Dear Reader –
Here it is. As promised - from last year’s young Songwriters’ Showcase - Pro Murray with White Foyer.
Also featuring Jayne Feehily.
A huge thanks to Rory and Rummy at TemperHound Productions and Luke at The Blue Room Recording Studio for making this happen.
The Big Thing
The Best of Sligo with The Best of Irish.
With help from Donegal and Leitrim too it must be said!
It was another fantastic weekend in The Model with over 100 performances over the course of four shows. Happy heads everywhere - from first-timers to seasoned campaigners. Lots of great music - Hozier, Kodaline and The Cranberries were especially popular - and as always there were some great moments including the following…
The first time we had uileann pipes on a Theme Night!
Our horn section figuring out that the arrangement was in the wrong key and immediately transposing by pencil to the right key. All 30 mins before the show!
The devastation when people realised how bad the storm was and that they mightn’t get to sing their songs that night…and then the joy when the show went ahead.
All of our multi-instrumentalists - love to see the versatility of some of these teens.
And finally I loved Pro Murray’s live performance of the above song - great to see how it can grow legs in the hands of capable musicians…
Where else but Sligo?
Our three Teenage Theme Night graduates last weekend. Each with their own story.
Emily Meades (2018) sang Imelda May’s Black Tears on her very last Teenage Theme Night. It was so good we asked her to do it again in Vicar St in 2019. And it was lovely to see some of our current crew inspired by her. Emily sang it herself on Friday night, but it was just as exciting to see Mimi Lee and Cara Carleton firstly choose it and then deliver it on the following two shows.
Sam White (2015) sang Galileo - also the song that he sang on his last Teenage Theme Night appearance. Peter Watters accompanied him on violin that year, and it was lovely to see Leo Tarrant (who I’m guessing was 7 yrs old in 2015!) accompany him equally beautifully this time.
Sam was part of the very first Teenage Theme Night, and remembered the times when each performer got to sing two songs just so we could make up one full set. No such problem this weekend!
Ryan Scanlon (2022) is a force of nature. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals - he can do it all, and he can entertain the crowd too. A generous soul, he lives for his music and it was great to see him back on our stage. He brought a band with him - great musicians all - and they entertained us with some Thin Lizzy and a song of their own.
What’s New?
SPELLING BEE: Mental stimulator or time waster? Not quite sure - but it’s fun.
BILLY JOEL NEW MUSIC?! Surely not?! He has only released one new song since 1993.
But yes there is a song and possibly more on the way - according to The Guardian…ST. THOMAS: They’re calling it the best ever score to win an All-Ireland final…
Finally…
One of the highlights from this weekend - OK The Mary Wallopers are a bit old for our shows - but Trevor Horan and the gang did a fantastic job on it!
Till next time - Kieran.
