And it’s no accident that this selection of the best poems from three decades begins with the word “between,” for Heaney was a poet of the in-between (as his friend Helen Vendler has observed), writing from a zone somewhere between north and south, between Catholic and Protestant, between Ireland, England, and America, between formal and free verse, between public and private, between realism and allegory, and between plain speech and loading “every rift with oar,” while also balancing the gravitas of his subject matter with the frolic and grace of poetic language. As Heaney said, “The point is to fly under or out and beyond those radar systems.” SEAMUS HEANEY: A POET OF IN-BETWEEN POSTED BY HENRI COLE (The New Yorker)
It’s everywhere. People in my stream have been posting about the passing away of the late great Seamus Heaney. His story is everywhere: The Guardian, NY Times etc. It’s like a big hole has been punched into our collective consciousness. What is death? Why such disbelief? Perhaps we always think that great minds would never die. We feel the same way to those we love: our parents and close friends. Something in us finds it hard to let go, as such soul has already nourished the umbilical cords of our creativity, our joys, our very lives. It is a symbiotic relationship that feeds poets, musicians, painters- to create. Where do we go without the beacon of light?
I don’t claim expertise to his works as I only stumbled upon his works in the course of my music blogging. I don’t think that those in love with Irish music could divorce themselves from the culture and history ; the things that feed Irishness. So yes today I am one of those rediscovering the works of this great mind. He is gone but the memory will always remain stronger with years. For those of us who feel that being alive is a burden to carry, we find comfort in the poems of this poet. It’s like his words form this umbrella to protect us from the harsh glare of the sun and the unforgiving storms of reality.
I think being from Northern Ireland made Seamus feel that sense of being in two worlds at the same time. Your reality shapes your soul. I guess that is why we always long to find a soul mate because we have different souls inside.
1. Whiskey in the Jar
2. Dicey Riley
3. Tae the Begging
4. Kilkelly, Ireland (Steven and Peter Jones)
5. Rising of the Moon (John Keegan Casey)
6. Nancy Whiskey
7. Rocky Road to Dublin
8. Old Fenian Gun (P. O’Neill)
9. The Alcoholic (Hugh Scanlen, Marc Gunn)
10. Minstrel Boy (Thomas Moore)
11. Danny Boy (Frederic Weatherly)
12. Drunken Sailor
13. Wild Colonial Boy
14. Big Strong Man
15. An Irish Lullaby (James Royce Shannon)
16. Henry Martin
17. May Morning Dew
18. A Drop of Nelson’s Blood
19. Arthur McBride
20. Old Dun Cow (Harry Wincott, Brad Howard)
Musicians
Marc Gunn: autoharp, vocals
Kenzie Gunn(his daughter): percussive
Daniel I. Briggs: bkg vocals, acoustic Bass, acoustic Guitar, octave mandolin
Jon Richardson: bkg vocals, English concertina
Jody Richardson: bkg vocals, violin
Jamie Haeuser: bkg vocals on “Minstrel Boy”
I don’t know if there is another artist who gives so much to the Celtic music community like Marc Gunn. If you browse through his Celtic music podcast/ reviews, you’d realize that this man is a walking encyclopedia of the genre. He is also a performing artist and has written and performed many songs on the genre. This is a long shot from his days as a lead vocalist of a grunge band. Perhaps you might have noticed that tilt towards a more rock oriented performance in his youtube videos. His podcast and mp3 reviews helped other musicians get the exposure they deserve. That’s how he got his title The Celtfather.
This year, he serenades us with Not Every Day is St Patrick’s Day. I like the album cover. I have my favorite which I featured in my recent podcast. That song is called Tae the Begging. I am impressed by his delivery especially the expressiveness he gives to his autoharp. It’s an instrument like no other. He also gives tips about the instrument to aspiring learners.
Not to stray too much from the main topic which is the album Not Every Day Is St. Patrick’s Day,I want to recommend this album for those who love traditional as well as original tunes. This album is also attended by amazing musicians like his daughter Kenzie Gunn ( According to him: “She was barely a year old and I used to pat her back to help her sleep. I recorded that back patting while I was working on the album”). Sounds cute eh?
I say I really enjoyed listening to this album. I am also surprised to find an old favorite An Irish Lullaby which I heard from Kenny Loggins in his Return to Pooh Corner album. This interpretation sounds magical and Marc’s voice has taken that soothing quality.
Compass: Dreamy and energetic tunes from the magical sisters of Celtic music.
