Rita Gallagher – The May Morning Dew & Easter Snow
£16.99
Rarely, in any decade, has such a splendid collection of traditional songs been assembled in one audio publication. The quality of the singing in song after song is outstanding. Rita has a remarkably beautiful voice, which, allied to her integrity of taste, and the consummate ease with which she tackles the most challenging of songs, ensures that each song is a gem of special delight. Just look at the list of top quality and challenging songs which she sings with such superb artistry on this CD – songs such as The Mountain Streams Where the Moorcocks Crow, Lovely Willie, The Wounded Hussar, The Banks of the Clyde, The Bonnie Bunch of Roses O, Rambling Boys of Pleasure, Lough Erne Shore, Bunch of Rushes Green, etc, etc – indeed I could list the entire contents as examples of excellent traditional singing. And I must not overlook
The Mermaid, Paddy Tunney’s translation of the Gaelic Song, An Mhaighdean Mhara, previously recorded (to my knowledge] only by Paddy’s daughter Brigid on her CD “Hand in Hand”. Though brief, it is a lovely item. A touch of humour is added with the inclusion of the light hearted Rambling Irishman, and the flippantly jocular Oh The Marriage
Familiar favourites such as Craigie Hill, The Shores of Lough Brann, The Flower of Magherally O, The May Morning Dew and Out of the Window (It will not be long love) are to be heard here, refurbished and renewed to gladden our hearts as when first heard many years ago.
Many of the songs sung here are from the Tunney repertoire – by which I mean they are songs which were regularly sung by the late Paddy Tunney, and by his mother Brigid – may God rest them both — and still sung by Paddys sons and daughters. (They are also sung by countless singers of all ages, for the Tunney disciples are legion). Rita Gallagher studied and assimilated these songs from her early twenties. Paddy Tunney’s songs and singing style were a major source of inspiration.
In singing them now, she remains true to the spirit and integrity of that style; still, this does not prevent her from using her own exceptional musical talents to give her personal interpretation of these songs; a fine example of tradition handed down and renewed.
I would consider her singing of the several Tunney songs on this CD as a major tribute to an inspirational troubadour. This publication is also remarkable because we hear Rita’s solo, unaccompanied voice, in all twenty recordings, apart from bodhran accompaniment on one light hearted song. With so many songs being included, most singers would have been tempted to include some kind of backing on a few tracks at least, or a few songs might have been recorded at a live session where murmured words of encouragement and the generally supportive atmosphere would give the performer confidence.
Only a singer of exceptional ability would have the courage to take on the challenge of maintaining momentum, tuning, and concentration through the four, five or six demanding verses of so many songs.
Rita Gallagher has done it in great style, and these recordings will stand as a testament to her ability”. Seamus MacMathuna
Press Reviews
www.liveIreland.com
Is Rita Gallagher the best Irish singer in the world? We know a LOT of musicians and fans who answer yes to that question for this fabulous alto from Donegal. A hidden treasure, she and her new album, Easter Snow, were brought to our attention by one of the world’s best, Copperplate Distribution in London. Google Copperplate Distribution. You just landed in heaven without having to die first. This album is a masterpiece from a master singer. Do you want to hear the REAL Ireland? You’re in luck. Rita Gallagher will sing it to you. A sean nos classic from a gift of a voice. This is no nasal soprano child singing some nonsense passing as Irish. This is a real Irish woman singing wonderful music in a voice from God. Impeccable. Bill Margeson
The Living Tradition
It’s a brave singer who tackles The Blackbird’, the air is the same as the famous set dance with all that that entails. The range is great and there’s no margin for error; you either hit it right at the start or you’re
in trouble. Start too low, and you finish up grunting the low notes; start too high and you sound like a castrato (if you’re male). I only ever sang it in public once and all the way through it I was in fear of making a mess of it and a fool of myself. It never got a public airing since. Rita Gallagher hits it right on the button, that sweet note that lets you know you have the song right. It’s a good long song, with many chances
of error, but she carries it off magnificently.
Gallagher’s first recording, Easter Snow, in 1997, should have been followed by many more; the quality of her singing is outstanding. The May Morning Dew rectifies the omission. Twenty songs on a CD is exceptional; when you get another fourteen on another disc, you’re getting something extra special. This second disc is a re-mastering of Easter Snow. As she says on the insert, “these 34 tracks are the total
my recorded singing”. These are some of the biggest of the ‘big’ songs from the tradition; if you have these as a repertoire, you’re in good company. When you record them without accompaniment, in spite of
the temptation to use it on a few tracks at least, you have to be good.
