Irish Music Magazine - November 2002

Ireland

Old Songs in a New Style

The lady has threatened to do this for the past dozen years and true to her word, Sinéad O'Connor has put some of those old Folk songs into a contemporary "leather jacket". Conor O'Hara meets the Diva in Dublin.

Harping On

Kathleen Loughnane's second CD and accompanying book of arrangements for Irish Harp, 'Harping On' is the completion of her research and playing over the last ten years. The album features several of Kathleen's friends because that's how she most enjoys making music in their affable company. She tells Ita Kelly it's time for young harpers to re-discover the old tradition and put less emphasis on the fiddle tunes.

Insider Knowledge

Singer songwriter and guitarist, Mike Hanrahan has released a new CD 'What You Know' on Dinky Records. He talks about it to Aidan O'Hara, looks back over his years with Stockton's Wing, as a soloist, and singing in his teens with Maura O'Connell.

Piping at the Palace

In the world of traditional music, Brian Vallely is head of the Armagh Piper's Club, first secretary of Na Piobairí Uilleann when it was founded in 1968, and also in charge of the annual William Kennedy International Piping Festival. John Brophy rides north for the full story.

Off to a Flying Start

Fiddle and harmonica isn't a frequent flyer when it comes to traditional combinations, but as Ita Kelly finds out, Paul Moran and Fergal Scahill had thirteen years of Galway sessions together before they made their album "A Flying Start".

North America

Winifred's Magical, Musical, Mystery Tour

Solas fiddler Winfred Horan steps out on her own with the release of a solo album, Just One Wish. "I've started it many times and stopped. The tragic events of September 11th last year contributed to finalising the album". She tells Tom Clancy.

Europe

Buds in Winter

John O'Regan pieces together the Donegal beginnings of An Tor, a German band who are bringing Irish traditional music to audiences and dancers in Germany, Switzerland and France.

United Kingdom

Rising Shine

Alan McIntosh Brown has the envious task of interviewing one of the most interesting Gaelic groups to come out of Scotland in the past ten years: Shine, three ladies steeped in traditional music who are keen to take their work on to new audiences and into challenging new venues.

Regulars

Story behind the Song

Continuing our series on Dan Milner's Irish Songs of New York, there's Joycean inspiration in the Lyrics of Vaudeville.

Tuition Tips From Waltons

A right old mixture of tune this month, polka, jig reel hornpipe, sure it's almost a repertoire.

Up & Coming

Alan McIntosh Brown meets Emily Smith the winner of the 2001 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, and hears tales of Sligo inspiration and the shift from the accordion to singing as the main love of her musical life.

A Trip to the Toolshed

This month Tom Madden gets his strings untangled with Antoinette McKenna and Zan McLeod.

Live Reviews

Dick Glasgow takes a cross-country trek to report on an historic meeting.

CD Reviews

Another selection of CD reviews brought to you in association with HMV