Sounds like: Mozart, Secret Garden, Anuna, Altan and Riverdance.
Track listing:
1. Compass 2. Water is Wide 3. The Landing 4. Solid Ground 5. Guinevere 6. Call and the Answer 7. Fairy Dance Jig 8. The Whistling Gypsy Rover 9. A Song for Lark 10. Feast of the Elven King 11. Danny Boy 12. Flying Sails
The great thing about doing Celtic music podcasts is the opportunity to reach more ears and to spread the beauty that;s Celtic music. Also, the idea of relaxing and still want to play Celtic tunes to get that inspiration moving. This is what happened yesterday. I got the time to listen to the album of the Gothard Sisterscalled Compass. It’s their new album. What is different about this one is the energy they put so much in their recording performance.
There are slow tunes especially the traditional ones like Danny Boy but most of the tracks are electrical in their execution. Take for instance the third one called The Landing. That one literally stopped me from my idle listening and sent me to perform my improvised step dancing. I was so amazed how music can do that. Especially when it is performed with so much passion that the music dictates your feelings.
Compassis an exciting album. As the title suggests, it’s all about gravitational attraction as the compass signifies the direction to the magnetic field of the earth . It tells us what direction to take. The sisters have done well in recording this beautiful album. I hope more ears will hear. It will be a shame if such a gem of a recording would go unnoticed. They can make Lord of the Dance have a run of their money. Check it out. I already featured the title track in my first Celtic Music podcast and I will be featuring more of them. Yes more and more until you remember to get out there and buy Compass.
***
Huzzah!
I am running a
Win an album “The Calling” by MÉAV
contest!!!!
So watch out for my announcement. The winner will receive Meav’s autographed album .
Sounds like: Dub reggae drum and based mixed with fiddle, pipes, whistles, mandolin, banjo and accordion.
Album notes: Groundbreaking Celtic Dub album mixing Reggae Drum and Bass. Pipes, Fiddle, Box, Banjo, Low Whistle, Tin Whistle fused with heavy delay/echo, re-verb and Drum and Bass. A MUST for Ambient Dub lovers. Nicely mixed and mastered by U2’s engineer Pete Maher.
If you followed my previous post about The Celtic Reggae Revolution, then I know you already have an idea what kind of sound to expect from their new release Celtic Dub Vol. 1. Sounds from this album will appeal to those who have eclectic tastes. And I have to say this, the production quality is excellent. Whither you are using headphones of large speakers, the tracks have this seamless connection to each other. There are various effects present: loops, fade outs, echo and sampling bits thrown in the mix. All of these made possible by the genius of U2’s engineer Pete Maher who mixed and mastered this album .
I find myself tapping my feat to the beat and it is the kind of album I can take and play anywhere because it will also appeal to those who like dance, rnb and rap music. But if you are into traditional Irish music then this is also for you. It’s something you can just chill out to if you want something not so trad-ish or hip hop-ish. A kind of music that is in between if you know what I mean.
Celtic Dub Volume 1 sees the band growing their sound into a more radio friendly style without sacrificing their exotic sound. St. Brendan’s Dub is the opening track that introduces you to the sounds that will come as you listen along. The fiddles and other Celtic instruments blossom in and out of the field of sound that’s groovy and lush. The reggae beats are there to support the instruments, complimenting the musical ideas instead of drowning them which usually happens in a lot of fusion albums.
I have my personal favorite and that’s Celtic Truth Dub because it simply moves you. It has that easy breezy feeling in the midst of the sunny tune. Dub music is a sub-genre of reggae that became popular in the 60s and branched out on its own. With Celtic Dub Vol.1, new listeners will come to appreciate the beauty of Reggae and Celtic music and I am sure they will definitely love these specific genres. It’s what happened to me. I discovered traditional Irish music because of Celtic fusion. So Celtic Reggae Revolution are doing a great thing to the music world: they are getting people to listen to different musical cultures through fusion.
It’s been confirmed that the new album by the million-selling Irish group Clannad is called “Nádúr” (pronounced as Ned-dur). This is the Irish Gaelic word for Nature. Wow the last album that they released was Landmarks and that’s like fifteen years ago! But though Clannad were in a long hiatus, lead singer Moya Brennan has been busy with Voices and Harps. It’s a collaborative work with harpist Cormac de Barra. Yes I will wait for that album. More here: http://www.clannad.nl/2013/07/new-clannad-album-titled-nadur.html
For those who love harp music here’s a link to the wonderful documentary that you will love: The Harp
A very inspiring and informative documentary about the history of the harp, its relation to middle-eastern tunes, to its status as a Celtic symbol for Wales,Ireland and Scotland..how Handel wrote a harp concerto for a Welshman, Robert Ap Huw (the introduction of binary system in musical notation during the 16th century)and its evolution as an instrument spanning genres. It’s hosted by harpist Catrin Finch Really worth watching.