Originally from Ballymacahill, Co. Donegal, Gallagher now lives in Crossroads, near Ballybofey. Though not traditional, her parents were both singers; her mother sang in local
concerts in her youth. “I always sang and played music, but only came to traditional singing in my twenties when I attended a Donegal County Fleadh in 1978.” She won her first All Ireland Fleadh for traditional singing in English in 1979, then again in 1981 and 1982 – missing out on a hat-trick by coming second in 1980. “Pauline Sweeney and Bridin Doherty were my initial sources of songs, when we were members of Donegal Seisiun Group together. I began listening to and recording other singers from then on. Between 1978 and now, I’ve collected a number of songs from many sources. I find that the older I get, the more interested I become in the songs, and how complex and diverse the songs and singers are. I realise how little I really know about the wealth of talent out there.”
With Gallagher’s background, it’s not surprising that there is a weighting towards Ulster songs. She had many of the songs from the late Paddy Tunney and later from members of his family. Many of the song airs are different; others have different lyrics, which is always refreshing. But all are great songs from a long tradition. There are songs of love and of loss, of fickle-hearted sweethearts and brash suitors. There are bitter songs of cold-hearted landlords, like John Adair, who was ‘one of our own’ rather than the usual incomer, and transportation, like Edward on Lough Erne Shore. The latter isn’t to be confused with Lough
Erne Shore, which is a courting song with a successful outcome. It’s not all doom and gloom though; Oh The Marriage is a warning against that institution; The Rambling Irishman (not the De Danann version) has a light-hearted bodhran accompaniment. And that’s the only accompaniment you get on any of the songs.
The May Morning Dew, the title song, is rightly regarded as a masterpiece of the regrets at the passing of time. Who could fail to be moved by the lines about the birthplace being “but a stone on a stone”? Gallagher’s version is slightly different from mine but I got mine from three different family sources so long ago that I can’t recall which is which. This is the beauty of traditional singing; to make a song your own yet keep within the spirit of the original. Out of the Window is often said to be a variant of She Moved Through the Fair, the reverse is probably true. So far as I know, Padraic Colum never laid claim to being composer of the air; although those lyrics are his for sure. Similarly, Rambling Boys of Pleasure is older than WB Yeats’ Down by the Sally Gardens. That’s not to imply any base motive; there was a theme, so he borrowed it. Gallagher has a different air for it that’s a pleasant change from the more usual one.
Few female singers’ voices really mature until they reach their thirties. Though I wouldn’t dare ask their ages, I’ve noticed this in quite a few singers I’ve heard. I kept switching between the two discs and
there’s a marked change in Gallagher’s voice. As good and strong as it was in 1997, it’s become even richer and mellower on the later recording. There’s no question of which is best, just a difference.
Thirty-four fine songs from a fine singer; what more could anyone want?
In his introduction my old friend Seamus MacMathuna, who knows more about songs and singers than anyone else I know of, predicts: “…it will be a valued source and inspiration for singers of all ages…” Seamus doesn’t give praise lightly so that’s a real and deserved tribute. I’ll give him the last word for I value his judgement on all things musical: “Only a singer of exceptionable ability would have the courage to take on the challenge of maintaining momentum, tuning and concentration through the four, five or six demanding verses of so many songs. Rita Gallagher has done it in great style, and these recordings will stand as a testament to her ability.” Mick Furey
Bodhran accompaniment by Brian Duffy, Ballyboffey, Co Donegal
20 new recordings from Ireland’s finest female singer. Plus a bonus CD of her 1997 cassette recording Easter Snow.
“I am truly honoured to have been invited to contribute a few thoughts on the occasion of the production of this new CD, “The May Morning Dew”, by Rita Gallagher.
Having enjoyed over and over the songs on “Easter Snow” the cassette which Rita had recorded back in 1997, which included many splendid songs, such as Easter Snow, Edward on Lough Erne Shore, Old Arboe, The Blackbird, Lurgy Sream, and a version of The Mountain Streams (to mention just a few), I wondered could Rita produce a second selection to equal the first. I need not have worried! Having listened several times to the 20 songs she has recorded, I am convinced that this new CD excels and eclipses anything we have heard over the past decade. I predict that it will be a valued source and inspiration for singers of all ages in the years to come.
