing you more tunes in days to come.
***
Upcoming: 2 albums from Allison Crowe!
I will be reviewing her two albums. I enjoyed her Newfoundland Vinyl(vol.1) and now she has released two goodies. Watch out for these peeps.
Good day folks! All you music lovers out there will love what I have brought today. An album review plus a facebook event that has been making waves!
New album:
If you like Broadway Style of Singing -or classical singing for that matter then you appreciate the Four Celtic Voices with Celeste Ray album. The singing is strong, pristine and emotional.
As for the instruments, you will hear traditional as well as classical instruments. The mood is relaxing and it is overall magical.
Although the theme is not seasonal (or Christmas) the mood is suited for the contemplative spirit of winter. This is shown in one track called The First Noel which I am sure you know how to sing by heart.You can tell that the talents involved in this project have pipes that have undergone countless performance. There is the confidence that resonates in every track.
The style jumps from medieval, renaissance, folk and even country. There are even instrumentals. My favourite is Scotland the Brave / Psattery Dance. It has that spritely energy that brings a smile on your face!
The Blessing of the Three closes this album. The dramatic soprano reminds me of Loreena McKennitt. The vocal harmonisation is beautiful. There is a playfulness there that’s been evident all throughout the album.
This is a perfect holiday album which you can play in the background if you want to feel the spirit of the winter, which beautiful voices and instruments that will take your breath away! Thanks Anita Daly for bringing the magic around. http://fourcelticvoices.com/
***
Mental Health Awareness.
Notice: St. Patricks Mental Health Foundation in Ireland. Text “shoes” to 57802 to make a donation. You can visit the website at www.walkinmyshoes.ie if you are outside of Ireland.
Below is a video about a trad challenge which has been making rounds in Facebook like the ‘ ice bucket challenge’-remember that one lads? These musicians are nominating their friends to raise mental health awareness. Yes mental health is important. Take a look at Sean Og Graham and Niamh Dunne of Beoga.
Here is an interesting update that musician Fraser Fifield posted on his Facebook page. I thought that it would be great to share this post for everyone (with his permission of course) to read. And yes he gave his approval:
“A jig with no melody per se, perhaps.a wee pre referendum musing, feeling pensive at the time I think, but optimistic, stupidly. audio a bit a low side, but you can just turn it up, a fair bit. hope you like. it’s optimistic with a hint of certainty of getting done in and overtones of despair. ”
My newsletter, to show unsubscribers just what they’re missing out on…
Welcome. Enough has happened in the life of this freelance musician, I feel, to warrant sharing an update for any vaguely interested, muse upon an existence which is pretty varied if not opulent, recount some highs and lows of the past year and so draw a line in the sand.
Then step over it and into the future. 2015 looks interesting, but first a non-chronological look at some of what was has been so far, 2014.
(Why? Because I like my work to remain current and vaguely in people’s consciousness at times, it’s healthy given my job, plus there’s good music involved which I’m genuinely happy to advertise).
I’m happy to have contributed to a variety of nice recordings. Still unreleased, but soon to be, are 2 lovely records by Inge Thomson ‘Da Fishing Hands’ and Sophie Ramsay’s 2nd solo album, respectively. Already filtering through to discerning ears are records by Patsy Reid ‘The Brightest Path’ and Jim Sutherland aka Struileag aka Children of Smoke and one by me and Graeme Stephen lest I forget – Esotero, released this time last year, and still flying off the shelves. And there’s an unmixed record by David Milligan, Graeme Stephen and I, resting on a hard disk for some months now, quite happy, look forward to share that in due course.
A pleasure to play alongside and learn from (and travel, rehearse, eat, drink etc) Angus Lyon/Duncan Lyall Band, Gavin Marwick’s Band, Corrina Hewat’s Band, Graeme Stephen, Dave Milligan, Mr McFalls Chamber, Red Note Ensemble, Allan MacDonald’s ‘Bruce 700′, Big Big Sing, Jerry Donahue and crew, and all others..Thank you all, very much.
And the Eurovision song, for Montenegro, glorious, I didn’t see that one coming. Thanks Slobodan. A lovely song too… No, no I didn’t appear in the final, just the singer and a rollerskater did. I didn’t even leave my own flat…been doing a few bits of remote recording this year – just last week on a cover of You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC for a musician in USA. And also last week, in another studio right enough, a kind of sultry Marilyn Monroe version of the Proclaimers’ 500 Miles kind of gobsmacked me momentarily, but I regained composure and pitched in with everything I could blow or squeeze no problemo. They won’t mind me mentioning, it’s not meant for folks like you.
