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Held annually in the Moorlands Suite of the
magnificent Ramada Lough Allen Hotel, this summer concert features singers and
musicians from Leitrim and its surrounding counties. The extraordinary performers at the 2007 Concert
included Suaimhneas (pron. "swanis", Gaelic for "peace"), a chorale group of
forty members accompanied on piano and a premier CD debut for John Wynne
(flute) and John McEvoy (fiddle) called Pride of the West.
The chorale group, Suaimhneas, under the
direction of Derek Mahady, led the performance with two memorable tunes: "When
I Was Young and Foolish," and "The Last Rose of Summer." It was a haunting
Gaelic love song, though, called "Ho Ro Minion don Bhoidhea," with solo by
Imelda Gaffney that was the highlight of the evening. The extraordinarily touching
melody and the voice of the soloist were unforgettable. Lively renditions of
popular Irish ballads like "Bluebird" changed the tempo while a solo by
talented young artist Gavin Sweeney, who sang "If I Were A Rich Man" put a
decidedly different spin on an otherwise traditionally Irish performance.
Following the chorale group was the
incredibly talented duo of John Wynne (flute) and John McEvoy (fiddle). Guest
performer Jacinta McEvoy, wife of John, played a guitar accompaniment, and once
the music started, tunes like "Pride of the West" (composed by McEvoy and the
title song of the new CD), "King of the Pipers," and "Up Sligo" brought their
own accompaniment in the form of toe-tapping, hand-clapping, whoops, and
hollers. These traditional Irish jigs and reels had the place "hoppin and
rockin."
Closing numbers, traditional Gaelic ballads
like harpist O'Carolan's "Madame Maxwell" and "On Lough Erne's Shores" topped
off the performance amidst shouts of, "More...More!"
The gifted artistry of McEvoy and Wynne-two
of Ireland's foremost musicians-kept the audience not only entertained but
thoroughly engaged. Irish or not, this is music that captures the heart, fuels
the imagination, and stirs the soul.
How
to get there:
From
Dublin, N4 to Carrick-on-Shannon, then R280 N to Drumshanbo.
From Belfast, M1/A4 to Enniskillen then to
Blacklion. 4km W of Blacklion, take R207
South to Dowra then to Drumshanbo along the Eastern shore of Lough Allen.
Address:
Summer Festival Opening Concert
Moorlands Suite
Ramada Lough Allen Hotel
Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
www.loughallenhotel.com
T: 071 964 0100
Organizer: Mrs. Nancy Woods, Drumshanbo,
Co. Leitrim
Written by Joy Davis - Summer of Travel 2007
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