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Organiser
John Fitzgerald with the evenings compere Bob Brolly |
World-class
Irish talent descended on Birmingham’s Town Hall for a one-off
performance last month.
The cool autumn evening of October 14 featured a mixture of homegrown
talent, local favourites and exciting new prospects and thanks to organiser
John Fitzgerald the quality was second-to-none.
The brand-new Town Hall, a mixture of gold and silver, looked beautiful.
It’s clean stone, white pillars and silver banisters made for
lovely, rich surroundings. The most eye-catching feature is a huge,
ornate, golden organ behind the stage, which dominates the hall.
But, make no mistake; all attention was keenly focused on the performances.
Carl Chinn, local historian, launched the night to a warm reception.
He is widely respected for his knowledge of the Irish community in
Birmingham he bounded on stage with his usual enthusiasm.
He said: “Welcome to the town hall! Our town hall and your town
hall. No matter what race, colour, creed or religion this is yours
to enjoy. It’s been nine years coming, paid for by the people,
for the people and it’s fitting that there should be an Irish
night here. The Irish have been coming here since the mid-nineteenth
century.”
Bob Brolly, our compere for the evening, was his usual cheerful self.
Easy to like and fun with the audience, he filled the gaps with his
humour.
Deserved headliners Lúnasa, now on their sixth album, Sé,
were thoroughly impressive. They feature front man and outstanding
flautist, Birmingham-born Kevin Crawford. Kevin appeared at the Town
Hall before its re-vamp, with his old Birmingham band Long Acre. He
relished being back and reminisced about starting there 25 years ago
on the spoons, he even introduced a set in his best Brummie accent.
Each member is a virtuoso musician. They play whistle, uilleann pipes,
fiddle, guitar and double bass and began with a set of reels followed
by a set of jigs. Their brilliance was evident from the start.
One can get lost in the music of Lúnasa. It’s layers and
textures are at sometimes peaceful and atmospheric and at others rousing,
intense and played at breakneck speed. The addition of a double bass
to the rhythm section makes their music slightly different from strictly
traditional Irish music.
Kevin dedicated Absent Friends to a Co Clare flautist who had passed
away and attributed The Ivory Lady to a band member’s sister
for her skill on the piano. Their stunning performance ended with The
Last Pint and The Ash Plant.
The penultimate act were St Paul’s School for Girls Choir. The
only Catholic girl’s school in Birmingham sang Danny Boy and
The Fields of Athenry. They did their school and conductor proud.
The last half of the evening began with local legends Drowsy Maggie.
Veterans of the Irish music scene in Birmingham, they opened with the
instrumental The Ferryman. With over 34 years experience
for some members, they are expert musicians on instruments including:
banjo, guitar, fiddle, uilleann pipes and double bass. Their version
of The Green Fields of France was moving and definitive. The Dunne
Song, complete with actions, was helped by audience participation.
Slowing the tempo down with an instrumental, we were also treated to
The Star of The County Down, The Banks of the Lee and The Leaving of
Liverpool.
Tommy Dempsey, formerly of Drowsy Maggie, sang a number of ballads
before the break. An excellent guitarist accompanied him. Among the
Dub’s songs were Down By The Salley Gardens by W B Yeats and
with the audience singing along, the well-known Whispering Gypsy.
The Kenny Academy of Irish Dance provided one of the most interesting
performances of the night with a fresh, modern take on Irish dancing.
Part theatre, inspired by Riverdance, their show included under-15
world champion Megan Kerrigan.
Michael Collins, the renowned storyteller, had the audience in the
palm of his hand. He delivered another unique, highly amusing tale
in his Limerick accent.
16 musicians from Junior Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
played two jigs, The Spotted Dog and The Legacy, followed by two reels,
The Banshees and The Trip to Birmingham. Their great musician-ship
is surely a guarantee for the future of Irish music in the second city.
The stunning finale saw all the acts crammed on stage for a version
of The Wild Rover with shared vocals, music and dancing.
A night like this can re-enforce a love of Irish music and inspire
a whole new generation of Irish musicians because the music, song and
dance were played with confidence and artistry.
The Town Hall promises to be an excellent venue for world music. If
it can continue to attract the calibre of performers as featured in
the Feast of Irish Folk then we have a lot to look forward to.
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