Encounter 3 Assignement; Album Review

Footnote: I was unable to download pictures from the "Sounds of Neighbours"
But, felt you might enjoy some of scenes from Ireland itself.



(Killarney-craicl)

Northern Ireland Music

For my third encounter project I did an album review by Smithsonian Folkways Recording that features, "Sound Neiighbours: Comtempary Music in Northern Ireland.
I chose this album because I've always been fasinated with Ireland hertiage, culture and music, such as the landscape shown on the left by Fotosearch.com.
"Sound Neighbours," features 20 vocal and instrumental with different singers and talents that give a diversity a whole new meaning to this "musical wealth" of Northern IrelandThis album was released in 2007 featuring songs such as "Northern Man" songwriter Pete O'Hanlon and sung by RoyArbuckle, which tells of a story acknowledging through footsteps that there may be different traditions but the "common pulse of humankind" is very much the same. This was my favorite as it told of his own roots and how love knows no borders.

(Ireland-dingle connor pass)
"The Belfast Mountains," was on track three performed by a legendary band of knights that roamed the land enforcing law and order. The knights were known as “The Red Branch,” or Craobh Rua. Today Craobh Rua is a well respected band that came from Belfast Mountains and captivates their music as though you actually feel the settings of these beautiful mountains that overlook a city seeing streets and houses all around them.
Track seven featured, “There were Roses,” sung by Tommy Sands. I felt as thought I was in a tavern/ pub dancing and having fun with the locals. But, after reading the link notes I can understand why Mr. Sands writes and record songs that aim to heal the wounds across political and cultural divides.

“There were Roses”, is actually a very sad song. It’s about a couple who were murdered in the mid “70’s”, when summertime and roses were in full bloom, not far from where the murder took place just outside a family home on Ryan Road in County Downs. This murder consisted “tit for tat sinarino and conspires neighbor against neighbor. Eventually in the end at the time of the murder it may have benefit a few but was costly to so many. This song reminds us just how precious life can be. That while we are alive we should enjoy being in it, not sad and depressed from it.

(Dingle-Inch Beach)
Most of the music played on these tracks were very uplifting, inspiring and very enjoyable to listen to. However, there were a few tracks I wasn’t to crazy about like, “A Sto’r, A Sto’r, a ghra’, Omagh Town, and The Stormy Saturday.” I am usually am pretty open-minded when it comes to different kinds of music out. Many of these songs thought, had some kind of meaning behind them, I just couldn’t get interested in those songs.
(Fossa Church)

All in all, this diverse collection of Northern Ireland’s composers, songwriters, and instrument music with drums, flutes, pipes, guitars and vocals showed a pride and confidence to this beautiful land that captured my soul. I would diffantly recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary music to check this website out, sit back and relax to this powerful and energizing collection of “Sound Neighbours: Contempory Music in Northern Ireland."


(Goggartys-Seishun, enjoying a night out with the guys. Have you ever seen so many flutes and guitars?)










Websites to visit:
http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/containerdetail.aspx?itemid=3181
http://www.spirited-ireland.net/
http://www.fotosearch.com




Sound Neighbours:Contempory Music of Northern Ireland songs on CD:

"1. Northern Man Different Drums 3:03, (Peter O Hanlon),
2. Splendid Isolation / Mrs. Lawries Cathal Hayden 3:54, (Brendan McGlinchey),
3. The Belfast Mountains Craobh Rua 4:24, (Arr. CraobhRua),
4. Ships in Full Sail / The Three Sisters Barry Kerr 3:35, (Barry Kerr),
5. A Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá Geraldine Bradley 1:49, (Arr. Geraldine Bradley-Noel Lenaghan),
6. There Were Roses Tommy Sands 6:24, (Tommy Sands/ ElmGrove Music),
7. Ma na Bh Fínna (Plain of the Deer) / Correl Glen Jim Mc Grath featuring Robert Watt 3:23 (JimMcGrath),
8. Omagh Town Roisin White 2:43,
9. My Ain Countrie Low Country Boys 3:42, (Mary Lee Demarest),
10. The Old Bush Set Jarlath Henderson 4:30, (Arr. By JarlathHenderson-RossAinsley),
11. The Donegall Road Colum Sands 4:43
(ColumSands/ ElmGrove Music),
12. The Shankill and The Falls Bap Kennedy 2:46 (BapKennedy / Complete Music, MCPS),
13. The Singing Stream Niall and Cillian Vallely 4:10 (Niall Vallely / SGO MusicPublishing, Ltd.),
14. The Verdant Braes of Screen Briege Murphy 3:16,
15. Eddie Duffy’s Monaghan Twig / The Stormy Saturday Hidden Fermanagh 2:40,
16. The Newry Highwayman Len Graham 2:17 (Arr. Len Graham/ CrannaghMusic, MCPS / PRS),
17. The Shipyard Slips (Island Men) Gerry Jones 2:42 (Brian Moore),
18. Sean Maguire's Set At First Light: Dónal O Connor and John Mc Sherry 3:46
(Arr. John McSherry-Dónal O Connor / Bon AccordMusic, MCPS),
19. Sunrise The Divine Comedy 3:16, (Neil Hannon / BMG MusicPublishing, UK)
20. My Lagan Love Desi Wilkinson 4:36 richness and diversity of the region’s musical traditions."


About Smithsonian Folkways
"Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document music, spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued the Folkways tradition by supporting the work of traditional artists and expressing a commitment to cultural diversity, education, and increased understanding. Smithsonian Folkways recordings are available at record stores. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Folkways, Collector, Cook, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, Monitor, and Paredon recordings are all available through:
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Mail Order
Washington, DC 20560-0520
Phone: (800) 410-9815 or 888-FOLKWAYS (orders only)
Fax: (800) 853-9511 (orders only)
To purchase online, or for further information about Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, go to: www.folkways.si.edu. Please send comments, questions and catalogue requests to mailorder@si.edu."




This is response to my third encounter assignment.