Galway Advertiser 2000/2000_08_24/GA_24082000_E1_061.pdf 

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Faultlines, Heartlines, Lifelines

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Troubadours.

The Black Box Theatre, Fonn 2000, Traditional Music Summer School
AS PART of Fonn 2000 some of the most important voices in Irish folk music gathered together for a special concert entitled Troubadours. Tony Small, who acted as MC for the night, was the first to start things off. In a red huntsman's jacket and Greek cap, he made a strik ing entrance. Tony played songs from his new CD Galway. He was in fine voice with gentle songs that reveal the importance of locality and roots in life. His tribute song to the Claddagh. with its memo ries of fishermen and hurlers was stunning. He was accompanied on key board and oboe, by two women whm he introduced as Eugenie and Virginia; "My minders." Throughout Tony's set they provided superb melodic accompani ment. Corkman Tim Lyons was the only performer who sang unaccompanied for his entire set. but then he didn't need it, his singing and his affable personality were all that was required. He sang a stirring version of 'My Lagan love' and the witty "The fast food song' a mod ern day seannds, about the potential evils of badly cooked burgers. The youngest of all the per formers was Don Stiffe from Bohermore. His stun ning voice was used to pow erful effect on a touching song about a father welcom ing his son, a returned emi grant, home. John Faulkner proved 1 0 be an exciting guitarist, com bining trad style riffs and chords into an energetic set. This was seen best in his song about a 'Farmer John Hayes'. Faulkner is English, you could tell by his accent when he spoke to the audi ence. However when he sang his voice carried airs and tones that are only heard from Irish singers. This was not a put-on accent, this was an indica tion of what a superb inter preter of and what a feeling he has for Irish song. In the last few years Sean Tyrrell has released a num ber of fine albums that has put him back to the fore front of Irish folk. At the start of his set, he paid trib ute lo Joe and Brian Mooney. who he sid "had influenced him greatly". Like John Faulkcncr. and Andy Irvine, Tyrrell is a superb guitarist who has complete mastery over his instrument. As he played traditional tunes he was accompanied by Robbie Ward on bodhran. He inter spersed his songs with Celtic riffs and his fingers
D O L A N

hat's the name of an exhibition of oil paintings and graphite on paper by, Teresa O'Connor which will be opened by poet Louis de Paor at 6pm on F r i d a y August 25, at the University Art G a l l e r y , NUI, Galway. T h e show will r u n until September 2. Opening hours: 10am - 5pm, Monday Saturday. Admission free. The paintings in this exhibition have been influenced by the artist's travels to Colorado and African desert land scapes, the works are inspired by patterns and lines recur ring on rocks and stones, the palm of the hand, and on satellite photographs of the earth, imparting a sense OL interconnection. The paintings are triptychs on a large scale, 12 feet by four, and a larger drawing, graphite on paper, 16 feet by six. Also included are some smaller etchings and draw ings. "The same patterns occur on rock and stones, in the desert, by the shore, seen from satellites, in aerial photographs and through the microscope. We can feel lost in a vast universe, alone, yet are part of it. The same energy flows through us and through the stars. "Our place in the shape of things, the same patterns recurring in all the diverse lev els of seeing something, from the microcosm, the lines in our hands, to the macrocosm, the satellite photograph, and in between, the warm colours of the desert and the pattern: on stone. Earth materials in the texture of paint, echoes o the inner landscape, the richness in the detail... I see my work as a catalyst, a doorway to inner space. I| try to create an atmosphere, a place in which to meditate to get in touch with the other. "I use natural materials| because we relate to them through all our senses. Theyi hold meaning for us which goes back through our ancestors. Wood, metal, sand - the raw materials in the alchemical fire." Teresa O'Connor studied in NCAD, Dublin and Harrow School of Art and is a Fine Art graduate of DLIADT. Dun Laoghaire, which has one of her etchings in its collection, and DIT, Dublin, where she completed her BA. She has par ticipated in group shows in Bray and Dun Laoghaire and Dublin's Temple Bar. 'Teresa O'Connor's terrifically free graphite drawings open up gritty expanses with great feeling for space.' Aidan Dunne. 'Irish Times," June 2000.

danced effortlessly over the fretboard. Irish music is not really meant to be played on the guitar, but seeing Sean at work, he showed that in the right hands, it is not the instrument that matters, il is the person who is playing il. Among the songs he played were two written with Cormac MacConnell 'Hocus pocus' is a humor ous tale about a woman whose husband had an affair with a snake charmer called Elaine. Tyrrell, somewhat mischievously said "It was written from a woman's per spective by two men." There were ripples of laugh ter from the audience. "See. girls we can do il...some times" said Sean. There was also a song about the pain of

being alone in the big city. The skill of MacConnells words and Sean's voice removed it from the clutch es of sentimentality and self pity and made for a gen uinely moving song about loneliness. Johnny Monihan arrived with a guitar, a ha/ouki. and an accordion. Many who saw him in the 60s and 70s would have been reminded of his days in Sweeney's Men and have been heart ened by the fact that he's as good as ever. Going between gentle songs and raunchy, irreverent, versions of Tim Hardin's 'If I were a carpenter', he was later joined on stage by Andy Irvine. It was the nearest thing to be had to a

Sweeney's Men re-union. They weren't used to work ing with so many micro phones and spent ages try ing lo set them up. "We only had the one microphone in Sweeney's Men" said Irvine. Once they got this out of the way they gave storming renditions of Roarin' Willy' and 'Sally Brown'. Andy Irvine rounded off the evening with a set that showcased what a superb guitarist he is. The unusual cords and his style of pick ing produced some wonder ful sounds thai rounded off a long night in fine style. His set included songs about Australian trade unions and a long journey by car. Andy showed his humorous side
K.IIILIN'

in an adaptation of his 'Patrick Street' song by a New Zealand fan. It told the tale of a man who was robbed by a transvestite who decides the idea of becoming a cross dressing crook is very profitable. This was a unique gathering of some fine musicians. It showed how their talents are undimmed and are perhaps better than ever. Brian Mooney, to whom many of the artists paid tribute said: "Il was fantastic. I've never enjoyed myself so much." And that is how it was. an night of sheer craic and enjoyment, with the finest exponents of one of the world's richest traditional musics. kernan Andrews