My week in Gavoi, Sardinia, in June, courtesy of the British Council, collaborating and making friends with fellow European musicians, was a small sunny highlight and felt perhaps like something of a holiday whilst being allowed to pursue an interest in making experimental music, without guilt. I’m not an experienced holiday-maker, some would argue a professional one, but they don’t know.
Sad news came regarding the untimely passing of Georgi Petrov this year. He’s missed. A virtuoso player of the Gadulka, he kindly played along with Nedyalko on my 2008 record Traces of Thrace. His warmth of character, stories, good company and the music which resulted was loved by all who knew him.
The musical year started with a chance to play on a couple of songs with Capercaillie on their 30th anniversary gig in the Glasgow Concert Hall. Having gone through teenage years listening to them a part of me felt a tiny bit fraudulent being on stage.. For the 15 mins on the night and only a day or two of anticipation beforehand in typical, loveable, Shaw style, this was really exciting. Later in the year if I hadn’t missed his call I could have got to play my whistle with Kylie Minogue.
The musical year actually started bang on the 1st with Graeme and I playing our part in Lau-Land Edinburgh, which was perfect, my guitarist colleague almost managed to sleep in, but didn’t.
What else…became increasingly politically charged re the Scottish referendum for a while, insulted quite a few people with contrasting views probably, got crushed, returned to normal.
The Martyn Bennett Prize for composition happened for the 2nd year in Edinburgh. This time I had the job of trying to play the finalist’s pieces along with 4 other musicians – fun and challenging. The standard was great but I would urge more composers to have a go – it’s restricted to Scottish based composers (I think) but that’s pretty much the only restriction. It’s got a 1st and 2nd prize of 2 and 1k respectively. It’s a kind of high-brow X factor, not to be taken overly seriously as competitions shouldn’t, but an event that can help motivate new ways to integrate elements of our traditional music in composed music. Fingers crossed it’ll run next year.
Now, looking over that line and beyond the approaching festival of consumerism, is Celtic Connections Festival 2015 and my pal Greg Lawson’s work to arrange Martyn Bennett’s great last album, Grit, for a large bespoke acoustic ensemble. As you do. To be performed in the festival’s opening concert, January 15th. All being well it will (must surely) be quite epic I imagine.
Inge Thomson’s Da Fishing Hands – Celtic Connections 23rd January, Glasgow. Inge and I are also beginning to play as a duo which I’m chuffed about. More info about this soon. But the Celtic Connections gig is a 5 piece and will surely be lovely. The 1st gig of this collection of music/song, on the tiny island of Fair Isle, May 2014, was one of my favourites. Inge and I also play Dec 12th in Kilbarchan, nr Glasgow.
A great opportunity has come along for me to join the tabla maestro Zakir Hussein’s ‘Pulses of the World’ project which will tour in Dubai and India at the beginning of February and in the USA in March. With Rakesh Chaurasia and Jean-Michel Viellon on flutes… shelves of my CD collection just came to life. Not that often I can reel off a tour list like this, so I’ll take this opportunity to:
13th March – Pabst Theater, Milwaulkee
14th March – Purdue University, Fort Wayne IN
15th March – Cullen Theater, Houston TX
17th March – Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC
20th March – Moore Theatre, Seattle
21st March – Chan Centre, Vancouver BC
22nd March – Boulder Centre, Boulder CO
27th March – Painted Bride Arts Centre, Philadelphia
28th March – Carnegie Hall, New York
29th March – Somerville Theater, Boston MA
31st March – Rio Theater, Santa Cruz CA
2nd April – Jazz Centre, San Francisco, CA
3rd April – Jazz Centre, San Francisco, CA
Audiences in the Scottish Highlands (mostly) will get a chance to hear my collaboration with Red Note Ensemble and Kuljit Bhamra (tabla) at the beginning of March. It was nice to meet and try some material out at the recent Sound Festival in Aberdeenshire. The Highland dates will be posted in due course.
I’ll leave it there, just before I begin to tell of a big bit of news, good news, which I had to read a few times when it arrived the other day. But that perhaps would turn this simple newsletter into something else, a short story at the least so, back soon on that.
Nice to write to you. Nothing to sell you directly but perhaps some CDs for Christmas presents, always an option, always a tenner.
Athy from Latin America.He’s got style, he’s got the funk. He plays the harp like no other. Mix the Spanish soul with Irish tradition and you get Athy Electric harper. He is passionate in propagating the harp as popular instrument and not confined inside the doors of classical standards. I made an interview with him before and he is down to earth and filled with a great sense of humour. It is good to see how his fans are multiplying year after year. He has toured around the world ad have performed with the greats in the world of traditional and contemporary music.He is embraced by fans of Jazz, World, Classical and Folk. Irish musicians hold him in high regard and well, hearing his recordings myself made me a fan!
***
Moya Brennan and Cormac De Barra – Sailing
For those who missed this track the day it came out, here it is. So lovely! Enjoy your weeks ahead friends.
