Dear Reader –
I was lucky enough to attend last night’s game between Ireland and France in Dublin. There’s something special about international soccer - you can tell it means more to the players. There is a great video in the What’s New section below that demonstrates this. Plus some thoughts on sport for children.
Last week’s answers:
Answer to the questions in last week’s letter: Mi, and see chord chart below.
*Note that classical music isn’t designed to be notated in chord charts, but it is an interesting exercise to try and hear the chordal harmony behind the melody. Did any of you try it? Please get in touch if so - it was hard!
**All hyperlinks in bold.
The Big Thing
Letter reader Fintan Kennedy left a thoughtful comment at the bottom of last week’s letter. It’s there for you all to read, including a podcast recommendation on the point he addressed - the crossover between music and sport. Because there are many similarities.
They are both forms of human expression.
They both have the ability to bring us to places of emotion that we rarely otherwise reach.
They both require a high level of teamwork and collaboration.
But there are differences too…
In music there is no-one trying to purposefully stop what you are trying to do.
Sport at the highest level is inherently competitive, whereas music shouldn’t be.
As Michael Parkinson said on the Second Captains podcast a few years ago - “sport is not war, or death, or famine – it's not that at all. It's the opposite of that. It's to persuade us of a life outside of that…that's why sport's important”.
The same can be said of music.
Here’s to both.
Where else but Sligo?
You don’t need me to tell you that Jamie Callaghan has taken the Theme Nights by storm since Eddie Lee sent me a video of him busking a few short years ago and recommended I get him involved.
What you may not know is that he fronts a band called Túsk and they have just released their debut album.
Check it out here.
What’s New?
SPORT (AND MUSIC) FOR CHILDREN: This short blog sums these sometimes mad worlds up brilliantly.
DONNY: More new music from Sligo artists here - this one is from Donny Dunko - and if you’re into your dance music it’s a must-listen.
DON’T CRY FOR ME… The first three minutes of this video are incredible. The Argentina fans welcoming their world champions home for the first time. The players are visibly affected…
Finally…
This was fun - my 2017 ode to sport. Featuring Seamie O’Dowd, Steve Kohlmann and Tommy Moore.
Questions:
Difficulty Level 1 - In what key is this song?
Difficulty Level 3 - There are two notes in the opening 18 seconds of melody that aren’t part of this key. What are they?
Till next time - Kieran.
