Track listing 1. Cuz Teahan's/Lar Gavin's Favourite/The New Found Out. 2. Seven Gypsies 3. Cathair na Leige 4. Gan Ainm/The New Broom. Barndances 5. Over The Bridge to Peggy/Paddy Finlay's Delight/Within a Mile of Dublin. 6. Ochón Ochón Mo Chailín 7. Her Golden Hair Flowed Down Her Back/Galway Bay. Hornpipes. 8. Be Still As You Are Beautiful. 9. The City of Baltimore. 10. J.O. Forbes of Corse 11. The Dooney Rock/The Fly in the Porter/Derrane's Jig. 12. Run from the Gold 13. Katie Taylor's/Toss the Feathers/The Bunch of Green Rushes/ I Am Waiting for You. Click on underscored titles to hear sound samples with Real Player

Providence have just completed a very successful year of giging. Their first gig outside Ireland took them to the Artic Circle for St Patrick’s Day. The band have also appeared at of Europe’s major festivals including Dranouter in Belgiam and Waidhofen in Austria,
The Finnish Irish Folk Festival as well as numerous appearances around Ireland. Providence were also special guests on Iain Anderson’s show on BBC Radio Scotland, prior to appearing at the Callender Festival.

Providence are:

Joan McDermott, from Co Wexford is the group’s singer. Joan formerly sang with famed a cappella group, The Fallen Angels which featured Frances Black and Maire Bhreaethnach among its ranks over the years.

Clodagh Boylan, plays Fiddle and comes from a very musical family from Glencullin, Co Derry. She plays with members of her family in the Gleann an Iolair Ceili Band. She has toured UK, USA and Australia with C.C.E. Also she has toured Italy with Half Set.

John Wynne, plays flute and whistles. From Roscommon, he was immersed in the North Connaught flute tradition, playing with such eminent fluters as Patsy Hanley, Tommy Guighan and Peter Horan. John has won numerous All-Ireland titles for flute and whistle. He has recently released his debut solo CD, entitled “With Every Breath” distributed by Copperplate.

Michael O’Reilly, hails form a great musical family in Co Meath.
He is one of Ireland’s most respected performers on concertina and accordion. Michael has taught at workshops and has toured all over Europe and USA. He is also a member of the three time All-Ireland winning, Tain Ceili Band.

Paul Doyle, is the band’s bouzouki/guitar player. Formerly a member of Arcady, which included Frances Black, Sharon Shannon and Niamh Parsons. Paul is one of Ireland’s most sought after accompanists and over the years has played and recorded with Martin Hayes, Matt Molloy, Paul O’Shaughnessy and Gay McKeon as well as touring Europe extensively with Sean Keane’s band.
 
 
 

                                                     Press Reaction

The Living Tradition 01/01
I first came across Providence after hearing John Wynne’s solo flute album. Wanting to hear more, I bought the groups first album and liked it. This is their second, which is usually the trickiest for anybody. Not to worry, this is up to the standard of the previous outing. The only line up change is Clodagh Boylan on fiddle instead of Meabh O’Hare The instrumental balance is slightly different with a wee bit more prominence to Micheal O’Raghallaigh’s concertina this time out, but that’s no harm. They’re not out to make a particular sound, but to show different blends of instruments
Seven dance tracks, one slow air and five songs with nothing you wouldn’t be happy to listen to for a long time. The Road to Lisdoonvarna is mostly played as a jig, odd times as a reel, but Providence play a fling version that works well.
The other tunes are a mix of old friends and less widely known tunes.
They’ve even adapted a tune learded from the McDonagh brothers of Ballinafad as a waltz and made a slow air of it. It probably was originally an air, as many of the older players used to play airs in 3:4 time, so they’ve restored it to its rightful place.
I get the feeling that Joan McDermott is more at home with the two songs in Irish than the three in English. Maybe they’re more suited to her singing style, but they do flow more easily. None of the songs are hackneyed though and include some gems. She's done her homework in the National Archives, and found a fine song in “Muiris O’ Coinnleain”, from the Waterford tradition.
Providence have overcome the dreaded “second CD” hazard; we’ll see more of them in future.  Mick Furey.

The Independent
 "Mairead, you mention that there's a lot of great music in Ireland at the moment. Who of the current crop do you rate ?"
 "There are some young bands out there that inspire me. Providence are one, and so many others. World class musicians the lot of them."
  Excerpt of interview with Mairead Mooney of Altan.

Traditional Music Maker April 01
As a rule, Irish bands tend to get comparisons to forerunners like The Bothy Band or Planxty, the same way the rest of us change socks. I.e. quite regularly. Some, like Altan and Dervish deserve the praise – now add to that list, Providence.
They haven’t come a long long way, even though the individuals involved have track records and include ex members of Fallen Angels, Arcady and touring with the likes of Matt Molloy, Sean Keane and Martin Hayes.
Such experience counts for much here, as the quintet runs smartly, if not briskly through a crowning selection of Irish material. The instrumentals either leave you breathless or charm the birds out of the trees.
The standard of playing is quite breathtaking and a solid year of gigging. Including, apparently, a St Paddy’s Day bash on the Artic Circle, as well as festivals like Dranouter, has honed a tight ensemble.
To pick out any one instrumentalist would be grossly unfair, best to say tracks like J.O.Forbes of Corse, are so tender that you feel like tip toeing round the speakers. The next minute of course they kick you up the arse with some driving reels and your feet feel like doing a totally different routine.
However, there is more to add weight to an already outstanding traditional release and that is the voice of Joan McDermott, a wondrous vehicle which really is fresh and enticing. Her handling of Seven Gypsies, The City of Baltimore, and the hopefully crossover Be Still As You Are Beautiful is nothing short of revelatory and crowns what is already convincing enough.
Let’s hope they exploit their potential to the fullest degree. Recommended. Simon Jones