THE CELTIC TENORS announce their US Christmas tour!
Feels Like Home is still going strong in my list of last year’s awesome albums! I still love to play it in the morning and I adore their version of Going Home originally composed and performed by Mary Fahl for the movie Gods and Generals. These tenors have voices that can sooth your heart and refresh your weary mind. I also love it when they start harmonising , raising their voices as if imploring the heavens to come down to us, for only then shall the impossible be made possible and all dreams will come true.
I looking forward to play their holiday album, Christmas this December as I am in the mood for something classical with a pop flavour. And they are really good at it, as they jump seamlessly between genres. I still read the interview I did with Matthew Gilsenan way back and I like how he provides insights into the current state of music in this category. If you haven’t yet please do and leave comments.
As usual my big thanks to Anita Daly for keeping me informed about these things!
***
John Breen “Origins” Album – New Single Pre-Sale
My Irish pal, the singer/songwriter John Breen will be releasing a new album soon. I am excited about it as I already reviewed his last album Old Men in Hats and I admire the arrangements and exciting twists he adds to traditional tracks. His deep mellow voice is addicting and I know you won’t be disappointed when you get a copy of any of this albums. The new album is called Origins. Beautiful title eh? Here’s a sampler of the album. Ok hold your horses Irish music lovers!
*** Enda Seery Soundcloud. Fantastic tunes uploaded for trad ears!
Now I don’t know when will be the the follow up the last album Síocháin Na Tuaithe: Peace of the Countryside
because I am constantly looking forward to Enda Seery’s new recordings. I have been listening to this playlist at work and they are great in relieving stress. But of course you do know traditional Irish music is not just about THAT. It’s about celebrating the Irish culture that touches the heart and mind.
***
I made this blog at 3 pm. Now it is almost 4 and I am chilling’ out in the garden after. Please stay strong and beautiful music lovers! Talk to you soon.
Winter Mountain (Joseph Francis and Martin Smyth) are a folk duo that incorporate a wide gamut of musical influences. It is hard to pigeonhole their style or their alliance to one specific sub-genre. But one thing remains: they are here to deliver high quality music for discriminating ears like you and me.
Below is the interview with Winter Mountain. Big thanks to my friend Paula who talked to the artists after the Cara Dillon concert she attended with our Gilly.
On the scale of 1 to 10, how’s the UK tour going in terms of the excitement.
It’s extremely exciting. We are loving the opportunity to get out there and play our original music. It’s an honour.
Your new album is out in different formats including CD which I love! How’s the experience recording the tracks.
Winter Mountain concert. Photo by Paula.
Recording is perhaps the most rewarding of all the different components that make up a life in music. You get to witness a song you’ve written at home with an acoustic guitar grow into this enormous sonic piece of art. We recorded at some legendary Studios. Also, we were lucky enough to meet a couple of our heroes whilst recording the album. Robbie McIntosh of the Pretenders, Paul McCartney and John Mayer came and played slide guitar on a few tracks. We were honoured!
Can you cite memorable experiences touring with Cara Dillon?
Touring with Cara is an amazing experience because she has one of the most beautiful voices in the world, and that’s no exaggeration. Between her, her husband/keyboard player/producer Sam Lakeman and her band there is so much that we can learn. Just being able to spend time talking and playing with musicians of that experience and calibre is an honour.
Do you like meeting fans and hearing what they have to say about your music and why do you think it is important?
It’s great to hear from fans. There’s nothing better than hearing about how one of the songs you’ve written may have affected that persons life.
I have many favorites including She a Little Light and Tell me. What pushed the move for both of you to release an album?
Onstage with Cara Dillon and crew. Photo by Paula.
We wanted to spread our creative wings. We had recorded an EP which was going down well and we felt like we had more to offer. The album is in a fairly eclectic mix of styles and with both really pleased that we managed to draw on a lot of our individual different musical influences. There simply wasn’t room for that on the EP.
Can you site your musical influences?
Where to begin?! Simon and Garfunkel, the Everly Bros, the Beatles, The Police, Ryan Adams, Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor… We could go on and on and on!
What can we expect from Winter Mountain this year?
Touring, touring, touring! We have a full UK tour coming up in November and loads more dates in 2015 to come!
Are you planning to work on another album next year?
We are writing all the time so there will probably be an album in 2015. We have so many live commitments currently that it’s difficult to find time to get in the studio!
Message to your listeners?
So proud of the postcard and CD. Thanks to Paula for making these possible.
Thanks to everyone for listening, thanks to everyone who came to our recent shows and to everyone who supported us in any way over the last few years. We hope to see you out on the road again on our November/December 2014 tour of the UK.
Celtic Music Fan 