#‎FocusonFood‬ discussion with Adrian Moss of Focus Business Communications regarding the findings of Ahain Group ‘s Report on Social Business Strategy in the Food and Drink Sector. Listen to the Podcast here: http://www.focusbiz.co.uk/foodfocus/

The combined creativity of award winning folk duo Tim Edey and Brendan Power will hit Irish shores this month as they bring their multi – instrumental talent to established music venues around Ireland. Edey and Power were the recipients of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Duo in 2012 and Edey also received the accolade of Best Musician in the same year. This success derived from the release of their award winning debut Wriggle and Writhe and more recently the pair has showcased their inspired spark of musical improvisation with the launch of their Live in Canterbury DVD.

UK based Kiwi harmonica player and composer Brendan Power is acknowledged by many as one of the most versatile and creative harp players around today.  As well as being recognised for his creativity in Irish music he is also firmly established as a jazz and blues style player and was voted International Harmonica Player of the Year 2011. He has recorded with the iconic artists Kate Bush, Sting and Van Morrison amongst others.

Edey has emulated this success with guitar and button accordion. He has recorded and toured with legendary folk icons Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon and The Chieftains. He has released four solo albums and his original compositions have been recorded by established artists throughout the music Industry.  His technical mastery combined with his fresh approach to music has established him as a stalwart of the Irish folk scene.

The men are eagerly anticipating their imminent Irish tour. “I have played Ireland many times and it is always a joy.” Edey explains. “Brendan and I have fun playing together and I am looking forward to bringing this to our Irish gigs.”  

Tim Edey and Brendan Power:  Irish Tour Dates

Timeless

The German band Sheevón started out in 1981 and a lot of music and mayhem has passed under their belts since then so what better way to celebrate thirty years of entertaining audiences than to encapsulate that live vibe in a live album; their latest release ‘Timeless’.

The band consists of Claus de Crau on guitar and lead vocals, Eva Silvia Fechner on lead vocals, Bernd Herrman on bass, bodhran and keyboard man Harald Jungst, flute player Eva Pauline Krause and Conny Lesón on fiddle. They all contribute to the vocals and the ability to melt their voices into superfluous harmonies is one of their standouts.

Its an eclectic mixture, this CD, with the timely traditional session tunes such as Lunny’s ’Tolka Polka’ running amok around the likes of the Joni Mitchell classic ’Both Sides Now’ switching into the Academy Award winning ’Falling Slowly’ a Hansard special which is interpreted by  Claus and Eva with poignancy and passion. A penchant for the Hardiman penned ‘Lord of the Dance’ tunes is apparent and the vibe becomes almost orchestrated with showmanship then diversifies into some lightening Kerry slides with jigs in the form of  the ‘Gallowglass’ set. A conversable interaction with fiddle and flute is anchored by the strings and percussion in definitive style in this set which counteracts the later version of ‘The Butterfly’ as this pulls back pace to enunciate the drawn out notes and then steps up a gear and flies into a pulsating reel.

The last track introduces Sheevón’s own version of the Colum Sands song ‘Almost Every Circumstance’ which is personally reminiscent of the Voice Squad’s ‘Parting Glass’ harmonic acapella offering. It is a reflection of the contribution of each and every voice within the band and this musical cohesiveness is surely a contributing factor to the longevity of Sheevón.  ‘Timeless’ is the perfect title for a tribute to thirty years of entertainment and the invigorating quality of the content is the reason why they are still here.

Training in Tipperary 2009

The support for the Irish Team in the run up to the Euro’s has been phenomenal. One topic of conversation though has been ‘how well can you sing the Irish National Anthem?’. For those educated in Ireland and familiar with the native language … you have a head start …. however there are many supporters of all that is Irish spread far and wide throughout the globe that may not be lucky enough to be able to fully belt out the Irish National Anthem with pride. 

I know that when growing up in a very proud Irish Community in Manchester during the Eighties, the anthem was played to mark the end of an event, a gig, a session or just to signal that the bar was about to close! Whatever the occasion, the process of standing with arms firmly held behind the back or by the sides belting out  Amhrán na bhFiann  was integral to the occasion and the spirit of the Community.

Damian Duff

When at University in Hull, East Yorkshire the ethos amongst the Irish and Irish descent was the same yet a constant conversation was frustration over the inability to pronounce the words of the National Anthem. That was until Liam O’Sullivan, from the County of Coventry via a staunch Mayo and Kerry heritage, devised a plan to enable anyone to learn the Anthem phonetically. He made a video of himself verbalising the anthem line by line and it was so successful that even the Irish Manager of the time, Mick McCarthy, used the video to teach the lads of Irish descent on the Irish team at the time. This they did and the feedback was amazing.

