Making funny faces:Paul and Aisling

Our week opens heralding the month of May, the celebration of Beltane. My friend Jenny said it is Spring in Europe, the season of love.  Spring reminds us of the beauty of youth, the freshness of everything, the first bloom of flowers and the warm colors of the day. They say it is the youth that carries the legacy of our ancestors into the new era. I believe so. And since youth is our theme for this week, I have the honor to present to you my guest , who is young, musical and Irish.

Paul Jarvis is the son of Tim Jarvis, a freelance photographer and Moya Brennan lead singer of Clannad and the First Lady of Celtic music.  He performed in his mother’s recording at an age of four! He  also sometimes perform side by side his sister Aisling. Music is in the genes. You will find out through this nice  one on one with Paul.

• How is it like growing up with the Brennans?

I love it, but I don’t really have anything to compare it to. There such a great family. The best is when all nine of the Brennan brothers and sisters go up to Donegal for Christmas. There is always something mad happening! It is quite hard for Olive my auntie to come over because of living in Australia, but when she does come she often brings my cousin Callum over, whom i get on very well with, and in Ireland I spend a lot of time with Pól’s son Ember, he’s a great lad!

One of those rare moments with Mom

• Your mom has performed many concerts. Does she sometimes bring you along?

I have traveled quite a lot with my mum. She does many gigs in Europe so it’s not too hard to go and meet her, and sometimes (but very rarely) she takes us to places such as America or Tanzania. We kind of turn them into holidays while we’re there as well. So it can be a great experience! Although my sister, Aisling, has started to travel a lot more with my mum. She plays with her regularly now.

• In Whisper to the Wild Water, you appeared narrating a speech in Gaelic about St Francis of the Assisi. It’s a beautiful piece. How old were you at that time? It’s a moving track.

I was, I think four years old at the time of recording. At the time I didn’t have a clue what the words meant because it was all in Irish and I couldn’t speak it back then. When recording my mum sat next to me and told me the words and then i repeated it into the mic, and that’s how it was recorded. i was also asked to go over to sing it in Japan, but I was too scared of the crowds at that age, so I never performed it live with my mum.

• Your sister Aisling is also getting involved with music and also performed with your mom. Do you wish to follow the same path someday?

I would love to start playing with my mum in the future, I just need to up my standard, so it should be good if I do get around to it in the next few years. i wouldn’t be able to play next year though because I have my big school exams, but after.

• You are currently studying right? What type of music do the guys listen in your college?

Yes, I am in my secondary school currently and I do eight subjects, one of which is music. It is mostly classical music but there is some Irish traditional music as well.

• How do fans of Clannad and your mom treat you when they spot you?

There are a few of my mum’s fans who would recognize me but apart from that, I don’t think they would recognize me!