Audio
The Wounded Hussar:
Oh the Marriage:
Sweet Iniscarra:
Track Listing
Cragie Hill
Bonnie Light Horseman
Bonny Bunch of Roses O
The Banks of the Clyde
The Flower of Magherally
Lovely Willie
Lough Erne’s Shore
The May Morning Dew
Rambling Irishman
The Wounded Hussar
The Shores of Lough Brann
Out of the Window
Oh The Marraige
You Rambling Boys of Pleasure
The Mermaid
Rushes Green
Wee Weaver
The Nightingale
What’s Keeping My True Love
The Mountain Streams
EASTER SNOW
Track Listing:
Going To Mass Last Sunday
John Adair
Old Arboe
Sweet Iniscarra
Easter Snow
Lurgy Stream
Edward on Lough Erne Shore
Sheephaven Bay
The Blackbird
When My Love and I Parted
Blackwater Side
Highland Mary
Dark Is The Colour
The Mountain Streams
This year’s Gradam for Amhránaà na Bliana (Singer of the Year 2017) goes to RITA GALLAGHER
Citation
Upon hearing this distinctive traditional singer, one is immediately aware one is listening to a vocalist of incredible ability. Her mastery of tone, breath, and ornamentation, coupled with her extensive knowledge and understanding of songs, from her native South Donegal and beyond, leave one in no doubt that one is truly in the presence of greatness. A three-time winner of the Comhaltas All-Ireland title for female singing in English, her extensive repertoire contains many exceptionally challenging songs, all of which she makes sound effortless.
Small wonder then that there were no less than 37 songs on her 2010 release The May Morning Dew which garnered much praise, and an award from LiveIreland.com Her humility belies a serious talent, and through her generosity of spirit she has been a great influence on many singers, both through her recordings, and her popular singing workshops at festivals around the country.
This year’s Gradam for Amhránaà na Bliana (Singer of the Year) goes to RITA GALLAGHER
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‘The land and lore of his native Kerry and adopted County Clare predominate in songs that are powerfully rendered and intensely felt’. (Irish Times)
‘Tim Dennehy’s rendering of any song would bring a chilling hush to the wildest session. A gem for song collectors everywhere’. (Irish Music)
‘Here is a voice as velvety as the best Irish stout. He produces some moments of breathtaking beauty, especially in his magnificent version of, Be Still as you are Beautiful ‘. (Rock N Reel)
‘There are few better singers than Tim Dennehy in Ireland today- a fine singer of splendid songs’. (Folk Roots)
‘These thoughtful and reflective songs help to contribute to an interesting and varied offering from one of the best traditional singer-songwriters of the present time’. (The Living Tradition)
‘Whether you are interested in learning some new songs or just want to hear one of the finest singers in Ireland today, don’t miss Farewell to Miltown Malbay ‘. (Dirty Linen)
Net Rhythms Web Site March 2003
For the reviewer who’s also a keen explorer, coming across any performer for the first time can be as worthwhile as welcome, and listening to Irish singer Tim’s four (to date) CDs has been one of the most pleasurable experiences of the past few months for me – so much so, in fact, that review of his latest, The Blue Green Door, has been delayed while I’ve continued to make fresh discoveries in Tim’s previous three releases.
The album’s rather wordy subtitle (Traditional And Original Songs Of Love, Loss And Longing, volume 3) is a most accurate depiction of its contents, in fact, though the apparent matter-of-fact driness of this erudite tag shouldn’t put you off, for this (like its predecessors) turns out to be a most appealing and stimulating collection of material, much of it completely new to me – indeed, I think it’s probably the best of the four.
Essentially a Kerryman, Tim was born Ballinskelligs; he lived in Dublin for a while, then in 1989 relocated to Co. Clare, releasing his first (then cassette) album, A Thimbleful Of Song. Tim’s one of those singers of quiet accomplishment, with a smooth tone and enthralling yet subtle delivery and a relaxed, though perennially sensitive approach to phrasing – a description which might well bring to mind Seán Keane
This is the first solo album by Niamh Dunne from County Limerick, who has spent the last eight years as singer and ?ddler of the band Beoga. Its eleven songs are a mix of traditional and contemporary songs, two in Irish, most of them with a Limerick connection, many of them not well known (to these ears anyway).