Gavin Friday: I probably saw 70% of the films that he wrote music to(In The Name of the Father, The Boxer etc)and just saw Breakfast on Pluto(which he appeared as an actor). In the spirit of Irish post-punk (he was the lead singer of The Virgin Prunes)Gavin was the hero. Another youtube video worth checking out:
Thanks to my blogger friend Christi. She posted this link on her facebook page and tagged me. This will help determine which Celtic Tree Sign you belojg to. I am Birch. Want to find out your own?
WHAT CELTIC STAR SIGN ARE YOU?
Celtic Astrology had been around since about 1000BC and it’s based on 3 basic strands of belief … remembering your ancestors and the past … having an understanding of nature so you can work with it, not against it … and exploring the connection of everyday reality with that of the spiritual realm.
In Celtic astrology, the zodiac was based on trees and vines, each being connected to a lunar month and so, unlike the zodiac we’re familiar with, the Celtic calendar has 13 astrological signs. Here they are …
January 22 – February 18 … THE ROWAN (the thinker)
February 19 – March 17 … THE ASH (the enchanter)
March 18 – April 143 … THE ALDER (the trailblazer)
April 15 – May 12 … THE WILLOW (the observer)
May 13 – June 9 … THE HAWTHORN (the illusionist)
June 10 – July 7 … THE OAK (the stabiliser)
July 8 – August 4 … THE HOLLY (the ruler)
August 5 – Sept. 1 … THE HAZEL (the knower)
Sept. 2 – Sept. 29 … THE VINE (the equaliser)
Sept. 30 – October 27 … THE IVY (the survivor) … me!
October 28 – November 24 … THE REED (the leader)
November 25 – December 23 – THE ELDER (the scholar)
December 24 – January 21 … THE BIRCH (the achiever)
She helped to push Anúna and Celtic Woman to global prominence. Now Méav talks about her music (also, how she takes care of that wonderful voice) and the new album The Calling to be released this Autumn under Warner Music.
Millions already heard her crystal clear soprano. It is the voice associated with Anúna and Celtic Woman: acts with whom she shared both the stage and studio with. For someone who sold millions of albums and possesses sheer musical talent (she sings in multiple languages: English, Gaelic, French and Latin) , it is not surprising that listeners want to know more about the person behind the name. What is the source of the musical inspiration after releasing a string of best-selling albums(she has 7). How does she keep it going? It is an honor to welcome Méav into the fold of our featured artists.
Méav, to be in a major label and selling millions with your vocal signature style in Celtic Woman, Anúna , plus solo albums, how do you imagine the listeners’ reaction to The Calling?
It feels great to be sharing new music with you. I think that listeners who know my previous recordings will find plenty that’s familiar, but there are a few surprises in there too. The album brings me back to my folk roots in a contemporary setting. There is guitar and acoustic bass at the heart of the arrangements, which are simpler than the big orchestral sound of Celtic Woman, but with plenty of percussion and traditional instrumentation. We wanted to keep an almost 70’s recording sound in homage to the great folk recordings of that period. My fantastic producer and co-writer Craig Leon encouraged me to write more original material – that is probably the biggest change from my previous recordings.
Craig Leon and NASA. These were interesting events that led the way for The Calling. How was the working experience with the Grammy winning producer so far?
I was invited to record Don Mc Clean’s Vincent (Starry, starry night) for the NASA project. This was part of a soundtrack which incorporated sounds recorded in space by NASA with existing songs that had an astral connection. Given the song, the history of the Abbey Road studios and Craig’s own reputation, it could have been a very intimidating experience, but Craig immediately put me at ease. It was amazing to have the opportunity to record in the same room as the Beatles and Maria Callas. Working with Craig is fantastic. We are already plotting our next joint project.
Why did you choose The Calling as the album’s title?
Many of the songs on the album are about searching for whatever is missing in our lives. I wanted to find a title that captured that sense of yearning. The Calling is also a phrase that appears in the album version of the title track.
The title track is my personal favorite because of the way you sing and the choral arrangement. I am curious about this inclusion in the album.