Now to the present and as the Irish team prepare to slam the ball in the net at the Euro’s the topic of the anthem has surfaced yet again. This week Liam has taken on the challenge to teach the National Anthem on RTE Radio’s ‘The Mooney Show which airs on the 7th June. Along with this he has set up a range of video’s that will help anyone brush up their pronunciation of the National song. Take a look at www.afewbars.com and see how well you can sing the Anthem that will be sung in gusto with total pride in Poland this month.

COME ON YOU BOYS IN GREEN !

A member of the highly regarded musical family from Dublin, Donncha is
joined on some tracks by his brothers John and Mick on pipes and Tom
and Andrew on fiddle: all brought to the music by their accordion
playing father Dinny. Despite the early onset of muscular dystrophy,
Donncha quickly became a highly accomplished whistle player who was
regarded for his subtle style and ornamentation. The nineteen tracks
are steeped with tunes of the tradition played with an honest
unadorned simplicity yet with a crisp piquant style that captures the
essence of Ó’Briain. A fine example of this is displayed in ‘The Maple
Leaf’ that decisively leads into ‘The Man of Aran’ and the incisive
‘Ril Darach de Brún’ set which is rendered with a lifting definity.

Ó’Briain shows that he can also administer a sweet softness in his
rendition of the haunting Donegal slow air ’Ni ar Chnoc ná ar
Isleacht’ subtly accompanied on the pipes by his brother Mick. The
recording by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta of ‘Seán sa Cheo’ resonates with
an echo of the past whilst retaining the originality of the present.
It produces the perception of being in the room with Donncha at the
time it was played.

Sadly Donncha passed away in 1990 at the age of thirty. In the booklet
accompanying the CD his brother Mick speaks lovingly of the musical
memories shared by the family and friends of Donncha and connects the
stories with the tunes in a way that makes the listener a part of the
story.

Ceol ar an bhFeadóg Stáin is as fresh as it was over thirty years ago
and a fitting legacy to a man that definitively left a lasting
impression on traditional music.

Latest Release

The crux of the band consists of John Walsh on guitar and vocals, Andrew McCarrick on flute, whistles and vocals, percussion expert Brian McCarthy and fiddle and whistle enabler Denis McCarthy.

With no slow build up to this album the lads leap straight in to a foot tapping ‘The Durty Konway’ set. The flute edges staccato style around the lively fiddle and smashes straight into a whirlwind of strings and percussion in the shape of ‘Hogan’s Hill’. The steady meandering waltz of ‘Mama’s Porch’ sweetly highlights harmonic instrumentals and paves the way for an echo of a slow air that showcases the flute flawlessly. The strings make beautiful work of ’Clashacollaire’ then a softness ensues in the seamless ’an Cathaoir Dearg.’

With eight of the tunes on the track made up of highly original recordings, the old traditions are held together by way of the songs. Walsh’s powerful sound takes the listener from ‘Carnlough Bay’ to ‘The Banks of the Bann’ topping it off with ‘A Kiss In the Morning Early’ all the while supported by an effortless instrumental.

After listening to each and every track of ‘While yer Up’, this band leave you with a longing to hear them play live. Here’s hoping!

New Release from Paddy O’Brien

I did say at the time that his music ‘painted a vivid description’ and this is so relevant when listening to the air ‘The Flight of the Wild Geese’ as O’Brien wrenches the emotion out of each and every button on the accordion and also the heart of the person listening. It’s a great leap then to step into the reels ‘Arthur Darley’s’ and ‘The Glen of Aherlow’ yet Paddy makes the transition almost seamless. Teresa Bakers piano style adds to the flavour and Felim Egan (another Offaly man) ignites with his self penned tune ‘Michael Doherty’s’.

The main focus is on the man himself though and the musician’s musician sets a spark himself on ‘The Connemara Stockings’ which he learnt from an old 78 rpm and plays in the key of C. I’m particularly drawn to the lovable hornpipe ’Poll Ha’penny’ which is rendered with precision without distracting from the magnetic flow of the tune.

There are seventeen tracks on this album and interesting anecdotal details of the personal history O’Brien has embarked on with each tune. I called him a musician’s musician when in fact I should have said that he is everyone’s musician. With ’Mixing the Punch’ O’Brien has yet again proved himself to be the master of tradition he truly is.