It all starts at a fair old lick on the traditional ‘Ballyneety’s Walls’, driven along by Damien O’Kane’s fluid banjo. Overall, the pace tends to be slower and more re?ective, though my particular favourite is the more upbeat ‘When Autumn Comes’ written by Barry Kerr-the only track where Niamh’s punchy fiddle is brought to the fore. More like this would have been most welcome.
The two best-known songs, Richard Thompson’s ‘Strange Affair’ and Joe South’s ‘Games People Play’, are nice enough but the performance offers nothing new. Niamh has a good though quite inexpressive voice and is supported here by a cast of musicians marshalled by Beoga’s Sean Og Graham, to provide tasteful accompaniment. Throughout, it’s all very well sung and played, making it easy to listen to though there’s little to get the heart pumping. Ian Croft
www.irishcentral.com
The snail mailbag brings many treats to me in the form of new (or sometimes old) music contained in those disappearing artifacts known as CDs. I still like holding the covers or booklets describing the musical contents that artists or agents send my way for a listen. Some are greatly detailed revealing extensive research along with the necessary production elements and others simply give you the basic facts. And I’ll share three wonderful CDs with you that came my way this summer.
The Limerick Lass, Niamh Dunne, first came to my awareness as part of the Northern-Ireland based band Beoga (‘Lively’) shortly after she joined the four original gentlemen who founded the already interesting and cutting edge double-accordion trad band (Damien McKee, Sean Og Graham, Eamon Murray and Liam Bradley) eight years ago.
Beoga was performing at the late-lamented ICONS festival at the Canton New England Irish Cultural Center outside of Boston. Dunne was diminutive in stature but not in voice on the occasion, and along with her fiddling she instantly made an impression as a stylish and sophisticated singer whose fiddle licks added great dimension to the band. Since 2005 she has been featured on three of their four CDs.
I had a chance to observe her further on her own around her familiar Limerick haunts near the University of Limerick singing songs in sessions, and it was clear that she was going to be a rising star inside and outside the Beoga firmament.
Classically trained as a violinist, she also has drawn into the Dunne family history as ‘traveler musicians’ (most notably Pecker Dunne who passed away last year), and her fiddling/piping father Mickey Dunne with whom she recorded Legacy in 2004 with another fiddling sister, Brid.
That grounding along with a confident flair for tackling ‘good songs’ in and outside the tradition has made her a singer to be reckoned with. So with great anticipation she finally released a solo CD called Portraits in Ireland to display her wares as a vocalist.
While living up north and touring around Europe with Beoga and around Ireland, Dunne keeps up the family tradition of traveling a good deal, so the notion came to her to emphasize her native Limerick in the song selections on the new recording.
Four of the 11 tracks are Limerick-inspired (‘Ballyneety’s Walls,’ ‘Beauty of Limerick,’ ‘Cailin Rua’ and the oft-covered ‘Shanagolden’ from songwriter Sean McCarthy).
Add to those beautiful trad songs like ‘Bonny Woodhall’ and’ Jimmy mo Mhile Stor’ delivered in her lush voice with just enough musical accompaniment to appreciate the tender care that she and her producer and fellow Beoga bandmate Sean Og Graham apply to their craft.
What makes Dunne so appealing as a contemporary singer in the traditional idiom is her moxy and sensitivity while interpreting modern songs in the folk or popular vein also.
On the CD we have Richard Thompson’s ‘Strange Affair,’ Barry Kerr’s ‘When Autumn Comes,’ Joe Dolan’s ‘Foxy Devil,’ and from the brilliant Irish language combo of John Spillane and Louis de Paor known as the Gaelic Hit Factory ‘Eist do Bhéal,’ voiced with a knowing sensibility.
As a further example Dunne, inspired by Tyrone fiddler Cathal Hayden, resurrects the old Rock and Roll gem ‘Games People Play’ penned by Joe South, whose message of intolerance still resonates today.
As you might expect, Dunne and Graham were able to recruit an outstanding array of musicians to tastefully accompany her solo singing CD that include Damien O’Kane, Eamon Murray, Trevor Hutchinson, Kate Ellis, Barry Kerr, Mickey Dunne, Noell McDonnell, Nicola Joyce, Cathal Hayden, Caitriona McKay and Richard Nelson.
Dunne adds her fiddle and multi-instrumentalist Graham contributes his talents on guitar, bouzouki, accordion, keys and banjo which you think would be enough, but according to the liner notes he has a walk-on part in ‘Beauty of Limerick’ as well.