Thanks! I loved the shape of the melody the moment Craig introduced me to it, and immediately felt that it had a haunting quality that I wanted to reflect in the lyrics we wrote. That reflective mood sets the overall tone of the whole album. With regard to the choral arrangement, I love choral music and toured a lot with the National Chamber choir of Ireland and with Anúna, so layering vocals is in my blood.
I shared my favorite track (and more in the album review), now it is your turn to share your favorite tracks in The Calling.
It’s hard to choose a favourite song – it’s almost like being forced to choose a favourite child! I am very fond of the Calling. I also particularly enjoyed recording Poor Wayfaring Stranger because it was quite different in style from anything I have recorded before. I loved creating the swampy, mysterious atmosphere of the arrangement and the spooky harmonies with Craig and our great musicians. It was also great to have Craig there to encourage me to write more new music such as Glimmering Girl.
Will you ever reprise your role as the main member of Celtic Woman?
Publicity photograph of singer Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
I am proud of my work with Celtic Woman and we had a great time touring and recording together. I think one of the core strengths of Celtic Woman is that each member is effectively a lead performer, rather than there being one lead. I left because I wanted to work on solo projects and raise my young family, but we have always kept the door open. It was great to guest with the group on their latest Christmas release, Home for Christmas, which went straight to Number 1 in the Billboard World Music Charts. I will be collaborating with them on another project very soon – watch this space!
What are the promotional plans for the album upon its release?
The response to the album has been fantastic, even at the pre-release stage, the moment the title track video was posted online.I am really looking forward to performing the material live and sharing it with a wider audience.
How do you preserve that crystal clear voice? Do you have a work related exercise that you follow?
Whisky, cigars and late nights work for me! Actually I have been very fortunate – I think my voice is tougher than it sounds, so I don’t have to be too precious about minding it. However I do try to avoid wine and chocolate before singing. Apparently lots of rest helps too, but usually before a big gig or recording I survive on very little sleep in the scramble to get everything ready. I do vocal warm-ups when I’m stuck in traffic, resulting in funny looks all round. The smoking ban is great for singers as singing in smoky environments was very hard on the voice.
Going back to your career history, it is rare to hear about an artist who was trying to break into the classical crossover scene while studying Law at the same time. How did you carry out this?
I didn’t really plan to become a full-time musician. I fell into studying law because my brother had enjoyed it ahead of me. The weekly timetable of law lectures at Trinity College Dublin was quite short, which gave me plenty of time to spend on music projects. Of course technically you were meant to spend your free time studying in the library, but we’ll gloss over that part! I was really enjoying gigging in the evenings, and gradually realised that I could make a living from singing. I sang in Riverdance and toured the US as a guest soloist with the National Irish Orchestra (RTECO) and got bitten by the performing bug. To paraphrase the singer Liam O Maonlaoi, sometimes music chooses you and you have no choice in the matter!
Let’s discuss The Calling some more. How was the recording experience and care to share the things you learned as a growing artist?
I loved the recording process. I had worked with the fantastic engineer Brian Masterson before, and I felt that he and Craig would really get along musically and personally. I got a real kick out of interacting with them and hearing them out-do one another with their tales of rock ’n roll excess! At one stage we were trying to match up the sound of two parts of a song that are in different vocal registers – one low, one high – which would usually require two different mic techniques. Craig solved the issue by pointing the mic at the ceiling with great results. We also borrowed from Blondie’s technique of layering up many backing vocals on each line to give a rich backdrop to the lead vocal. Many of the musicians who played on the album are old friends, so the atmosphere was very relaxed. We always made a point of taking a break for a good lunch each day – a simple way to keep everybody happy!
You have a total of seven albums in groups and solos. What’s your advice to young artists who are trying to break into the scene where you are now?
My advice to any musician, male or female, is to learn your trade – don’t try for world domination too fast or you may crash and burn. Learn to play an instrument or two – this will help you sight-read music. This is very useful if you want to pick up session work in studio, and will make you more flexible as a band member. It also helps you arranging and writing your own music. Sing with other people – there is always something new to learn in a choir, a show or a band. Experiment. Don’t specialize too soon – keep up your other studies so that other avenues remain open to you. Don’t be pressurized into presenting an image you are not comfortable with, and promote your work while guarding your privacy. Work hard and remember how great it is to do what you love!
Your message to the listeners?
It’s a privilege to sing for a living and I will never take it for granted. Thank you for listening and for supporting live music.
Celtic Music Fan 