Anton Emery - Noone Lasses

This energy is fully apparent in the ‘Cloonagroe Reel’ taken from the playing of Martin Hayes. The quality of tone and the clear and concise notes are spirited in their implementation and this is carried through to track six which features a lively jig set commencing with a melodic ‘Ships in Full Sail’ into an animated ’Trip to Sligo’ and culminates in a forceful ‘Christy Barry’s # 2’ which is overdubbed with a second guitar to strengthen and lift.

Emery pays tribute to Turlough O’Carolan’ with a flawless rendition of ’O’Carolan’s Receipt’ and also expounds a whimsically seamless ’Child’s Grove’ concluding with the Donal Lunny penned track ’Tribute to Peadar O’Donnell’ on which he exhibits an elegant guitar arrangement whilst retaining the essence of the original tune.

Concurrent solo guitar tracks might be deemed as monotonous by some yet Emery varies the track order well with clever arrangements and tempo shifts that entice and engage. The empathy for the tune is evident and this is combined with a finger style technique that is skilfully rendered. ’Noone Lasses’ is a thoughtfully captivating debut CD that demonstrates Anton Emery’s ability impeccably.

Dualla Monster Barn Dance

and the popular Marty Daniels. The hoe down is set to raise funds for the sports field and the Denis Leamy Centre that plays a huge part in the Community activities that regularly take place in Dualla.

The Barn dance is a follow on from the successful fundraising night two years ago that brought locals together to honour the prowess and success of Munster and Ireland rugby playing local hero Denis Leamy. The night raised much needed funds for the complex which was purchased and developed by Dualla Community Association to provide a platform for Sports activities in Dualla. The premises are utilised to the maximum with juvenile hurling, football, camogie and school games played (and won) on a regular basis. The recently formed Gaelic for Mothers group is going from strength to strength and Dualla FC mens soccer recently won the T.S.D.L. Division Four Shield.

Community spirit is at an all time high and the Association are looking forward to welcoming Country Music enthusiasts from all over Ireland. Chairperson Majella Crosse explains “We are looking forward to a night of top class entertainment with Morrissey and Daniels. We invite people to dress for the part in Wild West costume and enjoy the games and surprises that are planned for the event.”  Tickets costing €20, which includes a sumptuous barbeque, are available from Majella on 087 9649490.  Be quick though as they are selling fast. It’s a night of Country that will guarantee sparks of spur kicking entertainment and fun!

Cara are no stranger to CD releases and never fail to disappoint so I am eager to delve into their latest offering ‘Long Distance Love’.

Cara - Long Distance Love

This year saw Cara introduce two new talents to their line up. Orkney lass Jeana Leslie on piano, fiddle and vocals who was the recipient of BBC Radio 2’s Young Folk Award in 2008 and Ryan Murphy the piper from Cork who has no less than seven All Ireland titles under his belt. With the solid Cara baseline of Gudrun Walther, Juergan Treyz and Rolf Wagels they can now (in their own words) describe themselves as a ‘Multi-National Celtic Band’

With two exquisite voices to utilise in the line up, there are a wealth of songs embedded in the thirteen tracks. Jeana applies her soft lilting accent to ’Brewer Lad’ a Scottish song with the intrepid message to be wary of slighting your true love in case you come off worse in your next choice! The melodic harmonies complement well as they do when Gudrun takes the lead in the hauntingly beautiful ‘Ardkeen Boat Song’ written by Patricia Clark from County Down. As well as producing stunning vocals the instrumental arrangement is a piece within itself and could emulate the theme of long distance love through the wistful ambience intertwined with the song. ‘Torn Screen Door’ drives a potent message of being forced to leave the cherished rural homestead by the financial institutions in order to economically survive in the town. This desolation is enhanced by Gudrun’s compelling tone providing both listening pleasure and food for thought.

The tunes offset the melancholic longings for distant suitors with resounding lively rhythms and humorous titles. ‘The Arm in the Cow’ set was named for Rolf Wagels to depict his other life as a vetinarian. The fiddle arrangement in tandem with pipes, piano, strings and bodhran converse in a spirited fashion and it illustrates the abundance of instrumental ability so present within the band. ’Mysterious Images’, a Ryan Murphy composition, inspired by that cult comedy ’Father Ted’ has bodhran and bass adeptly providing the backbone to wind, string and keys culminating in a animated set . ‘Long Distance Love’ is an inspiring collective of verse and instrumental brought to life by stimulating vocals and tuneful harmony. The new line up is fresh and invigorating and Cara’s latest is definitely a winner.