Regrettably, Beoga forays over to America are too infrequent to expose both their many talents and those of Ms. Dunne, but do yourself a favor and reach out for their CDs at www.copperplatemailorder.com.Paul Keating.
The Living Tradition 97
Limerick’s Niamh Dunne is already renowned for her accomplishments on fiddle; a classically trained violinist, shes also, for the past eight years, been a key member of the award-winning band Beoga, with whom she’s recorded three CDs. Prior to which, Niamh’s only available recording had been Legacy, a joint album with her father Mickey (the famed Limerick piper) and her sister Brid.
Now, at last, Niamh has finally got around to releasing a proper solo album that fully capitalises on her deep love of song (although she does get to play the fiddle too).
lt’s a beguiling mix of traditional and contemporary material which seems to get that tricky balance just right and very naturally too. The depth of her feeling for her native region and its heritage is apparent right from the outset on Ballyneety’s Walls, which tells of Limerick’s victory during the Siege Of Limerick in 1690, which is aptly followed by the yearning ballad Beauty Of Limerick; later on the album we find another Limerick standout, Cailin Rua.
Niamh’s wonderful, warm singing voice is ideally focused by the excellent recording and receives a perfectly judged degree of instrumental support from a small pool of musicians that includes Sean Og Graham (guitars), father Mickey (Uilleann pipes), Trevor Hutchinson (bass), Kate Ellis (cello), Barry Kerr (low whistles) and Eamon Murray (bodhran, percussion), while backing vocals come courtesy of Noelle McDonnell and Nicola Joyce. Other musicians put in isolated appearances to great effect: there’s Richard Nelson’s dobro adding poignancy to Joe Dolan’s Foxy Devil, Cathal Hayden’s sensitive fiddle on The Games People Play (a song which Niamh makes her own by taking a more reflective stance than most), Catriona McKay’s harp on Callin Rua and Damien O’Kane’s banjo on the spirited opener.
But this is so much Niamh’s own personal collection, unerringly conveying the essence of her interpretive flair and her gorgeous singing. Every single track is a highlight in its own right, and the listener feels privileged to be in Niamh’s intimate company for this all-toobrieftimespan. While her version of Richard Thompson’s Strange Affair can hold up is well to competition, it’s also been a revelation to discover new songs through Niamh’s advocacy – here I’m thinking especially of Sean McCarthy’s Shanagolden (another song with a Limerick connection, incidentally) and the beautiful traditional song Jimmy Mo Mhile Stor (Niamh’s treatment of which is crowned by Sean Og Graham’s impeccable flowing guitar solo). All told, this is a quite sublime record, one that’s been worth the wait. David Kidman
www.tradconnect.com
Niamh Dunne is best known for her work with the group Beoga. Over the last decade they have been at the forefront of traditional music with a number of highly regarded albums. As a group they were not afraid to incorporate other genres’ into their music with a resultant jazz and bluesy feel giving it a “wonderful bouncy Irish sound” as they describe it themselves. As always, production values were high and for this release Beoga stalwart Seán Óg Graham is again responsible for production and mixing. Niamh has also brought on board an impressive array of other support musicians including Eamon Murray, Damien O’ Kane, Cathal Hayden, Barry Kerr and Trevor Hutchinson. Another notable feature of the album is the fact that Niamh has brought her song selection back to the city of Limerick with a number of tracks sourced locally.
The opening Ballyneety’s Walls tells of Limerick’s victory during the Siege of Limerick in 1690 and the second track is called The Beauty of Limerick which is a song of “love and great yearning” about an Irish man many miles from his home. The guitar and accordion of Seán Óg underpins many of the tracks. Arrangements are exceptionally good giving a modern feel to some great song selections. In addition to the traditional songs she includes some that are more recent including the ever beautiful Shanagolden by Sean McCarthy and Strange Affair by the legendary Richard Thompson. These sit very comfortably alongside the more traditional Irish material. The arrangements never stretch Niamh’s voice and she steers clear of the jigs and reels, keeping a clear focus on the job at hand. This allows her to take the limelight as an artist with a true interpretative spirit and voice when it comes to traditional song. Other songs include an Andy Irvine inspired Bonny Woodhall from the songbook of Sam Henry, John Spillanes’s Éist do Bhéal and the more modern The Games People Play. Overall it is an impressive debut album with some great songs that have been part of Niamh’s repertoire over the years. The arrangements and accompaniment lift the material and give it a thoroughly modern feel. Tony Lawless
Irish Music Magazine.