Dirty Linen Dec/Jan 01
My top pick this time out is Providence (Rolling River RRCD001) The debut album from the Dublin based traditional band of the same name. Judging from the pictures of denim clad youthful musicians on the cover, and the accolades from respected colleagues in the press kit, I expected a whiz-bang, speedy like Solas or Danu.
While such a band would have been welcome, I find to my delight that Providence is more measured, more old fashioned if you will, and more satisfying for it. Sets of jigs, reels and barn dances alternate with songs sung in the strong and pure voice of Joan McDermott. McDermott, a former member of Fallen Angels, (whose alumni also include Mary Black and Maire Breathnach), handles lyrics in both English and Irish Gaelic. Highlights include the ballads Seven Gypsies and The City of Baltimore as well as the aching Ochón Ochón Mo Chailín.
The instrumentalists include John Wynne, a multiple All-Ireland winner on flutes and whistles, Meabh O’Hare on fiddle and Michael O’Reilly on concertina and accordion, backed by Paul Doyle’s subtle guitar and delicate bouzouki.
The group’s sound recalls Nomos and 1980’s De Danann, but it’s also got some of the straight ahead unpretentiousness of a good ceili band. Their CD is a delightful listen, and reveals a band with virtually unlimited potential.      Steve Winick
 

The Sunday Tribune
'Dominated by John Wynne's flute, and underpinned by fiddler Méabh O'Hare, the band provoke a hint of déja vu - perhaps Bothy Band with an aftertaste of Nomos lent by concertina and accordion player, Mícheál Ó' Raghallaigh, and even maybe Planxty in the twang of Paul Doyle's guitar and bouzouki. Singer Joan McDermott challenges the ear yet even further and in their tune sets, the band ultimately frustrate any classification - they are themselves. Fintan Vallely,

 "A new traditional band featuring musicians already individually highly respected in Ireland. Watch them - they're going to be big".                                                                                                              Finbar Boyle, Claddagh Records

Irish Music Magazine
 'So far Providence have been busy on the road with their gigs eliciting positive reaction and the album has been perking up ears, indeed it has featured on Radio 1's Late Session. The band's music respects the tradition and they look after that tradition carefully. It looks like the traditional fraternity are warming to them.'
John O'Regan.

The Living Tradition Magazine
 "Traditional music has many pleasures and not the least of them is Providence's debut album "Providence". It represents a splendid array of talent, with the feel of people who enjoy being together. Guitar and bouzouki man Paul Doyle's beautifully understated backing of "Her Golden Long Hair Flowed Down Her Back" is an example. So is John Wynne's low whistle and Micheal Ó' Raghallaigh's concertina creeping into the song "Seven Gypsy's" (What a song, incidentally, and what a rendering! It's origins are apparently unknown, but it's a cracker). The band's ability to work collectively is shown in the first reel, "The New Found Out", as they gradually boost the heat without losing shape or tempo. Production values are fine and the balance of material is good, half of it songs. Joan McDermott sails through these including a classy "Be Still As You Are Beautiful". This is a wonderful recording, hopefully the first of many."
 

The Irish World  9th Feb 2001
The revival of Irish traditional music continues with this latest release from Providence. We reviewed one of their member’s solo efforts in a recent Issue. (John Wynne’s Every Little Breath) and this is the group effort from several of Ireland'’ most respected traditional musicians.
Joan McDermott is the group’s lead singer and was a member of the Fallen Angels. Clodagh Boylan, plays fiddle and comes from a musical family in County Derry. John Wynne plays flute and whistles and readers will remember from his own CD, he is a good example of the North Connaught flute tradition. Michael O’Reilly plays the concertina and accordian and both play and teach music.
Paul Doyle is the bouzouki /guitar player in the band and was formerly a member of Arcady which included Frances Black, Sharon Shannon and Niamh Parsons. He recently toured extensively with Sean Keane’s band.

The band were recently lauded by Mairead Mooney of Altan as “world class musicians”. They certainly have a great quantity of talents in their ranks.  Great instrumental tracks I felt were, Her Golden Hair Flowed Down Her Back and Galway Bay.

The band certainly worked well together to keep the tempo constant and the listener interested. The set of reels, Katie Taylor’s/Toss The Feathers/The Bunch of Green Rushes/I Am Waiting For You which closes the CD were well chosen and reflected the pace and high standard of music on this album.
Favourite songs of mine included the delicate, Be Still As You Are Beautiful and Run From The Gold which showed Micheal O’Reilly’s accordian to perfection. Strong and tuneful vocals are also exhibited on this track. Maureen O’Donnell.
 
 

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