Limerick born singer and fiddler, Niamh Dunne has made a reputation as a formidable force on the Irish music scene. Bright eyed and bushy tailed her bubbly personality has woven itself into the Beoga psyche befitting their eclectic approach.The question is how would she cope and fare outside the band confines working as a solo artist.
Niamh’s first solo album Portraits is a highly woven affair with evocative arrangements and a song bag that frames her origins and cuts a swathe through classic ballads and newer compositions. The singing is strong and distinctive and the local ballad cache includes a rousing Ballyneety’s Walls and a recasting of Beauty of Limerick with some ambient soundscapes cradled with a simple narrative. Similarly Shannagolden and Cailin Rua reveal her balladic strengths and Bonny Woodhall breathes anew with a female voice. Barry Kerr, John Spillane, Joe Dolan provide the contemporary material and Dick Gaughan’s setting of Joe South’s Games People Play adds a fitting climax.
Musically the backings are rich and careful never upsetting the vocal authority but throwing some delicious side roads into Americana and Ambient routes as well.
Portraits finds Niamh Dunne treading the without a net syndrome admirably gaining a stylistic footing that satisfies her talents. John O’Regan
NIAMH DUNNE
Portraits
Private Label ND001
Limerick’s Niamh Dunne is already renowned for her accomplishments on fiddle; a classically trained violinist, she’s also, for the past eight years, been a key member of the award-winning band Beoga, with whom she’s recorded three CDs. Prior to which, Niamh’s only available recording had been Legacy, a joint album with her father Mickey (the famed Limerick piper) and her sister Brid.
Now, at last, Niamh has finally got around to releasing a proper solo album that fully capitalises on her deep love of song (although she does get to play the fiddle too). It’s a beguiling mix of traditional and contemporary material which seems to get that tricky balance just right and very naturally too. The depth of her feeling for her native region and its heritage is apparent right from the outset on Ballyneety’s Walls, which tells of Limerick’s victory during the Siege Of Limerick in 1690, which is aptly followed by the yearning ballad Beauty Of Limerick; later on the album we find another Limerick standout, Cáilín Rua.
Niamh’s wonderful, warm singing voice is ideally focused by the excellent recording and receives a perfectly judged degree of instrumental support from a small pool of musicians that includes Seán Óg Graham (guitars), father Mickey (Uilleann pipes), Trevor Hutchinson (bass), Kate Ellis (cello), Barry Kerr (low whistles) and Ramon Murray (bodhrán, percussion), while backing vocals come courtesy of Noelie McDonnell and Nicola Joyce. Other musicians put in isolated appearances to great effect: there’s Richard Nelson’s dobro adding poignancy to Joe Dolan’s Foxy Devil, Cathal Hayden’s sensitive fiddle on The Games People Play (a song which Niamh makes her own by taking a more reflective stance than most), Catriona McKay’s harp on Cáilín Rua and Damien O’Kane’s banjo on the spirited opener.
But this is so much Niamh’s own personal collection, unerringly conveying the essence of her interpretive flair and her gorgeous singing. Every single track is a highlight in its own right, and the listener feels privileged to be in Niamh’s intimate company for this all-too-brief timespan. While her version of Richard Thompson’s Strange Affair can hold up well to competition, it’s also been a revelation to discover new songs through Niamh’s advocacy — here I’m thinking especially of Seán McCarthy’s Shanagolden (another song with a Limerick connection, incidentally) and the beautiful traditional song Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór (Niamh’s treatment of which is crowned by Seán Óg Graham’s impeccable flowing guitar solo). All told, this is a quite sublime record, one that’s been worth the wait. David Kidman
The American audience is not generally aware of London’s importance in the development of Irish music over the last half century, though it’s taken for granted in Ireland. Pubs such as The Favourite in Finsbury Park, or The White Hart on Fulham Broadway held regular sessions in the 60s and 70s, and when the revival took off, London based youngsters like Kevin Burke were ready to make their own contributions.
The London Irish music scene remains vital, as Track Across the Deep demonstrates. Fiddlers Karen Ryan and Elaine Conwell seem to have absorbed something of every major Irish regional tradition- from the octave doubling of County Kerry to the virtuosic embellishment of the Sligo masters
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